Week 2/ Day 1:
Hebrews 11:4
“By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous , when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.”
Journaling Assignment #1
Write the verse and read it several times. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you His heart in this verse. Don’t forget to practice the first 4 verses together several times today. Who are we meeting today?
Cain and Abel
These are the 2 first children of the world. Eve first gave birth to Cain, whose name actually means, “breath” or “temporary.” The fall of man, the introduction of sin, has already occurred and therefore our time on earth is fleeting. Abel was the second son born to Adam and Eve and he worked flocks while his brother worked the land. Eventually, both men brought the Lord offerings. God looked with favor at the offering of Abel and not on the offering of Cain. This is not about the physical offering. Remember, God looks at the heart. God saw a heart of darkness in Cain and too we will as well. Enraged by jealousy, Cain actually killed his brother and then lied to God about his actions. As a result, God banished Cain from the garden and was driven to be a wanderer for all the days of his life.
Journaling Assignment #2:
Spend today defining the following words, not by looking them up, simply based on what comes to your mind.
There is no right or wrong. This is just a jumping off point. Take the time to reflect, be honest and open with yourself about your thoughts and feelings. We have nothing to do in the space except grow and learn! I will even provide my journal notes each day so that you can see the mess that the Lord is working with here!!
offering
righteous
speaks
Kinsee’s Stream of Consciousness Journal Notes:
Offering:
My first thought is the Kleenex boxes, covered with construction paper that we brought home from VBS each summer to fill with coins earned from lemonade stands and a good dig in the couch cushions. Next my mind went to the 10% that we are called to give to church and honestly, the debates about whether the 10% should come before or after taxes. What a shift in our hearts and minds between innocent childhood summers and the adult world of bills, taxes and college tuition!
Righteous:
Pious. Monks. People who do not lose their patience with their children or experience irrational thoughts while sitting in traffic on 285. Basically, not me.
Speaks:
What I hear. What I say. The words that we use to express out thoughts, feelings, needs and desires to one another. On a deeper level, the answer to the question, “What speaks to me?” What resonates with my spirit? What draws me in?
Journaling Assignment #3
Jot down anything from this verse that jumps out at you. Include other scriptures that come to mind. Cross references add great insight into each verse. It is powerful to keep notes of what the Holy Spirit draws out of the verse in your heart and also to study Scripture in light of Scripture.
Week 2/Day 2:
Hebrews 11:4
“By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous , when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.”
Let’s Dig into Some Truth:
The first mention of a 10% offering in the Bible is when Abraham encounters Melchizedek, the priest king, and in response to God’s graciousness in his life, offers Melchizedek a tenth of everything that he had plundered in battle. No one spoke that amount to Abraham. They did not even demand an offering of any kind. Abraham’s offering was an outpouring of his gratitude. Abel’s heart was like that of Abraham. Therefore, God received his offering and spoke well of it. We can assume that Cain was giving from a place of obligation and therefore God was not pleased.
Reality Check #1: An offering to the Lord must come from a place of gratitude, not obligation. The Lord has given us our very breath, our salvation, all that we have. In response, all that we have is his and we must acknowledge that with our possessions, our time and our priorities. “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”(2 Corinthians 9:7). Being righteous is not a goal that I can set for myself. I can white knuckle my way through being kind in a tricky situation. I can take deep breaths so that I do not loose my cool at the end of the day when I am tired. I can even compare myself to others and decide that I might be doing pretty ok. None of this is getting me any closer to the accomplishment of being righteous. Abel was commended as righteous because God spoke well of Him. He is the only judge who has the power to make such a declaration.
Reality Check #2: I can never make myself righteous. That is the work of the Holy
Spirit in me and only happens when I surrender my life to Him. Becoming righteous is impossible for me. “As it is written, ‘There is no one righteous, not even one”(Romans 3:10). The good news. We are not required to be righteous, we are only required to be held in the hand of the One who is. What does my life speak to those around me? Does it speak of love, hope and faith or does it speak of chasing, manipulating and controlling? Does it speak of my accomplishments or does it speak of the accomplishments of my Lord and Savior? Abel continues to speak even though He was dead. That is the legacy of faith that He left. What will your legacy be?
Reality Check #3: Our lives are speaking to those we encounter every day. It is only through dependence on the Holy Spirit that our lives will speak Truth and point to Light. This is not natural and will only be accomplished by a supernatural God. “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4).
Journaling Assignment #4
Take time to record the “reality checks” that the Lord provided to you as you were digging into His truth today.
Week 2/ Day 3:
Hebrews 11:5
“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death. He could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before He was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.”
