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Weekly Scripture Studies

Joseph’s Undying Faith

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Joseph's Undying Faith

 

With his family finally settled and rooted in Egypt, Joseph was now dying in a foreign land. Yet he believed the impossible: that God would be moving his family back to Palestine and eventually give them the Promised Land. Therefore, he commanded that his bones be taken back once his people returned to the land. Joseph’s faith was an undying faith. His body was dying, but not his faith in God or His promises. He knew that he would rest in the promised land of God.

Perhaps more than ever before in our lives, we need to have unwavering faith in God’s promises when we are standing at death’s door. If we have genuinely received Christ as Lord and Savior, we need not be uncertain about what will happen to us when we die. God has promised that we will be with Him in heaven, in the land He has promised to all who are His children through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. As believers, we have no reason to fear death. God will be with us as we cross through death’s dark valley, and He will carry us to heaven, just as He has promised.

  1. Do you believe God’s promises?
  2. Do you act according to your belief in His promises?
  3. Do you fear death or feel uncertain about what will happen to you when you die?

Download a free PDF of this section of Hebrews from The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible® and continue your study.

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Jacob’s Worshiping Faith

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Jacob's Worshiping Faith

 

Jacob never saw God’s promise fulfilled in his lifetime. Yet he continued to worship God, ever believing and passing on God’s promise—even as he was dying. His faith was a faith that believed God’s promises so firmly that he died worshiping God for what God would do after he was gone.

Note two significant facts:

  • Jacob was dying when this event took place. He had lived a long life upon earth.
  • Jacob blessed both sons of Joseph; that is, he passed on the promises of God to them. He gave them an inheritance in the land of promise and in the promised seed. They had been born in Egypt; nevertheless, he passed the blessing of the promise down through them.

Jacob was so weak and frail that he had to support himself with his staff. He was almost bedridden, finding it difficult to walk and move about. But he continued to arise and worship God, believing in the promised land and promised seed up until the very end of his life. The point is striking. Here was a man who never saw the promised land given to him. In fact, he saw the reverse. He and his family were forced out of Canaan (Palestine) and into Egypt because of famine. Yet, he continued to worship God, ever believing and passing on God’s promises—even up to the very end of his life.

We need to remember that God’s work continues even after we are gone. The fact that not all prayers are answered in our lifetimes does not mean that they will not be answered. Our ability to see God do what we had hoped He would do or what He promised to do does not mean that He will never do it. We need faith like Jacob’s, faith so solid that we worship God not just for what He has done, but for what He will do in faithfulness to His Word.

  1. Do you always believe God despite your circumstances?
  2. Do you worship God in the hard times?
  3. Do you believe that God will keep His promises, even if you do not see them fulfilled in your lifetime?

Download a free PDF of this section in Hebrews from The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible® and continue your study.

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Sarah’s Impossible Faith

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Sarah's Impossible Faith

Believing God can be difficult. Sarah had difficulty believing God at first. When she first heard the promise of God, she doubted and even laughed.

The promises of God sometimes do sound unbelievable. Just think how corrupt, sinful, evil, savage, violent, and doomed to death the human race is. Any daily news media is filled with illustrations of humanity’s corruption. Yet God loves the world, loves it so much that He has promised “the seed” of the Savior to the world. Just think how unbelievable this sounds.

Sarah began to consider the matter: who it was that was making the promise, God Himself, the Sovereign Majesty of the universe. When Sarah considered this, the change in her was dramatic. She began to understand that if it was God who was making the promise, then He could be counted faithful. God always fulfills His promises.

Sarah believed God. She switched from unbelief to belief. She trusted the promise of God. And, eventually, she bore a child at the age of ninety—a miraculous birth to say the very least. Yet God had promised, and He fulfilled His promise.

Sarah is a dynamic example of what it is to believe the impossible. She believed the impossible; therefore, she saw God do the impossible. We need faith like Sarah’s, faith that compels us to believe God in every seemingly impossible situation. Just as God kept His Word to Sarah, He will keep His promises to you.

Study Questions

  1. Can you relate with Sarah? Have you ever found yourself doubting a promise God makes?
  2. Is it hard for you to believe God? When do you find it easier/harder to believe God? Why do you think that is?
  3. When you consider who God is, does that help you with your doubt?
  4. What are ways you can turn your doubt into faith?

 

Download the free PDF of this section in Hebrews from The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible® and continue your study.

