Posts with the category “better-promises”

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN QUESTIONSAs you gather with your group or study partner, take some time to reflect on how you experienced God’s discipline in your li...  Read More

Hebrews 12:18-24You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai.For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” Moses himself was so frightened...  Read More

Hebrews 12:13-17Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupt...  Read More

Hebrews 12:7-12As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more ...  Read More

Hebrews 12:1-6Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured ...  Read More

Did you miss this week's sermon?  Or maybe you just want to listen again to catch something you heard and want to think about again.  Here is your chance to review this weekend's sermon.  Feel free to leave your comments and thoughts!...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN QUESTIONSAs you gather with your group or study partner, take some time to reflect on how strong your faith was this past week. Share...  Read More

Hebrews 11:33-40By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death.But others were torture...  Read More

Hebrews 12:25-29Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only t...  Read More

Hebrews 11:28-32It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused ...  Read More

Hebrews 11:17-28It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive...  Read More

(Hebrews 11:8-16)It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confident...  Read More

(Hebrews 11:1-7)Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN QUESTIONSAs you gather with your group or study partner, take some time to reflect on how you felt God’s transforming power this week...  Read More

Hebrews 10:19-39And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences ...  Read More

Hebrews 10:1-18The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for th...  Read More

Hebrews 9:11-28So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.Under the old system, the blo...  Read More

Hebrews 9:1-10That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth. There were two rooms in that Tabernacle. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place. Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place. In that room wer...  Read More

Hebrews 8Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. If he were here on eart...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN QUESTIONSAs you gather with your group or study partner, take some time to reflect on what you learned about Jesus as our high priest...  Read More

(Hebrews 7:15-28)This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied,“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”Yes, the old requireme...  Read More

(Hebrews 7:1-14)This Melchizedek was king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him. Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means “king of justice,” and king of Salem means “king of peace.” There is n...  Read More

(Hebrews 6:13-20)For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying:“I will certainly bless you,    and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.”Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. A...  Read More

(Hebrews 6:1-12)So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal jud...  Read More

(Hebrews 5:1-14)Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs.And no one can become a high priest si...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN QUESTIONSAs you gather with your group or study partner, take some time to reflect on how you experienced God this past week. Share b...  Read More

(Hebrews 4:14-16)So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need ...  Read More

(Hebrews 4:12-13)For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.I'll never forget the day I received that call....  Read More

(Hebrews 3:12-19)Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in ...  Read More

(Hebrews 3:1-11)And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds...  Read More

Did you miss this week's sermon?  Or maybe you just want to listen again to catch something you heard and want to think about again.  Here is your chance to review this weekend's sermon.  Feel free to leave your comments and thoughts!...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN QUESTIONSAs you gather with your group or study partner, take some time to reflect on how you experienced God this past week. Share b...  Read More

(Hebrews 2:11-18)So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. For he said to God,“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.    I will praise you among your assembled people.”He also said,“I will put my trust in him,”    that is, “I and the children God has given me.”Because God’s children are human...  Read More

(Hebrews 2:5-10)And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. For in one place the Scriptures say,“What are mere mortals that you should think about them,    or a son of man that you should care for him?Yet for a little while you made them a little lower than the angels    and crowned them with glory and honor.You gave them authority over all things.”Now...  Read More

(Hebrews 2:1-4)So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by t...  Read More

(Hebrews 1:5-14)For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus:“You are my Son.    Today I have become your Father.”God also said,“I will be his Father,    and he will be my Son.”And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said,[d]“Let all of God’s angels worship him.”Regarding the angels, he says,“He sends his angels like the winds,    his servants like flames of fire.”But to t...  Read More

(Hebrews 1:1-4)Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his comman...  Read More

I sit in a room filled with people anticipating the moment the letter will be delivered. Times have been tough lately and maybe, just maybe, what I will hear in a short moment will be just what I need. Because truly, this could be the end.I look around the room and see faces of people I once knew as great friends but now may be something different. Tragedy and danger have a way of changing the way...  Read More