Faith Obeys God, Part 2 (from Living by Faith)

Hebrews 11:8

Pastor Colin Smith invites you to explore the journey of faith and patience as exemplified by the life of Abraham. As we navigate our daily struggles and unanswered questions, we’re reminded that faith demands patience for what we do not yet see or have. Pastor Colin encourages us to embrace a life of obedience and endurance, drawing parallels between our earthly lives and Abraham’s journey to the Promised Land. With an inspiring look into Hebrews 11, we learn that while we walk by faith, we anticipate a future that faith reveals, looking forward to a heavenly city whose builder is God.

100:00:00,880 –> 00:00:12,600Not yet are we free from sins presence or from its power. Not yet do we enjoy200:00:12,600 –> 00:00:20,120lives of perfect peace. Not yet are we free from sickness and from disease.300:00:20,120 –> 00:00:29,520Faith demands patience because of what we do not yet know and because of what400:00:29,639 –> 00:00:34,820do not yet have. Welcome to to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith I’m David500:00:34,820 –> 00:00:39,860Pick glad you could join us again today and Colin there is a lot we’re waiting600:00:39,860 –> 00:00:45,400for a lot that’s still unfinished so the question is how do we live while we700:00:45,400 –> 00:00:49,540wait. Yeah well that really takes us to the heart of what the Christian life is800:00:49,540 –> 00:00:55,320we walk by faith and not by sight and there are so many things that God has900:00:55,320 –> 00:01:00,840promised that we don’t yet have here we are we’re still surrounded by temptation1000:01:00,840 –> 00:01:06,500we don’t yet have justice across the face of the earth these things await a1100:01:06,500 –> 00:01:11,099time when the Lord Jesus Christ will return in glory and so when you ask the1200:01:11,099 –> 00:01:15,980question how are we to live with what we don’t yet have the answer is we’ve got1300:01:15,980 –> 00:01:22,019to have confidence that one day what’s not yet will be and we’re looking at the1400:01:22,139 –> 00:01:27,400of Abraham and he’s the most marvelous example of this the scripture tells us1500:01:27,400 –> 00:01:33,720that he was looking forward to a city that has foundations whose designer and1600:01:33,720 –> 00:01:38,339builder is God he didn’t see in the world around him as we don’t see in the1700:01:38,339 –> 00:01:42,660world around us the fulfillment of all the promises of God but he knew that one1800:01:42,660 –> 00:01:48,660day what’s not yet will be and that confidence and that faith is going to be1900:01:48,660 –> 00:01:53,440the basis of our perseverance and it’s the encouragement we need to live by2000:01:53,440 –> 00:01:56,980faith in this world in which God has called us to honor him2100:01:56,980 –> 00:02:02,099let’s stay with that join us if you can in Hebrews chapter 11 as we continue the2200:02:02,099 –> 00:02:08,960message faith obeys God here is pastor Colin grow in faith and you will grow in2300:02:08,960 –> 00:02:14,339obedience the more you believe what God has revealed the more you trust what God2400:02:14,339 –> 00:02:18,240has promised the more you will grow in obedience because that is what faith2500:02:18,240 –> 00:02:28,660produces by faith Abraham obeyed here’s something really important there for for2600:02:28,660 –> 00:02:39,779a healthy Christian life the obedience that faith brings second the patience2700:02:39,779 –> 00:02:47,440that faith demands notice verse 8 it begins by faith Abraham obeyed and then2800:02:47,440 –> 00:02:57,080it ends and he went out not knowing where he was going never he’s striking2900:02:57,080 –> 00:03:03,440when God called Abraham to a life of faith you didn’t tell him what that3000:03:03,479 –> 00:03:10,839would involve and tell him where it would lead he went out not knowing3100:03:10,839 –> 00:03:19,720where he was going God didn’t give him a map to show