Summary:

Faith is a practical expression of your confidence in God's Word. Faith and patience go hand in hand in the kingdom of God. Both are required to fully accomplish the will of God
for your life and see the manifestation of His promises. When you apply
patience to your faith, you will receive the promises in God's Word on
which you are standing.

1. Faith is the access key to the promises of God (Hebrews 11:32-34).
   1. Romans 1:17 says that the just shall live by faith.
      1. The "just" are those who have been declared the righteousness of God through belief in Christ.
   2. Faith is the practical expression of confidence in God and His Word.
      1. You cannot afford to throw away your confidence (faith) because it promises a great reward (Hebrews 10:35).
      2. You must spend time in God's Word to develop confidence.
         
         
2. Patience must be applied to your faith so that you can receive the promises of God (Hebrews 10:36).
   1. Patience is endurance. It is being consistently and constantly the same no matter how the circumstances appear.
      1. An example of patience is:
         1. On Monday you are confident and confessing that by His stripes you are healed.
         2. On Tuesday you are in greater pain; however, you remain confident. You are standing on scripture. iii.On Wednesday you are still in pain, however,
            you maintain confidence in God's ability to heal you.
         3. On Thursday you get a negative report from the doctor; yet, you remain confident.
      2. On Friday, although you see more negative symptoms, you remain confident.
      3. By Saturday the symptoms worsen, but you stand on the Word. vii.Sunday comes and you can't move but still confess that by His stripes you are
         healed.
   2. People who are consistent like this will always receive God's promises.
   3. What you see is not the truth. Distractions will come; do not get distracted.
      1. Do not be moved by your circumstances.
         
         
3. Having patience doesn't mean just putting up with something.
   1. Patience is a force that can change and rearrange things.
   2. Patience and faith work together.
   3. Patience requires that you maintain your stance through any circumstance.
   4. Don't be lazy as you stand in faith; keep making confessions. Believe and lay hold of the promise (Hebrews 6:12).
      
      
4. You have to be willing to stand forever!
   1. No patience—no promise (Hebrews 6:13-15).
   2. Like a marathon runner, you have to buckle down and find your pace.
   3. Trouble is going to come; however, don't allow it to overcome you.
   4. Make up your mind to employ patience no matter what happens.
      
      
5. Count it all joy when the going gets rough (James 1:2).
   1. Joy comes from what you know (confidence).
      1. Joy will help you overcome temptation.
         1. Temptation is pressure applied to your thinking to turn away from your stance on the Word.
      2. People fail because of what they don't know.
   2. The outcome of any trial is based on what you know when trouble shows up.
      1. Choose your responses well; don't panic or worry.
         1. Your peace is in your patience.
         2. Your confidence will to be tried, pressured and tested.
      2. Make decisions to protect yourself.
      3. Don't let the devil defeat you for one second!
   3. When you are in trouble, employ patience and speak the Word of God over the situation.
   4. Patience will perfect whatever is going on in your life (James 1:4).
      1. You will know that your patience has been perfected when you see the end result of your faith.
         
         
6. Pressure and fear will produce doubt and unbelief.
   1. To suffer means "to hold up under, endure."
   2. Patience is the ability to hold up under the Word of God when pressure and fear arise.
      1. Tribulation doesn't produce patience, it employs it.
      2. Patience will employ experience.
      3. Employed patience produces the experience of the promise you believe and confess (Romans 5:1, 3, 4).
      4. Patience will guarantee results.
      5. The force of patience will rearrange your circumstances.
         
         
7. Turn on the force of patience.
   1. Decide that God's Word is true.
      1. Truth will change facts.
   2. Decide to only act in faith.
   3. Decide to only speak what you have confidence in.

Scripture References:

• Hebrews 11:32-34
• Romans 1:17
• Hebrews 10: 35, 36
• Hebrews 6:12-15
• James 1:2
• James 1:4
• Romans 5:1, 3, 4