Is My Faith Really My Own?

Imagine growing up in a family that loves soccer.
Every weekend you gather to watch the game. You proudly wear your team’s jersey. You know the rules, you know all the players, and every goal feels like your team just won the FIFA World Cup! Why? Because you love the game.
But let me ask you a question:

Does watching soccer make you a soccer player?

Of course not.
At some point, you’ve got to lace up your cleats, step onto the pitch, and learn the game for yourself. You can’t become a soccer player simply by watching others play.

Faith works the same way.

Many of us have grown up around Christianity. We attend church because our parents do/did, or perhaps because our friends invited us. We know the Bible stories, we sing the songs, and we even know the answers to some basic questions about Jesus.

But eventually every one of us has to ask a difficult question:

Is my faith actually my own?

One of the most powerful statements Pastor Dave shared this weekend was:“God has children, not grandchildren.”
It’s a simple phrase, but it carries a profound truth.

God doesn’t have second-hand relationships. Just because our parents believe, our spouse believes, our children believe, or our friends believe it doesn’t automatically connect us to God. Every person must personally respond to Jesus.

The Apostle Paul understood this better than almost anyone. Writing to the churches in Galatia, he explained that the Gospel he preached wasn’t something he borrowed from another person—it came through a personal revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11–12). Paul’s faith wasn’t inherited; it became personal because he encountered Jesus for himself.

The same invitation is extended to each of us.
God isn’t inviting you into someone else’s faith. He’s inviting you into a relationship with Himself.

But why? Because He loves you. And He genuinely wants to spend time with you.
One of my favourite pictures of this is found in Revelation 3:20:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

In the first century, sharing a meal represented friendship, intimacy, acceptance, and relationship.
God is wanting to have this type of relationship with you. He calls you His friend. He accepts you and wants to spend time with you!

I remember during my final year of high school being invited to a prestigious breakfast at my local university. The top athletes from across the province had been invited, and the guest speaker was Ron MacLean from Hockey Night in Canada.

I don’t remember everything that was said that morning, but I do remember how honoured I felt just to be there. I couldn’t believe I had been invited. Out of all the athletes, I had been chosen to sit in that room. It was a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life. But that breakfast came and went.

In a much greater way, God extends an invitation to us every single day.
The Creator of the universe wants to spend time with us. He’s not limited by location. He’s not limited by a schedule. His invitation is always there.

The question is…
Will we accept it?

Run the Play

Before our Downtown services begin, we gather as a team for a quick huddle. Pastor Dave often leads the huddle, and one thing he often says is,

“It’s time to run the play.”

As someone who played university basketball, that phrase always makes me smile.
During my University playing days my coach had over forty different plays that we had to memorize. Honestly, there were times I became so focused on remembering where I was supposed to stand and what I was supposed to do that I forgot basketball is actually a very simple game.

Put the ball in the basket. Stop the other team from putting it in yours.
Sometimes I think we do the same thing with Christianity.
We can make following Jesus seem incredibly complicated when, in reality, Jesus gives us a very simple game plan.

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
That’s it.
Owning your faith isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about drawing near to Jesus.

Make a Plan

If we’re honest, most of us don’t spend less time with God because we don’t want to.
We simply don’t have a plan.
We tell ourselves,
“I’ll spend more time with God when life slows down.”
“When the kids are older.”
“When work isn’t so busy.”
“When I finally get a vacation.”
“When I have more energy.”
But somehow that perfect season never seems to arrive.
One thing that has helped me is making it easy to spend time with God.
Sometimes I’ll go for a walk while listening to worship music.
Other times I’ll have worship playing while I’m making dinner.
I even use a devotional app that gamifies my daily reading. If I miss a day, I lose points! It may sound silly, but it helps me stay consistent.

What works for you?

Maybe you’re a morning person.
Maybe your best time is late at night.
The point isn’t how you spend time with God.
The point is that you actually make a plan to do it.
Because spending time with Jesus isn’t another item to check off your to-do list.
It’s how we grow.
It’s how we hear His voice.
It’s how our faith becomes our own.
As you draw near to Him, He’ll begin changing you from the inside out. He’ll guide your decisions, strengthen your faith, and use your life to encourage others.
What starts as personal time with Jesus eventually overflows into every relationship around you.
So let me leave you with the same question we started with.
Watching soccer doesn’t make someone a soccer player.
Eventually, you have to step onto the field.
The same is true of our faith.
Don’t settle for watching others experience God.
Don’t live on your parents’ faith or your pastor’s faith.

Own your faith.
Draw near to Jesus.
Make a plan.
Accept His invitation.
Because God doesn’t have grandchildren.

He has sons and daughters.
And He can’t wait to spend time with you.