This blog is meant to encourage you to do the good works, which were prepared beforehand for those who are saved by grace through faith. It was for these good works that the Lord created us.
As the Scripture says:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Eph 2:8-10)
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you
repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible
says?
“Jesus
came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in
the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and
believe.
Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.
He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as
well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who
multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of
planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United
States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
Our gift of these articles by Len Lacroix is made possible in part by your gracious support of the ministry.
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"Give,
and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken
together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the
measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38
Doulos Missions International now offers discipleship training online through the Doulos Training School (DTS). Please visit the DTS online at Doulos Training School to find out more about how you or someone you know can participate.
Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.
He was
based
in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as
helping leaders to be more effective at
making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the
ultimate goal of
planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United
States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. Partner with us online by giving to DMI.
Did you know that I have over thirty blogs containing over one thousand posts? You can find all that content on Writing for the Master. But the latest content will always be shown on my monthly e-magazine, the Old News That's Still Fresh. That's how I make you aware of new content that I've posted on one of my blogs. And there is typically a new edition published on the first of each month, unless I haven't posted anything new. But in case you've missed any past editions, you can find links to all my editions of the Old News That's Still Fresh at this link.
Life has a way of presenting us with immovable objects. Whether you are facing heavy grief, impossible circumstances, physical sickness, or what look like absolute dead ends, we all eventually hit walls where human strength is entirely exhausted. In those moments, Jesus offers an astonishing proposition: true faith has the power to command mountains to move.
The central truth we often miss is that mountain-moving faith does not require a massive volume of emotion or spiritual gymnastics. It requires a mustard-seed amount of genuine trust coupled with zero double-minded doubt.
The Blueprint: Absolute Purity Regardless of Size
When it comes to faith, the size of your capability doesn't impress God. Jesus noted that faith only needs to be like a grain of mustard seed—the tiniest of all seeds. The point here is not that we need to manufacture some colossal reservoir of belief. Even seemingly small, genuine faith is completely sufficient because the power resides entirely in the Object of our trust, not in the size of our own striving.
However, both Jesus and James place an intense, uncompromised demand on the quality of our trust:
Mark 11:23: "...and does not doubt in his heart, but believes..."
James 1:6: "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting..."
James warns that the doubter is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by every shifting wind. A heart divided between belief and skepticism—being double-minded—effectively neutralizes prayer. When we adopt a zero-tolerance policy for willful, double-minded unbelief, we finally align our hearts with the raw power of God.
The Evidence: Faith Expressed in Action
Scripture consistently portrays active faith as a living force that refuses to stay passive or sit on the sidelines. Look at how real trust manifests in the messy realities of life:
The Woman with the Issue of Blood (Mark 5:25–34): Her belief wasn’t just a passive mental concept; it drove her feet right through a hostile crowd to physically take hold of Jesus' garment.
Jairus (Mark 5:21–24, 35–43): Told bluntly that his daughter had died, he instead chose to listen to Jesus whisper, "Do not fear, only believe." True faith keeps walking forward even when external circumstances flash red lights and scream that it is entirely too late.
The Friends of the Paralytic (Mark 2:1–12): When the front door was completely blocked, they didn't just turn around. They tore open a roof. Authentic faith finds a way through obstacles rather than giving up at the first closed door.
The Canaanite Woman and The Centurion (Matthew 15 & Matthew 8): The Canaanite woman refused to give up despite repeated delays, while the centurion trusted Jesus' spoken word across a physical distance. Jesus openly marveled at their unswerving, bold confidence.
The Tension: Handling Fear Versus Harboring Doubt
Even the closest disciples wrestled deeply with human weakness—think of Peter stepping out onto the water, locking his eyes on the raging wind, and crying out, "Lord, save me." While Peter's momentary wavering affected his ability to keep walking, it serves as a powerful reminder that our ultimate goal is a posture of zero doubt.
Consider the father in Mark 9 who openly confessed his internal struggle to Jesus, crying out with raw honesty, "I believe; help my unbelief!" This is precisely what we should do when we find doubt creeping into our own hearts. Instead of making peace with skepticism, we must bring it immediately to Jesus.
There is a massive, critical difference between involuntary fear or human vulnerability that runs straight to Jesus for help, and willful, double-minded cynicism that stubbornly refuses to trust God's character. We must aim for a posture of zero-doubt surrender—bringing every fractured piece of our weakness directly to the One who honors even a mustard seed of pure trust.
