Portraits of Faith, Week 1 - A Great Cloud of Witnesses
Hebrews 11:8-15 (NIV)
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Discussion Questions
When you hear the word "faith," what does it mean to you personally? Has your understanding of faith changed over time?
Hebrews 11 celebrates people who accomplished remarkable things "by faith." Who is someone whose faith has inspired you, and what about their life stands out to you?
The people described in Hebrews 11 experienced both great victories and painful suffering. How does it change your understanding of faith to realize that faithfulness does not always lead to an easy or successful life?
The sermon described faith as trusting in something we cannot yet see. When have you had to keep trusting God even though you could not see how things would turn out?
The people in Hebrews understood that they were part of a much bigger story and that they might not see God's promises fulfilled in their own lifetime. Where might you be called to invest in something that will benefit people who come after you?
Who would you include in your own "Hall of Faith"? What did that person teach you about God, faith, or how to live?
The sermon described the "cloud of witnesses" as people who have gone before us and continue to encourage us. How does remembering the people who shaped your faith affect the way you live today?
The sermon suggests that our lives are part of a story bigger than ourselves. Where do you see yourself as a link between those who came before you and those who will come after you?
Hebrews calls us to "throw off every weight that hinders." What is something in your life that makes it harder to live faithfully, and what might it look like to let some of that weight go?
The sermon ends with the image of someone in the stands cheering specifically for you. Who has been that kind of person in your life, and how could you become that person for someone else?
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