Journaling Assignment #1
Write the verse and read it several times. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you His heart in this verse. Don’t forget to practice the first 5 verses together several times today. Who are we meeting today?
Enoch
In Genesis 5:24 we read, “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because, God took him away.” In the verses leading up to this one in Genesis, we see the words “lived” and “died.” In this verse those words are replaced with “walked faithfully” and “was no more.” The lesson here is that there is more to life than living, we are to walk faithfully, conscientiously, intentionally for our God. He sees us and is blessed by a life that is driven and directed by Him.
Journaling Assignment #2
Spend today defining the following words, not by looking them up, simply based on what comes to your mind. There is no right or wrong. This is just a jumping off point. Take the time to reflect, be honest and open with yourself about your thoughts and feelings. We have nothing to do in the space except grow and learn! I will even provide my journal notes each day so that you can see the mess that the Lord is working with here!!
death
life
pleased
Kinsee’s Stream of Consciousness Journal Notes:
Death:
Images of hospitals, funeral homes, tears and pain flood my mind with the mention of this word. While we all know that death is inevitable, it is always too soon when it touches our lives.
Life:
This is what I am doing every day, all day. I happen to generally enjoy my life and I am thankful for that. The risk here is that I can pretty easily take it all for granted. This is my life. It is all that I know. I strive to take in every moment, I know that it is a gift. However, when a kiddo comes down with a flu, I struggle to find the joy!
Pleased:
When someone is pleased, you can tell. Smiles, laughter and a good mood. As a recovering people-pleaser, these are signs that the world is in order! It is easy to spend every waking minute working to please those in my life. The selfish reason behind people pleasing is that in the rare instances when you succeed, you are the one who is most pleased!
Journaling Assignment #3
Jot down anything from this verse that jumps out at you. Include other scriptures that come to mind. Cross references add great insight into each verse. It is powerful to keep notes of what the Holy Spirit draws out of the verse in your heart and also to study Scripture in light of Scripture.
Week 2/Day 4:
Hebrews 11:4
“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death. He could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before He was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.”
Let’s Dig into Some Truth:
Death evokes emotion. It means separation from people that we love. It means grief. It means pain on this side of the grave. And yet, we know that we were not made to live on this earth forever. I think that is the reason that when someone has suffered a long illness it is easier to let them go. Watching illness reminds us that we were not made for this life. In this verse, we realize that it is not being dead that is a problem, it is the process of dying that is so painful. God took Enoch so that He would not have to experience the pain of dying. Dying happens on the broken side of life, but eternity is waiting in paradise.
Reality Check #1: Death is not the end, it is only the end of brokenness. The most quoted Bible verse in the world is John 3:16 which reminds us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His own Son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.” In reality, we would not want to be stuck here in the brokenness forever when we are promised eternity with God in heaven. Life is a gift. While we have just established that eternity with God will be paradise, we must also recognize that our time on earth is a gift. Every breath, every smile, every moment of the human experience is a gift from God. Beyond the basic gift of life, we live in a free country with all of our basic needs met on a daily basis. This is a lavish blessing compared to the rest of the world.
Reality Check #2: Every moment of the human experience, every breath is a gift from God. If I roll through my days and fail to notice the small moments, I am missing the blessing of my life. Even painful moments are part of the abundant life that the Lord intends for His children. “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10b). As I mentioned, I am a recovering people-pleaser. I have spent many hours worrying that a human might not be pleased with me. This gets complicated because what pleases humans is constantly changing, different for everyone and usually contradictory. It is a futile and sinful endeavor. Enoch was not concerned with pleasing people, his life mission was to please God. What a beautiful choice! He is slow to anger and quick to forgive. He loves me with an unfailing love. Living a life that is pleasing to God glorifies him and liberates me.
Reality Check #3: Living to please only God is the call on each of our lives. Every command, instruction and teaching that God gives us is for our protection and benefit. Pleasing God leads to living a fruitful life and is His best for us. “Am I now trying to winch approval of human beings or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ”(Galatians 1:10).
Journaling Assignment #4
Take time to record the “reality checks” that the Lord provided to you as you were digging into His truth today.
Week 2/ Day 5:
Hebrews 11:6
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and the he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Journaling Assignment #1
Write the verse and read it several times. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you His heart in this verse. Don’t forget to practice the first 6 verses together several times today.
