Hebrews 11: Moses

Dear TVCC Students,
We hope that you all are having a great fall and getting ready for spending time with your families over the holidays. We are continually thankful to walk alongside of you as we all seek to pursue the Lord and learn from the book of Hebrews. Last night Sonny walked us through an overview of the life of Moses from Hebrews 11 and highlighted how Moses was able to forsake the pleasures offered by this world because he was focused on eternal things, namely Christ. Here is a recap...

Hebrews 11: Moses

~11:23: By faith Moses was hidden by his parents. Moses’ parents knew that their son was special in the eyes of God and by faith they disobeyed pharaoh in order to obey the Lord. There are times when God will call people to disobey the government in order for them to obey the Lord. 

~Acts 5 is an example of a time when the disciples had to chose between obeying the Lord or the government.  Peter and the other apostles obeyed the Lord rather than man. When the government interferes with obedience to the Lord, our obedience should be to the Lord. There will be times when it will be difficult for us to obey the Lord because there is a spiritual war going on (Ephesians 6:12)! We must remember that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12)!

Q: Read through Ephesians 6. How does this relate to Moses and what does it teach us about how we are to go about fighting the spiritual battle that is around us?

~11:24-26:  Moses was raised in the house of pharaoh and was eventually offered one of the most prestigious positions in the world. Moses knew the Lord and all of the eternal satisfaction offered by walking with Him and chose to obey God rather than obtain the passing pleasures of sin. Sin does offer us pleasure BUT sin is evil and fleeting and destructive! Moses knew that he could have temporal fulfillment by taking the pleasures offered by Egypt OR he could exercise self control and by faith follow the Lord. The pleasures that sin offers can never satisfy and they always have consequences! In His right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16). The Lord offers eternal and lasting satisfaction and when we see Him for who He really is, all other temporal pleasures pale in comparison to what He has to offer (Philippians 3).

Q: Read Philippians 3. What temporal satisfaction has the world been offering you lately to tempt you to forsake intimacy with the Lord? How are you fighting that temptation? Remember that we must be walking in the Spirit to overcome sin. He is our source of strength against the temptations of this world...

~Again, Moses was offered the most prestigious position on the planet but he forsook that pleasure and position because he knew that what the Lord had to offer was better! When we look at the life of Moses, we see that his life reflected his faith. Our lives reflect our faith. Moses saw the Lord and His worth and realized that nothing would compare to the joy that was his when he enjoyed the presence of the Lord. Moses could forsake what the world offered because he was looking ahead to the eternal reward in Christ. If we want to continue to walk with the Lord and walk in victory against sin, we must follow the example of Moses by keeping our eyes focused on the eternal reward that is ours in Christ. This world and its pleasures are passing away but intimacy with the Lord Jesus is offered to us on a daily basis and that will never be taken from us. In Matthew 6:19-20, Jesus reminds us about this exact issue. Let us store up treasures that will endure to eternity, not fade away with this world.

Q: Read Matthew 6:19-20. In order for us to store up treasures that are eternal, we must be spending time in the presence of the Lord and growing in our understanding of His greatness. How often are you meditating on the Lord? By meditating on His Word and enjoying His presence, we will have more clear vision to forsake what the world is offering. We need time with Him! We will fail if we try to defeat sin by just sheer willpower. Like Moses, we must defeat sin by looking towards the Lord and what He is offering! We must fix our eyes on what is greater. What has lately been preventing you from enjoying time with the Lord and what changes do you feel Him calling you to make so that you can spend time with Him on a daily basis?

Dear students,

We are so thankful for each one of you. We pray that you will continue to grow in your relationships with the Lord. If we look ahead in the book of Hebrews (Hebrews 13:12), we see that as Jesus suffered for us, we will be called to suffer in this life for His namesake. This suffering though, is short lived and is nothing compared with the eternal joys that we will partake of as children of the Lord through Christ. We pray that you will experience real joy in the presence of Christ this week as you meditate on His Word. We love you all and are so thankful for you!