Worship Song
I wrote a worship song on this same theme with assistance from artificial intelligence, which I'd like to share with you. You can watch the Move, Mountain, Move video on Youtube, as well as on Rumble, or view it below:
Closing Word
Stop measuring your spiritual maturity by whether you can somehow manufacture a giant, flawless faith. Shift your gaze entirely away from yourself and look instead at the unshakeable faithfulness of God.
What mountain is standing tall and imposing in your path today? Will you approach God with a double-minded, wavering spirit, or will you plant a simple mustard seed of unyielding, zero-doubt trust and watch what God can move?
Attributes: Most Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, all rights reserved, used by permission. The author wrote this article with assistance from artificial intelligence tools.
Do You Want to Know Him? If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says? “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.
Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to reach the end of your life and look back with complete peace? In 2nd Timothy 4:7-8, the Apostle Paul gives us a powerful testimony. He says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith".
Writing from a Roman prison, Paul was facing the end of his earthly journey. Yet instead of despair, his heart was full of comfort. Matthew Henry points out that looking back on a life of faithful service brings unspeakable comfort as we approach eternity. Let us walk through Paul's three powerful reflections and see what they mean for our daily walk with Christ.
Fight the Good Fight
"I have fought the good fight".
The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground. It is spiritual warfare that requires courage and steady perseverance. But notice why it is called a "good" fight. The cause belongs to our Lord, and the victory is already assured if we stay faithful.
In the original Greek, the word used for fight is agonizomai, where we get our English word "agony." It paints a picture of an athlete straining every muscle or a soldier standing firm in the heat of battle. Matthew Henry explains that Paul had done the exact service Christ called him to do, enduring the hardships of spiritual warfare and helping advance Christ's victories against the powers of darkness.
The takeaway: Do not throw in the towel just because things get hard. Stand your ground, lean on His strength, and keep serving Him with a courageous heart.
Finish the Race
"I have finished the race".
Next, Paul compares our journey to a footrace set before us by God. Every single believer has a unique course to run, and our goal is simple: we must not give up before our course is finished.
Faithfulness isn't just about starting out with a burst of enthusiasm on day one. True obedience means continuing down the path day after day until the finish line. Whether you are a pastor, a parent, a worker, or a retiree, God has given you a specific calling. Persevere in it, trusting the Lord to make you more than a conqueror.
The takeaway: Persevere in the calling God has given you, trusting the Lord to make you more than a conqueror.
Keep the Faith
"I have kept the faith".
What does it mean to keep the faith? Matthew Henry tells us it involves two vital things. First, it means keeping the doctrine of faith—holding firmly to the pure truth of the gospel without compromising or wandering away. Second, it means keeping the grace of faith—continuously living out our daily trust in Jesus Christ.
Paul never betrayed the sacred trust given to him. He held fast to the truth, and by God's grace, he remained steadfast from beginning to end. We are called to do the exact same thing in our generation.
The takeaway: Hold firmly to biblical truth, remain steadfast in your trust in Christ, and faithfully carry out the responsibilities God has given you.
Receive the Crown of Righteousness
"Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day..."
Because Paul fought, finished, and kept the faith, he looked forward with absolute confidence to what was waiting for him. A crown of righteousness was laid up and secured for him.
This reward isn't something we earn through our own human perfection; it is graciously bestowed by Christ, our righteous Judge. And the most wonderful part of this promise is that it is not reserved for Paul alone. It is waiting for all who love His appearing and eagerly await His return. Our hope goes far beyond the struggles of this present life.
The takeaway: Look forward to the eternal reward Christ has promised to those who love His appearing.
Worship Song
I wrote a worship song on this same theme with assistance from artificial intelligence, which I'd like to share with you. You can watch the video on Youtube or view it below:
Closing Words
When we put it all together, the message of these verses is wonderfully clear and encouraging. The Christian journey does not end in defeat or darkness; it ends in the joy of being with Christ.
Let us fight faithfully for our Savior, run our race with patience, and hold fast to the truth of His word until our very last breath. Fix your eyes ahead, knowing that a glorious eternal reward is waiting for all who love His appearing.
Attributes: Most Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, all rights reserved, used by permission. The author wrote this article with assistance from artificial intelligence tools.
Do You Want to Know Him? If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says? “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.
Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
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