Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

• Read Hebrews 11:13-16
• How does verse 13 relate back to the rest of chapter 11? How did these men and women die in faith? What promises were not received?
• In Hebrews 6:15 it says Abraham received what was promised? Here in 11:13 it says he didn’t. How do we fit these two verses together?
• How did they welcome the promises from a distance?
• Review Hebrews 11:1. How does Hebrews 11:13 relate to this verse?
• What is “such things” referring to in verse 14?
• Who is the “they” of verse 14?
• What is the country of their own?

Prayerfully Meditate

• How many of the mean and women previously mentioned in chapter 11 died in faith?
• What does the text mean when it calls these men and women strangers and exiles? In what way were they exiles? How do you know this?
• Read 1 Peter 2:11 and Philippians 3:20-21. How do these passages inform our view of Christians being exiles?
• In light of the previous two questions, how should Christians live if we are indeed exiles and aliens?
• How do the examples of these who had faith without receiving the promises challenge and encourage you?
• What is the better country of verse 16? How is it better?
• How does the text make clear that their desires were ultimately for a heavenly country in verse 15?
• How does the therefore of verse 16 relate to the rest of this passage?
• Why is God not ashamed?
• What does a heavenly city have to do with God not being ashamed?