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi

Hebrews 11: Abraham with Isaac

Dear TVCC Students,

It is always so refreshing to worship with each of you and see the Lord working in your lives. Last night we walked through a different aspect of Abraham's life as it pertained to his love for his son, Isaac. Here is a recap...

Hebrews 11

~“You alone can rescue... You alone can save... You alone can lift us from the grave...” What a great and powerful song. This is how Abraham lived. This is how we are to live. We can see by looking into the life of Abraham that he trusted in the Lord for provision in this life and he hoped in the Lord for eternal fulfillment. When the Lord asked of Abraham the most costly thing, the life of his son, Abraham believed that the Lord's way would ultimately turn out for the best. It is crucial for us to learn from the life of Abraham. God's redemption of us is not for this life only. If we have hope in Christ in this life only, we are to be most pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19). We are hoping in Christ for an eternal kingdom. This eternal hope in Christ should help make the trials of this life seem much more manageable since we know that this is not our eternal home. This is a temporary place with trials and hardship. The real home of believers is the eternal home the Lord is preparing for those that are His children through faith in Jesus.

Q: Have you been experiencing trials lately that have seemed to consume your thoughts? In what ways are you turning those trials over to the Lord knowing that this life is not what we are supposed to be living for? 

~Hebrews 11:13- “all these died in faith...” Their lives made it clear that they are seeking the heavenly country that the Lord is preparing for those that love Him. As much as an earthly father delights in giving gifts to his children, our eternal Father delights so much more in preparing an everlasting city for His children through faith in Christ. 

Q: Have you meditated lately on the fact that the Lord is going ahead of His children to prepare an everlasting city for you if you are His through faith in Christ? How does this truth change the weight of the trials that you go through?

~Hebrews 11: 17-19: Abraham & Isaac

~Genesis 15- God promised (15:5) to make from him many descendants. God promised to give Him children and continued to give Abraham more promises as Abraham continued to walk in obedient faith. Abraham was faithful with little and was given even more. God wants great things for His children and always has more to bless His children with (these may be spiritual blessings or physical blessings). He is the Creator of heaven and earth! What a great Father we serve!

Q: Have you been taking the time to see what the Lord is wanting to do with your life? Have you been in the habit of daily surrendering yourself to the Lord? When He has asked hard things of you, have you been walking in obedience or like Jonah, have you run the opposite way?

~Genesis 22- God tested Abraham by asking Abraham to give up his only son. God wanted all of Abrahams love and to make sure nothing rivaled that love. God often does this with us as well. Sometimes the Lord will take things from us or prevent us from getting certain things because He wants to make sure that our love for Him is not being given to something lesser that will never satisfy us fully. Only the Lord can fully satisfy us!

Q: Is there anything in your life that you might love more than the Lord? What does it look like for you to have Christ as your first love? Are there any changes that you feel the Lord calling you to so that you are not walking in idolatry?

~Genesis 22:3: Abraham rose early in the morning to obey the Lord in giving up his son Isaac. Obeying the Lord was more important than anything else, even Isaac. Nothing is as important as loving the Lord. God always replaces things that He calls us away from with something better (whether it be something we can see or even just a more intimate relationship with Him). We might not always understand in the moment what the Lord is doing when He calls us away from certain things but we can be sure that His ways are best for our good and His glory. Following the Lord is often difficult and uncomfortable but it is so worth it. 

Q: There are times when the Lord will call us to do ‘crazy’ things, but ultimately walking in obedience will be the most satisfying. Is the Lord calling you to give up anything? How often are you dedicating your days to the Lord FIRST thing in the morning?

Dear students,

We are so thankful to see you all week after week coming to enjoy fellowship with the Lord and with other believers. As we said earlier, it is so encouraging to see the Lord working in your lives. We pray that this week you will meditate on the life of Abraham and how he didn't even withhold his most precious son from the Lord. His whole life was surrendered to the Lord and that turned out to be the absolute best thing for Abraham. Absolute surrender is the BEST thing for us as well. Let us this week fully surrender our lives to the Lord and take any steps necessary to make sure that our love for Him is not in competition with anything else in this world. We love you all and are praying for you!

