I have been undergoing a recent paradigm shift. It becomes extremely clear when I look at this week's text. It is one I have been aware of for some time, but hadn't exactly known what to do with it. The solution becomes clear in the passage. Let me spell out the problem and then I will draw attention to the solution.In times past, I have read this passage and have been caught up in exactly what I ...

The imagery that the author of Hebrews gives is a very relevant one. We can all understand running. We can all understand a race. We can also imagine the difficulty of running that race while weighed down or ensnared by something. The instruction that Hebrews gives is to deal with the things that weigh down and ensnare so that the runner can truly run the race set before Him.This instruction is an...

This is one of those passages that serves as a bridge between sections. Be that as it may, it carries profound impact. If we are to look at the whole of Hebrews, it has been funneling the same exhortation and the same argument all throughout it. That exhortation is for the believer to hold on. The example was just given through chapter 11 of all the incredible men and women who walked faith out. T...

This week's passage may be short, but it is admittedly one of my all-time favorite sections of Scripture. It is packed with so much spiritual depth and spells out some incredible things about the Gospel for us as well. In this section, we are guided by the author to look at many different perspectives. We are to consider the great cloud of witnesses that precedes us as an example. We are to identi...

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne ...

Having discussed the suffering of the saints at length, I'd like it if we could take some time this morning to pray for the persecuted church. Pray for those who are undergoing physical persecution. Also pray for those who are undergoing verbal persecution. We have a war of ideologies on our own hands here. Pray for those in and out of America. Pray for your brothers and sisters in the faith.......

Just as the example has already been laid out for us, and just as it is evident that this is not for the faint of heart, I am left with one application from the hall of faith. Follow the example.It is a frequent contemplation that I consider Paul's words, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." That is a bold statement. It means that Paul could have his life examined and Christ's model would be exemplif...

I can testify from my own lived experience that Christianity is not for the faint of heart. There are trials and tribulations waiting at every corner. There is persecution of immense capacities spread across the world. Following Jesus may cost you your job, your friends, your family, and many of the things you love. We are called to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. We are called to take up ou...

While there are certainly numerous lessons to take away from Hebrews 11, much of the goal of the writer of Hebrews is to establish an example for the original audience. The reality is that he understands what they are going through. He himself is undergoing persecution and has undergone it. Faithfulness carries with it risk, but for the people of God, the end is a reward.If you are to look at thos...

The hall of faith gives us something incredibly unique. It gives us a history of like-minded individuals that precede our time. They laid the foundation for what belief looks like. The author of Hebrews is recognizing this and presenting it to the reader to reframe their perspective of their current circumstances. It ought to stir the same up in us as well. We begin early on remembering Abel. Sure...

We now enter into an extremely famous passage that we have modernly coined the hall of faith. These are those that have gone before us in faith, having established a model for us to follow in. All of the greats that we would look upon, even some not so greats, are established by way of faith. For an author whose goal it is to reinforce the faith of those he writes to, sharing the testimony of thes...

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was right...

Grab a pen and a piece of paper. Take some time to reflect and write out times when the Lord showed up for you. Write how He brought you out of difficult situations or how He was there in the midst of suffering. Give thanks to God for those times.Now keep that paper and pull it back out when trials or tribulations hit again. Reflect once more on what the Lord has done for you and add to it as He w...

The ABIDE Young Adults group is currently going through the book of Matthew. As we have started to work our way through it, something that has caught my attention is the focus upon the Kingdom of God. This, of course, is not new news to me. But it is imposing a challenge to my mindset that complements what this week's devotion has challenged. Am I self-concerned or Kingdom-concerned?Jesus walked t...

Often, the devotions I am writing testify deeply to me as I am writing them. Yesterday's devotion really hit me like a truck. As I have grown in my relationship with the Lord and endured through ministry, I have found that one of the enemy's greatest traps he lays for me is discouragement. Thoughts of insecurity can plague me. "Am I doing enough? Is any of this actually effective? Am I just doing ...