From Faith to Faith – Strength to Strength – Glory to Glory
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Discover how God progressively grows every believer from faith to faith, strength to strength, and glory to glory through praise, worship, and intimate relationship with Him as Father.
Description
Faith to Faith Overview
In this powerful message from NTC Ministries, the pastor opens a series on becoming true worshipers of God, distinguishing between praise and worship and showing why both are essential to spiritual health. Drawing from Romans 1:16-18, Romans 10:17, and Psalms 84:4-7, he unpacks the progressive journey God intends for every believer: from faith to faith, strength to strength, and glory to glory. Praise, he explains, is not merely an emotional expression but a weapon ordained by God to silence the enemy and break bondage. Worship, in contrast, draws us into the presence of the Father, where revelation is born and transformation takes place without human striving. The pastor shares compelling personal stories, including a prophetic challenge to dance before God for ten days that broke a fierce spiritual onslaught, and a tender account of releasing his mother from the obligation to fight illness when she was ready to go home to God. He contrasts living under law versus living under grace, emphasizing that God corrects those He loves not to condemn but to grow them. The message closes with a corporate prayer of salvation, inviting every listener into an intimate, life-giving relationship with God as Father.
Faith to Faith Outline
- 0:00 – Opening: Praise vs. Worship Defined: The pastor introduces the series on becoming worshipers, distinguishing praise as thanksgiving for God’s acts and worship as the deeper stillness that reveals who God truly is.
- 8:30 – The Power of Praise in Spiritual Warfare: Using Psalm 8:2, he explains that God has ordained praise to silence the enemy and shares his personal testimony of dancing before God for ten days to break a fierce onslaught.
- 17:00 – Moses and the Difference Between Acts and Ways of God: Drawing from Psalm 104, the pastor contrasts Israel knowing the acts of God with Moses knowing the ways of God, showing how worship produces deeper intimacy and revelation.
- 27:00 – Living Under Grace, Not Law: He unpacks 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 and explains the veil that legalism places over believers, challenging the congregation to embrace God fully as Father rather than as a taskmaster.
- 36:00 – From Faith to Faith: Hearing and Hearing the Word: Referencing Romans 1:16-18 and Romans 10:17, the pastor shows that faith grows by continually hearing God’s word and refusing to stop even when circumstances seem to contradict the promise.
- 44:00 – From Strength to Strength: The Power of Gathering Together: Expounding Psalm 84:4-7, he demonstrates that coming together in corporate worship enables believers to turn the valley of weeping into a well and advance from strength to strength.
- 52:00 – From Glory to Glory: Led by the Holy Spirit: Citing 2 Corinthians 3:18, the pastor reveals that beholding God with an open face causes believers to be transformed into His image by the Spirit of Liberty, without striving under law.
- 58:00 – Personal Testimony: Releasing His Mother in Faith: He shares the moving story of his mother’s miraculous healing from multiple myeloma and his later decision to release her to heaven, illustrating the difference between relationship and religious obligation.
- 1:02:00 – Altar Call: Born Again into the Father’s Family: The pastor leads the congregation in a prayer of salvation, inviting everyone to begin an intimate relationship with God as Father and receive a brand-new life in Jesus.
Scripture References
Psalm 8:2, Psalm 84:4-7, Psalm 104, Romans 1:16-18, Romans 10:17, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, Galatians 4:26, Zephaniah 3
Key Takeaways
- God ordained praise not for His own ego but as a weapon that silences the enemy and breaks the power of bondage over your life.
- Faith grows through continual hearing of God’s word, even when circumstances contradict what He has promised.
- Worship produces revelation, revelation produces intimacy, and intimacy births the will of God into your life.
- God corrects those He loves not to condemn them but to grow them into greater relationship with Him as Father.
- Coming together with other believers is not optional but a God-ordained source of strength that carries you through the valley of weeping.
- Living under the spirit of grace rather than the law removes the veil and allows believers to be transformed from glory to glory.
- Receiving both the applause and the correction of the Father with an open heart is what moves you from faith to faith and strength to strength.
Faith to Faith Notes
The Ordained Role of Praise in Victory
The pastor anchors the message in Psalm 8:2, where God ordains praise as strength against the avenger. He recounts a prophetic word he received during a season of intense opposition from local government: dance before the Lord as David danced for ten consecutive mornings. He obeyed, and within that period the opposition broke completely. The lesson is clear: praise is not passive gratitude but an active spiritual force. When life becomes heavy and emotions are overwhelmed, the believer who chooses to praise rather than retreat positions themselves for divine intervention.
Moses Knew the Ways, Not Just the Acts
A defining distinction in this message is drawn from Psalm 104, contrasting Israel who knew the acts of God with Moses who knew the ways of God. Israel saw miracles but remained distant. Moses pursued intimacy, regularly entering the tent of worship and even asking to see God’s face on Sinai. The result was a glory so visible it had to be veiled. This contrast challenges every listener to move beyond knowing what God does to knowing who God is, which only happens through sustained, intentional worship and relationship.
