Hebrews - Our Supreme Messiah #29, Great Faith Lesson from the Unlikely, Pt. 1 (Heb. 11:30-32)

Devotional

Day 1: God uses unlikely people for mighty victories.

The stories of Jericho, Rahab, Gideon, and Barak remind the reader that God often brings victory through the most unexpected people and methods. Victory came when people were willing to follow a strange, faith-driven plan: marching silent circles, hanging a scarlet rope, trusting with 300 men. Be ready to walk in faith even when the plan doesn’t make human sense, because God’s economy often looks upside down to the world. [03:43]

Hebrews 11:30–32 (ESV)
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the prostitute Rahab did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—

Reflection: What is one “unlikely” part of your story—an area you think disqualifies you from being used by God—and what concrete, faith-filled step can you take this week (a conversation, a confession, an act of obedience) to begin letting God use that very part for his glory?

Day 2: Faith is assurance of unseen and future hope.

Faith is described as the firm assurance of what is hoped for and the conviction of things not seen; it is not wishful thinking but a confident trust that shapes actions. When one’s eyes are fixed on eternal realities rather than immediate circumstances, decisions and risks become kingdom-driven rather than fear-driven. Practicing this kind of assurance changes how a person lives day by day, prompting obedience even before the outcome is visible. [06:04]

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Reflection: In what daily routine or decision are you acting as if the unseen doesn’t matter? Name one specific habit (morning prayer, Scripture memorization, sacrificial giving, a difficult conversation) you will commit to for the next seven days to practice living from the assurance of things hoped for.

Day 3: Belief is essential to please God.

Without faith it is impossible to please God; approaching him requires believing both that he is and that he rewards those who seek him. This belief is active: it prompts people to draw near, risk obedience, and expect God’s response rather than settling for safe, self-reliant solutions. When belief wavers, obedience often stalls—so strengthening belief becomes the pathway to pleasing and trusting God. [06:46]

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Reflection: Where do you find your belief weakening—God’s existence, his goodness, or his willingness to reward seeking? Choose one simple, measurable way you will “seek” him this week (an extended time of prayer, joining a Bible study, serving without notice) and expect God to respond.

Day 4: Divine weapons, not human strength, win battles.

The weapons God gives are not of the flesh but have divine power to demolish strongholds—and prayer is the primary way those weapons are wielded. Often God’s strategy will look strange to human wisdom (marching in silence, using pitchers and trumpets, or taking servant-like posture), yet those unconventional acts of obedience are how God gets the glory. Begin every battle with prayer, then be willing to obey whatever countercultural step God shows you. [13:23]

2 Corinthians 10:4 (ESV)
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

Reflection: Identify one “stronghold” you are fighting now (fear, control, addiction, a strained relationship). What would starting with prayer look like for this battle—when will you pray, who will you ask to pray with you, and what one unconventional act of obedience will you take this week to let God fight it his way?

Day 5: God’s power shines in human weakness.

God’s response to human weakness is not shame but strength: his grace is sufficient and his power is perfected in weakness, so vulnerability becomes the place where Christ’s power rests. The examples of Gideon and the 300 show that small, unlikely forces receive victory so that God alone is glorified. Embracing weakness and depending on God invites his transforming work and public testimony of his power. [35:43]

2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Reflection: What personal weakness or past failure have you been hiding because you fear it disqualifies you? Name one trusted person you will confess this to and one specific way you will let God’s strength be shown through it in the next month (serving in a small role, mentoring, sharing testimony).

Sermon Summary

I walked us through Hebrews 11:30-32 to show how God delights to write His story with unlikely ink—people and paths we wouldn’t pick. Jericho’s walls fell, not from siege ladders or battering rams, but from walking, silence, trumpets, and a shout. God’s methods often offend our sense of efficiency, because His goal isn’t merely to win; it’s to form us into people who trust Him and to make clear that the victory is His. That’s why we start every battle with prayer and stay attentive to His counterintuitive instructions, testing what we think we hear in community.

Rahab is the face of grace entering a house we’d never expect. She hears of the Lord, confesses that He is God in heaven and on earth, hides the spies, and marks her home with a scarlet cord. Her rescue isn’t a footnote—it threads into the genealogy of Jesus. Faith always moves our feet; her trust becomes action, and her story announces that God’s family is built by mercy, not merit.

