CREATIVE FAITH TO OVERCOME
Today, I want to talk about faith but not just any kind of faith. I want to talk about creative faith. We have to have faith that doesn't just believe in what is, but believes in what can be. A faith that doesn't just accept the obstacles, but sees them as an invitation for God's power to break through.
Look around you this evening. Everyone of us in here are facing something. Maybe it's a financial hardship that feels like a mountain you can't climb. Maybe it's a broken relationship that seems beyond repair. Maybe it's a health issues that has left you feeling hopeless. Or perhaps it's an internal struggle – a battle with anxiety, stress, negativity or doubt, or a past that won't let you go.
In these moments, our human tendency is to see the obstacle and think, "This is impossible." We look at the facts, the circumstances, and we decide that the story is already written, and it's not a happy ending. We Build a wall around us with our own limited understanding. We surrender to the reality we see, and accept it, instead of using our faith and realizing what God can do.
But the word of God is filled with stories of creative faith.
Let’s look at Abraham and Sarah. They were old, Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90, they were well past the time of having children. By all human standards, having a son was impossible. But Abraham's faith wasn't bound by human standards. He "believed in hope against hope" (Romans 4:18). He believed that God was a creative God, a God who could bring life from what was dead. And in that belief, a new reality was born.
Look at Moses at the Red Sea. The Israelites were trapped. The mighty Egyptian army was closing in on them, and there in front of them was the Red Sea which seemed impossible to cross. The people saw an obstacle; they saw an end. But Moses, led by God, didn't just pray for a miracle; he acted with creative faith. He lifted his staff, and God parted the waters, creating a path where there was none. A miracle was forged out of nothing.
And what about Jesus' disciples on the sea of Galilee? A storm raged, and their boat was being tossed about now filling up with water. They were struggling against a strong, with strong wind when they saw Jesus walking toward them on the water in the middle of the night. But Jesus, seeing they were scared calmed the storm. He demonstrated that God's power is not limited by the laws of nature. You remember Peter asked if he could step out on the water and the Jesus said yes, and Peter started doing the impossible walking on the water till he took his eyes off Jesus and he started to sink and Jesus reached out his hand and brought him back up. And said yea of little faith.
My friends, what obstacles are you facing today that require this kind of creative faith?
Perhaps the obstacle is a deep-seated addiction. Creative faith says, "This is not my final story. God can create a new path to freedom."
Perhaps your obstacle is a lack of resources for your family. faith says, "God can open doors where there are no doors. He can multiply what little I have, just as He multiplied the loaves and fishes."
Perhaps the obstacle is a broken heart after a great loss. faith says, "I will not be defined by my pain. God can use my brokenness to bring comfort and healing to others."
Creative faith is not about ignoring the reality of our problems. It's about looking at those obstacles and seeing them not as dead ends, but as canvases for God's creative power. It's about remembering that our God ,is the God of creation. He spoke the universe into existence. He knit you together in your mother's womb. He resurrected Jesus from the grave. He specializes in bringing something out of nothing.
So, how do we cultivate this creative faith?
First, we must pray with imagination. Don't just pray for God to solve your problem in the way you see fit. Pray for God to reveal His creative solution. Ask Him, "Lord, what new thing are you trying to do in this situation? How can I participate in your creative work?"
Second, we must act with courage. Faith without works is dead. Creative faith requires us to step out of the boat, to lift our staff, to walk forward when all logic says to stop. It requires us to do the humanly possible, trusting that God will do the impossible. Other words stepping out of your comfort zone.
Finally, we must rest in God's nature. Our God is not a God of stagnation. He is a God of constant creation and renewal. He promises to make "all things new" (Revelation 21:5). The same Spirit that hovered over the waters at the beginning of creation is the same Spirit that lives in us today, ready to create a new reality in your life.
So, let me ask you one more time: What obstacle are you facing today? Look at it not with fear, but with anticipation. Look at it, not as a problem, but an opportunity for God's creative power to shine. Step into your faith, and watch as God writes a new and glorious story in your life.
I want to take a deeper look at the very heart of our walk with God: What obstacles are we facing today that require faith to overcome?
We all know the standard definition of faith: believing in something unseen, trusting in God's promises even when the evidence isn't there. That is foundational. But creative faith goes further. It’s the kind of faith that doesn’t just endure a long night, but believes God can create a new morning. It’s the kind of faith that doesn't just navigate the storm, but believes God can use the storm to reveal something entirely new about Himself and about us. Creative faith is "thinking outside the box." It’s an imaginative and active partnership with God.
Let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment. What are the obstacles we face today that feel so difficult, so immovable?
