Fresh Faith: What Happens When Real Faith Ignites God's People

Pastor Jim Cymbala calls us back to a fiery, passionate preoccupation with God that will restore what the enemy has stolen from us: our first love for Jesus, our zeal, our troubled children, our wounded marriages, our broken and divided churches.Born out of the heart and soul of The Brooklyn Tabernacle, the message of Fresh Faith is illustrated by true stories of men and women whose lives have been changed through the power of faith. Cymbala writes, “Real faith is produced when our hearts draw near to God himself and receive his promises deep within.”That kind of faith can transform your life?starting today, if you choose.“Jim Cymbala is an exciting reminder of God’s desire to bless and use any faithful and trusting follower of our Lord in supernatural ways.”?Dr. Bill Bright, Founder and President, Campus Crusade for Christ International From the Back Cover Pastor Jim Cymbala calls us back to a fiery, passionate preoccupation with God that will restore what the enemy has stolen from us: our first love for Jesus, our zeal, our troubled children, our wounded marriages, our broken and divided churches. Born out of the heart and soul of The Brooklyn Tabernacle, the message of Fresh Faith is illustrated by true stories of men and women whose lives have been changed through the power of faith. Cymbala writes, 'Real faith is produced when our hearts draw near to God himself and receive his promises deep within.' That kind of faith can transform your life---starting today, if you choose. 'Jim Cymbala is an exciting reminder of God's desire to bless and use any faithful and trusting follower of our Lord in supernatural ways.' ---Dr. Bill Bright, Founder and President, Campus Crusade for Christ International About the Author Jim Cymbala has been the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle for more than 50 years. The bestselling author of Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, he lives in New York City with his wife, Carol Cymbala, who directs the Grammy Award-winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. He can be found at wordcraftllc.com.Dean Merrill is the author and coauthor of 46 books, including Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Church and three other Jim Cymbala titles: Fresh Faith, Fresh Power, and You Were Made for More. He and his wife live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.   Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter One Stolen Property I live in a city where things get stolen all the time. Along Flatbush Avenue, where our church is, car thefts are an everyday occurrence. So are muggings, purse snatchings, and apartment break-ins. Once in a Sunday night sermon I made the mistake of asking our congregation to raise their hands if they had personally experienced some kind of rip-off. The place broke into laughter as 98 percent of the hands went up. What a silly question to pose to a crowd of New Yorkers! My wife, Carol, and I live in the borough of Queens, east of LaGuardia Airport and Shea Stadium, where the Mets play. I came out to my car parked in front of our house one morning a few years ago and noticed it had been vandalized. As soon as I opened the door and got inside, I saw a huge, gaping hole in the center of the steering wheel where the air bag had been. Crack cocaine addicts love air bags because they are a quick-sale item. Within minutes they can walk into a "chop shop" — an illicit garage that deals in used auto parts — and trade an air bag for up to $200 cash. It is just one of the ways that crack has devastated New York and other major cities in America. Heroin was one thing, snorting cocaine another — but crack has brought massive destruction. I moaned to myself about the loss. When I called my insurance agent, he took it in stride. "Well, that’s the Big Apple for you," he said. "Happens all the time." We filled out the claims paperwork and ordered the part from the dealer. I didn’t ask what this would do to my rates next time around; I didn’t really want to know. A few m