what he would go God didn’t3200:03:19,720 –> 00:03:25,399give him a brochure to say what his life would be like when he got there3300:03:25,479 –> 00:03:35,080so faith demands patience and it demands patience because we don’t yet know what3400:03:35,080 –> 00:03:40,960God has not revealed what will a life of following the Lord Jesus Christ mean for3500:03:40,960 –> 00:03:46,580you what does the future hold for you there isn’t a single one of us who3600:03:46,580 –> 00:03:54,600knows Jesus says follow me and when you step out in faith and in obedience to3700:03:54,600 –> 00:03:59,119follow the Lord Jesus Christ well none of us knows what that will involve or3800:03:59,119 –> 00:04:04,979where that will lead Luther said and I love this comment3900:04:04,979 –> 00:04:16,040this is the glory of faith simply not to know that’s what faith is the glory of4000:04:16,040 –> 00:04:18,619faith is simply not to know I mean if you knew4100:04:18,619 –> 00:04:22,100if you knew everything that’s gonna transpire you wouldn’t so much be4200:04:22,220 –> 00:04:25,839you’d be walking by faith you’d be walking by sight because you’d know but4300:04:25,839 –> 00:04:29,980we don’t know now we know in part one day we will know fully even as we are4400:04:29,980 –> 00:04:34,779fully known but right now we don’t know and faith demands patience because of4500:04:34,779 –> 00:04:43,459what we do not yet know and so sometimes we will find ourselves4600:04:43,459 –> 00:04:49,779asking the question why do I have to go through this what possible purpose does4700:04:49,920 –> 00:04:57,700have for me in this and we ask why and as we see from our Lord Jesus at the4800:04:57,700 –> 00:05:05,540cross the father is under no obligation to answer the question we walk by faith4900:05:05,540 –> 00:05:15,320not by sight and that demands patience because of what we do not yet know and5000:05:15,500 –> 00:05:22,119faith also demands patience because of what we do not yet have look at verse5100:05:22,119 –> 00:05:30,1409 by faith Abraham went to live in the land of promise that sounds wonderful5200:05:30,140 –> 00:05:36,679doesn’t it until you read the next line as in a foreign land living in tents5300:05:36,679 –> 00:05:42,000with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same promise5400:05:42,079 –> 00:05:46,739living in the land of promise I mean this sounds absolutely marvelous sounds5500:05:46,739 –> 00:05:51,920like heaven on earth but actually when Abraham gets to the Promise Land is5600:05:51,920 –> 00:05:58,320anything but heaven on earth he finds that it’s already occupied and so in5700:05:58,320 –> 00:06:05,519Acts in Chapter 7 and verse 5 we read this that God gave him no inheritance in5800:06:05,559 –> 00:06:12,239it that’s in the Promised Land not even a foot’s length give him a square foot5900:06:12,239 –> 00:06:19,980of it but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after6000:06:19,980 –> 00:06:27,000him though he had no child. Now those of you who know the Bible story will recall6100:06:27,000 –> 00:06:33,239this remarkable fact that God’s people actually had to wait 500 years before6200:06:33,440 –> 00:06:40,799God gave them the land it was only after Abraham and after Isaac and after Jacob6300:06:40,799 –> 00:06:47,559and after Joseph and his brothers and after 400 years in Egypt and after even6400:06:47,559 –> 00:06:52,679the death of Moses only then in the time of Joshua did God give the promised land6500:06:52,679 –> 00:06:57,559to Abraham’s descendants. The promised land was not actually given to Abraham, he6600:06:57,559 –> 00:07:02,440had the promise of it and when he was in the land he didn’t own a square foot6700:07:03,239 –> 00:07:09,279he lived by faith on the promise and in fact Genesis 23 just presses this point6800:07:09,279 –> 00:07:17,500home that when Sarah died Abraham though he was a very rich man it wasn’t that he6900:07:17,500 –> 00:07:25,959lacked