Faith in Action: Three Days on Hebrews 11Sampel

Live by Faith

As only one out of the billions of people on Earth today, we might feel small and unimportant. Of the countless injustices people face daily, we might feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped to help. But we can return to the accounts of the heroes of the faith enumerated in Hebrews 11 as an encouragement that each person’s act of faith matters to God’s great story.

None of these examples resembled a fairy tale. Each person faced the impossible and suffered in often unthinkable ways. In some cases, they never saw the fruit of their actions—but, motivated by a love that flows directly from God, they acted anyway.

By faith, they walked humbly. By faith, they persisted. By faith, they gained strength. By faith, they endured. By faith, they resisted evil. By faith, they escaped peril. By faith, they brought down walls. By faith, they defeated wickedness. By faith, they freed the oppressed.

God remained faithful and victorious.

As Christians, we follow in the inspiring footsteps of our faith ancestors. Even when we can’t understand the details, we trust God’s promises to always be with us and to one day make all things right again. We assume the responsibility to love God and one another—one step at a time.

When we witness the suffering of a neighbor, we hurt right along with them. When we hear unkind words spoken toward someone, we speak up. When we see someone treated unfairly, we stand with them. We seek justice in the world around us—we pay attention, we sacrifice, and we advocate.

By faith.

Application:

Consider how you can put your faith into action on behalf of the oppressed:

·Ask God to open your eyes to a need in your hometown.

·How can you show "welcome" to the outcast?

·What organization can you come alongside in their work to make things right?

Photo by Raphael Lopes on Unsplash

This three-day plan was written by Amy Rodgers and is brought to you by Aspire Productions (www.aspire2.com).