By Faith we are Sons of the Living God "For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise..." (Hebrews 10:36)

Hebrews 11 Lexham English Bible (LEB) And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, accomplished justice, obtained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, extinguished the effectiveness of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong from weakness, became mighty in battle, put to flight enemy battle lines. Women received back their dead by resurrection. But others were tortured, not accepting release, in order that they might gain a better resurrection. And others experienced mocking and flogging, and in addition bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by murder with a sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, impoverished, afflicted, mistreated, of whom the world was not worthy, wandering about on deserts and mountains and in caves and in holes in the ground. And although they, all were approved through their faith, they did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us. Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, putting aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, let us run with patient endurance the race that has been set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, or give up when you are corrected by him. The Lord disciplines the one whom he loves, and punishes every son whom he accepts.” Now all discipline seems for the moment not to be joyful but painful, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who are trained by it.

INTRODUCTION 1. Throughout our study, we have noted the emphasis on being steadfast in our faith... a. The warning against developing unbelief - He 3:12-15He 3:12-15 b. The need for a faith that endures - He 6:11-12; 10:36-39He 6: :36-39 c. In chapter eleven, we were reminded of many who had this kind of faith

A NEW YEAR A NEW ME: Start one new thing this year and see it all the way through Life Is Full of Challenges: Hold onto your Faith don't accept what the world plans for you Hero’s of the Faith: God made a New Covenant with us Believe him by Faith for the Promises he has given you… Challenges, Struggles, Solution, and Priorities, are Practical Problem in Christian living: Don’t Miss the Obvious The Lord speaks to you us in various ways

A NEW YEAR A NEW ME Family and Home Physical and Health Financial and Career Spiritual and Ethical Social and Cultural Mental and Educational Faith and spirituality, Women ‘s Issues, Men issues, happiness, success, leadership, motivation, goal setting, innovation, creativity, organization, inspirational, time management, stress management, positive attitude, attraction, dating, relationships, marriage/wedding, parenting, weight loss, nutrition, depression, grief and loss.

Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny. “Happy moments, PRAISE GOD Difficult moments, SEEK GOD Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD Painful moments, TRUST GOD Every moment, THANK GOD “We are healed to help others. We are blessed to be a blessing. We are saved to serve

Life Is Full of Challenges 1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive. 2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happens. 3. Live simply and appreciate what you have. 4. Give more. 5. Expect less from people but more from yourself. 6. Love God deeply and love your neighbor as yourself.

Who have faith To everyone is dealt a measure of faith from God when they was created. With the faith the size of a mustard seed, Jesus says we can move mountains. With just that tiny bit of faith we are all given from God we can move mountains. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God" What prevents all of us from having this kind of faith and making our lives better? There are two things: Doubt and fear. Doubt and fear destroys faith, and the Bible says that in order to make faith work there must be a total absence of fear and doubt. James 1:6 "But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." Doubt and fear

By Faith I'm not just an ordinary person; I'm a child of the living God. I'm not just a person; I'm an heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. I'm not just a sinner; I'm a new creation in Jesus. I'm part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. I'm one of God's chosen people.

Hero’s of the Faith Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, Samuel, David, and Many Other Heroes of Faith

Challenges, Struggles, Solution, and Priorities, are Practical Problem in Christian living “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it’s a matter of choice.” “It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.” “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” “How does one become a butterfly? You must be willing to give up being a caterpillar.”

WE NEED TO LAY SOME THINGS ASIDE A. NOTE THE COMPARISON TO RUNNING The runner who seeks to win: a. Loses as much weight as possible without hurting performance b. Wears clothing that is light and allows freedom of movement 2. Excess weight, chafing clothing, etc., can be the difference between victory or defeat!

WE TOO MUST LAY SOME THINGS ASIDE... "Every weight" I.e., things which slow down our spiritual progress 1) Such as being evil, greed, haters, full of jealousy, murder, fighting, lying, thinking the worst things about each others, gossiping, say evil things about each other, hating God, being rude, proud, bragging about ourselves, invent ways of doing evil, not keeping our promises, and showing no kindness or mercy to others 2) Such things make "running the race of faith" difficult, if not impossible!

WE NEED TO FOCUS ON JESUS Our focus must be upon the Lord as we "run the race“ "Formula For Spiritual Success": 1) If you want to be distressed -- look within 2) If you want to be defeated -- look back 3) If you want to be distracted -- look around 4) If you want to be dismayed -- look ahead 5) If you want to be delivered -- look up! Col 3:1-2Col 3:1-2

CONCLUSION 1. "Running The Race Of Faith" requires both negative and positive elements... a. Negatively, we must lay aside things which would hinder us b. Positively, we must keep our focus on Jesus who has made our salvation possible 2. In both cases, the Word of God (the Bible) is crucial... a. For in it we learn what sort of things we must lay aside b. what He endured, how His example should inspire us 3. Have you lost your endurance? Have you grown weary in "Running The Race Of Faith"? a. Let the Bible help you examine what "baggage" should be left aside! b. Let the Bible help you learn about Jesus whose own example can encourage you to continue on with perseverance! Remember what we read earlier... "For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise..." (Hebrews 10:36)Hebrews 10:36