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Q5. (Hebrews 12:1-2) Who are the "great cloud of witnesses" mentioned in 12:1? What analogy to the life of faith is offered in 12:1? In what way is Jesus the "author" or "pioneer" of our faith? How did he live by faith? In what way is he the "finisher" or "perfecter" of our faith? The Saints who have gone on before and are watching us run our race and cheering us on. 12:1 "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." It is that faith will help us to run our race if we give up the sinful things of this world and seek what is right, our faith will become stronger and we will be able to endure the struggles of this life. Jesus is the author of our faith because He is the first of many brethren. He was the first raised by the Father and sat at His right hand. He was the first to finished the job the Father gave Him to do with out fault. He lived by faith knowing that what lay ahead was much better than what He was going to have to suffer. He was finisher because He completed the work God gave Him to do and made a way for us to be able to come to the Father through Him. With out Him and His completion of His chosen task we would be lost. He was made perfect by the Father, He knew no sin but died for our sins taking on our guilt and shedding it like a coat when He rose and over came death by the power given Him by the Father.

Q4. (Hebrews 11:8-31) What was the powerful motivating factor behind the actions taken by the people mentioned in these verses? What was this faith based on? At the Red Sea, how did the Israelites' faith differ from that of the Egyptian army? Did Rahab have real faith or was she a shrewd opportunist -- or is there a difference? They believede that God would do what He said He would do, or they didn't believe in Him at all. The Hebrew faith was based on what they had seen and had learned from their Fathers before them. They had faith in the God of the people and had been taught that they were the chosen people of God and when He started sending plagues against Egypt they saw for themselves that He was real and was setting them free. At the Red Sea they had a choice believe and cross the river or not believe and be kill or taken back into captivity. They chose to believe that the God of their Fathers would help them again and lead them across. The Egyptions were slow learners, they had seen the plagues,but it was enough to cause them to fear the Living God and what He was about to do. Rahab had faith that what she had seen and heard the God of Isreal had done to other people and kings He could also do to jericho. She believed that the only hope she had was to allow the spies to go in peace and hid them from her own people. She chose to try to protect her self and family through her fear of the true God.

Q3. (Hebrews 11:23-28) How did Moses' faith affect his willingness to suffer? What kind of vision did faith create for Moses? What kind of vision does faith create for us? It gave him the desire to live as a Hebrew instead of an Egyptian and to have a belief centered around God and His plan for him instead of living a life it the house of Pharaoh. It created a faith that led him to go into the desert and seek after what would cause a bush to burn yet not burn up. It gave him a faith that caused him to remove his shoes when Jesus told him he was standing on Holy ground. and a faith that led him to listen to God and lead his people from Egypt to the promise land not know where he was going. It give us a longing for the place where we will never grow old as the song relates a place that is not made with human hands but by the Lord our God as He said He would do. A vision of the Lord and our being allowed to see and worship Him in His presence instead of by faith. A vision of hope for those around us who still live in the world knowing that at just the right time Christ can enter their hearts and they to will know what we already know that Christ is a live and Our Lord does reign forever.

Q2. (Hebrews 11:13b) In practical terms, what would be the characteristics of a believer who lived his life as an "alien" and "stranger" here on earth? What is the balance between "in" the world but not "of" it? (John 15:19; 17:13-16; 1 John 4:4-6). He would live a life of total devotion to God and His commandments,refusing to be drawn into the evils of the world but live a life of love and compassion. He would love his neighbor as himself, his enemy he would show love and compassion as a brother and neighbor. 19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 13And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. These verses tell us that we can't be in the world and in Christ, spiritually we must be in Christ and He in us to obtain what the Father has promised. If we live for the world doing the things of the world then we die in our sins. Jesus said come out from among them. We must live our life for Christ and not do the sins of the flesh. Anything not of faith is sin so we must have faith in Christ to strenghten us to live for Him and not the things of the world. I don't seen a balance it is either you are of one or the other we must choose Christ won't choose for us but He stand at the door and knocks any who hear His voise and opens He will enter in and sup with Him. We need Christ in us to over power the things of the world.

Q1. (Hebrews 11:8-19) Abraham was on a faith-quest, looking for a city (verse 10) and a country (verses 14-16). How does his faith-journey encourage yours? In Scriptural typology, what is the final "city" which we shall see? (12:22) What is the final country of which we are citizens? (12:28) It shows me that I to should not lose hope and continue to look for the same city. We all are strangers and wanderers in the land no matter what country we live in. His faith encourages me in that at his old age he did not lose faith,so I should not either. He continued to believe that God could and would do all that He had promised and I should do like wise giving all praise and glory to God just as Abraham did. It is our eternal home in heaven a city built with out hands, the new Jerusalem the place that Christ went to prepare if it were not so He would have told us and I believe that it is true,because John, in Revelations, said that he saw it: 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The country is heaven, the place of God and His angles, a country of the righteousness of Christ where there will be no hungry, death, or any other man made sin that have no place in heaven. 22But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. this country will be for the joy of life long praise and worship of the true God and maker of all things both here and in heaven.