money, Abraham had to go to the Hittites and buy a plot of ground to7000:07:25,959 –> 00:07:31,559bury his wife because he didn’t own a square foot. That’s the point of course7100:07:31,739 –> 00:07:40,059of Acts and chapter 7. It was only given years later. So, his whole life was lived7200:07:40,059 –> 00:07:44,100by faith and faith demands great patience because he died still not7300:07:44,100 –> 00:07:51,720having received the thing that was promised. He lived in tents, he lived on a7400:07:51,720 –> 00:08:01,260promise. He endured in the promised land knowing that one day God would fulfill7500:08:01,339 –> 00:08:08,140his promise. One day God would give him a child. One day God would give to his7600:08:08,140 –> 00:08:16,980descendants the land, but that day was not yet. So, do you see it was by faith7700:08:16,980 –> 00:08:25,859that Abraham journeyed to the land and it was by faith that Abraham lived in7800:08:25,859 –> 00:08:30,579the land all his life until the very day he died?7900:08:30,720 –> 00:08:37,419Only then was faith turned to sight for Abraham. Now, here’s an interesting8000:08:37,419 –> 00:08:45,260question. Which is harder? The journey of faith by which you go to the land or the8100:08:45,260 –> 00:08:50,679life of faith in which you live in the land? One commentator, Philip Hughes8200:08:50,679 –> 00:08:56,900answers that question. He says this the situation into which Abraham moved on8300:08:57,700 –> 00:09:05,599was a more severe trial of faith than was his call to leave home and8400:09:05,599 –> 00:09:12,280family. It was easier for him to live by faith as he journeyed toward the goal8500:09:12,280 –> 00:09:17,419than to do so on reaching the goal and finding that the fullness of all that8600:09:17,419 –> 00:09:26,559he had been promised was not yet. Now I think that is a marvelous picture8700:09:27,219 –> 00:09:33,719life. Coming to faith is like Abraham setting out on the journey to the8800:09:33,719 –> 00:09:41,099Promised Land. But the Christian life is like Abraham living by faith in the8900:09:41,099 –> 00:09:46,260Promised Land. And I expect that when Abraham set out on his journey to the9000:09:46,260 –> 00:09:50,119Promised Land he would have thought, oh this is gonna be some kind of heaven on9100:09:50,119 –> 00:09:53,239earth, and maybe when you became a Christian you thought well now all of my9200:09:53,659 –> 00:09:58,159are gonna be solved, all of my prayers are gonna be answered, all of my hard9300:09:58,159 –> 00:10:03,440days are gonna be behind me. But you see when Abraham got into the Promised Land9400:10:03,440 –> 00:10:08,539he had to live by faith because the fullness of all that was promised was9500:10:08,539 –> 00:10:22,099not yet. Not yet are we free from sin’s presence or from its power. Not yet do we9600:10:22,280 –> 00:10:31,520enjoy lives of perfect peace. Not yet are we free from sickness and from disease.9700:10:31,520 –> 00:10:40,039Not yet is the church without stain and wrinkle. Not yet have the kingdoms of9800:10:40,039 –> 00:10:44,780this world become the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, and so not yet do we9900:10:44,859 –> 00:10:52,260live in a world of righteousness and justice and peace. And faith demands10000:10:52,260 –> 00:10:59,419patience because of what we do not yet know, and because of what we do not yet10100:10:59,419 –> 00:11:08,460have. So, here’s the question. How do you find that patience? How do I grow in the10200:11:09,400 –> 00:11:17,619that faith demands, as I live as a Christian in this difficult world? Well,10300:11:17,619 –> 00:11:21,739that’s just to ask the question, how did Abraham have the patience? How did he10400:11:21,739 –> 00:11:26,440have the endurance? How did he have the strength? How did he manage to endure10500:11:26,440 –> 00:11:32,340going on day, week, month, year after year, living in tents, and knowing that he was10600:11:32,340 –> 00:11:38,320a