Grace Removes the Veil Law Keeps On
Drawing from 2 Corinthians 3:18 and 6:17-18, the pastor addresses the subtle legalism that prevents many believers from receiving God’s full love. If you secretly feel you are not good enough for God’s blessing, or that your failures disqualify you, there is a veil of law operating in your thinking. The New Covenant declares that when we turn to the Lord, that veil is removed because He is the Spirit of Liberty. God does not want compliance driven by fear; He wants sons and daughters who trust His love even while receiving His correction.
Strength Comes Through Gathering Together
Psalm 84:4-7 forms the biblical backbone for the strength-to-strength section. The psalmist calls blessed those who dwell in God’s house and who pass through the valley of Baca, turning that dry and weeping place into a well. The pastor applies this directly to corporate worship: when believers resist the temptation to stay isolated during difficult seasons and instead gather to encourage one another in the word, they receive a compounded strength unavailable in isolation. The story of Naaman’s servant encouraging him to simply dip in the Jordan illustrates what a faithful community can do at a breaking point.
Releasing Control and Trusting the Father
One of the most pastoral moments in this sermon is the account of the pastor’s mother, healed miraculously of multiple myeloma, who years later became ill again. Rather than imposing faith as a law upon her, he heard the Lord say the fight was for him, not for her. He released her to go home. She passed two days later in peace. This story powerfully illustrates the difference between relationship and religion: a true father knows when to encourage the fight and when to release with love, and God as Father does the same for each of His children.
A Life Transformed From Glory to Glory
The progression, faith to faith, strength to strength, glory to glory, is not automatic but participatory. Faith grows through hearing and hearing the word of God. Strength increases through consistent gathering with the body of Christ. And glory comes as believers behold the Lord with an open face, being transformed into His image by the Holy Spirit. The pastor urges the congregation not to seek the glory for themselves but to keep praising, keep gathering, and keep hearing until God fulfills what He promised, because He is not a man that He should lie.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to go from faith to faith in the Bible?
Romans 1:17 describes a progressive growth in righteousness where the just live by faith at every stage of life. Going from faith to faith means continuously trusting God’s word and not stopping when circumstances are difficult. It is a journey of hearing God’s word repeatedly until it takes deep root and produces fruit.
What is the difference between praise and worship?
Praise is an active expression of gratitude to God for what He has done, is doing, and will do, and it functions as a spiritual weapon that silences the enemy. Worship goes deeper: it is a posture of stillness and reverence before God that produces revelation of who He truly is. Both are necessary and both bring transformation in the believer’s life.
Why does God want believers to praise Him?
According to Psalm 8:2, God has ordained praise to still the avenger and the enemy. He does not require praise for His own ego but because praise breaks bondage in the lives of those who offer it. When believers praise God in the midst of hardship, they release a spiritual force that dismantles the enemy’s strongholds over their circumstances.
What does it mean to go from strength to strength in Psalm 84?
Psalm 84:7 describes pilgrims who, as they journey to appear before God in Zion, grow stronger at each stage rather than wearing out. The pastor applies this to the practice of gathering consistently with other believers, where mutual encouragement from the word of God builds a compounded strength that enables believers to turn dry, weeping valleys into wells of blessing.
How does 2 Corinthians 3:18 describe transformation from glory to glory?
Second Corinthians 3:18 teaches that all believers, with unveiled faces, behold the glory of the Lord as in a mirror and are transformed into that same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. This transformation is not earned by law-keeping but happens naturally as believers open themselves to the presence and leading of the Holy Spirit.
What is the difference between living under law and living under grace?
Under the law, a veil remains over the heart that prevents believers from seeing the fullness of their relationship with God, often producing fear, guilt, and performance-based religion. Under grace, as taught in 2 Corinthians 3 and Romans 1, the veil is removed when we turn to the Lord, and we are free to grow in righteousness through faith, worship, and intimacy rather than through striving.
Why is gathering together with other believers important for spiritual growth?
Hebrews 10:25 and Psalm 84 both point to the corporate assembly as a divinely appointed means of strength. When believers gather consistently, they encourage one another in the word, resist the temptation to complain or give up, and experience a magnified presence of God that is difficult to access in isolation. The pastor illustrates this with the story of Naaman, who needed his servants to encourage him to obey a simple instruction.
How do I begin a personal relationship with God as my Father?
According to John 3:3 and Romans 10:9-10, the starting point is being born again: acknowledging your need for forgiveness, believing that Jesus Christ died and rose again, and receiving Him as Lord. This new birth makes God your Father and positions you to grow from faith to faith, receiving both His love and His correction as you build an increasingly intimate relationship with Him.
