Opening:
Good morning.
I’m really glad you’re here today.
Some of you came in rested.
Some of you came in running late.
Some of you came in carrying something heavy — maybe heavier than you let on.
And before we talk about bold faith, or big belief, or anything like that, I want to start with something simple:
Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is admit when we don’t have the power to fix what’s in front of us.
That’s not weakness.
That’s honesty.
And honesty is usually where faith actually begins.
Series Recap:
Last week, we started this series by talking about Ask Anyway.
We looked at Bartimaeus — a man who had every reason to stay quiet, sit still, and manage his disappointment — but instead, he cried out. Even when the crowd tried to silence him. Even when it would’ve been easier to give up hope.
And what we saw was this: bold faith doesn’t wait for permission.
It doesn’t shrink because of discouragement.
It asks anyway — not because circumstances are favorable, but because Jesus is faithful.
But here’s the natural question that follows last week:
Why can we ask like that?
What gives us the confidence to keep asking when answers feel delayed or distance feels real?
That’s where today takes us.
Illustration: When Power Is Undeniable
There are moments in life where power is undeniable.
If you’ve ever stood near something truly powerful —
a waterfall, a storm, heavy machinery, even the ocean —
you don’t question whether it’s strong.
You don’t say, “I wonder if this could really do something.”
You already know.
That’s the kind of power this story points us toward —
not power that needs to be proven,
but power that simply is.
The Unlikely Hero: A Roman Centurion
Matthew 8 introduces us to a Roman centurion.
And right away, the original audience would’ve been uncomfortable.
This man represents Rome.
Occupation. Authority. Control.
To understand how shocking this moment was, imagine someone like a Russian military officer in Ukraine — someone who represents an occupying force, not a neighbor or ally. That’s the kind of tension people would’ve felt when this centurion walked up to Jesus.
He’s the wrong guy to be the example of faith.
And yet — he comes to Jesus not with demands, but with humility.
Matthew 8:5–6
He’s not asking for himself.
He’s advocating for someone under his care.
That alone tells us something about his character.
This isn’t entitlement.
This is concern.
Some of the strongest faith moments don’t come when we are desperate —
they come when we’re desperate for someone else.
A child.
A spouse.
A friend.
A coworker.
You might be here today not asking for yourself —
but quietly hoping Jesus would notice someone you love.
Jesus immediately responds with willingness.
Matthew 8:7
No hesitation.
No testing.
No lectures.
Just readiness.
But then the centurion says something that stops everything.
The statement that amazed Jesus
Matthew 8:8–9
This man understands authority.
He knows what it means to give a command and trust it will be carried out.
And he recognizes something extraordinary in Jesus:
“You don’t need to be present to be powerful.”
That’s bold belief.
Not because it’s flashy —
but because it’s rooted in who Jesus actually is.
1) Faith Is About Where You Place Your Confidence
This centurion doesn’t say,
“I’ve been praying really hard.”
“I’ve been really good lately.”
“I promise to do better.”
He says, essentially:
“I know who You are.”
Faith is not about intensity.
It’s about direction.
Who are you trusting — really trusting —
when things feel impossible?
Illustration: Brother Andrew – Trusting Who God Is
That reminds me of a story from God’s Smuggler about Brother Andrew.
Andrew was smuggling Bibles behind the Iron Curtain, crossing borders where being caught meant prison — or worse. One day, as he approached a checkpoint, his car was packed full of Bibles. Not hidden. Not concealed. Just sitting there. And he later wrote that fear hit him hard. He didn’t feel brave. He didn’t feel strong. He didn’t feel especially spiritual.
So he prayed a simple prayer. Not a long one. Not a dramatic one. He said, “Lord, You made blind eyes see when You were on earth. Now, please make seeing eyes blind.”
He didn’t rearrange the Bibles.
He didn’t talk his way out of it.
He trusted who God was.
The guards walked up, glanced at the car, never inspected it — and waved him through.
Later, Andrew reflected that faith in that moment wasn’t about how bold he felt. It was about where he placed his confidence. He trusted God’s authority more than the guards’ power.
So let me ask you the same question this story asks all of us:
Who are you trusting when things feel impossible?
Brother Andrew wasn’t trusting his nerves.
He wasn’t trusting his plan.
He wasn’t trusting his courage.
He trusted who God was.
And that’s exactly what we see in the centurion.
He doesn’t come to Jesus with promises or explanations —
he comes with confidence in Jesus’ authority.
The Psalmist puts it this way in Psalm 56:3-4
3 But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.4 I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?
Jesus is amazed
Let that sink in.
Jesus is amazed.
Matthew 8:10
Not by religious performance.
Not by background.
Not by reputation.
But by faith that recognizes authority.
2) Great Faith Is Often Quiet And Clear
This man doesn’t argue.
He doesn’t negotiate.
He doesn’t ask for signs.
He simply believes that Jesus’ word is enough.
And that’s hard for us — because we like control.
We like proximity.
We like visibility.
We like backup plans.
Faith says: His word is sufficient.
THE OUTCOME
Matthew 8:13
The servant is healed.
Not because of volume.
Not because of repetition.
Not because of effort.
But because faith was placed in the right place.
Modern Application: What We Tend To Trust Instead
Let’s be honest.