stranger in a foreign land? How can you find the patience? How can you10700:11:38,320 –> 00:11:45,840find the endurance that you need in a life of faith, in which you will10800:11:45,840 –> 00:11:50,919experience many frustrations, many struggles, many disappointments and10900:11:50,919 –> 00:11:53,520losses too?11000:11:54,020 –> 00:11:57,039You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, and a message11100:11:57,039 –> 00:12:01,700called Faith Obeys God. We’ve got to pause the message briefly but we’ll be11200:12:01,700 –> 00:12:06,000back very shortly, so do stay with us. The message was originally part of a11300:12:06,320 –> 00:12:10,919series called Living by Faith and it’s now included as one of the most11400:12:10,919 –> 00:12:16,039requested and downloaded messages of the past 12 months. We’ve bundled them all11500:12:16,039 –> 00:12:21,320together under the title Listener Favourites 2026. Don’t forget, if you ever11600:12:21,320 –> 00:12:25,179miss one of our messages, it’s easy to catch up or go back and listen again by11700:12:25,179 –> 00:12:31,320coming to our website that’s at openthebible.org.uk or if you prefer11800:12:31,320 –> 00:12:35,739go to your favourite podcast site, search therefore Open the Bible UK and11900:12:35,739 –> 00:12:39,239right there you’ll find all Pastor Colin’s messages that have already been12000:12:39,239 –> 00:12:44,559broadcast. Back to the message now we’re in Hebrews chapter 11. Here again is12100:12:44,559 –> 00:12:48,719Pastor Colin. Well I wanted to look finally and very briefly at the12200:12:48,719 –> 00:12:55,159future that faith anticipates. Here’s here’s how Abraham did it. Verse 10. He12300:12:55,159 –> 00:13:05,599was looking forward. He was looking forward to what? To THE city that has12400:13:05,599 –> 00:13:15,500foundations, whose designer and builder is God. You see what this is telling us?12500:13:15,500 –> 00:13:24,020When Abraham got to the promised land he realised that God had more in store for12600:13:24,260 –> 00:13:28,500than he would ever experience in this world.12700:13:28,500 –> 00:13:33,780God had given him great success when he was still worshiping idols. He’d made a12800:13:33,780 –> 00:13:40,099fortune in those days. We know that from Genesis chapter 13 and verse 2. Abraham12900:13:40,099 –> 00:13:46,599was very rich in livestock, silver, gold, he’d been wonderfully blessed. A very13000:13:46,599 –> 00:13:51,859rich man. And then God had given him these marvellous promises that began a13100:13:51,880 –> 00:13:57,159whole new chapter of his life, a whole new journey of faith. Oh, it’s about more13200:13:57,159 –> 00:14:02,460than money. I’ve got to walk with God, I’ve got to listen to his word, I’ve got13300:14:02,460 –> 00:14:08,940to put down deep roots into faith in him, the God who has revealed himself to me,13400:14:08,940 –> 00:14:16,780and so he goes to the land and by faith he lives in the land. But every day of13500:14:16,799 –> 00:14:24,659his life in the land was spent looking forward and notice what he was looking13600:14:24,659 –> 00:14:36,080forward to? The city, not a city, the city whose designer and builder is God. And13700:14:36,080 –> 00:14:40,539just in case there’s any confusion, verse 16 makes it absolutely clear. What he was13800:14:40,640 –> 00:14:48,320for is the heavenly city. That’s what sustained him, keeping his eye on the13900:14:48,320 –> 00:14:53,219heavenly city. That’s how he found the patience to endure the world in which he14000:14:53,219 –> 00:15:02,880lived. I think if Abraham could come here today and take a look at our world I14100:15:02,880 –> 00:15:09,719think he would be astonished at the endless arguments that are tearing14200:15:09,799 –> 00:15:17,260people apart. Radically different visions of what life in our cities and in our14300:15:17,260 –> 00:15:23,479country and in our world should be. And I guess that he might say to