11-20-2025 PART 3: Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Section 1

This passage begins with a rich and encouraging interaction between Eric and David, where a simple moment of looking through a telescope becomes a powerful spiritual lesson. Eric reflects on 2 Corinthians 5:7—walking by faith and not by sight—and connects it to the biblical emphasis on the new moon throughout the Old Testament. The full moon is obvious and bright, but the new moon, nearly invisible and harder to locate, requires anticipation and attention. Eric draws out that faith works the same way. It is not about responding only to what is bright, obvious, or fully formed in front of us. Instead, it is seeking what is coming, expecting what God will reveal, and looking beyond what the natural eye can easily see. David affirms this insight, comparing it to Elijah recognizing a cloud the size of a man’s hand—not a billboard, but a subtle sign that required spiritual awareness.

Section 2

From there, the discussion moves into Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 1. Paul writes that the “foolishness” of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the “weakness” of God is stronger than human strength. It is not that God is foolish or weak, but that even His lowest comparison point surpasses the highest human capability. The message of the cross reflects this truth. To unbelievers, the gospel appears foolish or primitive. To the world’s philosophers, intellectual circles, and systems of thought, preaching seems unimpressive and unsophisticated. Yet this message—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—is where the wisdom and power of God are revealed. Paul insists that the gospel does not need to be dressed up to appeal to culture. It stands on its own, carrying an authority that no argument, trend, or academic method can replace.

Section 3

David connects this directly to how God has always worked. John the Baptist was not polished, fashionable, or culturally appealing. His diet, clothing, and lifestyle made him look unqualified by worldly standards. Yet he was the chosen forerunner to Jesus, and the Word of God came to him in the desert—not to the influential, the powerful, or the refined. This is the pattern throughout Scripture: God uses what appears foolish to shame the wise and what seems weak to overpower the strong. Preaching, simple and unadorned, becomes the divine vessel through which the gospel conquers hearts, nations, and generations. The power of the message lies not in the strategist but in the Savior; not in presentation but in transformation. For those who believe, the cross is not foolishness but the undeniable love, strength, and wisdom of God revealed.