Q4. (Hebrews 11:11). Which part of faith is related to (1) the depth of Abraham's confidence in God? Which part of faith is related to (2) the real existence and power of such a God? How would you describe a faith that lacks either element? Based on verse 11 (not on verses 1-2), formulate in your own words a definition of faith. 8By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. I think that the trust He had in His God as His maker and that He longed for a city that God built and the fact that He knew that God would do what He said He would do. When we listen and obey God's voice our faith can only be strengthened when what He tells us happens. 2. the part where He knew that God would do what he said even if it meant offering Issac as a sacrifice. 3.It is with out a true trust in God and what He says that He will do and therefore is not faith at all just a simple belief. Faith is beliveing something so strongly there is no one who can convince you that it will not happen or come to pass even if it doesn't happen right then. A trust that you are willing to live with forever if it take it but know it willnot.

Q3. Every religion has its own kind of faith. What is the content of the Judeo-Christian type of faith that sets it apart from any other? What is the basis of Noah's faith (11:7)? What is the basis of our faith? How does faith grow (see Romans 10:17) I believe that it is a belief that Christ, The Messiah, has already come and died and rose again to save us from all our sins. That He is the true and living God and in Him we have our bieng and life. 7By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Noah believed and acted on the fact that God would and could do what He said He would do, He believed that the voice that spoke to Him was truly from God and that He was the one and only God creator of Heaven and Earth. The basis of my faith is that Christ is read, and evry word of the Bible is true, that He can and will do what He says that He is going to do, come again and recieve us unto Himself, that where He is there we may be also. I believe that we will be judged for all our sin and that Jesus is our only hope for forgiveness from those sins. 17.So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Faith grows as we continue to read God's word and pray for strength to do what He calls us to do love our neighbor as ourselves. As we strive to do God's will and continue in the reading and study of His word He give us added belief in Him and an increase in the faith as He see fit and as we ask Him to fill us with His Spirit again our faith grows as we see Him liveing in us.

Q2. (Hebrews 11:6) The first element of faith is belief in God's existence. Why is the second element just as essential to true faith? What does it mean to "seek" God? What difference does it make whether or not you believe God will reward seekers? 6.And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Becuse with out faith you would have no reason to believe that He in fact does exist and therefore no reason to seek Him out as you Lord and Saviour. We must first believe He exist in order to have faith. Seeking God is a continual process of doing what He has commanded us to do. Love one another and keep His commandments. If we do all we can to live the life He has laid out for us then we will find Him and as we continue to draw closer by study and faith He will reward us with the strength to live the way we should and find Him in the end. If you don't believe He rewards seekers then how can you say you have faith what is your faith based apon. P believe that God rewards those who digently seek Him not the one who say I believe then go and do it their own way. I athink as a true believer is't our struggle to remain in the faith by first seeking God and His rightousness and waiting as He sees fit to provide the other things He desires for us to have.

Q1. Using Hebrews 1:1-3 as your source, how would you put in your own words what faith is and does? 1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Faith is have a deep belief that something is true, even though there is no physical proof as the world requires to say that it is. Being sure in your heart that Christ is God and He alone made you and all things around you. He alone can save you from your sins and give you a life after death, that is faith. It keeps you on the road to Christ sharing His love with those around you and trying every day to live out the life He has called us to live.

Q4. (Hebrews 10:35-36) Why is perseverance in faith hard sometimes? Why is perseverance so important? How is Christian fellowship important in perseverance? (3:12-14) What can we do to encourage other Christians in this sometimes difficult journey? It's' hard because our sinful flesh wants to go with the flow, to follow the worldly view instead of what God wants us to do. It is improtant becaus is keeps us on the path laid out by Jesus, the narrow path and few are they that find it. Christian fellowship removes us from the world where we can be refreshed in the word with fellow belivers, where we can go in time of weakness and have someone to lift us up. We incourage other because it's God will for us as christians to be there for each other in love and mercy helping all to come to a knowledge of Christ and His death and ressurection.

