Women of Faith: Tara Joy

Welcome to the Women of Faith Series!

These women contributing have poured their heart and souls into these posts wanting to share their beliefs with you. I welcome them with open arms and I pray that you will as well.

A little about the series, I asked them all the same 12 questions to shed light on the beliefs of their faith and their personal journey. 

This is meant to be educational to expand your view of what others believe. I ask you to be respectful in any comments you leave and really start a conversation into exploring each of these faiths. Though you may not agree with their faith or beliefs, let's respect them by making this a safe place for them to share. 

Now it is my turn to share my faith! I really hope you have enjoyed this series, because I know I have! 

1. Please give an overview of your faith and what it believes.
I believe in Biblical Truth, which means I believe that the Bible was meant to be viewed as a whole from Genesis to Revelation because it allows us to get to know God on the most intimate of levels. I believe that God sent his son, Jesus, to die on the Cross for my sins before I was even born and that the Holy Spirit is sent as a helper to live in each Christian to guide them in what is right -- Fully transforming into what God created us to be (a lifetime process.)


2. Was there a specific time or reason why you believe what you do?
I had just moved to Texas and I went to find a church so I could find friends. I joined a Bible study that was going through the study called, Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It challenged me because it covered Lukewarm Christians - Christians who call themselves Christians but don't follow what Christ and God want. Christians in name only. I was convicted to start reading the Bible, because I had not read the Bible myself before. I read through the Bible and realize that I wasn't a Christian at all. I decided at that moment, not only would I continue reading the entire Bible but I gave myself to Christ for real. That was 2 years ago, and I haven't turned back since, I have fallen in love with God more and more.


3. Does your faith have religious books? Please name them all if more than one and give a brief description of its purpose/origins.
The Christian faith, has the Bible which consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the history of God, creation and the basis of our Christian faith. This is the Jewish part of our faith. It also predicts the messiah aka Jesus Christ which is proven true in the New Testament. The New Testament starts by proving that Jesus is the Messiah by telling when he fulfilled the Old Testament scriptures. The Bible is our way of getting to know God.


4. How do you put your faith into practice everyday?
I read my Bible and pray everyday, but I also do my best to be kind, patient and loving toward all I come across. Being a Christian is the willingness to put your selfish desires away and do what God calls us to do, serve others. Whether its my family, my neighbors, friends or strangers I do my best to be a light in their life.


5. Do you believe in Heaven? How do you get there? If you don't, what do you believe happens after you die?

God says there is a Heaven where all who choose to accept Jesus Christs gift will be. He died for our sins so that we could live together with God. Heaven will be a place with no sin, pain, suffering or mourning. It will be a place of perfect peace. 


6. What do you/faith believe about the human condition? Is being a good person enough according to your religion?
The only one on this earth who was good and righteous was Jesus. He lived a sinless life so he could be our pure sacrifice. All others are born with original son which is the innate ability to turn from God. So the human condition is a poor one and the only person who can make it right is Jesus. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. We all need a savior, it doesn't matter of you think you are a good person because God sees it very differently.

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone.

Luke 18:19

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?" "Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place." "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

John 18: 33-37

7. Who do you/your faith believe Jesus is? What do you know about him?
Jesus Christ is the Messiah predicted in the old testament. He was a son of David, born in Bathlehem to a virgin mother and lived the flawless life we all fail to do. He was offered up as our last sin sacrifice so that we could have a close relationship with God. He was prosecuted, crucified and buried. On the third day he rose from the dead proving he was the Messiah. He is the only way to the father. The only way to heaven.



8. Who do you believe God is? If you believe in God, what is he like? (Base this on your religious beliefs) If you don't believe in God, why not?
God is love. God is merciful and just. He is patient. He is our Creator. He is so Holy that our sinfulness keeps us from Him, but he is so loving that He sent his son to die for our sins so we could have a relationship with him. He doesn't need us, but he created us because he loves us. If you accept God, His Son and the Holy Spirit then you are his child. He is beyond our comprehension.

Jehovah-raah, your caring shepherd
Jehovah-jirah, the Lord who provides
Jehovah-shalom, the Lord is peace
Jehovah-rophe, the Lord who heals you
Jehovah-nissi, the Lord is my banner

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 4:8-10

9. Have you had to defend your beliefs? What happened?
Yes, when my husband was an unbeliever he liked to play "devils advocate" questioning my faith at every chance he could to try to shake my foundation. That only caused me to seek out the answers to all the questions he had. Over time, I have developed quite the passion for Apologetics and the undeniable truth of Christianity when all the true facts (not just of the Bible but of history) are considered. After which I now encourage people to question their faith so that they truly know what their following is the truth because it is too big of a decision not to.



10. How has your faith/beliefs changed you?
My faith has changed me SO much. A complete 180. I once was walking in the ways of the world, sinning for pleasure. But after I was saved God sent his Holy Spirit to teach me how to walk in Gods way. On the narrow road. It is a process that he will be doing for the rest of my life but he has changed the way I dress and the way I treat others and my family. It really is life transforming to follow Jesus.



11. Have you ever questioned your faith? How did you question it? And did you get the answers you were searching for to keep believing?
Absolutely. I think my problem was that I didn't know what the Bible said even though I claimed to be Christian. Once I started reading my Bible, as well as supporting documents of its history and validity it was really hard for me to deny the absolute truth in it.



12. What is something that you want to tell people about your faith?
I think that there are major misconceptions about Christianity, because a lot of Christians (myself too once) claim to be Christian without reading their Bibles and knowing what it actually says. Thats a problem. That means they didn't know Gods will. You can't know God unless you read his love letter to us. His Holy Word, the Bible. God gives himself to us, all we have to do is read and absorb his truth and we will be changed. No doubt about that.

If you have any questions about Christianity, any at all, feel free to email me at:

 TaraJoy AT Faithineveryday DOT com. 

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