~With hope,

Sonny and Casi

Hebrews 11: Sarah

TVCC Students,
We hope you are having a wonderful week enjoying this rainy weather! We love getting to worship with you all. Last night we continued diving into Hebrews 11 and looked at the life of Sarah. Her life is such an encouragement because when we look at her life, it is easy to see that the Lord lavishes His love on imperfect people who often struggle with a lack of faith. How great to know that God cares for those that sometimes fail. What choice does He have? Though Hebrews 11 hails Sarah as a woman who had faith and believed in the Lord, the account of her life in Genesis shows a much fuller account of her life and how she battled with unbelief and even laughed at the Lord! Here is a recap...

Hebrews 11:  Sarah

~Hebrews 11:11-16: This section teaches us that God is not ashamed to be called the God of these women and men because they are His through faith! It was not their perfect works or sacrifices that made Him proud to be their God, it was because they were His through faith. Once we are His children there is NO condemnation for us (Romans 8:1). We are HIS and He is proud of us.

Q: Romans 8:17 teaches us that we are heirs of God through Christ. Christ takes us from the spiritual state of a helpless orphan and brings us into the most unfathomable inheritance of His through His death and resurrection on our behalf. Do you realize what you have been taken from and what you have been taken TO through Christ? What does it look like to live in light of the wonderful inheritance that is yours through Christ?

~11:11-13: Even Sarah is mentioned in the "Hall of Faith." When we look at Genesis 16 we see that Sarah was far from perfect. Sarah encouraged her husband to disobey the Lord out of fear and impatience. Sarah got tired of waiting on the Lord and decided to make her own plan. She was a regular woman who had genuine fears and doubts. Eventually she came to see that the Lord was trustworthy and would fulfill His promises. Her overall faith in the Lord made her pleasing in His sight. 

~The life of Sarah is seen in Genesis 17: 1-8; 15-18; 18:1-15. Sarah definitely struggled with trusting in the Lord and in His plans for her and Abraham. Sarah laughed at the Lord and she was still put in the book of faith. God has a heart for those who sometimes struggle. He delights in taking those that are weak and showing them His glorious power. Even though she struggled, she had faith! She knew that the Lord had been faithful to her husband and she decided to follow Abraham in trusting the Lord and following Him. She didn’t argue (that we know of) with her husband following the Lord when God called Him to be uprooted from their comforts. 

It's encouraging also to see that her husband played such a significant part in her faith. We must remember that the best testimony we have is to those around us. Our families are our first ministry. Abraham and Sarah encouraged each other with their faith. Know that people will look at your life and see a representation of the Lord. We bare testimony to the goodness of the Lord even though we mess up!

Q: Who are you around on a daily basis? In what ways are you representing the Lord well? What areas do you feel the Lord calling you to improve in how you represent Him? (by His Spirit's power)

~ In order for Abraham and Sarah to trust the Lord, they needed to trust in His Words and cling to those truths. The same is true for us. They knew His promises from His mouth and we must follow in their footsteps to lead lives of faith. Psalm 19: 7 is a great psalm reminding us of the power of the Word of God.  The way that we can know the Lord and know how to represent Him well is by knowing and meditating on His Word. His word tells us who He is! The law of the Lord (His Word) is what makes us wise and gives us counsel to pass on to others. His Word is sweeter than honey and in keeping them is great reward. The Word of God transforms us. God’s WORD created everything and can change us- even the smallest things in our lives that we think are insignificant. 

Q: Have you been meditating on the Word lately?

~Hebrews 11:13-16: We have a mission to do here but this is NOT our home. It is so easy for us to put all of our "eggs" in baskets here, making names for ourselves here but treasures in this life will NOT last! Why would we spend our energy making a name for ourselves here? This does not make sense! Let us live as these people did in Hebrews 11, not for this life but for the everlasting city!