Q3. (Hebrews 10:26-31). (In your discussion, please resist the temptation to slam another Christian who might understand the security of the believer differently from you!) What kind of sin is expressed by the phrase, "deliberately keep on sinning" (10:26)? Is this talking about sins related to the weakness of our flesh or apostasy? What elements in 10:29 contribute to your understanding that this is indeed flagrant apostasy, not garden-variety sin? "26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' and again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (10:26-31) It is a sin of denying Christ and His death for our sins. It is apostacy, not accepting the gift of God His amazing grace that frees us from the fear of death and promises us eternal life in Christ. WHO TRAMPLES THE SON OF GOD UNDER FOOT, I think this is the idea that you are totally dismissing what Christ has done for you and failure to accept Him what else is left, no animal sacrifice ever freed men of their sin it was just a delay till the Masiah came, He has come so their is nothing left. Christ died for all sins past present and future so that we would not be fearful of death, but if we reject Him there is no room in our hearts for the Spirit of Christ to heal us then we have made a place for the fear to return and bring more misery to our life. Praise be to God for His wonderful Mercy, Grace the freedom to chose life, His presious Son who has truly died that we might live, who makes us Holy as He is holy in the eyes of the Father.

Q2. According to Hebrews 3:13 and 10:24-25, what should be a prime motive for meeting together with other Christians? What is our usual motivation? Why do Christians so often get out of the habit of attending church or a small group? How can we help these individuals? Heb.3:13But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Heb.10:24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Heb.10:25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. To praise and give Glory to God. To up lift one another, to help each other through love and the gifts God has given each one of us. To help each other to renew and strengthen our faith as we know the day is approaching fo r the return of Christ. Our usual motivation is for justg getting togeather and renewing old friendships. For seeing friends once a week and meeting with faimly for faimly visits. They start justifying it with I don't need to go this week I can catch up and that becomes two week then three. They feel they have no need to share with others they can make it own their own, without help. They don't feel worthy they see themselves as not being good enough to be with other christians. We need to reach out to them maybe through phone calls or visits to l et them know they are missed and they to can be a blessing to other who are in the same trial and struggles as they. That their prayers and pettions are heard by the Father just as anyone else. That we all must stand to geather in faith because their is strength in numbers when one falls who it there to pick him up, we should all be there when a brother falls or is being tempted to incourage and strengthen him so that none are lost.

Q1. (Hebrews 10:19-21) How did the veil of the Tabernacle function in Old Testament worship? What is the significance of the veil being ripped in two at Jesus' crucifixion? Why is our access to God called a "new and living way"? In what sense is it new? In what sense is it living? It seperated the Spirit of God from the unholy presence of the people and caused the priest to fear the presence of God to the wxtent that they tied bells and rope to the high Priest ankles so the would know if he was not moving. It meant that there was a seperation between the people and God. The veil being torn meant that the seperation of the people and God had been removed and that they were now at liberty to go to the Lord on their own. It is a new and living way because that Jesus has been raised from the dead. He is now living and interseding for us as our High Priest. It is new in that Jesus is a live it is new because it replaced the old law and the sacrifices of animals with the sacrifice of the true lamb of God for us the last and greatest sacrifice. It is living because Christ is living in every believer and is preparing a place for those who chose to follow Him and live the lives that He has called each of us to do.

Q4. (Hebrews 10:4) Why can't the blood of bulls and goats actually take away sin? What happened then to the sins the Old Testament saints thought were atoned for under the Old Covenant? They were for the external cleansing of the person not the internal. They were only for pushing off their sin for one more year as they awaited the coming messiah. They could not have sins forgiven till the perfect sacrifice had been made and animals did not fulfill the perfect sacrifice only Christ could do that. Their sins were removed for one year then they had to make sacrifices again and then they were only preforming an act till the messiah came.

Q3. (Hebrews 9:28) How did the purpose of Christ's First Coming differ from his Second Coming? Which did the Jews expect? How does the mission of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 fit here? His first coming was to die for our sins to be raised again and become our mediator before God the Father. His second coming will be to free us from worldly strife those who digently seek Him and those chosen by Him. He will recieve His inheritance from God just as He was promised from the creation of the world and that is also our promise that we live and serve with Him in heaven. The Jews expect the second coming as Messiah bring salvation and making them a new kingdom and freeing them from oppression. It is the fulfillment of the first coming Jesus came as a suffering servant, a servant of God the Father who suffered for our sin at the hand of men death on the cross.

Q2. (Hebrews 9:15). Read also 1 Timothy 2:5. In what sense does Jesus serve as a mediator? In what sense is Jesus a ransom from sin? 15And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. He was the first raised from many breathern, He sat down at the Fathers right hand from there He makes intersession for those who follow after Him. He was the perfect sacrifice, the lamb without spot or blemish. He was chosen by God the Father to take our place and die that we might live. He is the price of our disgressions the cost of our sins paid in full the ransom that we could never pay for He was the only perfect Son of God.

Q1. (Hebrews 9:14) In what way does Christ's sacrifice of himself cleanse the conscience in a way that the animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant could not? The blood of Christ was Holy,sinless, perfect animal blood had no way of being holy of sinless since it was taken by a priest that was sinful and needed forgiveness for himself. He must first sacrifice for himself and then he also was only cleansed outwardly. His sins were put off for a year and then He had to sacrifice again. Christ being perfect and sinless sacrificed only once and He cleansed our hearts making us sinlessin the sight of the Father. As God looks at us He sees His perfect Son our Saviour and finds us guiltless.

