The Preciousness of Faith

Key scripture: 2 Peter 1:1, Romans 12:3, Hebrews 11:6, Romans 10:17. Peter's statement about "like precious faith" teaches that faith is not a common possession—it is a heavenly treasure. It is more valuable than gold, powerful enough to overcome the world, and so important that Jesus prayed specifically for Peter's faith to survive Satan's attack. The devil understands the value of faith, which is why he relentlessly attacks the Word, seeks to produce discouragement, fear, offense, and unbelief. Therefore, believers must treat faith as a sacred treasure—guarding it, feeding it, exercising it, and refusing to surrender it. What God has entrusted to us is not ordinary faith, but "like precious faith," equal in value to that possessed by the apostles and powerful enough to move mountains, overcome trials, and obtain every promise God has spoken.

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Transcript

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Welcome to the Kingdom Conversation Podcast, where we are transforming ordinary minds into a kingdom mindset. I am your podcast host, Quentin Jones. Welcome back again for another great episode that's going to challenge you, grow you, and equip you. And so I'm honored that you're here. Thank you for those who are continuing to listen all around the world. I'm not going to stop. We're just getting started, baby. And so a couple of things I want to tell you as I remain faithful. As I mentioned in the last episode from Pastor Evangelist Jonathan Scholarsworth, as I remain faithful with my podcast, I want to ask you to do me a favor, go back, take a listen to a few of my previous episodes, give them a five-star rating. I suppose if it's not five-star, they don't give a five-star rating. But like my podcast, give it a high-star rating if you know and if you believe that there has been great spiritual impartation. As well as I always welcome it, you know, if you have two or three people in your contact list, send this episode too. You know, every single episode, you know, I don't just have one theme, I don't just have one flow. You know, I'm a person that I, within the right word, I pride myself. I can preach on any topic anywhere at any time because I'm a well-rounded preacher. And so a lot of my topics go from east to west, up north and down south. But that's the type of um the believer that I am, the way I study, and the way that I, you know, truly desire um to know so much of God. And so every episode may be a little bit different. And so as you come across these episodes that hit you differently, and you know a friend, someone in ministry, um, you know, someone that goes to your church, maybe they go to a different church, and you know that this episode is going to build their faith, do me a favor, send it to them and say, Man, check this episode out and let's grow together. And so that's what I would like to ask you to do. Continue to like, share, subscribe, uh, but also help me to um, you know, to just continue this going because I know God's doing a great thing, not just in me, but for everyone that is listening. Enough of that. Let's jump into today's content and what the Lord has for us today. Um, the title of my episode today is The Preciousness of Faith. The Preciousness of Faith. This came to me this morning. Um, as a staff here at Abundant Life Church. I'm the associate pastor here. Um, Monday through Thursday, we come together every morning and we have a word of a you know, a devotion word, and then you know, we we pray together, we um, you know, build each other up. And so this morning, I was praying, um, and I read this verse and it jumped off the page to me. And this is the devotion I shared this morning with the staff, and it hit me in such a deep place that I said, you know what, I gotta record a podcast episode on this today. And so I just wrote down a couple of verses. I'm gonna kind of flow and figure it out here. That's honestly the best way you know, you know, I like to preach. There's a time to study and prepare for a Sunday message, but there are times where I just want to sit down and what comes in me comes out of me. And so also, because of this devotion, uh, I really needed to beat Oriana Merle to releasing a podcast episode. So she said that she was gonna release a podcast episode based upon this um devotion this morning. And so out of pride, I needed to beat her to it. So amen. Just being honest with you, but praise the Lord. Here is the verse I read this morning, Second Peter chapter one, verse uh verse one. To those who have obtained like precious faith with us, by the righteousness of our God and savior Jesus Christ. I'm gonna read that again. Second Peter chapter one, verse one. To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. I'm gonna read that same verse in the New Living Translation. This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I'm writing to you who share the same precious faith that we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. Verse 2, may God give you more and more grace. Hallelujah. And peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. I love what verse two says because I'm gonna come back to verse one. May God give you more and more and more and more. More what? More grace, more peace. I don't want to add to the scripture as if I'm trying to manipulate it, but maybe just let me just add this context in here. May God give you more faith as well. May God give you more grace, may God give you more peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. The word precious is the Greek word isotemos. This word means equal in value or equally honored, or of the same price or of the same similar worth. Again, this word precious is equal in value, equally honored, or of the same price or