Let’s Talk about Faith

Preparation

Set the room up like a living room or coffee shop. Serve snacks and beverages. If space allows, move the tables to create a unified space. This can be done by pushing multiple tables together in a “U” shape or rectangle.

Faith

Often, we find ourselves going through hardships, walking thru pain, and suffering. It can be the loss of job or a loved one, a broken relationship or an ill family member. Whatever the situation may be, we find ourselves wondering why we must walk through these difficult moments in life.

So often we base our belief and trust on what we see and not by faith. But God tells us to focus on faith. The scripture in 2 Corinthians 5:7 tell us “For we live by believing and not by seeing it.” It can be difficult to trust God during uncertain times, but as believers we know that His ways are not our ways. We also are told in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”

We sometimes forget that God told us we will experience hardships. We read in the Bible about those who have gone before us. However, when we face troubles, we still ask, “Why Me?” We are quick to worry about how to handle the hardship instead of having faith during those times that the Lord knows and will be with us. God, by His grace and mercy, has given us the gift of faith. He did not give it to use because we deserve it, but He gave it to us because of His everlasting love for us. But what exactly is faith?

Faith is such a small word but leaves room for so much discussion and personal impact. Faith can be as small as a mustard seed but move something as large as a mountain (Matthew 17:20-21). It can be this tiny feeling inside of you, yet powerful enough to raise people from the dead.

So how do we find out what faith is? The Bible is full of direction, suggestions and testimonies of what faith is.

Read the following passages.

Luke 7:36-50

Luke 8:44-48

Luke 5:17-20

Hebrews 11:1-40

Having faith in difficult times can allow you to find the Lord’s peace. Learning to give up all your struggles and problems to God can lift a heavy burden off yourself. God has given us the gift of faith so that we may use it to recognize His works and not be in constant worry when we are surrounded by uncertainties.

So whatever faith means to you, make sure in this life of hardships, and struggles you are always prepared to help others see not only your faith, but their faith too. Look around the room right now. The women that are sitting next to you might need to remember to relay on faith to get them through the difficulties they are facing. We are called to learn and lean on each other during our hard times. Making sure what faith means to each other can help us rely on our faith in God during those difficult times.

Now that we understand a little of what faith is, let’s explore it a little more by sharing using the 3 Practice Circle to help each other to grow in faith.

The 3Practice Circle

The 3Practice Circle method is used to allow everyone to share their opinion in a safe environment and not be judged. It takes a little practice, so the leader may want a volunteer who has learned the method before the meeting to show the women how it works. The following website has a video that explains this method of sharing: https://3practices.com/3practice-circles

The main concept is presented in five easy steps.

• A speaker/participant gets 2 minutes to state their opinion on a subject. “What does faith mean to me.” (Based on Hebrews 11:1 ““Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”)
• The other participants listen without interrupting.
• When the speaker finishes talking, anyone in the circle may ask a clarifying question that starts with the phrase, “I would be curious to know…” Limit this to 20 seconds.
• The speaker has 1 minute to respond.

This can continue for as long as you are comfortable or until the speaker and audience feel like they have presented and been heard. This does not mean that everyone has come to the same conclusion, but that everyone has had a chance to voice their opinion and clarifications.