Faith in Action, part 2

Devotional

Day 1: Faith’s Flannelgraph: Lions, Giants, and Unanswered Prayers

The stories we tell about God’s faithfulness often highlight dramatic rescues—lions’ mouths shut, giants slain, promises fulfilled. But what about the moments when deliverance never comes? Faith isn’t measured by outcomes but by trust in God’s character even when the story feels incomplete. The same God who parted seas also allowed His prophets to be sawn in two. Our “flannelgraph” must include both victories and valleys, trusting that God writes each chapter. [01:11:09]

“By faith David… escaped the edge of the sword. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured… They went about in sheepskins, destitute, afflicted.” (Hebrews 11:34–37, ESV)

Reflection: What current circumstance feels like an unanswered “by faith” story in your life? How might God be inviting you to trust His character rather than demand a specific outcome?

Day 2: Mockings, Chains, and the Cost of Light

Faithful obedience often invites rejection. The world mocks what it cannot understand, imprisons what it fears, and scorns those who refuse to conform. Yet Jesus warned His followers: “If they hated me, they will hate you.” Suffering for Christ isn’t failure—it’s proof that the light within us exposes darkness. When we choose integrity over approval, we join prophets who wore chains as badges of honor. [53:19]

“They were stoned, they were sawn in two… They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy.” (Hebrews 11:37–38, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you avoided standing firm in truth to escape ridicule? How might courage in one small area this week honor Christ’s costly example?

Day 3: The Jarring “And” Between Resurrection and Torture

Hebrews 11:35 yokes two realities: “Women received back their dead… and others were tortured.” Faith doesn’t guarantee earthly rescue but secures eternal perspective. Those tortured “refused release” because they saw beyond temporary relief to resurrection glory. Our pain gains meaning when we view it through the lens of Christ’s promised return—where every scar will testify to steadfast hope. [48:25]

“Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment… They were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats.” (Hebrews 11:36–37, ESV)

Reflection: What present struggle tempts you to seek “release” through compromise? How might enduring it with hope point others to Jesus?

Day 4: The “Better Resurrection” Beyond Temporary Fixes

Earthly resurrections—like Lazarus’—were temporary. The boys raised by Elijah died again. But the martyrs’ “better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35) points to eternal life where death holds no power. Faith clings not to healing or relief but to the promise that suffering now cannot compare to glory ahead. Every tear becomes a seed planted for harvest in a kingdom where pain is obsolete. [50:07]

“They were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.” (Hebrews 11:35, ESV)

Reflection: What hardship feels unbearable because you’ve focused only on earthly outcomes? How might eternal hope reshape your perspective today?

Day 5: God’s Approval—The Only Metric That Lasts

The world measures success by numbers: crowds healed, battles won, influence gained. God measures by faith—obedience when no one applauds, endurance when no one notices. Hebrews 11’s heroes “gained approval” not through results but through trusting God’s promise despite contradictions. Our calling isn’t to build resumes but to echo the faithful whisper: “I believe; help my unbelief.” [01:06:24]

“All these… were commended through their faith, though they did not receive what was promised.” (Hebrews 11:39, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you tempted to equate visible results with God’s favor? How might hidden faithfulness today honor Him more than measurable “success”?

Sermon Summary

Hebrews 11 gathers the whole story of God’s people from Abel to the prophets and insists that faith moves. The text strings together victories that only God could author: promises obtained, kingdoms subdued, mouths of lions shut, flames quenched, swords escaped, even sons given back from the dead. Faith, as the chapter tells it, is no spectator sport. It obeys, and God acts.

Then the verse refuses a clean break. “Women received back their dead by resurrection, and others were tortured… so that they might obtain a better resurrection.” That sharp turn is the point. God stands in the first half of that sentence exactly as surely as he stands in the second. The “better resurrection” eclipses even Elijah’s and Elisha’s miracles, because those boys died again. Faith looks past temporary reprieves to the life death can never touch.