Gideon’s arc—fearful in a winepress to leading 300 against an army like locusts—makes the same point from another angle. God trims his resources so low that only one conclusion remains: the Lord saves. He still does this. He corners our self-reliance so that His power, not our polish, gets the credit. So we name our “impossibles,” keep praying, and step forward with whatever “trumpets and torches” He puts in our hands.

Barak reminds us that God can use reluctant obedience. He needed Deborah’s presence, and the honor of the kill went to Jael. But the battle still belonged to the Lord. When obedience—not our spotlight—becomes the point, we’re free to move even with trembling knees.

Underneath all of this sits the heartbeat of faith: assurance of what we hope for, conviction about what we don’t yet see. We live with an eternal perspective, act in love, and embrace weakness as the place where Christ’s power rests on us. And for anyone yet to trust Him, the first and most important step of faith is to receive Jesus—His death, burial, resurrection, and promised return—so that all the promises of God become yours.

Key Takeaways

1. Expect victory through unlikely obedience God’s directions often run against our instincts, not because He enjoys odd strategies, but because He aims to form trust and showcase His power. Jericho fell through walking, silence, and a shout so Israel wouldn’t confuse technique with trust. Begin with prayer, then obey the next clear step—even when it seems strange—so the outcome unmistakably belongs to God. [12:54]
2. Grace welcomes the most unlikely Rahab’s confession and courage show that God’s kingdom is not closed to messy pasts. Faith moved her from hiding spies to being woven into the Messiah’s line—a living rebuke to every “disqualified” label. Real belief does not remain theoretical; it risks reputation and safety because it sees the true King. [16:34]
3. Trust God with the impossible Gideon’s army had to be small so God’s glory could be big. The Lord sometimes shrinks our resources until self-reliance is no longer an option, inviting us to discover sufficiency in Him. Name what feels impossible today, and ask what faithful step—however small—He’s asking you to take. [27:38]
4. Obedience matters more than spotlight Barak’s hesitancy cost him the honor, but not the victory—because God isn’t recruiting stars; He’s forming servants. When the credit doesn’t land on us, we’re liberated to do the right thing simply because it’s right. Move forward with the courage you have, and let God decide who gets noticed. [34:05]
5. Weakness is the doorway to power We don’t graduate from weakness; we learn to boast in it because Christ rests His strength there. Our limits become altars where God’s sufficiency is displayed. Refuse the shame of smallness and lean into the grace that meets you exactly where you lack. [35:43]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Hebrews 11:30–32 (ESV)
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. What more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

Observation questions
- What specific actions are named in the Jericho account that led to victory (how did the people act before the walls fell)? [11:53]
- What words and actions show Rahab’s faith in Hebrews 11:31? What detail in her behavior guaranteed safety for her household? [15:05]
- In the brief list of names in Hebrews 11:32, what sorts of people are included (background, character, strengths/weaknesses)? [22:49]
- How does Hebrews 11’s definition of faith (assurance of things hoped for; conviction about things not seen) help explain the kinds of actions recorded in these verses? [06:04]

Interpretation questions
- The Jericho episode highlights a strategy of walking, silence, trumpets, and a shout rather than conventional military tactics. What does this imply about God’s purposes when He gives seemingly odd instructions—are they primarily about the outcome, about forming trust, or both? [12:54]
- Rahab hung a scarlet cord as the sign Israel honored. What theological connections can be drawn between that cord, the Passover sign, and the gospel’s emphasis on being covered by God’s salvation? [18:34]
- God reduced Gideon’s army until only 300 remained so Israel would not boast in itself. What is the theological point of God limiting resources, and how should that shape a believer’s interpretation of times of weakness or lack? [25:28]
- Barak required Deborah’s presence and did not receive the final honor; Jael’s act achieved the kill. What does this sequence teach about obedience versus personal glory, and how should that affect expectations for leadership and recognition? [34:05]

Application questions
- Name one situation in your life that feels impossible right now. What is one small, faithful step you could take this week (a “trumpet and torch”) toward trusting God with that situation? [27:38]
- Is God asking you to do something that feels strange, slow, or counterintuitive (a “walk around” instead of a direct attack)? Who in your life will you ask to help test and confirm that prompting in community before you act? [12:54]
- Have you felt disqualified from following God because of your past or reputation? What concrete action (a conversation, a confession, an act of service) could you take to show faith like Rahab did—risking comfort for obedience? [15:05]
- Where does reluctance keep you from obeying God? Identify one obedient step you will take even if it means you won’t get the spotlight. How will you remind yourself that obedience matters more than honor? [34:05]
- In what area are you tempted to cover weakness with self-reliance? How can you practice “boasting in weakness” this month so Christ’s strength becomes more visible through you? [35:43]
- If someone in the group has not yet received Christ, what is one barrier that keeps them from trusting in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection? What is one concrete next step they could take this week toward trusting him? [36:31]

