help me keep on running

Hebrews makes a compelling case that there is no turning away from Jesus. Believers facing persecution might imagine that returning to their former life would make everything simpler. But Jesus is greater than the angels, superior to Moses, and the great high priest. His one-time sacrifice has accomplished what the blood of bulls and goats could never do. He finished that work and sat down. Holding on to Jesus is not holding on to one option among many. He is everything.

Hebrews 12 pictures this life of faith as a race that calls for perseverance. Grief, physical problems, heartache, and discouragement can make the next step feel difficult. The great cloud of witnesses offers real encouragement: others have faced suffering, held on, and finished their race. Their faithfulness shows that the finish line can be reached.

The race also requires throwing off everything that hinders. Sin entangles believers and adds the weight of shame and guilt to an already difficult journey. God’s help and the support of the church are needed to remove it. Even innocent, morally neutral things can become obstacles when they consume the time and attention that belong to life in Christ. Entertainment needs an honest evaluation when it crowds out time in his presence.

Jesus remains the greatest encouragement. He endured rejection, suffering, and the shame of the cross to bring sinners near to God. He is the example, the inspiration, and the prize at the finish line. His presence is worth another step and another day of perseverance.

The church also has a part in helping believers finish. Hebrews calls believers to keep meeting together and encouraging one another toward love and good deeds. The goal is not an impressive finish, but a faithful one, with Jesus waiting on the other side.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Faithful Lives Make Perseverance Look Possible. The great cloud of witnesses reminds struggling believers that others have endured grief, loss, and persecution without abandoning Jesus. Long lives of humble service give that encouragement a familiar face, whether through prayer, serving a church, or caring faithfully for a spouse. Their example does not make the race easy, but it shows that a difficult race can still be finished. [43:24]
• 2. Sin Adds Weight To Difficult Miles. Sin does not offer relief from the struggle of faith; it adds entanglement, shame, and discouragement. Removing it requires God’s help and the encouragement of fellow believers rather than a private determination to try harder. The church can help its members face temptation honestly and keep sin from taking root. [49:59]
• 3. Harmless Habits Can Become Real Obstacles. A habit does not have to be sinful to interfere with the race. Sports podcasts, entertainment, and social media can take so much time that little remains for sitting in Christ’s presence and allowing him to strengthen faith. Honest evaluation may call for reducing a habit or removing it altogether, not because the activity is inherently wrong, but because it has become a hindrance. [50:51]
• 4. Jesus Is More Than An Example. Jesus endured the cross and its shame to reconcile sinners to God, and his endurance gives struggling believers reason to keep going. He also supplies peace and strength along the way. Beyond every struggle stands something greater than a trophy or medal: the joy of seeing Christ and being in his presence. [55:24]
• 5. Encouragement Helps The Church Finish Together. God repeatedly calls believers to encourage one another because the journey can become difficult and discouraging. Meeting together is an opportunity to spur one another toward love and good deeds, not merely a habit to maintain. A church that takes this calling seriously cares about whether its weary members can keep taking the next step. [58:22]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [33:03] - Holding On to Jesus
• [36:39] - The Difficult Race of Faith
• [42:39] - Hebrews 12:1-3
• [43:24] - The Great Cloud of Witnesses
• [49:23] - Throwing Off Entangling Sin
• [50:51] - When Innocent Things Become Obstacles
• [53:16] - Running With Perseverance
• [54:09] - Fixing Eyes on Jesus
• [55:41] - Jesus Is the Prize
• [58:22] - Encouraging One Another to Finish
• [1:01:44] - Scripture and Prayer for Strength

Bible Reading

Hebrews 12:1-3
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” [42:39]

Hebrews 10:24-25
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” [58:49]

Hebrews 9:12-14
“he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” [35:41]

Observation questions

1. In Hebrews 9:12–14, how does Jesus’ sacrifice differ from animal sacrifices, both in what he offered and what his sacrifice accomplished? [35:46]
2. What two kinds of obstacles can hinder the race described in Hebrews 12:1? What examples help show the difference between them? [51:05]
3. In Hebrews 12:2–3, what did Jesus endure, and how does considering him help believers who are becoming weary? [54:28]
4. According to Hebrews 10:24–25, what are believers meant to help one another do when they meet together? [58:49]

Interpretation questions

1. How can the faithful lives of believers who have endured suffering encourage someone facing grief or illness without suggesting that the struggle should be easy? [48:49]
2. When might a morally neutral activity become a hindrance to faith? How could a believer recognize the difference between healthy enjoyment and a habit that crowds out time with Christ? [52:26]
3. Why does it matter that Jesus is more than an example to imitate—that he has accomplished salvation and gives strength to those who struggle? How might that change a weary believer’s approach to perseverance? [55:14]
4. How does Hebrews 10:24–25 show that meeting together is more than attending an event? What might encouragement toward love and good deeds look like for someone who is discouraged? [58:22]

Application questions

1. Where does your race feel difficult right now? If you are comfortable sharing, what would taking one faithful step with Jesus look like this week? [37:05]
2. Who has shown you what a life of steady faithfulness looks like? What specific part of that person’s example could encourage you in your present season? [46:18]
3. Sin can add shame and discouragement to an already difficult journey. Without sharing details you would rather keep private, where do you need God’s help, and what support from a trusted believer might help you face that struggle honestly? [50:18]
4. Think about how you spent your free time this past week. Is there an otherwise harmless habit that is leaving little room for time with Jesus? What small change might help you make room for him? [52:32]
5. Jesus offers strength now and the joy of his presence beyond this race. When discouragement takes over your attention, what helps you turn your focus back to him? What might you return to this week? [55:24]
6. Who in your church family might need help taking the next step? What could you do this week to encourage that person toward love and good deeds, rather than simply telling them to keep going? [58:22]