Grace Abounds Ministries

​ GRACE ABOUNDS BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 36) TOPIC: The proving of our Faith 3 SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Kindly go through the previous two article 1 article2 Introduction Faith is the life from Christ that must possess us as children of God. The bible tells us that without it, we cannot please and with it, God is pleased with us. We can see how Faith plays a vital role in our relationship with God. Glory to Jesus, it's a life that has been imparted unto us when we receive the word of CHRIST. Although, it's also essential that we know how to walk on this path of life so that we can enjoy God, and He can as well enjoy us. Hebrew 11:17 James 1:2-4 The bible made us understand that temptation works patience in us. This means that patience is engaged when there is temptation, challenges, or stumbling blocks along the way. I want us to understand that it is not God that brings all these ugly situations in our ways. It is the devil, and he i...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 36) TOPIC: The proving of our Faith 2 SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) In the previous article , we saw the importanc of our faith to be proven. Therefore, in thia article, I want us to consider some examples from the scripture to understand what it means for our faith to be tested. We start with our Lord Jesus Christ Matthew 4:1-2 ; The bible made us understand that the Holy Spirit led Jesus to where He will be tempted by the devil. Jesus didn't go to the wilderness just to be tempted by the devil, but the temptation was part of the event that would take place in the wilderness. I believe Jesus' primary reason for going to the wilderness is to be prepared for the Ministry ahead of Him. I want us to understand that God has a path He wants us to go, and He will not divert us from going that path just because the devil is on the way. God will not back up from His plan because of the devil.  Jesus n...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 35) TOPIC: The proving of our Faith SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) We need to know that Faith is not something that we decide to have. It is a life that is born of the Spirit when we accept what CHRIST has done for us. The Holy Spirit impacts us with the Life of God, which is His Faith. So, when we are talking about Faith, many believers felt that it is work-based. No, it's righteousness-based! The bible calls it a gift in Ephesians 2:8 . We possessed the Faith of Jesus. We have all been given the same measure of Faith ( Romans 12:3 ). As a child of God, in your spirit-man where you are complete, you have the complete faith of Christ. Of course, its manifestation differs, and the bible tells us that Faith is manifested by hearing the word of Christ ( Romans 10:17 ). Therefore, even in manifesting faith; it is not work-based but also grace-based. As you begin to consider CHRIST and hear His word abou...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part34) TOPIC: THE MIND WITH FAITH 3 SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) In our two previous articles, we have shared the the first two points in how we can engage our minds with faith. So, you can refer to the first article  here  and second article here 1 John 3:1-3 3. Don't set out to impress the world! When we look at verse 2 of our text, the bible made us understand that since we are children of God, the world does not know us because they don't know Him. It should not be strange to us when the world does not understand us. Many times, they call us names, just as they called Jesus names while He was on the earth. Brethren, because of our unique parentage by God, the world won't understand our move and the driving force of our life. But in our days, we now see Christians that work so hard just to show the world how much like the world they can be. Brethren, You are unique! You are God's! For i...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part33) TOPIC: THE MIND WITH FAITH 2 SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrews 11:15, 1 John 3:1 In the previous article, we have shared the first way we can engage our minds with faith. So, you can refer to the first article here . The second way is that WE SHOULD LISTEN TO WHAT GOD CALLS us. The bible says that the Love God has for us is to make us Children. This is great! I was pondering on the extent of the Father's love. And I thought in myself that God could have had charitable compassion on us and have pitied our plight, such that he could have come to save us from Hell without calling us, children. If He only came to deliver us from the hands of the oppressor, then I think we would still be eternally grateful to Him. Isn't it? But our God did much more for us. He delivered us from the hands of the oppressor and make us His own. He now refers to us as His children. In 2 Corinthians 6:18, the fath...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part33) TOPIC: ENGAGING FAITH SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrews 11:15 From the above scripture, we’ll see that Abraham didn't have his mind set on where he was called from by God, and he wasn't thinking about what he might have left behind, and the bible told us that this is the reason he was not tempted to go back to Ur- where God called him from The truth is that the bulk of temptation we are faced with today is just a result of what we set our minds upon. The bible says that; ‘he that is tempted is drawn away by his lust’ ( James 1:14 ). The source of most temptation is due to where we set our affections upon. Someone may say; “well I am not thinking about immorality, why then am I always tempted with immorality?” Yeah! It's true, you may not be particularly thinking immoral thought, but where is your affection set upon – on things above or beneath? Where do we find immorality, above or b...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part32) TOPIC: THE MIND WITH FAITH SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrew 11:15 From the above text, we were made to understand that if the Patriarch had been mindful of where they were coming from (the Chaldeans), they would have had an avenue to go back. The bible tells us emphatically that Abraham would have gone back to the place God called him from if he had considered the place. Brethren, what is your focus and your priority? What is our mind engaged with? We find it easy to talk about the faith of Abraham, but have we considered how he walked in faith and stayed in it. We talked about how he didn't backslide and how he just forsook every of his right and inheritance he might have possessed in his father’s land. I know many believers also desire this consistency, but are we ready to take those steps that he took?  