The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Focus Verse: Galatians 3:9- So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

I. What is Faith?



Read Romans 4:13-25

Abraham held a special place in the hearts of the Jews. He was the founder of their nation. He was the man to whom God had first spoken and he obeyed.

Read Genesis 12:1-5

Read Genesis 13:14-17

God is asking Abraham to take him at his work. He is telling him that if he makes this leap of faith, he will become the father of a great nation and people.

At the crux of this event is the manifest difference between Jewish law or works and Christian Faith. What is it?
Abraham acted in faith before the Law came into being
Jews felt they had to earn God’s favour. Christians felt they could never earn God’s favour. All they can do is take God at his word that his promises are true.

There are 2 Greek words for promise. Huposchesis means I promise to do this and you promise to do that. Epaggelia means a promise made out of the goodness of someone’s heart and made unconditionally. This is the one that was used by Paul in romans.

II. Now that we realize how we can be in a right relationship with God, how can we give that as a gift to our children.

Read James 2:14-26

Whereas some argue that this passage represents a dichotomy between James and Paul, that is not the case.

Read 1 Corinthians 3:8

Read Matthew 5:14-16

William Barclay states that the twin truths of the Christian Church are “we are not saved by deeds, we are saved for deeds.”

We give our faith as a gift through our actions. We live our lives in such a manner that what we claim to believe is evident.

When in your life have you been the best example of your faith to your children?

How did your parents best demonstrate their faith for you as a child?

III. What does this gift provide.

As our children grow and inch closer to adulthood and independence, we have to come to the realization that we will not always be to teach and protect. We will really want to. Has anybody ever taken their kids to school and want to go in so be there to support them for that test they aren’t sure if they did enough for or to stand up for that kid that is saying mean things about them. I have. However I know that I can’t. Somebody can though.


A. Source of Comfort and Strength

Read Psalm 23:4
The verse says I, not we.

Has anybody ever faced down a fearful situation, one they may just as well have not faced, but experienced the comfort of God and this got them trough it?

B. Source of Protection

Read 1 Peter 5:8-9

C. Source of Healing

Most of us have been up in the middle of the night with sick kids, gotten sneezed and snotted on (sometimes worse), and we would do it again. While we never physically healed our kids, we were there to see them through it. One day we will have to send our kids out and they will be alone as they face all kinds of illness from colds to addictions to accidents and sometimes worse. The great thing is that God has dominion over all illness and frequently it was Faith that resulted in healing.

Read Mark 5:25-34

Read Mark 5: 35-43

Read Mark 10:46-52

D. Source of Justification

Read Romans 3:21-25

Even though it is our sin that separates us from God, because of Jesus, we are able to approach God and he can see us through his loving eyes, as innocent.

E. Source of Eternal Life

Read John 3:16

IV. Marriage

Read 1 Peter 3:1-7

Christianity broke all of the social barriers that were in place for women.

In Roman civilization there was the Patria potestas- daughters were under the rule of their father until they married and then they fell under the rule of the husband.

In Greek civilization, a husband could divorce his wife on a whim as long as he returned the dowry.

Christianity introduced the concept of reciprocal ethic. Christianity believes that a marriage is based on reciprocal obligation. For each privilege there is a reciprocal obligation.

If your Christian faith is brought into your marriage and embraced, verses like Matthew 19:26 will take on new meaning.

Divorce statistics- began to rise in the late’60s, skyrocketed in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
-rate peaked in 1981 at 5.3 divorces per 1000 people.
-dropped by 1/3 to 3.6 in 2007.
-Why has the drop occurred.
I believe that if you bring your faith into your marriage, and live it, you will give your children the gift of family that they can take with them into their own children and pass on to their children.
Challenge- Live your faith this week and this Christmas so that your children see it and make note of it and then continue this into the new year.