NT Fire Starters – Day 319: Hebrews 13:1-25

READ: Hebrews 13:1-25

THINK: Have you ever been in a church service and not felt like worshiping? Perhaps you didn’t feel “spiritual,” or maybe you felt hypocritical or unworthy. But your feelings don’t change God’s worthiness. If you’re truly living in a way that honors God, then you can praise God regardless of how you feel, because you’re simply expressing the truth about your life. That’s part of what it means to “offer to God a sacrifice of praise” (13:15). It’s not merely a matter of singing songs in a church service. While that’s a good thing, it is not necessarily a sacrifice to praise God in a setting where people are gathered for that specific reason. The place where praise truly becomes a sacrifice is outside of the church, where your life should bring positive attention to Christ. An authentic lifestyle of worship means honoring God in words, attitudes and actions, no matter where you are, what you’re doing or how you feel.

RESPOND: What does it mean to “keep on loving each other as brothers,” and why is this important for Christians? (See 13:1 note.) Why is it important to empathize with those who are going through difficult times (v. 3)? Why and in what ways should marriage be honored (v. 4)? Why must you keep your life “free from the love of money” (v. 5), and how can you do this? (See 13:5 note.) How does being content with what you have demonstrate faith in God? (See 13:6 note.) What is significant about Jesus being “the same yesterday and today and forever”? (See 13:8 note.) How does this fact provide assurance, and how does it provide a warning? What does it mean that “We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat”? (See 13:10 note.) What is symbolic about Jesus having “suffered outside the city gate”? (See 13:12 note.) What does it mean for Jesus’ followers today to “go to him outside the camp”? (See 13:13 note.) What does it mean to “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise” (v. 15), and how can you do this? (See 13:15 note.) In what context does praise to God truly become a sacrifice? What are some practical ways you can make “such sacrifices” (v. 16)? (See articles on Campus Missions Commitment to LIVE, p. 1776, SERVE, p. 1276, and GIVE, p. 1676.) How should Christians view their leaders, and why is it important to obey them? (See 13:17 note.) What does it mean that Jesus is the “great Shepherd”? (See 13:20 note.)

PRAY: Pray for those you know who are going through difficult times. Ask God to give you empathy and understanding so you can pray more effectively. Ask God to help you be more content with what you have. Thank Jesus for the fact that He never changes. Pray that you never compromise God’s Word or standards as if He needs to “change with the times.” Ask God to help you live in a way that honors Jesus at all times.

ACT: Encourage someone you know who is going through a tough time. Be careful not to come across in a way that makes them feel as if their faith is failing. Go through the day with intense awareness that everything you do can be an act of praise to God. Conduct yourself in ways that honor Christ and demonstrate your love for Him. If you have time, review the Campus Missions articles listed among the questions above.