"We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed,
but of those who FAITH FORWARD and are saved."
Hebrews 10:39
"All God's giants have been weak men who did great things for God
because they reckoned on God being with them."
— Hudson Taylor
Welcome to Faith-Forward
 Faith Forward has come about as the result of years of education in God's school of hard knocks. When I was graduating from seminary, the pastor under whom I was working said that I needed to get out into the church and "get my teeth kicked in." Well, since then, I have ministered in a wide variety of churches. I have been a youth pastor. I have been a professor in a Bible school. I have been a mission director and led teams of young people to lots of wonderful places. I have been on paid staff and been a volunteer. I have also worked a lot of "secular" jobs from car salesman, business manager, semi-truck driver, bus driver, to meat cutter, farmer, bicycle serviceman, and more. I have been unemployed and even on welfare for a brief period of time. Do I always have a firm handle on what God is doing with me and in my life? No, but God has taught me in all these places, more about Himself and also more about me. I am still a work in progress. He is the One worth talking about. He is always faithful and in his Son, Jesus Christ, we have the opportunity to grow in our faith and move forward into the amazing things that he has in store for us.
" 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him' — but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God." (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)
And so I publish these faith forward challenges as things that God has shown me, things that I have learned and things that I am in the process of learning. I can only hope that you will benefit as much as I have from being in the School of the Spirit (see John 14:26). I cannot say that I always "get it" or that I catch on right away and I would certainly not claim to be some kind of "faith giant". I can easily choose the path of least resistance. However, my desire is to be faithful to all that to which God has called me and not to be one of those who shrink back and are destroyed. I want to be one of the ones who believe — who faith forward — and are saved, delivered, and complete. You too?
One last thing: I don't much care for nice words. I like it (although usually not right at first) when someone tells me the truth in love. I will try to do that. If you are offended, I pray that you would forgive me and extend me some grace as one who is on the way. If you are challenged to increase your faith, awesome! If you can pass this along to someone else and bless them, excellent! And if, through my words, God has an opportunity to speak into your life and encourage you in your faith walk, then, praise Him! Above all things, faith forward in love!
Blessings! Tom Koop
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