Life with God is like a race. Starting it is no good unless we can finish it well. The heroes of faith from the past (ch. 11) teach us that running the race of faith requires resilience. We need to persevere in the face of difficulties. But God has given us enough resources to cope when those difficulties come. We need to look back to Jesus, the author of our faith, and forward to the new Jerusalem, the city God has prepared for us.
Main Points:
- Look to Jesus, the pioneer of our faith (12:2)
- Endure trials for the sake of the discipline of God (12:7)
- Look to the city of the living God (12:22)
Application Questions:
- What does it mean practically to 'look to Jesus'? How is this done in everyday life?
- In what ways have we experienced the discipline of God in our lives?
- How the vision of the new Jerusalem transform the way we see our present?