Journaling Assignment #2
Spend today defining the following words, not by looking them up, simply based on what comes to your mind. There is no right or wrong. This is just a jumping off point. Take the time to reflect, be honest and open with yourself about your thoughts and feelings. We have nothing to do in the space except grow and learn! I will even provide my journal notes each day so that you can see the mess that the Lord is working with here!!
impossible
anyone
earnestly
Kinsee’s Stream of Consciousness Journal Notes:
Impossible:
This word plays a trick in my brain. I hear impossible and immediately begin to wonder how I can do whatever it is that has been deemed so. I wouldn’t admit to anyone that I was taking on an impossible feat, that would risk embarrassment and a bruised ego if I didn’t succeed. However, just the mention of an impossible task sends my striving into overdrive!
Anyone:
What a beautiful word. In a world of private clubs, admissions testing and painfully unfortunate racial tension, I long for an anyone mentality. Words like “whosoever” flood the pages of our Bibles, reminding us that we are called to love each and every creation of God.
Earnestly:
I sometimes wonder if I ever achieve the accomplishment of working earnestly. This word to me is even stronger than perfection. If there is a perfect 10 to be made I can work towards that. However, how do I measure an earnest effort. When is it enough? This brings out a striving in me that points to what harsh measures we use to judge ourselves. I can think of my children doing their best and it makes my heart smile. Now, to transfer that to my image of my heavenly Father observing my efforts to serve Him.
Journaling Assignment #3
Jot down anything from this verse that jumps out at you. Include other scriptures that come to mind. Cross references add great insight into each verse. It is powerful to keep notes of what the Holy Spirit draws out of the verse in your heart and also to study Scripture in light of Scripture.
Week 2/Day 6:
Hebrews 11:6
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those earnestly seek him.”
Let’s Dig into Some Truth:
Our human nature is a double edged sword when it comes to what is impossible. None of us likes to be told that we cannot do something. As a matter of fact, we tell our children that they can do anything that they set their mind to do. On the other side of the issue, we are paralyzed by fear of failure. How do we recognize the two sides of this coin? Faith and Humility. We cannot do anything that we want to do, but God can do anything through us that He desires for our lives.
Reality Check #1: I cannot do the impossible, but God can do the impossible through me. This does not mean that I chose a mountain to climb and then cry out to God for his blessing and help when I get stuck and tired half way through the climb. This means that if I am seeking the Lord and living out His purposes in my life, He will accomplish the impossible through me. These accomplishments exist for my good and for His glory. God promises that, “The One who called you is faithful and He will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Anyone is precious to God. There is none more special to God than another. We are all His creation. We are all his children. There are no qualifiers, no bonus points. God cherishes every life. Every one.
Reality Check #2: The world around us places different value on different people. When we are honest with ourselves we can admit that we consistently size up those around us and assess their worth in our eyes. When we look at the outward appearance of people, the attributes that are easily seen, we miss the parts that matter. This sentiment is easily spoken but rarely lived out in the deepest places of our souls. The reality is found in 1 Samuel 16:7, “The Lord does not look at the things that people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” When our eyes shift from the outward appearance to the heart of each person, we clearly see that each one is a priceless treasure created by a perfect God. It is easy to start a project with excitement and vigor, it is much more challenging to continue working earnestly when the newness wears off. The Christian walk was never billed as easy. The world hates all that is related to Christ and the battles are real. It takes a diligent heart to persevere through the trials and persecution.
Reality Check #3: Earnestly seeking God means living the most mundane moment of my life in a way that brings glory to God. Wherever you are today, that is where you can serve the Lord. Whatever task is in front of you can be done to the glory of the Lord. An earnest heart is one that works with the same vigor when the world is watching and when it is not. There is no measure of earnest work, that is the point. It is not about achieving, it is about persevering. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Journaling Assignment #4
Take time to record the “reality checks” that the Lord provided to you as you were digging into His truth today.
Week 2/Day 7:
Reflection Day
1. Reflect on your notes from this week.
2. Practice the verses hat you have memorized so far.
-Write them.
-Recite them to a friend or family member to check for accuracy.
-Use them as a prayer to the Lord.
3. Read Hebrews 11 in its entirety a couple of times.
4. Pray for endurance throughout this journey.
5. Remember…
“He who has called you is faithful and He will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve God will, His good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).
Scripture Memory Strategies:
1. Copy the Scripture several times. Then try to write it by memory.
2. Set an alarm on your phone for 4 times each day. Each time you hear the alarm, practice your scripture.
3. Showers! The shower is a perfect time to recite your scripture.
4. Traffic. As you sit, instead of getting frustrated, use the time to practice.
5. Accountability. Find a friend working on scripture memory as well. Recite your scripture to each other one day a week.
6. What else? List some ideas that might work for you!
