Read Hebrews 12:1–3.
Scripture Context:
Believers under persecution had to continue trusting Jesus. The writer of Hebrews provided a list of individuals in the Old Testament who had been faithful to God in Hebrews 11. In Hebrews 12, he instructs Christians to follow the examples of those heroes of the faith, and to keep trusting Christ. He compared trusting the Lord to running a race.
We (Christians) have no better choice than to keep on moving ahead our relationship with Jesus. Instead of being paralyzed by difficulty, we should be determined to keep trusting Him in all trials and difficult times (Hebrews 12:12-13).
Group Discussion:
What would you find the most difficult about running a marathon? Would you rather run a marathon or series of sprints? Why?
What is the "therefore" there for?
(Refer to context of chapter 11 above.)
Explain the phrase "we have so great a cloud of witnesses." Who are they? Are they watching us?
(The Saints who have gone before us, the heroes of the faith that have given their lives for the sake of Christ, are surrounding us and cheering us on! Their lives stand as a testimony of faith and encourage us to run the race with vigor and endurance.)
What is the difference between a "weight" and "sin?" What kinds of things could be weights, but perhaps not sin?
(We often focus on the "BIG" sins that we tend to avoid, but the small ones that we do not pay much attention to, like lying, gossiping, envying, worrying, any hobby more important than God, etc. really slow us down, too. Weights are burdens that impede us from running like we should.)
What impression do you have of the word "entangle?"
(caught in, stuck, difficulties or complicated circumstances which are difficult to escape)
How do these weights and sin slow us down?
What is the race that we are in? What does it mean that the race is "set before us?"
(The Christian life that we are called to stay the course and remain faithful to the end. God established it, and so we run for Christ.)
What kind of race needs endurance? What's the spiritual metaphor here?
Where are we to keep our eyes focused? Why is this so important?
(To pursue something, you have to know what the goal is.)
What does it mean that He is the "author" of our faith? How about "perfecter?"
(An author is an originator, creator, captain, chief leader. Jesus is the originator of our faith in that he begins it. "Perfecter" means "completer" or "finisher" and speaks of bringing something to conclusion. Jesus as God, both creates and sustains our faith.)
What do you think was the joy that was set before Him?
(Fulfilling the will of His Father. Everything Jesus did while on earth was about the glory of God. His joy was found in the Father. Also, who He was doing this for – you and me! We were His joy and still are.)
How does considering the persecution Jesus faced help us not grow weary?
Action Steps / Personal Decisions
What sins entangle you and keep you from running the race for Jesus? Confess those sins and strive to run in God's freedom.
Up to this point, what has been your finish line? Confess these things you've put before God.
What do you need to do to change your finish line and begin running after Jesus?
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