We often place faith in:
• Our experience
• Our planning
• Our resources
• Our ability to hold it together
And none of those things are bad —
they’re just not ultimate.
Eventually, they run out.
Jesus doesn’t.
Modern Illustration: An Iranian Pastor Who Trusted God’s Authority
Voice of the Martyrs tells the story of a pastor in Iran who was arrested for leading a house church. During his imprisonment, authorities repeatedly offered him a deal: deny Christ publicly, and you can go free. No prison. No punishment. Just walk away.
He later said he wasn’t trying to be brave.
He wasn’t trying to prove anything.
He simply knew who he belonged to.
He understood something very simple: the government had authority over his body, but God had authority over his life. So he refused to recant. Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just faithfully.
Eventually, he was released — but not because he negotiated, and not because he compromised. He trusted God with the outcome and placed his confidence in who God is, not in what felt possible.
That’s what faith looks like when things feel impossible.
It’s not intensity.
It’s not about courage.
Listen to what is written in Isaiah 26:3-4
3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!4 Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.
Peace comes from where your mind rests.
And that’s the question—when things feel impossible, what does your mind keep returning to?
How do you have peace when your situation isn’t safe?
You choose peace because your mind is stayed in the right place.
That’s what that pastor had to choose.
And it’s exactly what the centurion is modeling.
Faith that brings peace is all about where you place your confidence.
3) Remembering God’s Power Strengthens Today’s Faith
That’s why Scripture so often says remember.
Remember what He’s done.
Remember who He is.
Remember how He’s moved before.
Because when we forget His power,
we shrink our prayers.
Application: Remembering What God Has Done
A few weeks ago, at the end of the year, we talked about raising an Ebenezer.
That moment in 1 Samuel 7:12 where God’s people stopped, looked back at what God had done: “Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the LORD has helped us!”
An Ebenezer wasn’t a decoration.
It was a marker of memory.
It was a way of saying, “I don’t want to forget what God did here.”
That’s why this year, we’ve placed rocks on the altar.
Not as a symbol for one service — but as an ongoing practice.
Throughout the year, we’re inviting you to place notes of remembrance there.
Moments where God answered.
Moments where He sustained you.
Moments where peace showed up when safety didn’t.
Because here’s the truth:
faith grows when memory is intentional.
Isaiah tells us that peace comes when our minds are fixed on the Lord.
But our minds drift.
We forget.
We replay the fear instead of the faithfulness.
So remembering becomes an act of trust.
Every stone becomes a reminder:
God spoke here.
God carried me through this.
God was faithful when it felt impossible.
The centurion didn’t have years of experience with Jesus.
He didn’t have a long history to look back on.
But he trusted the authority of Jesus’ word — and that trust brought peace.
We do have history.
We have moments where God already proved Himself faithful.
So when the next impossible situation comes —
we don’t start from scratch.
We look back.
We remember.
And remembering anchors our confidence for what’s ahead.
So this year, don’t just move forward — mark what God does along the way.
Raise an Ebenezer.
Fix your mind.
And trust the One who has already proven Himself faithful.
Altar Call – Remember, Then Ask
Let me ask you a few gentle questions this morning:
Where have you stopped asking because you assumed the answer was no?
What situation have you quietly labeled “too far gone”?
Who are you carrying before God that no one else knows about?
Before we pray for what God will do next,
I want us to start by remembering what He has already done.
In Scripture, God’s people would raise an Ebenezer — a stone of remembrance — not to mark their fear, but to mark God’s faithfulness. They stopped long enough to say, “This is where the Lord helped us.”
So today, as you come forward, the first invitation is this:
label what God has done.
Not what went wrong.
Not what hurt.
But where God showed up.
Where He sustained you.
Where He carried you through when things felt impossible.
Because faith grows when memory is intentional.
Then — and only then — we pray for what comes next.
We bring our requests, our burdens, and our hopes before Him,
not from a place of panic,
but from a place of confidence.
The centurion reminds us why we can do that:
Distance doesn’t limit Jesus.
Timing doesn’t limit Jesus.
Circumstances don’t limit Jesus.
So we remember His authority first —
and then we trust Him with what He will do.
Today, don’t just ask God to move —
remember where He already has,
and let that confidence shape your prayers.
Believing boldly doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine.
It means trusting that Jesus is powerful even when we aren’t.
And maybe today, bold belief looks like a simple prayer:
“Jesus, I trust Your word.”
That’s enough.
Closing Challenge
This week, remember His power.
Write down answered prayers — big or small.
Notice moments where God sustained you.
Name them.
Faith grows when memory is intentional, but faith moves mountains when it is put into action
Mark 11:22-24
22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God.23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.
If you’re ready to respond this morning, you’re welcome to come.
Come remembering what God has already done.
And come trusting Him with what you’re asking Him to do next.
Let’s remember — and then pray.
Closing Prayer
Jesus,
Thank You for meeting us here.
Thank You for reminding us of what You’ve already done
and for inviting us to trust You with what’s ahead.
Help us leave this place remembering Your faithfulness
and resting in Your authority.
We place our confidence not in ourselves,
but in Your word.
Amen.
Benediction
As you go from this place—
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace.
Amen.