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Abraham’s Faith to Obey

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Abraham's Faith to Obey

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God."   Hebrews 11:8-10

 

Abraham demonstrates one of the greatest examples of faith in the Bible. He believed against all odds, and he endured in his faith. Abraham’s faith was an obedient, believing faith—a faith that genuinely obeyed and believed God.

Abraham obeyed God, left his home, and went without any directions from God as to where he was headed. When God called, Abraham acted. He did not hesitate, argue, question, or waver. He simply obeyed. As soon as he heard the call of God, he arose and followed God; he acted decisively.

Note a significant fact about following God: Abraham did not know where he was going. He did not know where following God would lead him. He just believed the promises of God; therefore, he acted upon his belief. He believed; therefore, he obeyed.

If you truly believe God, you will obey God. There is no such thing as belief without obedience, not genuine belief. Obeying God requires believing God. Even though you can never know exactly where your faith will lead you, you should not fear following God. God is good and He has only good things in store for you, His dear son or daughter. If you draw back and do not believe and follow God, then you will miss out on His promises.

Study Questions

  1. Do you fear where God will lead you?
  2. Do you truly believe that God will do what He promises?
  3. Does your belief lead you to obey God?
  4. Has there been a time in your life when obeying God led you to a difficult place? How can that experience serve as a testimony to others?

Download a free PDF of this section in Hebrews from The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible® to continue your study.

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Noah’s Fearful, Reverent Faith

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Noah's Fearful, Reverent Faith

 

"By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."   Hebrews 11:7

 There was a time when the earth had become so wicked that it was filled with corruption and violence. Humanity had reached the point of no return; they would never repent and return to God. God was left with no choice: the earth had to be destroyed. But there was one man on earth who was godly—Noah. Noah worshipped and honored God in his life. Therefore, God warned Noah of the coming judgment upon the earth. He told Noah to prepare an ark and that the ark would save him, his family, and two of every animal. God also told Noah to warn the world of coming judgment.

Scripture says that Noah received the warning from God with holy, reverent fear. Noah believed God’s warning of coming judgment, and he began to build the ark with a godly fear and reverence, knowing that what God said would come true. God’s judgment would fall upon the earth; Noah believed it and knew it by faith.

Noah stood fast in his faith despite the mockery of the world. He lived far inland from the ocean—definitely nowhere close to any shipbuilding yards. Yet, he built a ship as large as an ocean liner. Imagine the laughs, mockery, scorn, and abuse Noah suffered. Imagine how often he was called a fool and thought to be insane. But Noah was faithful. He preached the righteousness and coming judgment of God—exactly as God had told him to do.

Noah stands as a great example of believing God and His warning of coming judgment. Noah’s faith was unique in that it was a fearful, reverent faith. God has warned us that His judgment will one day fall again upon the earth. But He has provided us an Ark of Safety—salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. Our task is the same as Noah’s: to warn the world of God’s coming judgment and to persuade unbelievers “to come into the Ark”—to repent of their sin and receive Christ as Savior and Lord.

Study Questions

1) Has God ever asked something of you that you were hesitant to do?
2) Is it hard for you to have faith in God if ridicule is involved? Why do you think that is?
3) How difficult is it for you to faithfully trust God at His word?
4) Are you telling others of God’s coming judgment and their need of salvation through Christ?

Peace Comes Through Prayer

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Peace Comes Through Prayer

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."   Philippians 4:6-7

Once we have made peace with God, how do we maintain that peace? How do we keep the peace of God ruling and reigning within our souls?  Peace comes through prayer.

We are to walk in God—live, move, and have our being in Him—and we do this by prayer. We live and move in God through prayer. We pray “in everything”—all day long as we walk and move about our daily affairs. We are to pray about everything no matter how small and insignificant it may seem. God is interested in the details of our lives, in the most minute details. He wants us acknowledging Him in all our ways or steps because He wants to care and look after every single step.

Now picture the scene: we are walking throughout the day, and God is taking care of every step of the way. What then can take the peace of God away from us? Absolutely nothing! For as we walk in prayer and fellowship with God, God is infusing us with His presence and peace. No matter the conflict or trial, we are continuing to share with God and God is continuing to infuse us with His peace. Through prayer He is giving us the peace to conquer and walk through the trial. Our relationship with God and His peace is unbroken.

Study Questions:

  • When anxiety arises, is your first instinct to pray?
  • How can you begin to pray “in everything” throughout your day?