us14400:15:23,479 –> 00:15:34,859something like this, you’re all arguing about how to build your own cities and I14500:15:35,380 –> 00:15:44,619was seeking the city whose builder and designer is God. The city that Abraham14600:15:44,619 –> 00:15:52,520was looking forward to is not created by human progress. He’s not thinking that14700:15:52,520 –> 00:15:58,200somehow we can shape a brave new world where all human dreams will be fulfilled14800:15:58,200 –> 00:16:03,419and all human desires will be satisfied. Only God can do that and it will only14900:16:03,559 –> 00:16:11,380happen in his city. All of us have goals in our lives in this world. All of us have15000:16:11,380 –> 00:16:18,200things we want to achieve to get to a certain point in your career. To be15100:16:18,200 –> 00:16:23,479married, to have a family. Get a certain amount of money that will give you15200:16:23,479 –> 00:16:29,200financial security or maybe you’re thinking more broadly that it’s to see15300:16:29,200 –> 00:16:33,520certain changes in this world or to see growth in the church or whatever. Whatever15400:16:33,520 –> 00:16:38,320it is, here’s what we learned from the life of Abraham the man of faith. When15500:16:38,320 –> 00:16:44,739you get there it won’t be what you thought. Listen to these words of C.S.15600:16:44,739 –> 00:16:53,419Lewis. If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the15700:16:53,900 –> 00:17:02,760only logical explanation is that I was made for another world. And I guess when15800:17:02,760 –> 00:17:08,339Abraham started out on his journey of faith he really thought that God’s15900:17:08,339 –> 00:17:16,160promise would be fulfilled in his lifetime, a life of joy and peace in the16000:17:16,160 –> 00:17:21,979Promised Land. That’s what I’m heading for. But all his life he was looking16100:17:21,979 –> 00:17:30,479forward to it and he died in faith. Verse 13. Still not having received the thing16200:17:30,479 –> 00:17:37,400that was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar. Brother, sister,16300:17:37,400 –> 00:17:43,219what we have in Jesus Christ in this life is a taste of what God has in store.16400:17:43,219 –> 00:17:49,420Just a glimpse of what one day we will see in all of its beauty and in all of16500:17:49,420 –> 00:17:56,920its glory and it is in looking forward that we are sustained in patience as we16600:17:56,920 –> 00:18:06,339live by faith in this world today. The Christian is always looking forward. You16700:18:06,339 –> 00:18:16,599were made for another world and the deepest thirsts of your soul cannot be16800:18:16,800 –> 00:18:23,939satisfied here, only they’re in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now to16900:18:23,939 –> 00:18:27,560bring this together in these last moments we’ve looked at the obedience17000:18:27,560 –> 00:18:32,060that faith brings, the patience that faith demands, and the future that faith17100:18:32,060 –> 00:18:38,040anticipates. Someone just might be saying well this is really a very old story17200:18:38,040 –> 00:18:43,239and you’re talking to us about something that happened three thousand years ago17300:18:43,260 –> 00:18:48,219You’re telling us that God appeared to this man, that God called him, that God17400:18:48,219 –> 00:18:52,280gave him these marvelous promises that he lived in tents and that he was17500:18:52,280 –> 00:18:56,180looking for a city, what in the world does that have to do with us living17600:18:56,180 –> 00:19:00,479today in the city and the suburbs of Chicago? Let me just try and press17700:19:00,479 –> 00:19:06,699this home in these last moments. Listen. God has appeared to you. God has appeared17800:19:06,719 –> 00:19:16,400to you. Titus says the grace of God has appeared. Bringing salvation to all17900:19:16,400 –> 00:19:23,880people. God didn’t simply appear as a man, he18000:19:23,880 –> 00:19:33,859became a man. The word became flesh and dwelt among