Abraham was single focused as he exercised his mind to believe on the promises wh...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 31) TOPIC: Elements of Faith 3 SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrew 11:13 Today we will be discussing about the fourth element of their faith. You can check the other elements we have discussed in the previous article 4. “There is always a disposition and conduct that emanate when we surrender to what we have seen by Faith.” The Patriarch surrendered to what they've seen, and so they declare openly that they are stranger and pilgrim on the Earth. They were not shy about what they have seen. They were not of those that draws back! ( Hebrew 10:38-39 ). If we have been shy of professing and letting people know of our faith in Christ, then we have not started operating in faith. Nobody would see his portion in Christ and shy back! It's not possible except if we have not been seeing by Faith. These men publicly declared about their stand on what they have seen.  Friends! The Holy Spirit is there to...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 30) TOPIC: Elements of Faith 2 SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrew 11:13 In this article, we will be considering the third element of faith from the life of the patriarch. To go through the previous ones mentioned, you can check the previous article. The third element is that they surrender to the truth of what they saw. The bible (from the text) made us understand that they embraced what God revealed to them. These believing patriarchs “embraced” the promises as their own. They surrendered and committed themselves to the truth they saw. They cut the ties that bound them to the present world in which they lived, and gave themselves over to that which God said was to belong to them and their descendants in the generations to come. Seeing how the patriarch lived their lives, I discovered that it will be very difficult to welcome and embrace God's project when we are engrossed with our personal agend...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 29) TOPIC: Elements of Faith SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrews 11:14 Faith is the life that exist in God. When you live according to Faith, then you are living like God. The bible made us understand (from our text) that all the patriach died in faith. The words 'in faith' (translated kata pistin in Hebrew) could more literally be translated 'according to faith', which shows faith to be the rule of their life till death. They could actually be able to make Faith in God as the rule for their life because they saw something.   What we are seeing will determine if we will live a faith life or not. Living a faith life is not automatic, rather it is as a result of what we see. If you always see yourself via your circumstances and what the world is telling you, then Faith can not be inspired. But when we start seeing ourselves in the light of the revelation of Christ and what he has done, ...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 28) TOPIC: FAITH OPENS YOU UP TO SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH 2 SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrews 11:12 NKJV Faith makes sense The Bible tells us that Abraham was as good as dead! The death the bible was referring to is the physical death- Abraham was already dying. At that point, everyone must have written him off because no one would expect him to bear a child. But this man, Abraham kept his faith on God and what He has said concerning him. So when he was dying, he knew there was nothing to lean on in term of the flesh. It doesn't make sense for him to have depended on His strength; but the only thing that make sense was to depend on the all sufficient God. The reason it looks our self-effort and self-reliance make sense to us is because we are still alive to the flesh.  This scenario also brings a picture of what Christ Jesus experienced on the cross. When Jesus was on the cross, people were t...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 27) TOPIC: FAITH OPENS YOU UP TO SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH 2 SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrew 11:11 From our text, we will see that the bible gives us the reason Sarah could engage her faith in God. The bible says "because he judged him faithful who has promised." I have always said that faith is not illogical! Christian Faith is not just a figment of imagination. It is just that the Christian faith won't make sense if our considerations and line of thoughts are only sensual. But if we can start seeing with the eye of God, we will be propelled to launch out in faith. There is always a reason behind every faith move and it is based on what you’ve considered about God.  We will always act foolishly when our consideration is only sensual. Do you know it is unwise to leave God behind your program and begin to walk the journey of life all by yourself? It is actually foolishness when we think o...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 26) TOPIC: FAITH OPENS YOU UP TO SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrew 11:11 By faith Sarah received strength of the Lord to conceive a seed. Simple and sincere faith opens you up to God. When you are in faith in what Jesus has done, what you are actually meant is that “I don't have strength on my own. Sarah, being ninety years of age means that naturally she can’t carry any child of her own. Even If God had supernaturally given her seed through her husband, she would also need a supernatural strength to carry the seed in her womb. Therefore, she must have been open to receive this supernatural strength from God else she would have wasted the seed and probably wasted her life in the process.   God fixing us up and solving our problems is definitely not the problem, but many times we have failed to open ourselves up to receive the strength that comes from the Holy Spirit to...