Announcements

Hey Harvest!
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and that you are looking forward to this Advent season. May God bless our congregation with a deep appreciation for Jesus’ incarnation, for His love, and for the community of faith that He has blessed us with. Here are the notes from this last week’s sermon.

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Have a great rest of the week!
Byron
Harvest South Bay                November 30th, 2008
Perseverance of the Saints
Great Expectations: The Gospel of Mark Mark 9:14-29

Exposition:
Losing Faith
Both the disciples and the man with the demon possessed boy were discouraged because of the lack of results from the exorcism. Jesus’ instruction is that faith takes perseverance with God.

When Things Don’t Work
FAITH IS WAITING.

Two Warnings
1. Faith can’t be Fickle.
Faith that does not persevere is not faith- it is experimentation.

2. Faith is not a Formula
Faith is not getting a step by step guide for everything so that we are in control, it is putting God in control.

Weekly Application Exercises
1. Take some time to redouble your efforts in the discipline of prayer. Make a prayer calendar or chart or list so as to recall any items that you have left fallow for the lack of an immediate answer from God.
2. Reflect on the many answers to prayer that God has provided as you have waited on Him. Praise Him for the wisdom found in His timing and in His answers rather than your own.

Some Additional Application Questions.
1. How does the perspective that faith is waiting shed light and perspective on those who are no longer walking with Jesus? How does it harmonize with the greater Scriptural testimony?
2. What are some longstanding prayer requests which you have committed to pray for until your prayers are answered? How does the lesson this last week bolster your prayer efforts?
3. Recall an area of your life which you have taken under your own control instead of trusted God with. What does that look like? What does it mean to relinquish control to God and trust Him?