Cloud Church

• What are some “little life lessons” that your parents taught you?
• Name one influential person in your life from your family and someone from outside the family, and how they impacted you.
• Read Hebrews 11:1-2. 
• This is one of the clearest definitions of faith in the Bible.  What do you like about it? Does it raise any questions for you?
• Read Hebrews 11:32-40. 
• This entire chapter gives a long list recognizing great people of faith. Look at the list of names in verse 32.  How are they examples of faith? Did any of these exhibit a lack of faith in their lives?  How?
• Verses 32-35a describe the positive results of faith, and verses 35b-39 speak of the difficult consequences of faith.  Who do you think the writer had in mind with these examples?
• Why is it significant that both the positive and negative consequences of faith are included?
• Why does it say “yet none of them received what had been promised” (v39)? Had they not seen God active in their lives?  What was the writer pointing to?
• Read Hebrews 12:1-3
• Verse 1 identifies the “great cloud of witnesses" they just finished talking about in ch 11. Who are some members of this “cloud” who came from First Covenant?  What do you remember about them?
• Why is “perseverance” such a necessary element of faith?  When have you been tempted to “throw in the towel” in regard to your faith?  What kept you going?
• Like runners, we’re called to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”  What are some common “hindrances” that might weigh God’s people down?
• We are called to “fix our eyes on Jesus.”  How do you do that?