A publication of GoodTree

What Is Faith?

Faith is stepping out of the boat.

It is the response to hearing His voice say, “Come.”

Begin here
Peter stepping out of the boat toward Jesus standing on the water

Faith is confidence that because He said it, it will happen.

It is expectation of walking on the water.

Faith is the first step out of the boat when our eyes are fixed on Jesus — the One who said, “Come.”

Faith is not Peter’s next step — the one where he looked at the wind and the waves, logically concluded that what he was doing was impossible, became overcome with fear, and began to sink.

Faith is not simply stepping out anyway while inwardly expecting failure — hoping against reason that God will have mercy on us despite our fear and somehow do the impossible.

  • That may be courage.
  • That may be obedience.
  • That may even be the beginning of a journey toward faith.

But faith is something more.

Faith is expectation.

Faith comes by hearing His voice.

Faith is confidence that what He has said is Truth and will come to pass.

  • The wind may be real.
  • The waves may be real.
  • The impossibility may be real.

But none of them gets the final word.

His word defines what is true.

The invitation

Faith Co is an invitation to join the journey of living a life of true faith.

  • To pursue intimacy with the Father so that we know His voice.
  • To become confident that what He has said, He will do.
  • To learn what it means to live with expectation.
  • To step out of the boat.
  • To discover what life looks like when His word — rather than our fear, circumstances, experience, or what appears reasonable — defines what we believe is possible.
The questions we are following
01

What is faith?

We are beginning with the developing questions of hearing, expectation, agreement, certainty, and the Word. We see and know in part; this is an invitation to bring what we are seeing into the light and examine it together.

02

Can we have faith for the outcome?

Faith is revealed in expectation. What do I actually expect will happen when I pray? What does my expectation reveal about what I believe of God, His Word, His character, and His willingness to act?

03

How do we get faith?

We are exploring the relationship between hearing, the Word, faith, seed, root, and fruit—and what it means for living faith to become visible in a life.

A recurring framework

Seed / Root / Fruit

Faith is not merely something we say we possess. Living faith produces fruit.

Seed

What have I heard?

Root

What has actually taken root in me?

Fruit

What is my life producing?

Published

What We Are Seeing

Published articles are ideas, conclusions, and convictions that have developed enough to be presented as an articulated position. Follow the questions as they take shape through Scripture, reflection, and the ongoing work of seeing what is true.

Working Notes

From the Workshop

Working Notes expose the process of exploration. They may contain questions, observations, interpretations, possibilities, or conclusions that are still being worked through.

All Working Notes