We Have a Big God
Luke records the disciples asking Jesus to "Increase our faith." (Luke 17:5) While it is a little strange to us they don't say Please*,
at least they make the request. We often ask for wisdom, but when is the last
time you asked the Lord to increase your faith? The Lord responds to the
disciples in three parts: 
1) If you have the faith as small as a mustard seed, you can make surprising requests, like ask a tree to throw itself into the sea. (v. 6) When is the last time you made a bold request of the Lord, for something where the Lord was needed to accomplish a task, for His name's sake? After all, we serve a big God.
2) As servants of the Most High, we are simply to work hard and obey Him in humility. And if we do not hear a word of appreciation from anyone, we must not be discouraged, but keep on going by faith. (v. 7-10) And, separately,
3) This is the story of the ten lepers that asked Jesus for mercy and He healed them. Jesus expresses surprise that only one in the ten returns to give thanks. Then says to the foreigner that returns thanks, "Your faith has healed you." The other nine were also healed as they marched off as lepers to the priest to be declared clean. They all had to excersice great faith as they traveled trusting that the Lord would heal them on the way. So what the purpose of Jesus highlighting the foreigner who returned to give thanks? (v 11-19)
Giving thanks is an acknowledgement that the Lord has accomplished what was asked. The more God responds to our requests to be used by Him, the more likely our faith will be increased so that the next request will be even bigger.
The points are our faith is increased when aspire to greater faith, ask for something crazy big, proceed without a thought of personal recognition, and acknowledge that God is the doer by giving thanks.
Nelson Malwitz, Finishers Project Founder