Q: What does it look like for us to be “investing” in eternal things, in the everlasting kingdom? What does it look like for us to be “investing” in this life which is going to be destroyed? Which kingdom have you been investing in lately? How?

Dear students,

We hope that this look into the life of Sarah was encouraging to you all. We all have seasons of doubt where it's difficult to believe in the Words of the Lord. Let us remember that His Word is true and let us spend time meditating on it that we might be transformed continually by it. We are praying for you this week. We pray that you will have sweet times with Jesus and that your faith in Him would be strengthened. We pray that you will invest in heavenly things and not seek treasures that will one day fade away. We love you all!

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi

Hebrews 11: Abraham

Dear TVCC Students,

We hope that you are enjoying the great fall weather and getting to spend some time enjoying the creation of the Lord. We love getting to worship with you all and dive into the Word together! This week we studied the life of Abraham who was an ordinary man who lived a life of faith in the Lord. Here is a recap...

Hebrews 11:8 Abraham

11:8: Abraham was called... then he obeyed. He was a real person who had a real job who was called by the real God to follow Him into an unknown land. His call from God was very challenging. Abram obeyed. Abraham was not super righteous or heroic. He was an ordinary man whom God set His love on. Abraham listened to the Lord who was reaching down to Him. The Lord is reaching down to us through His Son. Christ died to bring us to God.

Q: Are you someone who is seeking to listen to the Lord by reading His Word or have you hardened your heart to His calling to know Him? 

~Genesis 15: THe Lord blesses Abraham because of his belief in the Lord. Belief led to action for Abraham as well. He followed the Lord because he believed the Lord. The Lord tells Abraham not to fear because the Lord is his shield and the LORD is Abraham’s great reward. Jesus inherits everything and Jesus is our prize! Abraham had to leave all of the comforts of his life in order to be able to fully trust in the Lord and let the Lord be his great reward.

Q: What does it look like for you to enjoy Jesus as your great reward, Has He recently called you to leave anything, or change anything in your life? Have you listened? Do you believe that He is your great reward?

~Genesis 15:2:  What did Abraham do to become righteous? He believed God. Belief was what made him righteous. Abram then wanted to know who he was going to pass on the great reward to since he had no heirs. The Lord comforts Abram and promises him an heir that would one day lead to the Messiah. 

~Hebrews 11: God called Abraham away so that he could really experience the Lord as His great reward. When the Lord calls believers, He makes them a NEW CREATION (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old has gone and He is making all things new!! He wants us to believe Him and from that belief, follow Him!

~Hebrews 11:9: Abraham lived as an alien in the land he was called to. 1 Peter 2:11 reminds us that  believers, as aliens in this world, are to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against their soul. We are in a spiritual war. The enemy is real and he is out to destroy our faith and keep us from enjoying the presence of the Lord. Aliens are offensive by their nature and not welcome in the land that that isn't their home. We are aliens in this world. We are outsiders and the world will not embrace us. We need to be aware of this battle so that it does not destroy our souls. All who desire to live godly in Christ will be persecuted!

Q: Read 2 Corinthians 5:21 with 2 Timothy 3:12. Have you experienced any sort of rejection from the world? How do you deal with that rejection/ persecution in light of the truth that you are son or daughter of the Lord of Creation through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ?

Dear students,

We are so thankful to get to worship alongside of you every week. We pray that you would enjoy sweet times in the presence of Jesus this week. Remember... He is our great reward. Nothing else will satisfy us fully and eternally than being in right relations with the Lord God through Jesus, Let us walk with Him this week and obey Him out of a heart of love and thankfulness. We love you!

With hope,

~Sonny & Casi

Hebrews 11: Noah

Dear TVCC Students,
We hope you are enjoying the fall weather these days! We are so encouraged to see you all coming out on Wednesday evenings to worship and divide the Word of God. It has been such a blessing to go through Hebrews along with you all and see all that the Lord wants to share with us through His Word. Last night we studied the life of Noah from Hebrews 11 and Genesis 6. Here is a recap...