worth. What Peter is basically writing to the Gentile believers is this is basically what he's saying. Hey, the faith that we have as special apostles, right? One that actually walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, ate with Jesus, the faith that we have, I'm declaring that you possess the same faith value as us as well. Essentially, this is what he's saying. Your faith is not a second-class faith. Your faith is not lower than we're not up here and you're down here. You're not different because you know we walked with Jesus and you get a second-tier faith because you know you got to hear it through me or through someone else. Nope, that's not what Peter is saying. He says, You have a precious faith. The key word is precious. Your faith is not second class, it carries the same heavenly value as ours. I'm here to tell someone as you're listening right now, you have to fight this thought that your faith is second class to someone else. You have to fight this thought that you are lower than someone else. I may not be as big as person A. I may not preach or teach as well as person B. I may not have this size of a ministry as person C and D and E. But one thing is for sure: my faith is not second class to anyone. I don't see myself as second class. I don't think second class. I don't preach second class. I don't even see myself second class to senior pastor of Abundant Life Church, uh, which his name is Terry Linscott. I'm the associate, he's his senior. I know my role, I know my position. But this is how some people do because watch, I've been I've traveled for so many years. I've I've preached in different churches, andor I've attended conferences where I've heard other uh people preach and they've made this same idiotic statement. And it goes something like this the statement goes, watch, let me say it like this. When Pastor Terry enables me or gives me the ability to preach behind the holy pulpit, let me tell you what I don't say. Well, how many of you know Pastor Terry is not here? I'm gonna try to do the best I can. You know, I'm not him, but you know, I'm you know, I'm just me. And there's those little jabs or little seeds that we sow that really shows our insecurity. And then people will get up and say, you know, uh one time I was at this conference. I um I wasn't scheduled to minister or scheduled to preach. I get a phone call while I'm in line. I I think I'm at Dairy Queen or Covers, I don't know. But I'm sitting there and I'm I'm at a uh totally another state. I'm getting ice cream, my phone rings, I'm like, why is this person calling me? I answer, they ask me, hey, would you like to minister? Like today. I said, absolutely, I'm always ready. I mean, listen, y'all, I had no heads up. I said, so what time am I doing? Is it tomorrow? Is it Friday or whatever? They said, nope, it's gonna be today. I said, awesome. They said, can you be here in 15 minutes? I sure can. Let me tell you something. I hung up the phone and immediately the word of God hit my spirit because I knew I was ready, even though I wasn't really ready. I go there and the moment the word hits me, my wife's like, So what are you gonna do? I said, I'm gonna preach, girl. What you mean? So I get there and I had a couple other people. They made it one session, but they had a couple other people who you know they wanted to share all within this hour. Well, we're sitting around talking. I get there, I meet the other people who's also gonna be sharing sometime. And so people are picking out the order. I told, I told everyone, listen to me, listen to me. You probably want to leave me for last because I'm telling you right now, I'm about to blow the lid off this place. I don't know, I don't know what you've come prepared to do. I don't know what you're gonna preach or teach, but I'm telling you, I know me. I'm going to blow the lid off of this place. The person then comes and they said, How about I go last and I go after you? I said, Are you sure? Because if you do, you're probably going to feel insecure about yourself. I'm going to blow the lid. They were adamant, they wanted to go, me to go second to last, and they go last. Everyone goes. Here, here comes me. I get up. Let me tell you something. Do you know what happened? I blew the stinking lid off that place. Man, the word of God came, the fire of God, the anointing of God. I declared, I preached, I prayed, I prophesied, and I don't make no apologies about it. Man, let me tell you something. And watch, it's not me. It was the God in me, right? It was God in me. It was God in me. It wasn't me, it was God in me. So I take no credit for it. I just know the gift and the faith that I carry. Well, the person gets up right after me and they grab the microphone, and the first thing they said was, Wow, I don't know if I can follow that. And I looked and I said, I told you! I told you, don't go after me. But the person grabbed a microphone and they said, I don't know if I can follow that. Wow, he's much better than me. What's what's the point that I'm saying? What did Peter say? Your fate is not second class, it carries the same value as what we have. And this is what I'm trying to lay into you right now, those who are listening all around the world. I don't care if you're in Belgium, I don't care if you're in France, I don't care if you're in Ecuador, I don't care if you're in Mexico, wherever you're at, listen to me. Your faith is not a second class faith. You're not second tier, you're not a second level. You are the child of the most high God. You are the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. You have to fight this stomach that you are not like someone else. I don't get up and say I'm the great value preacher or Pastor Charity. I'm a holy man of God. I'm a man that prays. I'm a man that preaches, I'm