Hebrews 12:1-3

"We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But...."

Jesus entered a world we recognize as our own. He did it to redeem us from the messes we have brought on ourselves. Phil Ware reminds us that the grit and gore that surrounds Jesus' birth is there to help us know that he came to a world like our own to redeem it.

Are we locating ourselves strategically, yet dangerously, as God's people so we can make a difference in the world as we rely, together, on God's protection? Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in an online, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to remind us of God's promise to protect and deliver his people and be their safe harbor.

How do you know if you have made the right decision? Rebecca Dowden shares an emotional look at a decision to not have children.

Do you just keep your head down and focus on only what might be dangerous? Sarah Stirman talks about running and rolling her ankle and how it made her afraid to focus on the goal and see the sights.

Have you ever hurt this badly? Sometimes life hurts us so badly it feels like we can't breathe.

While we can get frustrated by our lack of choices about some things in life, the most important choice of all is ours because of Jesus! Max Lucado reminds us about our freedom to choose Jesus and eternal life or not.

Are you a giant or a burden? We stand on the shoulders of giants and have the blessinmgs we have because of their sacrifices.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us..."

"Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with....."

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the....."

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the....."

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the....."

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness],..."

"It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying..."

Inspirational illustration of Hebrews 12:1 -- Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out before us

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus... - Hebrews 12:2

Inspirational illustration of Hebrews 12:1 -- Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Area all your debts paid? The greatest words we can hope to hear are "It's been taken care of" both in life and also for eternity.

As Abraham showed us, God's greatest promises often come packaged as our greatest sacrifices, hardest challenges, and longest journeys. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us of God's incredible journey of redemption and how Abraham was the one who began this journey demonstrating great faith when he followed God for a destination he did not yet know.

What distracts you most easily? Mike Barres reminds us to not be distracted with the things going on around us but fix our eyes on Jesus.

Can you break away from the things that are holding you back? We need to realize that sin and bad habits are the leash holding us back from being all God wants us to be.

What's the greatest danger to participating in a great move of God? Phil Ware finishes up his series on Nehemiah and emphasizes the importance of leaders being people of integrity.

My eyes are on Him! Phil Ware reminds of the Bible's repeated call to make the LORD the center of our lives and our focus and how Jesus must be that for us if we dare call ourselves Christians.

What do you know about those who have gone before you? We must remember those who have gone before us and learn the lessons they have left us!

Do disappointments and discouragement keep knocking you down? I want to encourage you in the Lord to never, ever give up.

What are you seeing in your walk with Christ? God is calling us to more than just settling for the lax spirituality many of us find ourselves in.

"Dear Precious One, Encouragement matters! You were not created to do life alone. We — Father, Son, and Spirit — made Adam to need Eve....."

Where are you going to end up when you get there? Phil Ware begins a series called shift and warns about the dangers of drifting with culture and losing our way.

Have you really thrown them away or just tried to clean them up? We need to not only be sorry for our sin, but we also need to get rid of the things in our lives that lead us to sin.

As we come to understand God as the King willing to show us his wounds, then share our wounds, the birth of Jesus takes on a fresh and powerful new meaning. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in virtual worship through words and music using YouTube videos and invite us to welcome Jesus, God who came to us to share our wounds and we see this in his manger and cross, the thrones on which he was exalted and

Can you get rid of that sin that entangles you? Throwing away the ring, getting rid of our sin is crucial if we are to bring peace to our world and those around us.

Why does time move so much more quickly now that I'm older? Phillip Morrison shares ideas and input on our perception of aging and birthdays.

As human beings, we live where we look: Our lives follow the focus of our hearts. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware share a powerful virtual worship in Scripture, songs, and communion focused on Hebrews 12:2 and our need to fix our eyes on Jesus to continue with perseverance and endurance as we follow Jesus and seek to become like him.

So how long will you work to see what you've worked to grow? Teresa Bell Kindred encourages us to endure and do the work necessary to grow strong roots in our children and compares it to growing strong roots to grow strong trees and tall bamboo plants.

Are you running to win the victory? Sin entangles and causes us to stumble and fall rather than running victoriously, whether the sin is our own or the sin of others against us.

What are you trying to carry around with you that is hindering you? Most of us are trying to carry around things that don't matter very much and they are weighing us down from doing what God wants!

How does your garden grow? Sometimes we just need to clear the clutter out of our lives!

When is finishing third actually about winning? Olympic Marathon 2004 was wild with Vanderlei de Lima finishing third because of a weird attack, but he still finished.

What are you going to do in your retirement? Christians should never retire spiritually, but instead re-fire!

What have you done to grow your soul lately? While we focus on physical exercise at the beginning of the year, why not also focus on spiritual exercise, too?

Will I follow on the journey, or will I choose to let where I am, where I'm comfortable, and what I have hold me in bondage? James Nored and Phil Ware remind us of the call of the Lord to leave and follow no matter the cost.

Do you know where you will splash down? Phil Ware concludes his series on the 7 sayings of Jesus from the Cross, this one about "into your hands I commit my spirit" and comparing it to a child learning to jump off the edge of a pool toward his or her parent.

"Dear Father, Help me to keep my eyes on Jesus. Despite the hostility poured on him by sinners, he obeyed you, even to the point of death. Help me..."

Learn the most important thing first. The one basic truth of Christianity is Jesus. Focus on him and everything else will make sense.

God's holiness and grace call us to live our lives to bless others with what we do and what we say. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to praise God for his holiness and grace and call each other to use our lives, our speech, and our actions to bless others.

Why is it so important to recognize that the bread is broken? Because we are broken, too! Phil Ware continues his series of Communion Devotionals called Beyond Bread and Wine that focuses on all the depth, meaning, and significance to the Lord's Supper.

Can you keep running and not grow weary? Burn out seems to happen more and more frequently, but when see why it happens, we realize that folks are losing sight of the goal and are often motivated for the wrong reasons.