Before jumping into the story of Noah, we must remember Hebrews 11:1.  Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen. Faith is unique in that it cannot literally be seen (as in someone "holding" faith) but it can be "seen" in the way one lives. The people he was writing to thought that works (following the law) were what made them righteous but it was faith all along. Works reveal faith. What really pleased the Lord under the law was those that obeyed the law out of a heart of faith and love towards Him (remember Abel and how his faith led to him giving sacrifices to the Lord). Faith has attributes that we can identify through our lives. 

Recap from Hebrews 11:1-6:

~Abel worshipped God through faith and offered to God a sacrifice because he loved the Lord. Worship filled sacrifice flowed from a heart of love. (Romans 12:2). 

~Enoch walked with the Lord and God took him! Again, this is what the Lord wants for us- for us to walk with the Lord daily.

Hebrews 11:7: Noah believed the Lord and his life revealed his belief through him building the ark and entering into the ark. Faith led to action!

~Genesis 6:5-22: Noah walked with God as Enoch did. The things that the Lord was asking of Noah were things that were not in Noah’s daily "vocabulary" (he lived in the desert and had probably not even heard of a flood). Yet Noah obeyed. It took over 100 years for him to build this ark. Noah's faith had led him to set his heart to obey God and he followed through with it. 

Q: Have there been things in your life that have not totally made sense to you that you have been asked to obey? How did you respond to His calling? What did you learn from that situation?

~Genesis 6:11: Why did the Lord not just completely destroy the human race? God had made a covenant with Adam and Eve that through their descendants a Savior would come. The Lord’s faithfulness was what kept the Lord from completely destroying the whole earth. God had made a promise and He went to elaborate measures to keep His word. He still goes to elaborate measures to keep His promises. Let us find those promises in His Word and cling to them because He who promised is faithful!! 

Q: Read Philippians 1:6. The Lord will complete what He has began . Read Romans 8:1. There is no condemnation for those that are in Christ! Let us cling to these promises of God. What promises of the Lord have you seen lately that we can cling to?

~Genesis 6:18: God called Noah to enter the ark after he had built it. God had seen Noah’s works which revealed his faith. Noah believed God and his life showed that belief. He spent years building the ark and then continued to act in faith as he boarded the ark and prepared for the flood.

~Genesis 7:16: God closed the door behind the ark, not Noah. Other people could have responded to the Lord’s warning of the coming flood but no one else wanted to come. Then the Lord closed the door! From this we can see that the Lord is patient and not quick to anger. It would have taken around 100 years for Noah to build the ark, giving people time to hear of the Lord's coming wrath and respond in faith.

~2 Peter 3:10-16: Just as in the days of Noah, The Day of the Lord is coming. We are told that it will come like a thief in the night and that we must be ready. Since these things are coming, how ought we to live? Each day that we live is another day of the Lord’s patience where He is waiting to destroy this world until all of His children have come to faith in Him. We are called to be His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) and warn people of His wrath that is coming. 

Q: Read Revelation 21. Are we sharing His truth with others that they might escape that wrath? What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to since you know that the day of the Lord is coming soon? Remember that we are called to be displaying His name to those around us.

~James 2:14: From the life of Noah we can see some great truths. What use is it if someone says that he has faith but has no works? Faith without works is dead! If Noah would have just said he believed and did not obey- would he have been saved? Actions reveal faith! Faith without works is DEAD and will not save. Yes, faith is what saves but faith is not just a mental exercise. Faith is expressed through action. 

Q: If people just looked at how you live, not what you say, would they say that you are living for an eternal kingdom or for this life only?

~Genesis 9: It is also encouraging for us to remember that even though Noah had great faith in the Lord, he still struggled. He did not always behave righteously. We all still struggle (which is why Paul says that he has not already obtained perfection- Philippians 3:12) with acting foolishly at times but the Lord still calls us righteous once and for all if we have faith in the blood of Christ on our behalf. Jesus saves us! Let us live lives of faith knowing His great love for us!