The catalogue lengthens: stoned, sawn in two, killed with the sword, mocked, scourged, chained, imprisoned, homeless, destitute, ill treated. The world’s verdict is rejection. God’s verdict is honor: “men of whom the world was not worthy.” Faith does not always dodge the grave. Sometimes faith walks straight into loss and calls God good.

The text will not let outcomes do the grading. Approval comes “through their faith,” not through measurable results. Jeremiah preached precisely what God told him and was promised ahead of time that no one would listen. Numbers did not define his faithfulness. The chapter began with this verdict and ends with it: by faith they gained approval.

All of them died without receiving what was promised, because God was preparing something better. The better priest brought the better sacrifice into the better covenant with better promises. Israel could only look forward. The church now looks back at a cross and an empty tomb and forward to a return. If God has done everything he said so far, how will he not finish what he started?

The flannelgraph image brings it home. One board holds the “wins”: promotions, healings, open doors. The other holds the “losses”: pink slips, cancer, prodigals, tombstones. Faith puts God on both boards and asks in each square, “Who is God here, and how do I obey here?” The call is concrete and near: take the actual situation in front of you and, by faith, name what is true about God and what obedience looks like today. Next week’s testimony may not be rescue from the lion’s mouth, but it can be this: God strengthened a saint to get chewed on with joy.

Key Takeaways

1. Faith brings triumph and trial: Faith is not a lever that guarantees outcomes. The chapter binds deliverance and suffering in one sentence to show the same God ruling both. Real discipleship will sometimes make life harder, not easier, and still call God worthy. Obedience is the victory, regardless of the result. [47:04]
2. Seek the better resurrection: Temporary restorations are mercy, but they do not last; those raised in the Old Testament died again. Faith fixes on the resurrection that cannot reverse, the life hidden with Christ. Choosing costly fidelity over easy release is sane only if that future is real. [50:42]
3. God is present in both outcomes: The text refuses the myth of divine absence in loss. “Men of whom the world was not worthy” marks sufferers as honored guests in God’s story. Peace comes from receiving both lists from his hand and calling him the same yesterday, today, and forever. [55:41]
4. Faithfulness is not visible results: Scripture breaks the link between numbers and obedience. Jeremiah’s assignment came with a promise of zero response and one hundred percent faithfulness. The church plants and waters; God owns the harvest and the timetable. [63:01]
5. Name the by faith next step: Vague piety rarely endures; specific trust does. In the concrete situation in front of a believer, faith asks who God is and what obedience looks like today. The Spirit bears his fruit in real places with real people, one step at a time. [77:34]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[37:32] - Faith leads to action
[39:47] - Victory and suffering held together
[41:07] - Hebrews 11:32-40 read
[47:04] - When faith brings affliction
[48:25] - A better resurrection desired
[51:46] - Stone, saw, and sword
[55:41] - God present in both outcomes
[57:33] - The world’s verdict vs God’s
[63:01] - Jeremiah and unmeasured success
[65:58] - Approval gained through faith
[68:41] - Christ fulfills the better promise
[70:47] - The flannelgraph of your life
[77:34] - By faith, act in specifics
[81:14] - Closing prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Hebrews 11:32-40 (ESV)
Jeremiah 7:25-26 (ESV)
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV)

Observation Questions

Hebrews 11:35 contrasts two outcomes of faith: "women received back their dead by resurrection" and "others were tortured." What specific actions or choices does the text highlight in both scenarios?
According to the sermon, why is the "better resurrection" described as superior to temporary resurrections like those performed by Elijah and Elisha? [50:42]
Jeremiah 7:25-26 says God’s people "did not listen to me or incline their ear." How does the sermon connect this to the idea of faithfulness without visible results? [01:03:01]
What phrase in Hebrews 11:38-39 summarizes God’s perspective on those who suffered for their faith, and how does the world’s view differ?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think the author of Hebrews intentionally pairs stories of miraculous deliverance (e.g., lions’ mouths shut) with stories of suffering (e.g., torture, imprisonment) in the same chapter?
The sermon states, "Faithfulness is not visible results." How does Jeremiah’s ministry (Jeremiah 7) challenge common assumptions about "success" in obedience? [01:03:45]
Hebrews 11:39 says, "All these… did not receive what was promised." What does this imply about the relationship between faith and God’s timing?
How does 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 help explain why the "better resurrection" matters more than temporary outcomes?

