The Promises of God - Free Indeed - Ep. 11

Summary

Barry Bennett introduces a teaching series on whether God’s promises can be trusted. His central claim is that God’s faithfulness—not a person’s worthiness, past experience, or feelings—is the basis for trusting and receiving what God has promised.

Main Ideas

• God is faithful to what He promises. Hebrews 10:23 says believers should hold firmly to their hope because “he who promised is faithful.” Bennett contrasts God’s reliability with the broken promises people may have experienced from parents, teachers, spouses, or others.
• Ask in Jesus’ name, not on the basis of personal worthiness. Bennett interprets John 14:14 as an invitation to ask in light of Jesus’ nature, righteousness, and goodness—not according to whether people think they deserve an answer.
• God’s Word is the foundation for faith. Drawing on Hebrews 1:3, Bennett says creation is made and sustained by God’s Word. He uses the visible, ongoing order of creation to argue that the unseen promises of God can also be trusted.
• Believing in God is different from believing God. In Bennett’s framing, a person may accept that God exists while still doubting whether God’s words are dependable. Faith means trusting God’s Word before the promised outcome is visible; he connects this to Hebrews 11:1.
• A promise may include a condition and a result. Bennett defines a promise of God as a divine declaration carrying the power to fulfill itself, sometimes with a condition attached. He gives Romans 10:9 as an example: confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in his resurrection leads to salvation.
• The new covenant rests on God’s promises. Hebrews 8:6 describes Jesus as mediator of a better covenant established on better promises. Bennett says salvation, forgiveness, righteousness, authority, and other aspects of the Christian life are grounded in God’s promises.
• God’s promises are available through Christ. He cites 2 Corinthians 1:20—God’s promises are “yes” and “amen” in Christ—and emphasizes that they do not depend on a believer’s self-assessment.
• Promises are connected to abundant life. Referring to 2 Peter 1:3–4, Bennett says God has provided what pertains to life and godliness through his promises, enabling believers to share in the divine nature and escape the world’s corruption.
• Faith is needed to experience what is not yet visible. Bennett applies this to salvation, healing, abundance, and restoration. He also refers to the declaration “by his stripes you were healed,” urging listeners to trust God’s Word even before seeing a result.

Practical Emphasis

Bennett’s suggested approach is to:

1. Examine the basis of your trust: God’s character and integrity, rather than past disappointments with people.
2. Ask in Jesus’ name: Base your confidence on Christ’s goodness and righteousness, not your perceived merit or unworthiness.
3. Identify what Scripture says: Notice whether a passage is a promise or declaration, and whether it includes a condition and consequence.
4. Believe before seeing: Treat God’s Word as reliable while the outcome is still unseen.
5. Hold firmly to the promise: Resist wavering based solely on feelings or circumstances, and express faith in what God has said.
6. Seek the life God has provided: Bennett encourages listeners to expect blessing, favor, healing, and freedom from corruption through faith in God’s promises.

Bennett closes with a prayer asking for open hearts, confidence in the integrity of God’s Word, and blessing, favor, and healing for viewers. He then promotes the Free Indeed program, a prayer line, Andrew Wommack Ministries’ free materials, and his book You Have the Advantage.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Barry Bennett — presenter and primary speaker.
• Biblical passages quoted or referenced: Hebrews 10:23; John 14:14; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 11:1; Romans 10:9; Hebrews 8:6; 2 Peter 1:3–4; 2 Corinthians 1:20; and the healing declaration “by his stripes you were healed.”
• Jesus — quoted or referred to through biblical passages, including John 14:14 and the statement “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”