a man that teaches. It is a confidence that I carry because I know who I am and God. Peter is telling him, you are not secondary. You know what the definition of precious uh of precious is commanding a large price. Look it up. Commands a large price. Some synonym words are big ticket, costly, expensive, extravagant, premium, priceless. So, in essence, what Peter is saying is to those, or let's say this, he said, I'm writing to you because you share the same big ticket faith. Let me tell you something. Your faith is a big ticket, baby. You're gonna access, you're gonna be able to buy everything of what you need to buy because faith is the currency of heaven. He says, those who share the same costly faith, the expensive faith, the extravagant faith, the premium faith, and the priceless faith. Listen to me. Faith is the currency of heaven. I'm talking to you about how precious our faith is. Do you really understand how precious your faith is? Do you understand how costly your faith is? Do you understand how your faith, how much of a premium it is? And because I'm talking about the preciousness of faith, I want to help us today and those who are listening to understand the value of faith, why we must protect our faith, and how to grow our faith. We must know the value of our faith, protecting our faith, and growing our faith. Can someone say amen? So there's a couple things I want to continue to establish, excuse me, as I take a drink. Like me some good cold apple juice, baby. So, number one, here's what I want to impart into you. Faith is one of heaven's most valuable commodities. What's number one? Faith is one of heaven's most valuable commodities. Faith is not cheap. If we can see by the scripture that faith is a high value or worth, then what I'm telling you is faith is not cheap. It's not, it's not Walmart great value, it's not the something that you can get as 99 cent. Faith is costly, it is expensive, it's a big ticket item. You know how faith was purchased? Faith was purchased through the blood of Jesus. Faith was purchased through the resurrection of Jesus, the work of the Holy Spirit, the revelation of God's word. Faith is something that you yourself could not buy it on your own. It was already purchased because of Jesus. Romans chapter 12, verse 3. God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. Do you know that without faith you can't be saved? So in our own mind, when you and I are believing God, whether maybe it's a house, maybe it's to uh to go and preach more, maybe it's to call of ministry, maybe it's to grow and scale your business, maybe it's to see restoration in your marriage or a certain relationship, whatever that thing is. Listen to me, listen to me. God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. Do you know that you would not be saved if you did not have a measure of faith? So that same faith measure is what brought you into the kingdom. That same faith is what will help you to operate in the kingdom. It's the same faith. The difference is what you're looking for is how to have a different operation of the measure. The difference between me and the difference between Kenneth Hagen is not faith, but rather the measure of the faith in which they use. That's it. Kenneth Hagin believed for truckloads and plane loads to go feed people. The difference between you and Lester Summerall, the difference between you and Rodney Hara Brown, the difference between you and Nancy Dufrain, the difference between you and Catherine Coleman, the difference between you and Jonathan Shuttlesworth, the difference between you and your pastor, the difference between you and your favorite preacher. Listen to me, is that the color of your skin? Is that how much money you have in your bank account? It's not even how life started for you. The revelation, truth is, the difference between me, you, and every other person that I named and who I didn't name is that is the measure of faith in which someone uses. You have a measure of faith. That measure of faith is what brought you into the salvation power and the blood and the resurrection of Christ. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8. For by grace you are saved through faith. You are saved through faith. Faith is the door. Faith is the door. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Without faith, without costly faith, without extravagant faith, without the big ticket faith, without the faith that's the same equal value of what Peter, James, John, and those other 12 disciples had, you and I have the same entry-level faith that causes us to confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and believe in our heart, and we are saved. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Therefore, God is mostly, I'm trying to think of the way to say this because again, I'm kind of just flowing by the spirit here. I have a couple verses here. So excuse me if I'm stuttering over my words. But God is most pleased or easiest pleased when faith is present. So God is not pleased by tears, God is not pleased by the way that we plead. God is pleased by faith. Because if without faith, if we can't please God, therefore God is pleased when faith is present. There it is. That's better. That's better. What is the thing that I'm trying to continue to pave this way for us? The kingdom of God operates on faith. Without the operation of faith, you wouldn't even be in the kingdom. Therefore, if faith brought you into the kingdom, then the operation of faith is a continuation of the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Salvation comes by faith. Healing comes by faith. The justification of Christ comes by faith. Hey, even victory comes by faith. Faith is the currency in which the kingdom realities come a reality. Faith is a currency in which kingdom