As the writer of Hebrews rounds off his closing statements he gives some final points of Christian conduct that the reader ought to follow. But the bridge to get us there is a "therefore."Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.-Hebrews 13:15Whenever we see a therefore, we must find what it is there for! Remember what...

With this passage, we officially conclude the book of Hebrews. This section gives some final instruction of Christian conduct and character that should be expected among believers. The first of this is for the believer to continue to offer the sacrifice of praise. From that place, the expectation of doing good among fellow believers is addressed. They are exhorted to obey their leaders who are wat...

15Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name. 16And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.  17Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an account. To this end, allow them to lead with joy and not with grief, for that ...

Take 15 minutes this morning and pray for your leaders in the faith. Pray for your pastors, that we may lead holy lives. Pray for your mentors. Pray for your fathers in the faith. Pray for your mothers in the faith. Pray for those around you that they may lead holy lives.......

It is a regular part of my life where I am examining what my inputs are. We have heard the statistics of "you are the 5 people you are closest too." This has proven true on multiple counts. The thing we rarely take into account with that statistic is the influence of our various sources of media. For the person who is sat down bingeing season after season of their favorite show, or even for the pe...

7Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.-Hebrews 13:7Lately, I have been thinking back to the various leaders who have poured into me. When I consider the investment of these leaders, I cannot help but be thankful. From an early age, I had people pouring into me this form of doctrine that would spell the rest of my ...

As previously stated, there is a huge emphasis placed simply on trusting in God. That is the undertone of this whole section. In fact, it has been the undertone of this whole book. Will the people heed the voice of those around them? Will they heed the world? Or will they heed God's command? Trusting in God may very well mean suffering at the hands of those around. Trusting in God may look like hu...

We have gone through the entire book of Hebrews and the connection points have remained consistent. The place where these Jewish believers are is a tough one. There are pressures from all sides calling them in. There is greed, worldly lusts, and vain promises that hold a significant appeal. Many of the same things that plague us today also plagued them in their day. Only then, the consequences wer...

Just as we had discussed variations of love in the last week, this week's passage continues on that. However, rather than simply looking at different expressions of love, we wrestle with the object of our love. Is it in the things of this world? Or is it in the Lord? To the Lord, we would trust and be content, but to the things of this world, there is lack and want.The writer to the Hebrews offers...

5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said:  “Never will I leave you,  never will I forsake you.” 6So we say with confidence:  “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?” 7Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the sam...

Pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ that are struggling to let love be genuine. Pray for the Church as a whole that the love of God would be poured in our hearts that we may demonstrate that to the world. ......

27You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cu...

Let's talk about the sin of sexual immorality. 4Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.-Hebrews 13:4The judgment of God is something that ought to be feared. To allow and permit any amount of sin of terrifying when we recognize that our God bears eyes of fire that see through every work and into the hearts of ma...

The love of the believer is essential in communicating the love of God. After all, at the moment of belief, of confession and repentance, when an individual has been born again, they become a vessel by which the Holy Spirit can move and operate. What fruit might we see proceeding from one who is endowed with the Holy Spirit? Indeed, we would see love.Love must be sincere.-Romans 12:9aThe lesson th...

The language of chapter 13 shifts from the language that was found all throughout the book. Where the central focus was upon faith, seeing Jesus as better than all else, and the consequences of departing, now it is upon the expression of faith.It is clear that there are major cultural influences that have been taking precedent in the lives of the audience. It is by the cultural influences from the...