2023/08/28 - Hebrews 11: Faith: What It Looks Like
Jerry Starling
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Reading: Hebrews 11 – FAITH: What It Looks Like
Verses for Today:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction or things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)
Daily Devo
What Is Faith?
Faith is assurance deep down in your soul – conviction you have of things you cannot see.
Pictures of Faith
By Faith, we understand the worlds came by God’s spoken Word.
By Faith, Able offered a better sacrifice than Cain’s. He received God’s approval. He died but speaks through faith.
By Faith, Enoch was taken and did not experience death. He pleased God – and without faith, you cannot please God. Whoever approaches God must believe He is and rewards seekers.
Noah, warned by God of things not seen, heeded the warning and built an ark to save his family. By this, he condemned the world, becoming an heir to righteousness.
Abraham’s Faith:
Abraham obeyed when God called him to go to a place he did not know where he would receive an inheritance. He set out, not knowing where he went. He looked for the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
By Faith, “He received power of procreation, even though he was too old – and Sarah herself was barren – because he considered God’s faithfulness. From one son came descendants as many as the stars of heaven and sand by the seashore.
These died in faith without receiving the promises, but they saw from a distance. They sought a homeland, not from which they came, but in the place to which they were going.
By Faith, when tested, Abraham offered Isaac, his only son. He considered that God can raise the dead, and he did receive Isaac back.
By Faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau. And by Faith, when he was dying, Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph.
The Faith of Moses:
By Faith, Moses was hidden by his parents for three months; they did not fear the King’s edict.
By Faith, Moses refused to be a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing to suffer affliction with God’s people than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. He considered abuse for Christ of greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt. By Faith, he kept the Passover, so the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch Israel’s firstborn sons. By faith, Moses led the people through the Red Sea and to the promised land.
Faith of Other Heros
By Faith the walls of Jericho fell after being encircled for seven days and Rahab was spared, because she received the spies in peace.
Space forbids speaking of Gideon, Samson, David, and the prophets – who by faith conquered kingdoms, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, found strength in weakness, and put foreign armies to flight.
Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing release, to receive a better resurrection. Others were mocked, flogged, stoned, sawn in two, sent about in skins of sheep and goats – of whom the world was not worthy.
These were all commended for their faith yet did not receive what was promised. God provided something better, so they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.
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Pray for Yourself
Father, I pray I will not shrink from following Jesus as He calls me. In His name, I pray, AMEN!
My Prayer for You (and for me)
Father, I offer this prayer for all who read these words. I pray that each one of us looks hard at the above descriptions of faith and will faithfully follow Jesus. This is my prayer, in His name, AMEN!
Updates for Central
SonQuest is September 1-3. If you are going, get ready for three d ays of fun mixed with some great Bible teaching. Come back fired up for Jesus!
The morning Ladies’ Class resumes at 10:00 am Wednesday, September 6. All ladies are invited to participate.
Our Eastern European Mission “Million Dollar Sunday” contribution will be on September 24. Our contribution that day will go to EEM for Bibles for the former Soviet bloc nations. Last year, EEM distributed 1,960,00 Bibles, up 24% from ‘21. They hope for more this year.
PRAYER NEEDS
Jennifer San Juan asked for more prayer for her daughter, Dawn. She is not doing well at all, and Jennifer is concerned.
Carl Bolli asks for prayers, as he fell a couple of weeks ago. Joy Bland, who lives four doors from Carl, has been helping him, putting on pain patches, preparing meals, and taking his dog out. He also asks for prayers for her.
Lee Cain asked for prayers for Betty & Mark Harman, one of the board members of CFBC. She had a head-on collision when a car came across the median directly into her. She is out of the hospital, but still has more surgery to face. Pray for both, as he owns his own business, and this is taking much time away from it.
Nancy Gray has been diagnosed as having Covid. Please pray for her as she recovers.
Joan Berry, Joanna Turner’s Mother, needs our prayers.
Carol Grandey, Brenda Schmidt’s sister, is home and ready to enter rehab. Keep her in your prayers.
Jesse Matthews, Sr. Ruth said he is in rehab. Their daughter is also still recuperating from a broken ankle. She needs prayers as does the whole family.
Kristi Holder was well enough to be at mid-week study on the 16th. It set her back a little, but Jerry says she improves daily – bit by bit.
Joy Bland found she has a broken bone in her foot that requires a boot to help it heal. She will have it for about six weeks, with an MRI (hopefully) coming soon. She recently told me she really needs our prayers to help her through.
Gale Harnish is home, but not well. Keep her in your prayers.
Susan Allen’s sister Debi is not well at all. Please remember her in your prayers.
Please let us know when you have events to publicize, are in the hospital, or are sick and need prayers. If you request prayer for someone, let us know when to take them off the prayer list. You can contact me by text or phone at 407-453-5392.