"Faithing"

Have you ever wondered about faith, (P) doubted that you had it, wished you had more? Few things are more misunderstood than faith. Yet, few things are more important. (Pause)

One day, a young disciple of Christ desirous of wanting to fully receive all that God had for him visited the home of an elderly Christian.

He had heard that this old man had never lost his first love for Christ (P) over all the years.

The elderly man was sitting on the porch with his dog taking in a beautiful sunset. The young man posed this question:

"Why is it, sir that most Christians zealously chase after God during the first year or two after their conversion, but then fall into a complacent ritual of church once or twice a week and they end up not looking any different than their neighbors who aren�t even Christians?

I have heard you are not like that.

The old man smiled and replied, "Let me tell you a story:
One day I was sitting here quietly in the sun with my dog.

Suddenly a large white rabbit ran across in front of us.

Well, my dog jumped up, and took off after that big rabbit. He chased the rabbit over the hills with a passion.

Soon, other dogs joined him, attracted by his barking.

What a sight it was, as the pack of dogs ran barking across the creeks, up stony embankments and through thickets and thorns!

Gradually, however, one by one, the other dogs dropped out of the pursuit, discouraged by the course and frustrated by the chase.

Only my dog continued to hotly pursue the white rabbit."

"In that story, young man, lies the answer to your question." The young man sat in confused silence.

Finally, he said, "Sir, I don�t understand. What is the connection between the rabbit chase and the quest for God?"

"You fail to understand," answered the well-seasoned old man, "because you failed to ask the obvious question.

Why didn�t the other dogs continue on the chase?

And the answer to that question is that they had not seen (P) the rabbit. (Pause)

O� Brothers unless you see the prize, the chase is just too difficult. You will lack the faith, the passion and determination necessary to keep up the chase." (P)

Faith is a common denominator. Every one alive daily expresses faith in something. No one can live a single day without exercising faith.

When you awoke and went into the bathroom this morning you flipped a light switch and you had faith that it would work.

When you get in your car you turn the key and have faith that it will start.
When you mail a letter you have faith the postal system will get it to the right address. Someday!

Every time you walk into a building you are expressing faith in the architect and the workmen.

In each instance there was an action. You flipped a switch, you turned a key, you mailed the letter, you walked into a building.

I am sure many of you have heard of the great tightrope walker, BLONDIN.
He was one of the greatest tightrope walkers of all time, and there are many legends told of feats he performed.

One of the most often told stories of Blondin is of his crossing over the Niagara Falls on a tightrope. He reportedly did that several times.

At some point he turned to his large audience, which included numerous reporters from various newspapers, and he asked them, �How many believe I can walk across this tightrope over the Falls