Archive for category: GAMEtime Sharing

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 11:8-19.  Let’s go!

On verses 8-19:  To illustrate what faith looks like in real life, the writer of Hebrews focuses in on the life of Abraham and his wife Sarah.  Their incredible story is told in Genesis 12-25.  Here’s what I learned verse by verse about what faith looks like from the life of Abraham and Sarah as described by the writer of Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:8 (NIV) 
8  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. 

On verse 8:  Faith is going where God tells you to go, even when you don’t see the whole picture.  So if you’re waiting to see the full picture before you go, guess what?  You’re not living by faith.

Hebrews 11:9 (NIV) 
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. 
On verse 9:  Faith is leaving your comfort zone and letting go of what’s familiar and comfortable.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 10:32-39.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV) 
35  So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

On verses 32-39:  Once again the theme of perseverance comes up here in these verses.  To encourage the Christians he is writing to, the writer of Hebrews recalls the early days of their faith when they suffered much persecution, even having their property confiscated and going to prison for their faith.  Apparently they did so joyfully because they knew that they “had better and lasting possessions” (v34).  (It reminds me of that famous quote from missionary Jim Elliott who wrote, “He is no fool who loses what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”)  In a time when his readers were likely tempted to leave their faith or disconnect themselves from church, the writer of Hebrews encourages his readers not to throw away their confidence and urges them to persevere “so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what has been promised.”  (v36)

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 10:19-25. Let’s go!

Hebrews 10:19-25 (NIV) 
19  Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 
20  by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 
21  and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 
22  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 
23  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ……
 
On verses 19-25:  So far in Hebrews the author has written in depth about how Jesus is our great high priest (v21) and how through Jesus’ shed blood and sacrificed body we are able to freely enter God’s holy presence (v19-20).  

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 9:15-28.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 9:16-17 (NIV) 
16  In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 
17  because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.

On verses 15-22:  During my time practicing law, clients would often ask me to help them write their will.  A will is a legal document by which a person spells out, among other things, what they want to do with their assets and whom they want to gift those assets to as an inheritance when they die.  The person making the will signs it in the presence of witnesses.  All the gifts described in the will do not take effect until that person dies.  That’s why a will is often called a person’s “last will and testament”.  As verse 17 says, “a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.”  
 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 8:1-13. Let’s go!

Hebrews 8:1-2 (NIV)
1 The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,
2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.

On verses 1-5: Here the writer of Hebrews notes that the location where Jesus now serves as our high priest is in heaven (v1-2), while priests who are appointed by the law of Moses serve on earth (v4). The sanctuary and tabernacle where these earthly priests would serve are an imperfect “copy and shadow of what is in heaven”, while the heavenly sanctuary where Jesus serves is “the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not man” (v2). It’s a reminder for me that as much as we try to help create our excellent worship experiences each weekend for people at Thrive, they are just a shadow and an imperfect copy of what worshiping Jesus will be like when we get to heaven. The best really is yet to come!