Hebrews 13:7-17
Reflect
Different teachings have surfaced with the expansion of the internet and social media. Christianity Today wrote an article in 2022 on the “Top 5 Heresies Among American Evangelicals.” On the horizon, we see that more and more evangelicals are believing that there are more ways to God than Jesus (slight bend towards universalism), Jesus is created, Jesus is not God, the Holy Spirit is a force and not a personal being, and humans are good in nature.
When we read this passage, we notice that the author writes to these house churches to guard them from strange teachings that fell outside the gospel message of Jesus Christ. One method of protecting the flock was to point them towards former Christian leaders who were exemplars of the faith: they spoke the word of God, had a lifestyle worth considering, and a faith that is worth imitating.
What set these individuals apart from the current swarm of false teaching was their consistency in preaching: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (v8). This became the nature of the faith that was worth imitating--they were not thrown off course by seemingly alluring doctrines (v9). The true gospel message is what truly gives life.
Apply
As culture and people continue to progress, what steps have you taken to remain rock solid in your belief in Jesus Christ?
Pastor Nathanael
Pray
- Pray for our childcare team, the children and their families this week. Pray for a new Director.
- Pray for our Audio/Visual Director, Grant Mix.