realities are access, or let's say this, become a reality. Without faith, there is no salvation. Without faith, you will never experience the healing and to be made whole. Without faith, you would never believe that Jesus has made us justified, meaning that he paid the price and he's the reason why we're saved. Without faith, you'll never have victory. You will wait until you see it. You will wait until your bank account changes. You will wait until your body lines up and then have victory. But faith says, I already possess it as if the bill was already paid, because by faith it was already paid. Faith is the currency in which kingdom realities are accessed. The kingdom of God operates on faith. So number one, faith is one of heaven's most valuable commodities. Number two, Satan understands the value of faith better than many believers. Satan understands the value of faith better than many believers. If faith means something to God, which means it's costly, it's expensive, it's big ticket, right? It's of a high value, then you must know that if it means something to God, it also means something to Satan. The devil attacks what threatens his kingdom. That's all he does. Whatever is important to God, then therefore the devil makes it his priority. This is the reason why the devil attacks marriages. Because when you go back to the book of Genesis, the establishment and the covenant of marriage is a reflection of the established covenant with God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. And because it means something to God, this is the reason why the devil loves to destroy marriages. You know what also is a high value to God? Babies, newborns. This is a reason why through a demonic agenda they push abortion and try to make it seem like it's some, well, you know, because they have Down syndrome, or you know, you got to make it easy for them. Because the life of child means much to God. This is a reason why all throughout the scriptures, even at the time of Moses, they murdered uh babies. The uh the Egyptians literally drowned babies in the river. This is why, when um, oh, what's his name? Uh, Jesus, when he was a baby, um, King Herod. Yes, Herod. Thank you, Holy Spirit. When the the wise man came to him and said that the Messiah is going to be born, but then um uh the the Lord gave the the the wise man um a vision and told him not to go back to Herod. When Herod figured out that they were not coming back, he tracked the genealogy in the age of what Jesus was supposed to be. And then he said, Go into the town, and any male that's within this age demographic killed him right now. So there was a great uproar because they were because he was trying to find Jesus. I'm telling, I'm just flown by the Holy Spirit here. The devil attacks what threatens his kingdom because if it means something to God, then you know it must mean something to Satan. You know what is great value to God? Faith. He attacks faith, he attacks the word of God, he attacks hope, he attacks the confidence of God because all of these things produce victory in this life, not only of you know, in this life against life's issues, but also against him and his demonic kingdom. And Luke chapter 22, verse 31, Jesus told Peter, Hey, Peter, uh, guess what? Satan desires to have you. It's not necessarily a good thing that I would, you know, want to hear. I'm with the you know, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and he says, Hey, Peter, I want you to know Satan has asked for you by name. Do you know what sort of impact that you would have to be making or about to make by the potential of the kingdom? That Satan literally calls you out by name. Satan desires to have you, to possess you. But I have prayed that your faith would fail not. Notice, Jesus didn't pray for Peter's comfort. Jesus didn't pray that you know Peter, you know, would would somehow just go figure it out. Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would remain strong and would not fail. If there is a success to faith, then unfortunately the way I look at this is that there is a failure to faith. The only failure to faith is not that God is a failure, but that we don't stand firm to God according to what he said, what he declared. So the failure isn't faith, but our it's our failure to stand firm. I like that better. I like that better. Thank you, Holy Spirit. It's our the failure, it is our inability to stay firm in what God has established. He says, I pray that your faith would fail not. Here's what I get from that as well. If my faith can survive the storm, then recovery is possible. There's not a single one of us who either is not in the storm or has gone through a storm. There's not a single person that you haven't gone through something and you thought this was the end. You thought that this was like it's over, I'm done, I'm throwing in the towel, I'm quitting, I can't get past this, whatever that looks like. There's not a single person who you did not think at least once or twice, and that you're facing that this was going to be the end. But this is the truth. If faith, if your faith and my faith can survive the storm, then recovery is possible. It makes me think of Peter, although he denied Jesus, he denied Jesus, but his faith in Jesus did not fail. See, there's a difference. His faith in Jesus didn't fail. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. His faith in Jesus did not fail. He denied Jesus, but his faith remained intact. That was the difference between Peter and Judas. And this is the reason why when Mary was told to go and strengthen the believers after the tomb was rolled away, the angel said, Go and tell my disciples. And by the way, go tell Peter too. Where was Peter? Peter, although he denied Jesus, was found with the apostles. Although he was hiding, his faith and what Jesus spoke over his life was there. He just didn't know how to work it out. Ah, come on, man. That's good teaching right there. When your faith survives the storm, recovery is possible. I'm telling you in Jesus' name, you're never going to not be able to recover. In Jesus' name, you're going to survive every single storm, and you're going to recover from every single storm. This is the reason why we declare no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Shall prosper. You will recover. I don't care what you're going through right now. I don't care that lies that are that is in your mind right now. I don't care how many hours you've cried. I don't care if you're sucking carpet. I don't care if you're if you have said things that that you that you've been cursing. I don't care. I don't care. I'm telling you, you're you will survive. Recovery has your name on it. Get up and run your race, man and woman of God. Man, Jesus' name, amen. What was point number two? Satan understands the value of faith better than many believers. Here's number three. Satan's first strategy is to steal the word. Satan's first strategy. First, first, you know, Satan has a complete strategy, but I'm talking about what's first. Matthew, you know, chapter 6, verse 33 says, seek first the kingdom of God. Notice, God has given us what our first agenda is, and I'm telling you what Satan's first agenda is. Satan's first strategy is to steal the word. Ask me why. Because faith comes from the word. Let me show you this. Romans chapter 10, verse 17. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word. Listen to me. If faith comes by hearing, then how do you think fear comes? What are you listening to? Who are you listening to on YouTube? What podcast are you listening to? Notice every single episode, I've never given you fear. Every episode is literally has 10 to 15 to 30 scriptures of understanding, of revelation, of how to apply it in application, because faith is coming to you. You may not see it. You are hearing it, but you may not see it. I'm telling you what's happening right now. I want you to see with the eyes of faith. What is coming to you is faith. And it's like rain and it's falling on you. And faith is like a seed. Because here's why. If there's no word, then no faith will grow. If there's no faith and there's no word, there's no water. And if there's no water, then you won't ever see the full maturation. Mark chapter 4, verse 4, uh, verse 14 and 15. Jesus talks about the parable of the sower. The sower sows the word. Let's say this the sower sows faith. My responsibility in this podcast is not to sow my opinion. That's why I don't like to talk about politics. I don't really care. I don't. I understand politics. There are people who have a better revelation on me on politics in the word. That's why I don't step into an arena that I'm not at yet. So I stick with what I know and what the Lord told me to make this podcast about. The sower sows the word. I'm sowing faith. I'm sowing the power of God. I'm sowing the glory of God. I'm sowing increase. I'm sowing provision. I'm sowing multiplication. I'm sowing the word. Because watch. Do you know what happens? Let me actually turn there. Let me actually turn there because I just put this down on my paper. Mark chapter 4. I want to read this. I want to read this. Mark chapter 4. Let me change this to the New King James version. Right now, that's one of my favorite versions. It's the New King James. Here it is, right here. I want to make sure I read it verbatim. Mark chapter 4, verse 14. The sower sows the word, verse 15. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. When they hear, Satan comes, not tomorrow, not next Sunday, not next month, not next year, not when you get to the promised land. But every time the word is preached, watch out. Here comes the hand of the devil to snatch that seed off of your heart. Because if he can snatch the word, then there is no faith that will come to you. And he takes away the word. Satan comes to immediately take away the word, the word. Listen to me. The devil is not after your money, he's after the word. You gotta get you know across this concept. I've studied and received revelation of Malachi chapter 3. The promise of Malachi chapter 3 says that if I would honor the Lord in giving and tithing, do you know what will happen? The Lord will protect my money, and the Lord will rebuke the devourer. So you know what that tells me? I don't have to rebuke or waste my time praying to rebuke the devourer because God said he already would. Listen, the devil is not after your money, he's after the word. Because if he steals the word, he eventually steals faith. If he steals the word, he's gonna steal joy. If he steals the word, he steals your peace. If he steals the word, he steals your hope. If he steals the word, he steals victory. What's number three? Satan's first strategy is to steal the word. What was number two? Satan understands the value of faith better than many believers. And number one, faith is one of heaven's most valuable commodities. Here's number four that I want to tell you. Faith must be guarded like a treasure. Number four, faith must be guarded like a treasure. Let me take a drink, please. Hallelujah. Number four, faith must be guarded like a treasure. Let's look at a couple verses because I want to show you what Paul repeatedly taught believers, you and I, how to protect our faith. And if he tells us that we have to protect our faith, I'm telling you, you must guard your faith like a treasure. You must guard it with everything that you got. You have to put up every defensive mount, every defensive capability. You you must protect it. 