As Christians, we experience great joy in knowing God through Jesus and great hope in the promise of an eternity spent with God. Yet we still get weary in this life and can feel discouraged. Whether it's personal disappointment, opposition or just the costly grind of church life that gets us down, we all need help to keep going.
This wonderfully encouraging book by Bible teacher Richard Coekin will spur you on to live by faith in Jesus as you examine the witnesses of Hebrews 11. The refreshing honesty of their stories will help you manage your expectations in a world of lies and spin. They will remind you of the glory and blessing that await you at the finishing line. And they will encourage you to see that Jesus ...is the real Hero of the faith and that his Spirit will enable you to endure through exhaustion, opposition and discouragement.
Ideal for private devotional reading for those in need of refreshment, a timely gift for a discouraged Christian friend, and useful background reading to a small-group study of Hebrews 11.
(Review written for 'Faith for Life')
As many Christians know, the eleventh chapter of the New Testament book of Hebrews is known as the “hall of faith”—recounted stories of biblical heroes from the Old Testament, or what is referred to as “the great cloud of witnesses” in chapter 12. They were actually ordinary believers just like Christians today. The purpose of recounting their stories is to encourage readers to persevere in the faith despite hardships, fixing their eyes upon Jesus. In this new book, Faith for Life, British pastor Richard Coekin provides biblical commentary, theological teaching, and practical application from Hebrews 11 to ordinary believers in ...need of encouragement to keep from shrinking back from living by faith in our pressurized culture. If you’re interested in an in-depth study of this chapter, this is a great, accessible place to start. •••
Coekin writes, “Hebrews 11 has been an epic survey of characters from the Old Testament empowered by God to endure by faith to be confident in God’s word, commended by God, obedient to God’s call, patient in waiting for God’s heavenly city, sacrificial for God, aspirational for life with God beyond the grave, courageous for God before governments, self-denying in joining God’s people, empowered by God for achieving victories and empowered by God for enduring victimization. Now this emotional roller coaster reaches its climactic crescendo in Jesus [in Hebrews 12:1-2]… In fact, when you think about it, Jesus demonstrated all the characteristics of faith explored in Hebrews 11... Faith is truly perfected in Jesus. So fix your eyes on him—and live by faith in him.”