Sermon Clips

But he did continue with his passion to draw. And he created a character about himself. And he called him Charlie Brown. Yeah, Charlie Brown. That loser kid who couldn't fly a kite and whose crushes never noticed who he was, became a hero, though. A great hero. His drawings came about and became a Christmas TV show. And he did something that no one else had ever done. And that just exasperated the executives and the networks. He centered his Christmas show on God's Word. [00:01:56] (48 seconds) #PassionCreatesImpact

On the seventh day, we're going to walk around this walled city seven times, blowing the trumpets, but you guys have to be very quiet. And on the seventh time around the city, you guys are going to shout and the walls will fall down. And they're like, really? Yeah? Yeah. But they did. They did it and they believed in him. They did the most unusual act of faith to win a battle. And so this great action-oriented faith gave them victory in a most unusual way. [00:11:47] (41 seconds) #UnusualFaithWins

God will use some of the most unlikely ways to bring victory in our lives. We must be ready to walk in faith. We must be ready to walk in faith. Our victories and our battles of life are, we don't necessarily know how we're supposed to fight them, but sometimes God reveals them to us and sometimes it doesn't make sense. But you see, that's just the way it works in God's economy, right? When we're supposed to be great in the kingdom of God, we're supposed to be strong, rich, powerful people, right? Nope. Be a servant. That doesn't make any sense. Yes. But in God's economy, it does. [00:12:42] (46 seconds) #GodsWaysAreCounterintuitive

There's a multitude of lessons I think we can learn from Rahab's life, but I just want to highlight one simple one, and it simply goes like this. The most unlikely of people can become a friend of God when they submit to God's ways and act in faith. The most unlikely of people. I being one of them. I was not likely to be who I am and doing what I do. [00:20:48] (34 seconds) #UnlikelyBecomesFriendOfGod

But as Christians, we understand very clearly from the voice of Jesus himself that we are saved not by our works, but by our faith in Jesus Christ. And what I will tell you is though, faith in Jesus Christ will always result in works. Works that come out of a transformed heart and give evidence to the very faith that has been gifted to us in Jesus Christ. [00:21:42] (28 seconds) #FaithProducesWorks

They said, all right, we got the right number now. You're going to go against them. Here's your weapons you're supposed to bring into this war battle. Bring some trumpets, bring some pitchers, and bring a couple concealed torches. That'll do it. That'll defeat them. And they did. They defeat this incredible, massive army. Not because they had power, but because God has power. Right? Who's going to get the glory? God or them? No. God always gets his glory. Because God uses the weak things of this world to confine the strong. [00:26:40] (37 seconds) #GodUsesTheWeak

So here's our lesson, folks. God can use the reluctant as long as they're willing to obey. Have you ever been in a situation and God is having you to do something, but you have some doubts? Your job is to be obedient to what God is telling you to do. To be obedient. Even though you're reluctant in your heart and you're struggling or whatever, if God is leading you, do it. Just do it. And ultimately, it's not about who gets the glory. Because when you are obedient to God, God gets the glory. Because God won that battle, right? Indeed he did. [00:34:03] (51 seconds) #ObeyEvenIfReluctant

So the big lesson for us from these unlikely heroes is if you feel like God can't use you because of your background, because of some struggle that you have in life or a sin that you have that you struggle with, or even your lack of faith or reluctancy sometimes. I want you to think again. Because God says he can use you. He can use everybody in this place that trusts him with their salvation. [00:34:54] (37 seconds) #GodCanUseAnyone

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Hebrews - Our Supreme Messiah #29, Great Faith Lesson from the Unlikely, Pt. 1 (Heb. 11:30-32)

Devotional

Day 1: God uses unlikely people for mighty victories.

Day 2: Faith is assurance of unseen and future hope.

Day 3: Belief is essential to please God.

Day 4: Divine weapons, not human strength, win battles.

Day 5: God’s power shines in human weakness.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Hebrews - Our Supreme Messiah #29, Great Faith Lesson from the Unlikely, Pt. 1 (Heb. 11:30-32)

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