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 12. Fight the good fight of faith. Fight the good fight. Listen, I was talking with someone about this. You know, they're like, man, I'm in the fight of my life for this thing. I said, No, you're not. And they looked at me, they're like, excuse me? I said, no, you're not. They're like, and they said, how are you gonna tell me what I'm in? I said, if you're gonna say it, then say it correctly. 1 Timothy 6 12. Fight the good fight of faith. Listen, if you are in a tug-of-war match with your faith, congratulations. You're in a good fight. It's called the good fight of faith. Wage a good warfare. You're in a good fight. It's a good fight. Don't let the devil tell you that it's bad. Warfare is good. Why? It's a good fight of faith. It's coming to take it. What's faith? Faith is a conviction and the trust and confidence to believe what God said. Faith simply means to take God at His word. You have to guard that. Guard that like a treasure. 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 7. When Paul was said, as I get towards the end of my life, uh, you know, rejoice and well done, for I have kept the faith. Paul viewed faith as something that was entrusted to him. I've kept my faith. I've kept the faith. I've kept my faith. I've kept the faith. Faith is not just something that's on the inside of you. You have been entrusted with a measure of faith. What are you doing with that measure? How are you stewarding that measure of faith? We must guard our faith as if it's like a bank account. You know what you do for your bank account? In my email, I don't click every spam email. You know, like you know, those those emails that come through that sounds too good to uh be true. Click here to win $50,000. And people click there, not realizing they just gave up all of their personal and financial information to now people are going to basically spam you, uh, you know, take your money, you know, fraud your name, fraud your credit, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Notice. You would not answer every single phone call if it's Sam spam likely. You would not answer a phone call if it said um fraud likely. You wouldn't answer it. You would protect yourself in your bank account. What do you do with jewelry? Do you have your most expensive jewelry just laying on the kitchen counter where everyone walks through? Or do you have it in some sort of box or treasure box or some sort of drawer locked away compartment in the safe? No, you guard that jewelry. What do you do with your important documents? Let's say, like your tax return. Do you have that laying on the kitchen table or you get that tucked away somewhere? What do you do with your marriage certificate? What do you do with your passport? When it comes to special documents in the natural, even we guard those things. This is this is the only thing I'm saying. We do all of these things in the natural. Yet many believers do not take the same precautions, if not more, to intentionally guard your faith. You have to guard your faith like it is a treasure. What's number four? Faith must be guarded like a treasure. Number five, faith is more precious than gold. I'm doing a lot more teaching today. Hallelujah. I wrote down some notes. I just wanted to beat Oriana to it because Oriana's gonna try to take my devotion. You know, how you gonna try to take my devotion and do man? I tell you what. So I'm really doing this just because, you know, hallelujah. Let me stop. Number five, faith is more precious than gold. 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 7. Let me turn there. I don't have that pulled up. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 7. That the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Faith is more precious than gold. Faith is more precious than gold. When you look up this word precious, again, this is what it means: valuable, costly, honored, precious. Peter says that my faith, your faith, is worth more than gold because gold can't save you. Gold can't heal you. Hey, gold cannot overcome Satan. Gold will not bring you the victory. Number one, gold may bring you the peace of mind, but there is no peace like the Prince of Peace. Gold cannot do that. Your faith will save you. Your faith will heal you. Your faith will have you overcome in Satan. Faith does what gold can never do. Don't you ever put your faith in gold. Faith is more precious than gold. What's number five? Faith is more precious than gold. Number four, faith must be guarded like a treasure. Number three, Satan's first strategy is to steal the word. Number two, Satan understands the value of faith better than many believers. And number one, faith is one of heaven's most valuable commodities. Let's keep going. I'm almost done here. Hallelujah. I wrote down some notes. I'm just really pushing myself right now, and I completely, completely love what the Holy Spirit's doing right now. Number six, trials reveal the quality of faith. Trials reveal the quality of faith. God does not send tests to destroy our faith. Let me say that again in case someone's lied to you. God does not send tests to destroy faith. Tests reveal faith. Test reveal faith. Test reveal faith. I'm saying it because I just want you to catch it. I don't mean to yell at you. I'm not trying to yell at you. It's the passion that's coming out of me, okay? James chapter 1, verse 2. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. Knowing that the testing of your faith, the testing of your faith produces, not destroys. The testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. You know what faith does? Faith ensures that you are on your way to being perfect, complete, and lacking nothing in your life. In Jesus' name. You know the story of Job. This man had every reason why to turn his back on God in the natural. But yet he says, although all of these tests come, I shall come forth as gold. I'm telling you in Jesus' name, everything that's coming against you, everything that you have, maybe that you're contending with, maybe that's in your mind, maybe it's in the financial, maybe it's marriage, maybe it's ministry, maybe it's relationships. I don't know. I don't care. But this is the promise. You're coming out like gold, baby. That's listen, that's what you're gonna see. Faith is churning you to come out like gold, baby. Woo, baby. A storm reveals whether your faith is rooted in God or rooted in emotions. A storm will reveal whether your faith is rooted in emotions or if your faith is rooted in God's promises. The storms of life are like fire. It comes to burn. But when you maintain the faith in God and what God says and the promises of God, let me tell you how you're gonna come out. You're gonna come out like the three Hebrew boys. You were in the fire, but you won't smell like smoke. Your clothes wasn't burned. Hallelujah. That uh nothing in your ministry wasn't destroyed, you still have sanity of mind, you're not losing yourself, you're not off in a corner now drinking alcohol, you're not sipping things of wine, you're not eating gluttony at night with a tub of ice cream. Absolutely not. Because when life comes, you come out like gold, baby. Storm's gonna reveal where your faith really is. Here's number seven. Fear and faith cannot occupy the same throne. Fear and faith cannot occupy the same throne. I'm thinking about like all throughout the scripture. Satan literally tries to replace faith with fear. Interesting. Interesting. You know that fear really at its definition um is a reverence towards God. That's really what fear, you know, really was established as. Let's read that. Give me a second here. I want to read that out loud. Mark 5.36. I'm gonna stay in the New King James Version. And I'm hearing, I'm saying things I've never heard anyone preach before. At least that I recall. Mark 5.36. As as soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said to the ruler of the synagogue, do not be afraid, only believe. Listen, Jesus took a sword and he drew a line in the sand. He put fear on one side and he put faith on the other side. Fear and faith are in opposite or in opposite directions. The devil uses fear to get you to turn your back on God. God has given us a measure of faith that causes us a complete and trust reliance on God. Fear says, I don't know how I can do this on my own. Faith says, God, I can't, God, you're gonna have to do this because there's no way I can do this on my own. Notice that. Notice that. Notice that right there. Fear and faith cannot occupy the same throne. They cannot. Fear says, Lord, I don't know what I uh how I'm gonna see it through. I don't know how I'm gonna cause this to happen. And that's the truth. You can't. Within my own self, Quentin Jones, a man, I don't have any power. I found in my life those times where I'm air quote the most stressed or losing it, is when I'm trying to come up with this solution. Rather than operating in faith based upon what God has already said, what God has already established, and then I walk in. On that. Oh my goodness. In Jesus' name. Let's keep going. Number eight, faith must be fed continually. Faith must be fed continually. If you do not feed your faith, then you can't survive without nourishment. No nourishment, no strength. And Acts 20, verse 32, the word of his grace, which is able to build you up. Colossians chapter 2, verse 6 and 7, being rooted and established and built up in him. And also, actually, let's let's read that. I looked at it and I paraphrased it, but I want to read this verse. Give me a second. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Look, as you have received Christ Jesus, what is that? That's the measure of faith. As the measure of faith calls you to receive Jesus, guess what? That same faith to receive Jesus is the same measure of faith to walk in Jesus. So walk in him, walk in him. Don't just walk with him, but walk in Jesus. And this is what faith does. Faith will root as a root, will build you up and cause you to be established in the faith. Here's how you and I can feed faith. You feed faith by hearing God's word. Right now, by listening to me talk to you, preach to you, and teach to you, and giving you information, revelation, and application, your faith is being heard. I'm sorry, your faith is being fed because you're hearing God's word right now. How else, what are other ways that we can feed faith? Speaking God's word. Even right now, as I'm talking to you, my faith is growing. My faith is growing right now because I'm speaking what I believe. And even though I'm speaking, I have a couple thoughts out on this piece of paper. There's things coming out of me. Where is it coming from? It's coming from the arena of faith right now. Number three, how else can you know we can uh feed faith? Obeying God's word. When God tells you to do something, obey. When God tells you to take a leap, jump. When God tells you to give money, give. If God tells you to go and help someone, help. If God tells you to get in the car and go drive seven hours away to go join someone's conference, event, revival, go and do it. Why? Because your faith grows the more that you are obedient to God. Your faith also grows when you remember God's faithfulness. I just had the opportunity this past Sunday, I don't know what the date was. Let me grab my phone. What was that? The seventh? Was that this past Sunday? Yes. Sunday, June 7th. Sunday, June 7th, um, I I uh ministered from the pulpit and I was talking about Deuteronomy chapter 8 on how God re you know uh tells Moses to remind the Israelites so often to remember God's faithfulness. Your faith is fed when you remember what God did for you. When your faith says, God, I