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 25) TOPIC: THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrew 11:9-10 The bible says, “Abraham waited for a city which has foundation, whose builder and maker is the Lord.” And when we look at Hebrew 12:22-23, we would see the city which Abraham was looking forward to, which we have also been included as part of it because of What Christ did on our behalf on the cross. Abraham was not someone that saw only himself, but he saw people in Christ. So this really affected his disposition and how he handled life. The life of Faith is the life that sees people with the lens of Christ.  Matthew 16:15-19 The above scripture is a popular scripture where Jesus was asking His disciples who he really is.  This is a question we need to always ask ourselves, “do we really know Jesus?” So Peter replied and said, “thou art Christ, the Son of the living God!” Christ means the ‘anointed one’, someone t...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 24) TOPIC: THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrew 11:9-10 We will see that Abraham didn’t work things out with his own strategy as regards possessing the promise, instead, he relied absolutely on God. In verse 10, we saw the reason He was not going to make things happen. The bible says, “He was waiting for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Abraham was a great man of God; he understands what many believers in Christ does not understand today. He had an understanding that there is nothing a man could build with his own ability that can stand. Therefore, instead of trying out something for himself, he rather waited! I want you to know that God's intention for us is to bring us to a place where you do nothing so that we can trust and rely on what He's done. Abraham relied on what God is going to do, but now we are more perfect, we are supposed to r...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 23) TOPIC: THE FAITH EXERCISE SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrews 11:9 It is imperative that, when a person comes in contact with God through Christ, there is a response. And the response is FAITH. He cannot continue with his life as before the encounter. The Bible (from the text) makes us understand that, “by faith, Abraham dwelt in the land God has promised him as a stranger.” Yet he lived confidently and in quiet expectation that the land would at some period become the possession of his posterity. It was a strong instance of faith that he cherished throughout his lifetime on earth even when he was a stranger in that same land. Abraham never own a land except the piece he bought for his wife burial ground. The Bible says He lived in tents just like a nomad, such that he and his family lived from hut to hut and tent to tent (Genesis 12:6,8; 13:8; 22:19) . To me, this is a FAITH EXERCISE! Just i...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 22) TOPIC: FAITH TAKES THE EXTRA STEPS NEEDED SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrews 11:8 I remember my friend and I were discussing about different ideas in the engineering field. And my friend made a sincere statement that, “men are not actually suffering from ideas but men are suffering from taking the extra steps.” Of a truth, if I ask an average person (especially a graduate) on different ideas on how to make money, I believe I will receive a lot from people. So having an idea is not the major problem, but the extra and appropriate steps is what most people might be lacking. And Faith in CHRIST is that which will help us to take the necessary steps needed to walk the journey of victory in different sphere of our lives. Romans 8:29 From the above scripture, we’ll see God’s design and purpose for man. God’s destiny and inheritance for us is to be conformed to the image of Christ. In other words, ...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 21) TOPIC: FAITH SETS YOU ON THE RIGHT COURSE SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrew 11:8 From our text, we will see the reason God called Abraham; He called him to an inheritance. This is very Important for us to note, because it set a foundation for our faith and disposition towards God, because many people think God called them primarily to use them. No! That's not God's ultimate reason He has called us. Thinking that God's primary purpose for calling us is to serve Him or so that He can use us will give us a perspective of our relationship with God as master - servant relationship. I am not saying that you won't serve God in the process, but what I am saying is that, this is not the essence of our calling. Service to God is very important, because that's what you do in the course of our journey, so that you won't be idle. Serving God is very important, but I am driving the poi...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 20) TOPIC: FAITH THAT RESPONDS TO GOD SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) At times, we feel that it is very easy to respond to God's call. Sometimes, we feel like “Let God just call me, and I will respond.” But the actual truth is that, if we have been responding to God's call, then our lives would have been radically transformed than it is now. Moreover, it is also easy to respond to God's call, when faith is engaged. Therefore, I say that the reason we have not been responding to God's call is because faith is not being engaged. Genesis 12:1 God told Abraham to leave his country, and his father's house to a land that He will show him. In all sincerity, no one will be able to answer this kind of call, if he has not yet encounter the Lord. An encounter with the Lord impacts faith in us to yield to Him. The reason we have not been yielding to God is because we have been occupied by self. W...

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 19) TOPIC: FAITH THAT CONSUMES UNRIGHTEOUSNESS SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF) Hebrew 11:7 The faith we have is the faith of Jesus, which He used to overcome everything that could ever befall humans when He was here physically. His Faith was channel towards His father and towards what the Holy Spirit could accomplish through Him. When we look at the text, we’ll see that it was as a result of the faith that Noah has in the ark (God's system), that’s the reason he could condemn the world of sin. The question is, was he really the one that condemn the world? I mean was it really the one that brought the flood to the world? Because the bible attributed it to Him, even though he might not have been the one that has brought the flood directly, but it was attributed to him; just as the finished work of Christ on the cross was attributed to us when we are not the one that has done work. This is the power of ...