Q5. (Hebrews 9:11-12) What does "redemption" mean? What were we redeemed from? What was the price of our redemption? How long does our redemption last? re

Q4. (Hebrews 9:9) Why were external sacrificial regulations unable to cleanse or perfect the conscience? How does a guilty conscience keep us from intimacy with God? What is necessary for us to be able to come "boldly" (4:16)? Sacrifices are an outer means of showing a knowledge of God and an acceptance of His Authority but are not able to cleanse the inner part of a man's heart where sin dwells. A guilty conscience is an awarenedd that we have sinned against God and ourselves and our need to seek forgiveness from God and anyone we may have sinned against and in most cases fromour selves, We all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God so we need to seek forgiveness then forgive ourselves and move on toward the way God has chosen for us. If we are to come boldly before God we must first believe and then seek and then forgive and then will we be able to have a clear conscience that will allow us to come boldly before God's thrown and worship Him as He wants us to do.

Q3. (Hebrews 9:7) Did the Old Covenant provide forgiveness for intentional, active, maintained rebellion against God? Does the New Covenant provide this forgiveness? What is required for forgiveness to be granted? There was no means of forgiveness in the Old Covenant it only provided with covering your sin for the next year. This wasn't forgiveness. The New Covenant provides forgiveness through faith in Christ because He died for all our sins the first and the last. God granted us a pardon through Grace that we could be saved from our sin if we only believe and repent. 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Scripture says that this is the only thing we need to be saved and I place all my faith in the Word of God.

Q2. (Hebrews 8:7-13) Why did the Old Covenant fail? What are the primary promises of the New Covenant as prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34? The old covenant failed because of the weakness in main his failure to follow the Lord and be faithful to His Laws. Man's sinful flesh always led him away and caused him to be lost to God love and promises,till Christ and His saving us from our selves. 10This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 12For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.'" When Jesus arose from the dead and was taken up to heaven He promised to send a comforter and teached who would lead us in all truth. His Holy Spirit came to dwell with man in our hearts to teach us the things of God and to remind us when we fall short and need to repent,but the greatest promise is that God will remember our sins no more,we who are a sinful people will be forgiven of all our sin as Christ promised. He died once for all sins and they will be remembered no more. We who once were lost now are found and are safe in Christ Jesus.

Q1. (Hebrews 8:6) In what sense is Jesus the "mediator" of a new covenant? What did he do to mediate this? He is our mediator because He brings us before the Father as blameless, when the devil bring upour sins. He became our mediator when He died to save us from our sins. When He sat down at the right hand of Power He became our defender and Saviour from the sins we fall into through the weakness in our flesh, Glory to God for the promise He has saw fit to make to us through His Son.

Q4. (Hebrews 7:26-28) How is Jesus described in verse 26? How does Jesus differ from human high priests? What about Jesus' role as High Priest gives you special confidence? "26Such a high priest meets our need -- one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He is described as Holy,with out sin, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, and raised above the heavens. He differs from human priest in that He is sinless there is no sacrifice for Him, He sacrificed only once for all sin, where human priest had to do it yearly,He was made perfect for ever in giving up His life for us He obtined a greater place at the right hand of the Father. He is our eternal intercessor, always making intercession to the Father for His people. His prayer that where He is we will also be will be fulfilled in the Father's time and it will be a glorious day for the saints. He is our overseer and protector, He is our provider. He not only interceeds for us but gives us all our needs at just the right time. He is our salvation, and righteousness, without Him and His mercy and love we would all be lost.

Q3. (Hebrews 7:24-25) Why is Jesus able to save people "completely" -- "to the uttermost" according to verse 25? What is the essential function of a priest? Why is intercession the essence of being a priest? 25Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." According to the scripture He lives forever and therefore is able to save completly. He is our eternal High Priest always making intercession for us with the Father assuring that we are going to be with Him. A priest fuction is to intercede for his people and seek forgiveness for their sins and short comings and to pray for their healing and well being. It is what God set them up to do it is their place in the order that God set up a Priest is to make intercession for his people if he is doing the will of the Father.

Q2. (Hebrews 7:22) What is a guarantee or surety? In what sense is Jesus the guarantor of the New Covenant? It is something or someone that can cause something that has been promised to come true or be fulfilled. Jesus is our guarantor because He rose from the dead, as He said He would and sat down at the Father's right hand where He can fulfill His promise to bring us to where He is and that means that we will rise from the dead or be taken up when He come back for His own. He is our surety because He is god and can not lie as His word says and by dieing for our sin we are sure of our salvation because His word says we can be.