need you to do something today, or the anticipation of today and tomorrow. How does your faith grow? Remember what he did yesterday. Remind yourself of how God showed up. Remind yourself of last time when you're in financial crisis, but yet you know a check came. Remember the last time that you were trying to do something big for God and you didn't know how, and someone uh gave you a surprise check of $10,000, $15,000, whatever that looked like. Remember, remember when you had a need, or remember when that relationship was on the verge of separating, but then all of a sudden something supernatural happened. If you would just take, if you and I, not just you, if you and I would take more moments in what we do to remember God's faithfulness, your faith will always be fed and grow. You know how else um our faith is fed? Fellowshipping with other people. Even though that you're not physically with me right now in this studio, you're fellowshipping with me. Because what you don't see that like I see is we're breaking bread right now. You and I are breaking bread, and we're having fellowship. So, where what are the ways that faith can be fed? We hear God's word, we speak God's word, we obey God's word, we remember God's faithfulness, and we fellowship with other believers. And so let me say this last one right here. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus is the author and finisher of faith or of our faith. So let's look at that in Hebrews chapter 12. Verse 2. Actually, let's read verse 1. Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by a so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight in the sin which so easily entangles and ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy, listen, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising his shame, he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. This is one of the last things I want to tell you. If Jesus is the author and finisher of your faith, then how can the devil steal something that he didn't create? How can the devil steal something that he didn't deposit? I understand that the devil can't take my faith. But he's coming to shake you, shake me, and cause us to go through life. And sometimes it's not just the devil, sometimes it's just life. But Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith. If you want to know the intent of the story, ask the author. Don't ask man, don't ask hell, don't ask demons, ask the author as to what the intent of the story or the book was about. No one knows best like the author. And because he is the author, God will always finish what he started. He is the finisher of my faith. God or Jesus is the pioneer, he's the founder, he's the originator, and not only that, he's the completer, he's the perfecter, and he is the finisher. Faith begins with Jesus. Faith is mature through Jesus, and faith is sustained by Jesus. Faith begins with Jesus, faith matures through Jesus, and faith is sustained by Jesus. Let me re-give you all these points. Number one, faith is one of heaven's most valuable commodities. Number two, Satan understands the value of faith better than many believers. Number three, Satan's first strategy is to steal the word. Number four, faith must be guarded like a treasure. Number five, faith is more precious than gold. Number six, trials reveal. Sorry, I got lost as I was reading. Trials reveal the quality of faith. Number seven, faith and fear cannot occupy the same throne. Number eight, faith must be fed continually. Number nine, unbelief is often more dangerous. Actually, I'm sorry. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Wait, wait, what was that one? What was that one? Yes, I was talking about um speaking um God's word. And then number 10, Jesus is the author and definisher of our faith. Sorry, I got scribble all over my paper. I just started writing. So hallelujah. Last point. Jesus is the author and definisher of faith. What is the thing that I wanted to lay down to us? Peter's statement back in 2 Peter about like precious faith shows you and I that faith is not a common possession. It has such a high heavenly value. It's more valuable than gold. It's powerful enough to overcome the world. And it's so important that even Jesus specifically prayed for Peter's faith that he would survive or, you know, that his faith would not fail Satan's scheme and Satan's attack. The devil understands the value of faith, which is why he's always going to attack the word. This is why, if you go back to my last um episode, you got to watch out for discouragement. You have to fight against fear, you have to fight against offense. You definitely have to fight against unbelief. As a believer, we must treat faith as a sacred treasure. Guard your faith. Feed your faith. Exercise it like it's a muscle. And don't ever surrender because God has entrusted faith to us. He didn't entrust to me ordinary faith, a precious or a like precious faith. And like what Peter said, I've been given the same value of faith, powerful enough to move mountains, overcome trials, and obtain every single promise that God has spoken. I'm trying to tell you this. It is the preciousness of faith. Your faith is precious. It's a big ticket. It's extravagant. It's costly. It's a premium. Faith is the currency of heaven. Everything you need. Faith will not only bring you to the door, it's going to pay for it. Protect your faith. Man, so good, so good, so good. Well, that's what I got for you. I'm gonna stop and obey the Lord. Thank you again for taking time to listen, to uh receive from me, break bread with me, and for us uh um again talking about the preciousness of faith, understanding the value, protecting it, and how to grow our faith. Thank you once again for listening to um this podcast. I call you blessed and highly favored.