Perhaps it’s a financial crisis. You've cut every corner, you've worked every hour, and still, the numbers don't add up. The obstacle is not just the debt; it's the crushing anxiety, the fear for your family's future, the temptation to believe that there is no way out. A simple faith might say, "I believe God will provide." And that's true. But a creative faith says, "I believe God can create a path to abundance and stability where there is none. I believe He can inspire a new idea, open unexpected doors, or teach me a new way I haven’t even imagined yet." It’s the difference between waiting for a handout and believing in a breakthrough. Like I said always believe in what you pray for.
Maybe the obstacle is a broken relationship. The betrayal was deep, the words were said, and the distance between you and a loved one feels like an unbridgeable Gulf. The human mind sees only two options: Unending separation or a fragile, forced reconciliation. But creative faith sees a third way. It believes God can do what seems impossible: soften a hardened heart, heal a deep wound, and not just restore the old relationship, but forge a new one, stronger and more resilient because of the grace that has been shown. This requires not just praying for the person, but praying for God to work in their life and in yours, to forge a new connection from the ashes of the old.
For many of us, the obstacle is an internal battle. It might be a persistent struggle with anxiety or depression that makes every day feel like an uphill climb. Or perhaps it's a deep-seated addiction that whispers, "You are a slave to this forever." The obstacle here is not just the feeling or the compulsion; it is the powerful lie that this is who you are, and this is all you will ever be. That’s what satan keeps saying to you to make you lose your faith and just give up. A creative faith rebukes this lie with the truth of the gospel. It says, (Romans 8:11). "The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in me". It believes that God can not only deliver you, but that He can re-wire your very mind, replacing fear with peace, and compulsion with freedom. It’s the faith that says, "I will not be defined by my diagnosis or my past. I am a new creation in Christ, and He is still in the business of creating a new me."
So, how do we engage this creative faith? I want to propose three actions, rooted in Scripture, that we can take today.
First, we must become students of God’s creative history.
The God we serve is not a God of inactivity; He is a God of creation. The Bible begins with the words, (Genesis 1:1). "In the beginning, God created..." He didn't just organize existing matter; He spoke it into being from nothing. out of nothing. That is our God’s M.O. He made a covenant with a childless old man and woman and made them the parents of nations (Genesis 17). He parted the red sea to save His people (Exodus 14). He sent manna from heaven to feed a million people in a desert (Exodus 16). He took the darkest, most broken moment in history—the crucifixion—and transformed it into the greatest act of redemption the world has ever known. Amen
When you are faced with an obstacle that seems impossible, go back and read these stories. Don't just read them as historical accounts; read them as a testament to the character of your God. Let your mind be renewed by the truth ,that your God loves to do the impossible, to make a way where there is no way.
Second, we must learn to pray with imagination.
When we pray, we often pray for what we think is possible. We pray for a job, for a healed body, for a difficult situation to simply go away. These are good prayers. But what if we added an element of creative imagination?
Instead of just praying, "Lord, please give me a new job," pray, "Lord, you are the God who created the universe. You know every skill I have and every need on this earth. Show me where you are creating a new opportunity, and show me how to walk into it. Inspire a new idea in me. Connect me with people you are already using."
Instead of just praying, "Lord, please heal my body," pray, "Lord, you are the God who took five loaves and two fish and fed thousands. You are the God who resurrected Jesus. I trust in your healing power, but I also ask you to use this situation to reveal your glory and to strengthen my faith in ways I can't yet see."
This is not about demanding a miracle; it's about opening ourselves up to God’s boundless ability to do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine"
(Ephesians 3:20).
Finally, we must act in ways that align with God’s creative power.
Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Creative faith is not passive. It's a risk. It’s stepping out of the boat when logic says you’ll drown. It’s planting a seed in a barren field. It's forgiving someone before they've even asked for forgiveness.
If your obstacle is financial, creative faith might mean not just cutting back, but starting something new. It might be taking a class, or starting a small business, or finding a new way to serve others that creates an unexpected stream of provision.
If your obstacle is a broken relationship, creative faith might mean reaching out with a simple act of love, not to fix the problem, but to create a new opening for grace.
Creative faith is the courage to say, "I don't know how God is going to do it, but I know He can, and I will take the first step in faith, trusting that He will meet me."
friends, look at the obstacles you are facing today. Do not look at them through the lens of human limitation, but through the lens of God's creative power. Remember who He is. Pray with imagination. And then, step out in courage. For when we partner our humble, creative faith with the boundless, world-creating power of God, there is no obstacle that can stand in our way. Amen