Application Questions

The sermon asks, "Who is God here, and how do I obey here?" in both triumphs and trials. What is one situation in your life where you need to ask these questions this week? [01:17:34]
When have you been tempted to equate "faithfulness" with visible results (e.g., answered prayers, ministry growth)? How can you shift your focus to obedience rather than outcomes? [01:05:15]
The "better resurrection" means eternal life outweighs temporary suffering. What practical step can you take to fix your mind on eternal hope when facing a current struggle?
The sermon mentions writing down a specific "by faith" step for a real-life situation. What is one concrete action or attitude you can adopt this week to walk in faith, even if it feels small? [01:18:44]
How might bitterness or resentment toward God creep in when facing unanswered prayers or prolonged trials? What truth from Hebrews 11 could combat that temptation?
The world often views suffering as meaningless. How could sharing a story of God’s faithfulness in hardship (not just from it) encourage someone this week?

Sermon Clips

58s

#FaithNotResults

“``And it's the same thing with this audience. The author is not saying that if you can survive and get through this, that will mean that you were faithful. If somehow you make it through this persecution unscathed, if somehow you can get through this and still be comfortable and content, then you'll be found faithful. It's not what he says. He says, it's by faith that you will live out your obedience. And another theme of this chapter is not only that all of these gained approval through their faith, but all of these that gained approval through their faith did not receive what was promised. By faith, this constant echoing, and by faith they waited, a constant echoing. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, they all die without ever seeing that land promise be brought into fruition by God. And now he extends that to this whole chapter and he says, by faith, none of them received the promise.”

46s

#SovereignInAllSeasons

“Those two things should not seamlessly transition into one another. In my mind, I can justify by faith, women receive back their dead by resurrection. I can make that make sense. What I struggle with is by faith, some are tortured, not accepting their release. That just doesn't line up as easy. And yet, that jarring placement, I think it's very, very intentional. What's the author trying to show us? That God is in the first half of that verse, just like he's in the second half of that verse. His sovereignty doesn't change at the semicolon there in your Bible. His good plan doesn't change in the middle of that sentence.”

51s

#FaithfulWitness

“God says, speak these things, and by the way, no one is going to listen. How about that for a calling? Be my faithful mouthpiece. Speak my words to my lost and disobedient and hard hearted people. Call them to obedience and faith. Plead with them to come back. Warn them of the disaster that is right on the horizon if they don't turn. And as you faithfully do that, no one will listen. You're gonna give me your life, your ministry, your dignity, and there's not going to be a single visible piece of fruit. How many of us would be willing to walk that path in obedience? How do you walk that path in obedience? Two words, by faith.”

40s

#RedeemedAndAwaiting

“They had to imagine how God could fix the brokenness of sin. You and I can say with 100% certainty that some 2,000 ago, the son of God gave his life on a cross to redeem sinful men, Then he was raised again in power and glory on the third day to secure our resurrection. We can look back and say, God did. And so now, we are joined with this line of faithful people from just outside the garden who now look back on God's faithfulness, but who continue to look forward to what God will do. Because if he has done everything he has said through every step of human history, then how could he not be faithful to bring it to fruition in the very end?”

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Faith in Action, part 2

Devotional

Day 1: Faith’s Flannelgraph: Lions, Giants, and Unanswered Prayers

Day 2: Mockings, Chains, and the Cost of Light

Day 3: The Jarring “And” Between Resurrection and Torture

Day 4: The “Better Resurrection” Beyond Temporary Fixes

Day 5: God’s Approval—The Only Metric That Lasts

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Faith in Action, part 2

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