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 11:32-40
• How much of the OT was covered in Heb 11:3-31? Why do you think the author of Hebrews jumps to summarize at this specific point?
• How much of the OT is covered in the list of people in v. 32?
• Give a brief example of how Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jepthah, David, Samuel and the prophets each lived by faith.
• What is the channel or tool by which these men did the things listed in these verses?
• What did these men do by faith according to vv. 33-38?
• Briefly try to discern who did each of the actions in vv. 33-38?
• What did the faith of all of these accomplish according to v. 39?
• What does it mean to “gain approval” in this context? Where have we seen this before?
• What did God provide that was “better for us”?
• How does this passage relate to 10:32-39 and 12:1-3?

Prayerfully Meditate

• Some of these individuals are portrayed in Scripture as living lives that were filled with sin and flaws. What does this teach us about faith?
• How would torture and death lead to a better resurrection as v. 35 says?
• Why would faith be absolutely crucial to accomplish or endure the events of vv. 33-38?
• Why did these, “not receive what was promised” (v. 39)? How is this different than those who “obtained promises” in v. 33?
• Look back at 10:36. What do we have that these OT saints didn’t?
• How are OT saints “made perfect” through us?
• Why do you think the author of Hebrews included so many testimonies of faith in this chapter?