5-Minute Trekker's JournalSample

KNOWING GOD

What does genuine faith look like? Can it be associated with advanced degrees in theology? Perhaps. Can faith be perceived through moving oratory? Maybe. Or can faith be found in someone who does good works day in and day out? I think that is very possible.

All of these things - theology, oratory, and works - are not the source but rather the out-workings from the source. The source for Christians is belief in the truthfulness of the evidence contained in the New Testament. Christ's words and the words of his witnesses serve as a window through which we can answer Jesus' question to his disciples: "But who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15).

Faith for Christians is faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In His own time and in ours, the world seems to believe in almost anything but Jesus Christ. So faith in Christ asks us to be strong and courageous, for we can anticipate being disregarded, confronted, and scorned, but that should never be a surprise. Even many of Jesus' own disciples became discouraged and abandoned Him (John 6:66).

The world provides many things for us to believe in, but God provided His Son, Jesus Christ, only once. He did His part. Now it is up to us. Will we believe, or shall we put our faith and our trust in something or someone else? The Gospels serve as the best way to answer Jesus' question to his own disciples: "But who do you say that I am?"

Journal your thoughts and feelings on today's readings.

Spend time in prayer about what you wrote down.