As we walk through Hebrews in our reading plan, below are a few additional thoughts, questions, commentary, and quotes. These aren’t designed to substitute your personal study and reflection on God’s Word, but they’re small supplements to your study. It’s always helpful to begin your study by reading the passage and making some basic observations. See the post “Making Observations” for basic questions to help you understand and apply what you’re reading.
Study, Reflection, and Discussion Questions
- While some of the people in Hebrews 11 receive blessings in this life, many don’t receive the promises in this life but had to wait for it (11:13, 39). Why is it important to see both, that our faith sometimes leads to blessings now but often leads to blessings later?
- Hebrews, and chapter 11 in particular, helps reframe our thinking from a focus on this fleeting life (which does grab our attention because it’s what we see and know) to live with an eternal perspective? How do we live this temporary life with an eternal perspective?
- Why is it so helpful to our faith to have examples who have gone before us—both living ones we know and those who have died—and can provide models of faith and endurance to learn from and imitate? Are there specific people who have been a model for your faith in any ways?
- When we’re suffering, why is it helpful to remember how other Christians have suffered and yet endured or even grown in faith?
- What do you want your legacy of faith to be? When you think of what might be written down for your children or grandchildren, or for younger ones at your local church, what would you hope to be true of you or to be said about you?
For Further Study
- Imitate: Prov. 13:20; Heb. 6:12; 12:1-2; 13:7; Matt. 4:19; 16:24; 1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; Phil. 3:17; 1 Th. 1:6; 2 Th. 3:9; 3 John 1:11.
- “Wendell Berry and the Gift of Remembrance” by Dustin Crowe at indycrowe.com
Ideas for Response
- Read or listen to a Christian biography. There can be great encouragement in seeing how God is faithful to fallen people who nevertheless follow Christ. Here’s an article by Jason Allen on “Why I Like to Read Biographies, and Why You Should Too.” You can also read or listen to the biographical sketches by John Piper free online.
- If you’re younger (or younger in the faith), ask a more mature believer to share examples from their life of how they’ve seen God’s faithfulness, provision, and kindness throughout their walk with Christ. Or if you’re a more mature or older believer, ask a younger believer if they’d like to be mentored or even just meet for encouragement.
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