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Happy Tuesday, {{first_name| everyone}}!
It’s often been said that faith is made up of connections - imagine yourself in the middle, other believers around you, and where do you see God? Is He inside you or above you? Hebrews 12:1 introduces these 3 perspectives one by one. Let’s dive in.
If you missed yesterday’s email, you can read it here.
In today’s email…
👥 The 3 perspectives in this verse: the crowd, the self, and Jesus
📖 An invitation to focus on Jesus
🧠 A trivia question from the hall of faith
MEMORIZE 🧠
Therefore, since we are __________ by so great a _____ of _________, let us also lay aside every ______, and ___ which clings so closely, and let us ___ with _________ the ____ that is set before us,
Hebrews 12:1
Want to memorize in your favorite translation? Try our new iPhone app here.
CONTEXT 📕
It can be dangerous to single out Bible verses and miss what they’re really about.
Think about it for a moment. When the book of Hebrews was first written, it had no chapter numbers, subtitles, or verse numbers.
All of these (helpful) study guides were added later - but they can sometimes lead us to split up how we read the text in a way that disconnects it from its surrounding context.
So, what happens when we view Hebrews 12:1 next to all its “neighboring” verses?
Look around: In the previous verses, we discover the meaning of “therefore” and the great cloud of witnesses (discussed in yesterday’s email)
Look within: Our memory verse shows the importance of identifying and parting with sin. We make an honest evaluation of the sin in our lives. Yet we don’t stay stuck here.
Look at Him: The following verse invites us to fix our gaze on Jesus. While the crowd may encourage us, and a view of self may purify us, it is He who steadies us:
…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
APPLY AND RESPOND 🏃♂
📖 Read: Hebrews 12:1 (again, slowly)
Can you identify in our memory verse the part that…
looks around at the witnesses,
looks within to weed out sin,
and looks ahead to the source of our endurance?
👂️ Reflect:
The broader passage context helps us to see how examples of faith motivates greater purity, but a personal relationship with Jesus is what will help us finish strong.
This offers an action plan for conquering sin hands-on:
let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely
Don’t get tangled up in it and allow it to trip you up any longer. Lay it aside. Leave it behind. Yet we can’t stay stuck in self-criticism. We have to shift our gaze to Jesus.
It is then that we can run with Him.
… and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us
🙏 Pray
Father, thank you for teaching me fresh ways to view my faith. I’m part of a bigger story, I have a role to play, and I am gazing upon the beauty of Jesus who leads me. Amen.
TRIVIA 📊
Click one of the options below to choose your answer. Let’s see how you do…
ANSWER KEY ✅
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Hebrews 12:1
Which one do you naturally gravitate towards:
Do you tend to look around at others?
Or do you spend most of your days looking within?
Let’s shift our focus and look to Him.
Best,
The Malachi Daily team 🙏
Today’s Contributors
Eljoh is a South African writer, editor, and artist with a Master’s in Practical Theology. She creates resources to help believers of all ages abide in Christ and grow in faith. Explore more free resources and creative tools at Vine Creative Studio.
Kieran is a husband and father living in NJ. In addition to Malachi Daily, he writes a personal newsletter about the intersection of faith, fatherhood and entrepreneurship.
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What are the differences between Within and Malachi Daily?
Malachi Daily 📧 | Within 📱 | |
|---|---|---|
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Cost | Free | 7-day free trial, then $5.99/mo or $49.99/year |
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Who chooses the verse | We choose | We choose AND you can memorize any verse you want, anytime |
Bible translation(s) | ESV | ESV, NIV, NLT, KJV, and NASB |
Reviewing previously memorized verses | You do this on your own | Use the built-in memory bank |
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