December 5, 2019
Hebrews 11:39-12:3
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,  since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
New International Version (NIV)
In Waco, I sometimes run along the Brazos River near the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame.  Just a few blocks east is the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. I went to a wedding rehearsal there and saw the name of Carroll Dawson, one of my friends at Tallowood. Each of the major sports leagues has its own hall of fame.  Once players make it into a league, they dream of making it into a hall of fame. 

Hebrews offers us a hall of fame of faith.  Listing the heroes of the faith, the writer reminds us that these people lived their whole lives by faith.  Some suffered greatly for their trust in God.  Still, none of the members of the Hall of Faith received the fullness of God’s promise in this life.  Instead, they were hoping for something better.  They looked forward to the coming of the Messiah.  The writer tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of these witnesses, people who lived by faith.  These who have finished so well stand in the stands as we continue to live out the Christian life reminding us that we, too can live by faith.  Their success makes us want to finish the race God has given us by throwing off the sins that entangle us. 

While we look to victorious Christians as our example, we must remember that they all looked to Jesus.  Hebrews invites us also to look to Jesus as both pioneer and perfecter of our faith.  For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Because he finished, so can we.  We follow him by faith.  An acronym for faith sums it up:  Forsaking All I Trust Him.  Do we trust him?  We may never make it into a hall of fame but this kind of faith will get us all the way home!
Pray with me:       
Father, thank you for women and men who followed you by faith in previous generations.  We are inspired by their profound trust in you.  Help us to throw off sins that entangle us.  Show us the race you want us to run.  Help us so to live that all who come behind us find us faithful, also.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.   
This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan.  Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download 
the app at readscripture.org.  Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully, 
Duane 
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