If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9

Many of you are familiar with the classic children’s story, “The Little Engine That Could.” It’s a tale about a little train engine who, through the power of belief (“I think I can. I think I can.”), pulls an unbelievable load up a mountainside. It has endured for over a century because so many of us connect with it; we want to be that engine.

Yet, if we’re honest, many of us actually relate better to those greater, bigger engines that are unable to pull the load up the hill. They convince themselves that the load is too big and that they can’t do it. Similarly, we face our own personal challenges with such disbelief. We approach seemingly impossible tasks, such as trying to lose weight or getting out of debt by looking at the size of the problem and becoming disheartened. “I’ll never lose all this weight.” “I’ll never pay that off.”

So, what’s that little engine’s secret? Why is he able to pull off a miracle?

As I see it, he has two things going for him. First, he thinks he can. It’s as simple as that. He truly believes in his heart that, regardless of the size of the load, he can actually get it up the hill. Second, he speaks his belief out loud. As strange as it sounds, there is a direct connection from the heart to the mouth.

As believers, we must stop looking at the size of our problems and start looking at the size of our God. He has promised to take care of us, and if we set our eyes upon Him, we will come to believe what He has promised. Once we believe He can, then we must say that we know He can. Romans 10:9 says, “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” This is how we make it up the mountainside: by putting our trust in the One who knows we can.

Check out more from Tony Evans @Tonyevans.org

About The Author

Dr. Tony Evans

Dr. Tony Evans is one of the country’s most respected leaders in evangelical circles. As a pastor, teacher, author and speaker, he serves the body of Christ through his unique ability to communicate complex theological truths through simple, yet profound, illustrations. While addressing the practical issues of today, Dr. Evans is known as a relevant expositor. New and veteran pastors alike regard him as a pastor of pastors and a father in the faith.


At the heart of this vision is the use of church and school partnerships to effect spiritual and social change in communities. Dr. Evans’ church and school outreach philosophy has been attributed as a catalyst for former President George W. Bush’s Faith Based Initiative, which was his first formal act of office. Dr. Evans seeks to train churches, schools and volunteers in this philosophy, as well as in the functional practicalities, through the National Church Adopt-A-School Initiative which is a ministry underneath the umbrella of The Urban Alternative.


Dr. Evans serves as president of The Urban Alternative, a national ministry that seeks to restore hope and transform lives through the proclamation and the application of the Word of God. His daily radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on more than 850 radio outlets throughout the United States and in more than 80 countries.


Dr. Evans has written numerous books and booklets including his legacy work, Oneness Embraced, as well as his vision work, The Kingdom Agenda. Some of his most recent books includes, Kingdom Man, A Moment For Your Soul, Marriage Matters, and Victory in Spiritual Warfare.



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