us, he appeared! God has made18100:19:33,859 –> 00:19:38,420himself known to you in Jesus Christ more clearly than he ever did to18200:19:38,420 –> 00:19:46,900Abraham. And God calls you. Jesus Christ the Son of God calls you to a life of18300:19:46,900 –> 00:19:53,619faith and obedience when he says follow me. That’s for you, for each and every18400:19:53,619 –> 00:19:58,459one of us. He lays claim to your life, he lays claim to your love, and he lays18500:19:58,959 –> 00:20:07,040your loyalty, he calls you as clearly as he called Abraham. And God gives you18600:20:07,040 –> 00:20:11,339great and precious promises in Jesus Christ. If you will believe in the Lord18700:20:11,339 –> 00:20:15,300Jesus Christ, peace will be yours, forgiveness will be yours, his18800:20:15,300 –> 00:20:20,739righteousness will be counted as yours, the Holy Spirit will be yours, everlasting18900:20:20,739 –> 00:20:28,040life will be yours. And you do, by the way, live in a tent. In fact, the Bible19000:20:28,040 –> 00:20:31,939is very specific about that. That’s how the Bible describes the human body. It’s a19100:20:31,939 –> 00:20:41,660fragile structure, that one day will be taken down. And every time we get sick,19200:20:41,660 –> 00:20:47,800we’re reminded of the fragility of the structure in which we live. We live in a19300:20:47,800 –> 00:20:55,260tent! It’s what my body is. That’s what the human body’s like. So, thank God that if19400:20:55,300 –> 00:21:01,199you are in Jesus Christ, you can say with the Apostle Paul, we know that if this19500:21:01,199 –> 00:21:09,439tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a foundation from God.19600:21:09,439 –> 00:21:21,420A house, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, and God has prepared a city19700:21:21,939 –> 00:21:23,439for you.19800:21:23,439 –> 00:21:28,420Hebrews says, of people who believe what God has revealed and trust what God has promised,19900:21:28,420 –> 00:21:33,300that they desired a better city, verse 16, a heavenly one.20000:21:33,300 –> 00:21:41,000Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared for them a city.20100:21:41,979 –> 00:21:44,339Which is why Jesus says,20200:21:44,339 –> 00:21:48,079Let not your hearts be troubled.20300:21:48,079 –> 00:21:49,579You believe in God?20400:21:49,579 –> 00:21:52,319He says, believe also in me.20500:21:52,319 –> 00:21:53,520Here’s why.20600:21:53,520 –> 00:22:03,339I go to prepare a place for you and I will come again to take you to be with myself.20700:22:03,339 –> 00:22:09,599So that where I am, you may be also.20800:22:11,319 –> 00:22:13,040That’s an uplifting thought, isn’t it?20900:22:13,040 –> 00:22:20,359That God has prepared a city for us and invites us to come to receive his love and forgiveness21000:22:20,359 –> 00:22:23,699and to join him in eternal life.21100:22:23,699 –> 00:22:27,579You’ve been listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a messages called Faith21200:22:27,579 –> 00:22:29,500Obeys God.21300:22:29,500 –> 00:22:36,380Originally part of the series, Living by Faith, and now included in our top ten listener-favourites21400:22:36,380 –> 00:22:37,579for this year.21500:22:38,000 –> 00:22:43,060Don’t forget if you ever miss one of the messages, you can easily catch up or go back and listen21600:22:43,060 –> 00:22:45,780to them again by coming to our website.21700:22:45,780 –> 00:22:49,180That’s at openthebible.org.uk.21800:22:49,180 –> 00:22:53,579And also if you prefer that way of listening to Pastor Colin, you can find them as a podcast21900:22:53,579 –> 00:22:56,859and then you can listen at any time that’s convenient to you.22000:22:56,859 –> 00:23:02,099Go to your favourite podcast site, search there for Open the Bible UK and you’ll find22100:23:02,099 –> 00:23:04,859all the messages that have already been broadcast.22200:23:05,439 –> 00:23:08,459And just a reminder about Open the Bible Daily.22300:23:08,459 –> 00:23:14,000That’s our series of two to three minute reflections, a new one every day based on Pastor Colin’s22400:23:14,000 –> 00:23:17,219teaching and specially read in the UK.22500:23:17,219 –> 00:23:22,660You can find it on our website and also as a podcast, Open the Bible Daily.22600:23:22,660 –> 00:23:29,199Well, as regular listeners will know, Open the Bible is supported by our listeners financially.22700:23:29,199 –> 00:23:33,739If that’s something you already do then thank you so much for your support.22800:23:33,739 –> 00:23:38,319If you’re considering beginning to support Open the Bible in the future this month,22900:23:38,319 –> 00:23:42,339we’d love to say thank you by sending you a copy of Pastor Colin’s23000:23:42,339 –> 00:23:46,439brand new 30-day devotional book, Growing Love.23100:23:46,439 –> 00:23:49,180Colin, why did you write this book?23200:23:49,180 –> 00:23:54,579Well, this is the third in a series on faith, hope and love.23300:23:54,579 –> 00:23:59,959And of course the Bible says that these are the three things that are going to remain.23400:23:59,959 –> 00:24:04,500It’s very striking. Paul says everything else is going to pass away.23500:24:04,500 –> 00:24:08,180But faith hope and love, they’re going to abide.23600:24:08,180 –> 00:24:10,099and the greatest of these is love.23700:24:10,099 –> 00:24:14,280So, I’m absolutely convinced that the greatest need23800:24:14,280 –> 00:24:20,219of the Christian church today is a fresh outpouring of faith and of hope and of love.23900:24:20,219 –> 00:24:21,719I mean, think about it.24000:24:21,719 –> 00:24:23,739Everybody is looking for love.24100:24:23,739 –> 00:24:25,339Everybody wants to find hope.24200:24:25,339 –> 00:24:28,300Everybody needs someone to believe in.24300:24:28,660 –> 00:24:31,920And God has given us these things in Jesus Christ.24400:24:31,920 –> 00:24:36,380And the more we grow in faith, the more we grow hope, and the more we grow in love,24500:24:36,380 –> 00:24:37,660the more effective24600:24:37,660 –> 00:24:41,119we’re going to be in the world, and the more we’re going to be like our savior.24700:24:41,119 –> 00:24:45,079Well, we’d love to send you a copy of Pastor Colin’s book, Grow in Love,24800:24:45,079 –> 00:24:48,739when you set up a new direct debit to the work of Open the Bible24900:24:48,739 –> 00:24:51,540in the amount of £5 per month or more,25000:24:51,540 –> 00:24:55,359or a one-off gift of £60 or more this month.25100:24:55,400 –> 00:24:59,420Full terms and conditions and to give online come to our website25200:24:59,420 –> 00:25:02,319openthebible.org.uk,25300:25:02,319 –> 00:25:07,420and don’t forget to leave your full name address so we can send you your free gift.25400:25:07,420 –> 00:25:11,239For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick,25500:25:11,239 –> 00:25:14,280and I hope you’ll join us again next time.25600:25:19,880 –> 00:25:23,699Many of us would hesitate to say I’ve been changed,25700:25:23,699 –> 00:25:26,359yet it’s true of every Christian.25800:25:26,359 –> 00:25:29,619Find out how next time on Open the Bible.

Details

Sermon Series
Date
Primary Audience

Monthly Offer

Get a FREE copy of Colin Smith’s new book, ‘Grow in Hope’, when you give a one-off gift of at least £60, or set up a new direct debit of at least £5 …

Donate

Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

Linked resources

Hebrews 11 is an exposition of faith. It begins with a definition, and then gives us models of men and women who exercised faith. The series ‘Living By Faith’ looks at 10 of them to learn what it means for us to live by faith today.

Colin Smith

Free Exclusive eBook!

Grow in Hope

Get Pastor Colin’s devotional as a FREE eBook and spend 30 days discovering the confident hope you can have in Christ, finding encouragement in God’s promises, and looking to the future with greater confidence.

Search

Search

Header Submit Search