Q: Think about a few ways that you have acted in rebellion to the Lord in the past month. Now, think about the FACT that if you have trusted in Christ there is NO condemnation for you because Christ took the condemnation that you deserved. How does this make you feel? What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to make so that you do not return to that rebellion?

Dear students,

We are always so encouraged to see what the Lord is doing in your lives. We love seeing how you all love one another and strive together for the glory of the Lord. We pray that this week you would believe in the Lord Jesus and that His ways are better. We hope that your lives will shout to this world that Jesus is Lord and that we are living for an eternal kingdom that will never be shaken. We love you all. Remember the life of Noah this week. Faith led to action! Let us follow his example in this.

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi 

Hebrews 11: Enoch

Dear TVCC Students,
Last night was so encouraging! We were able to witness Spencer getting baptized and able to dive more into Hebrews 11. As always, our hearts are so encouraged to worship the Lord with you all and see you soaking up the truths in His Word. Sonny spent time looking into the life of Enoch last night. Here is a recap...

Hebrews 11: Hall of Faith. People listed in Hebrews 11 were by no means perfect but were those who trusted the Lord and lived lives of faith despite their shortcomings.

~11:1-4: Men of old gained approval by their faith, not by their works! Works reveal faith but faith is what makes one righteous before the Lord. Remember though that once we have faith in Christ, we are called to have our lives be living sacrifices (Romans 12).  Pouring out your life for Him is the most wonderful thing that you can do- it is ETERNAL. Again, works do NOT save you but after you have received grace to believe in Christ, works will follow (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Q: Read Ephesians 2:8-10 and James 2:14-26. Do you see the correlation between works and faith? Genuine faith will have works following it. Belief will have an effect on your life. If someone looked JUST at your life, not at what you SAID, would they see someone who is living a life of faith in Christ? Are there any changes you feel the Lord calling you to in order to have your life aligned with His desires for you?

~1:5-6: Enoch was taken up. Enoch did not taste death. Wow... Let that sink in! Genesis 5:21-24. Enoch walked with God and “was not” for God took Him! "Walking with God" is what the Lord wants for us just as He did for Enoch. This is what Jesus died for (1 Peter 3:18). Even though we are completely undeserving of "walking" with Him, He still desires this for us. If we look at 2 Corinthians 6:14 we see that we are not to be bound together with unbelievers. Believers and unbelievers are different beings and it is dangerous for us to surround ourselves with those that are not like minded. How wonderful for us that even though we are so different from the Lord, He still wants us to walk with Him. There is such a great chasm between us and the Lord; He bridged that gap through Christ so that we could “walk” with Him. 

Q: Read 1 Peter 3:18. What does it look like for you to "walk" with the Lord on a daily basis? Others noticed that Enoch walked with the Lord by the way that He lived. Who in your life have you seen "walking with the Lord?" The Word tells us to imitate the FAITH of those that encourage us (Hebrews 13:7). What things do you think contribute to their "walk" with the Lord that can be emulated in the lives of others? 

~2 Peter 1:3-10: He has granted to us all we need for life and godliness just as He did with Enoch. The Lord has made a way for us to be partakers of the divine nature through the death and resurrection of Christ so that we can now relate to Him. He has restored what was lost.

Q: Which of the things listed in 1 Peter 1:3-10 do you feel that the Lord wants you to work on (by His power)? What steps do you want to take to grow in that area this week?

~1 Corinthians 6:9-11: The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. All of us were unrighteous before our redemption in Christ (Romans 3). The Lord has made us righteous in Christ. We have been washed by the blood of Christ and are now different. Because we are now washed, let us live differently. Let us press into the Lord. Let us walk with Him out of love as Enoch did. Walking with Him involves us listening to the Lord and speaking to Him. Enjoy time with Him! As long as we are still taking in breath, we still have an opportunity to walk with the Lord!

Q: Have you been walking with the Lord this week? What has that looked like? In what areas do you feel the Lord calling you to change so that your walk with Him will be more intimate?

