Big Faith - by Pastor Ken Harvey

A couple years ago I preached through a sermon series of Andy Stanley's about 

how God builds faith in our lives. The basic idea was that there were five ways 

that God usually uses to build our faith.

 

The first  way was through practical teaching, the second providential relationships,

the third was through private disciplines, the fourth personal ministry and the 

fifth was pivotal circumstances.

 

On this mission trip I experienced all fives ways. I marveled at the way the pastors 

responded to the practical ideas I shared with them in preparing sermons. They 

saw a new way of preparing that made total sense to them. They were fun to share 

with and were so appreciative.

 

Our entire relationship with ARM was set up by God. I've shared before how Pastor 

Peter (the founder of ARM) and I met at a conference in 2006 and prayed for each 

other and exchanged business cards. Three years later we would meet Alex and I

 learned he had practically been raised by Pastor Peter. Out of the 33 million people

in Uganda I had met two - 3 years and 1000 miles apart. They not only knew each

other, but Alex had served as Pastor Peter's personal assistant before coming to 

Portland to attend Multnomah University. Was it coincidence? Only God.

 

On this journey our entire team witnessed the power of prayer over and over again.

We saw it in the lives of those we met and in our own when God would be our strength.

All of us were stretched to new limits and God proved faithful.

 

Each of us experienced God working in us as we served Him. Our desire was to love

God by serving others. God continually showed us an outpouring of love from 

those we wished to serve.

 

All of us were moved when we learned the young girl brought to the medical clinic

had died later in the day. We saw the huge difference it made for children to be

sponsored and to receive regular medical care as a result. Malaria can be controlled,

but without resources families are at great risk. We all will push to see that  more children

are sponsored and given a chance to flourish in life. 

 

I pray that somehow, someway, God will use us to establish better medical care in

Kachungwa. We watched him draw many (over 160) to salvation as we served him. 

 

The good work He has begun in us He will bring to completion.

 

Our faith will be big!

 

Ken