Click to hear this sermon by Lay Leader Larry Bonspille  sermon101017

Definition of Faith- Reliance, loyalty, complete trust in God.

Larry Bonspille 10/17/10

Definition of Faith- Reliance, loyalty, complete trust in God.  Good morning my name is Larry Bonspille, today is Laity Sunday. A1ong with many others here at our church, I proudly wear the title Lay leader, which is a person who does the work of the Lord.

When I was asked to talk today about the development of my faith and strength in the Lord and how it has helped Sue and me through tough times and trials in our lives, I was a little nervous- well a lot nervous. Then when it was put to me that others saw us as an inspiration in faith, then I saw this as a way of sharing our faith journey in the Lord with others, which is something the Lord wants us to do.

While writing down thoughts about what we have endured through 35 years of marriage, I was also able to chart our Christian walk together.  We both came from broken families- children of abusive alcoholic fathers. But somehow they understood that we needed to be in Sunday School, so early in life the seeds of faith were planted. For this we are grateful. Sue and I have been friends forever. When I was 17, I joined the Marines and after four years I came home a lot more disciplined and alive. THANK YOU GOD!

After resuming our friendship I quickly realized that Sue would be my greatest Blessing from the Lord. She loves me unconditionally, she is the most caring and compassionate person I
know- these traits are from her being a Christian. She loves me as the Lord loves me. She made me from the start of our marriage want to possess these feelings of faith, hope and love. We
promised each other to grow in these together.

Then as in everyone's lives, serious events enter seemingly without reason- at the beginning of our marriage it was the death of my mother from complications of MS, then the loss of employment because of company closing. These were times early on in my Christian walk when I felt angry and asked Why ME Lord? When disaster hit my household I got caught up in a whirlwind of emotions as I worried about all the consequences and repercussions. If I only knew then to Lift it up to God, but sometimes it is difficult to look beyond our circumstances and to understand and accept what God is trying to accomplish in our lives.

The book of James opens- Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may mature and complete, not lacking anything. So looking beyond the frustrations, we have the assurance that God's tests are bringing perseverance, and perseverance is bringing maturity. Take my advice, once you have the faith thing down, then perseverance, when it matures, life becomes a whole lot easier. Especially when it comes to our next topic.

Sue and I were blessed with three beautiful, healthy but not perfect children. During their early years we nurtured and loved them, took them to Sunday School. Then came the trials of raising teenagers. This is where the faith comes in big time, a lot of prayers too. We have to trust and have faith that our children are in God's hands, that through each experience- social, emotional, physical and intellectual he is at work in their lives. He is molding them into what He would have them become, turning even what we think as hurtful into His good. Turning their failures-and ours- into footsteps ... footsteps toward himself. We must not be afraid to show our children our faith. Plant the seeds for it will payoff later in life even if it is with comments like .. Say a little prayer for me as they are on their way out the door to take a test, or I'm really
glad Dad is a Christian because thou shall not kill. but most of all we love them unconditionally. as our Lord loves us. As 1^st Samuel 1:27-28 says, I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give them to the Lord. For their whole life they will be given over to the Lord. Thank you Lord for our children and our grandchildren. we have truly been blessed.

I have also been blessed here- at Cicero United Methodist Church with some wonderful mentors to help me on my walk of faith, my first adult Sunday School teacher. Sherry Broton; Carl and Vivian Pennock; my Tuesday morning Bible study friends and past Wednesday night Bible study buddies.  It is a real blessing to have special people to help us in our journey - brothers and sisters in Christ who have prayed with Sue and me through the trials of early disability retirement due to a bad back and surgery. The loss of my father to cancer. When you are able to share with small groups as we all have the opportunity to do here, you are able to

feel God a little closer through the faith and strength of others.

Another time period in life found us involved in a motor vehicle accident two as a matter of fact. these accidents meant surgery for both of us. Much prayer and scripture reading was done by us during this time.... Words such as Hebrews 12:2 let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set us before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. We live by faith not by sight, (2 Corinthians 4: 18)

Shortly before my surgery Sue's sister Mary Pat had a brain aneurysm rupture. She lived for four months, the last few weeks with Hospice, this was a time of great grief for us. But Sue felt God's comfort by being there with her sister when she went to be with the Lord. The mystery of faith: we trust God and some how he takes the awfulness out of tragedy. What seemed unbearable ahead of time will some how become bearable if and when the time comes. In the end I'm helpless to shield my self or my loved ones from life's trials, but yet I am determined to apply faith to every present experience. easy and hard, pleasant and painful. Another thought on life's trials when we are going through tough times ... don't close your eves to other peoples' problems or sorrows. As Christians we have the privileges and responsibility to recognize the needs in those around us and to share with them our faith in Christ. We were able to do this when we were blessed to spend the last days in Dec. 2006 with our sister in Christ Cathy Deans. She came to our home with Hospice care and went home to be with the Lord after battling cancer for years.

As our faith in God covers our lives it begins to touch the lives of others around us, not just because of the changes evident in our attitude, but because we begin to feel the acceptance of God.

An awareness of our faith in God doesn't change the circumstances or trials that come into our lives, but the real changes are in the way we handle them. It is through our faith that
we become victorious.  Got faith? Lift it UP!

"He waits for us with arms wide open .... he waits besides the waters of grace and love of forgiveness and mercy of strength and guidance."   God, Sue and I can handle any of life's

trials, and in this I have faith.

Thanks Be to God. Let us Pray...

Dear Lord,

Please continue to give us the wisdom and strength to face lives trials, because in you, all things are possible.