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Inspiration from the book of Hebrews on how to live by faith in Jesus.
As Christians, we experience great joy in knowing God through Jesus and great hope in the promise of an eternity spent with God. Yet we still get weary in this life and can feel discouraged. Whether it's personal disappointment, opposition or just the costly grind of church life that gets us down, we all need help to keep going.
This wonderfully encouraging book by Bible expositor Richard Coekin will spur you on to live by faith in Jesus as you examine the witnesses of Hebrews 11. The refreshing honesty of their stories will help you manage your expectations in a world of lies and spin. They will remind you of the glory and blessing that await you at the finishing line. And they will encourage you to see that Jesus is the real Hero of the faith and that his Spirit will enable you to endure through exhaustion, opposition and discouragement.
Ideal for private devotional reading for those in need of refreshment, a timely gift for a discouraged Christian friend, and useful background reading to a small-group study of Hebrews 11.
Preface
Introducing the Hebrews
Faith for Life is…
1. Confident
2. Commended
3. Obedient
4. Patient
5. Sacrificial
6. Aspirational
7. Courageous
8. Self-denying
9. Empowering
10. Enduring
11. Perfected in Jesus
| Contributors | Richard Coekin |
|---|---|
| ISBN | 9781784986193 |
| Format | eBook |
| First published | June 2021 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | The Good Book Company |
This is a book written to encourage and refresh. It does that, but also much more. By stepping us through the pastorally rich drama of Hebrews 11, this book has the power to transform and change a life—in a good way! It is the product of decades of teaching the Bible to real people dealing with real issues in a real world. It is engaging, pastorally sensitive, thoughtful, provocative, and timely. Just what we need.
After over 30 years in Christian ministry, Richard Coekin understands the Bible, his local church and the culture, and he sees the need for Christians to internalise the great chapter on faith, Hebrews 11, in order to have the resilience they'll need in a culture that is increasingly hostile. An incredibly timely book.
I don't know about you but recently I have keenly felt in need of some encouragement:
Living in a culture that is increasingly hostile to Christ and his followers, I need encouragement not to blend in and keep my head down. Living through Covid-19 with the temptation to do church in my pyjamas, I need encouragement to keep running this Christian marathon and not to drift off .
And this book is just the job.
Richard Coekin has written a short and punchy training manual taking us verse by verse through Hebrews 11. He encourages us to pause and learn from that great cloud who witness to the faithfulness of God and to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we seek to serve him in our various contexts.
This book encouraged me.
It encouraged me to stop faffing around and to live out my faith whatever the cost as I wait for the glorious future Christ has won for me.
I pray it does the same for you.
As many Christians know, the eleventh chapter of the New Testament book of Hebrews is known as the “hall of faith”—recounted stories of biblical heroes from the Old Testament, or what is referred to as “the great cloud of witnesses” in chapter 12. They were actually ordinary believers just like Christians today. The purpose of recounting their stories is to encourage readers to persevere in the faith despite hardships, fixing their eyes upon Jesus. In this new book, Faith for Life, British pastor Richard Coekin provides biblical commentary, theological teaching, and practical application from Hebrews 11 to ordinary believers in need of encouragement to keep from shrinking back from living by faith in our pressurized culture. If you’re interested in an in-depth study of this chapter, this is a great, accessible place to start. •••
Coekin writes, “Hebrews 11 has been an epic survey of characters from the Old Testament empowered by God to endure by faith to be confident in God’s word, commended by God, obedient to God’s call, patient in waiting for God’s heavenly city, sacrificial for God, aspirational for life with God beyond the grave, courageous for God before governments, self-denying in joining God’s people, empowered by God for achieving victories and empowered by God for enduring victimization. Now this emotional roller coaster reaches its climactic crescendo in Jesus [in Hebrews 12:1-2]… In fact, when you think about it, Jesus demonstrated all the characteristics of faith explored in Hebrews 11... Faith is truly perfected in Jesus. So fix your eyes on him—and live by faith in him.”
