In the Old Testament, it was not unusual for people to be terrified and in awe of God’s presence. For example, in Exodus 20:18-19 it says, “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” ...  Read More

“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy…”  - Hebrews 12:14As Kreuger says, a common reaction to the discipline we learned about last week is to give up - to stop running the race. In a long race, sometimes you’ll notice that a runner's gait has flattened. Instead of feet that form a more rounded elliptical motion, their feet fall closer to an oval shuffle. Other times you’...  Read More

“They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.”   -  Hebrews 12:10I can remember times when our children were young when we had to steer them away from disaster. Our first house (parsonage) was on a busy 4 lane road with dangerous traffic; and when they played in the yard or rode their bikes, we had to ...  Read More

Dear Presby Family,After last week's survey of the Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith, this Sunday, we will look at the well-known opening verses of Hebrews 12. How should the lives of past heroes of the faith inform our lives today? According to the author of Hebrews, their examples can motivate us to persevere as we run the race of faith. To run this race well, we need to cast off the things that slow us ...  Read More

Last week in Hebrews chapter 10, we learned the importance of encouraging one another to persevere and hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering and with confidence. Near the end of chapter 10, the author of Hebrews quotes Habakkuk, saying, “my righteous one will live by faith.” This week we will be considering what it means to live by faith.Hebrews chapter 11 has been called the “H...  Read More

Hebrews 10:19-39 is a section of scripture filled with numerous twists and turns, so much so that you wonder where to place the focus. Should it be the familiar verses of 19-25? Should it be the call to live differently now that we know who Christ is in verses 26-31? Or should it be the call to persevere in verses 32-39? On the one hand, we could take each section on its own and extend our sermon ...  Read More