~Romans 3: How was Enoch pleasing to the Lord? He was not justified by his works. That was not even possible. Enoch was justified by his faith just as we are justified by faith. Faith in the work of Christ is what makes us righteous before the Lord. Without faith it is impossible to please God! We must believe that He is God and that He has made us clean through Jesus. Our works will follow genuine faith.

Q: Are you believing in the Lord Jesus this week? Have you spent time in His Word this week knowing that He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it?

Dear Students,

We pray that this week you will follow the example of Enoch and genuinely walk with the Lord. We pray that you will listen to Him as you read His Word and gain insight into His heart. We pray that you will speak to Him in prayer and pour out your hearts continually to Him as you would your best friend. Remember that He is in control of everything- both the good and the bad. Everything that happens is an opportunity for us to grow in our relationship with the Lord and for us to show others His power through us who believe. We love you all!

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi 

Hebrews 11:1-4

TVCC Students,
It has been so wonderful to dive into the book of Hebrews with you all and see the redemption that is ours in Christ. This Wednesday we took a look at the beginning of Hebrews 11, the "hall of faith." Here is a recap...

Hebrews 11:1-4

-11:1-2: The word “faith” is referenced 6 times before Hebrews 11 but is referenced 18 times in the next 2 chapters after this. All of Hebrews was building up to this point: the Savior would come to offer complete freedom from the bondage brought by sin and that freedom would be accomplished through faith. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen. Faith is not just believing that God exists but that He is capable of doing what He says He will do. Faith is an action!

Q: Is the "faith" you claim to have in Christ just "faith" that He exists or do you really believe/trust that His Word is true and that He will accomplish His plans? If people looked at your life, not just what you say, would they see a life of faith in you? Why do you think so?

-11:3: God invented time. He is the Author of everything and is continually holding it all together... perfectly. Nothing happens that is outside of His complete control. God is worthy of placing our trust in because He holds everything in His hands (Psalm 104). Again, His Word holds everything together and we have access to this Word! Jesus is the Word of God (John 1). Let us draw near to the Lord through Christ who made peace between us and the Lord (Hebrews 10:19)! There is nothing better for us than for us to draw near to Him as He has cleansed us. As stated earlier, genuine faith leads to action (James). Let’s look back at our calling that comes from faith...

-Hebrews 10:19-24: These are the actions that come from the faith genuine believers have in Christ. This is the call of God for those that are the Lord’s through Christ.

1. Draw Near to Him.
2. Hold fast to the confession of your hope in Christ
3. Do not forsake assembling together with other believers and consider how to stir others to love and good works.

Q: Read Hebrews 10:19. Do you spend time realizing that the Lord who created light and planets is the same God who wants to have an intimate relationship with you through Jesus Christ!? Which of the previous three "works of faith" do you feel that you need the most work on (by the power of the Spirit)?

-11:4: Cain and Abel: Go back to Genesis 4 to see this situation. Cain’s offering was not accepted by the Lord. Cain believed in the existence of God but wanted to compromise with the Lord. He was not accepted! The Lord has a specific plan for how we are able to approach Him. We have access to the Lord through Christ alone (Acts 4:12). After trusting in Christ, the Lord wants our lives to be living sacrifices to Him- for us to trust in Him completely and walk in joyful obedience to Him. He will not accept anything less. We fail often but thanks be to God that we walk by grace! Christ in us is our righteousness! The Spirit continues to sanctify us as we seek to grow in Him.

Q: Is your life being lived more like Cain or Abel? Are you trying to come to God on your own terms or are you continually seeking to submit your life to the Lord and His desires- trusting in Christ completely for your salvation and sanctification?

Dear Students,

As always, we are praying for you and we love getting to see you all grow in Christ and in your love for one another. We pray that this week your faith in Christ would be lived out in a powerful way and that all of our lives would bring glory to King Jesus. We encourage you to read through some of the Psalms (especially Psalm 19 and 104) and meditate on the fact that the God of creation wants an intimate relationship with you. We love you guys and gals!!

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi