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18

Impossible to please God without Faith

Hebrews 11: 1-12

  • Session: 18
  • Week: 3
  • Day: 5
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Introduction

In this session, Hebrews chapter 11: 1-12, we focus on understanding the power of faith in Christ that is superior, faith is the currency of the kingdom that enables people to buy all the spiritual blessings

Objectives

By the end of this session, the learner will have:

  • Understood how faith (the Kingdom currency) works by listing how heroes of old used it and how God rewarded them.
  • Appreciated that faith is not Knowing what is in the shop BUT knowing who the shopkeeper is.
  • Challenged to obey God step by step by knowing that the reward is in obeying the previous promise
  • Understood that God only respond to the currency of Faith by examining the examples given

Outline

  • Faith the currency of the kingdom
  • Rewarded for faith
  • Reward in obeying the previous promise
  • Belief and unbelief

Group Study Time

Hebrews 11: 1-12

Connecting

  • Gather with two or more people for a community discovery bible study session.
  • Start with a heartfelt prayer, inviting God to guide and bless your understanding.
  • Explore the passage by reading it at least twice, using different Bible versions if available, then retell the story together as a group.
  • Reflect and share the challenges and blessings you experienced from the previous study.

Comprehending

  • What do you understand by the word faith, or work of faith? What is the difference between walking by sight and walking by faith?
  • What is unbelief? What are the dangers of unbelief? What is belief? What are the rewards of believing God
  • Read Hebrews 11: 1-3. What is faith? What do you discover about the walk of faith?
  • What truths do you get in Hebrews 11:6?
  • Read Hebrew 11: 4-12. What did the following people do or not do (work of faith) just because they believed or trusted in God? How did God reward them (what did God do to reward them? Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah,

Committing

  • Engage with the Bible—read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, listen, and live it out.
  • List three lessons you have learnt as an agent of change that you would like to put into practice and teach others about.
  • Take time and worship Jesus with the attributes revealed about Christ.
  • Use the SPACEPETS model, to assist you in putting God’s word into practice. Look for:
    • Sin to confess
    • Promise to claim
    • Attitude to change
    • Command to keep
    • Error to change
    • Prayer to make
    • Example to copy
    • Truth to obey and
    • Something praiseworthy

Communicating

  • Identify one person you can connect with and share the valuable insights and lessons you gained from this session.
  • Reach out to a new believer—either in person or by phone—and pray with them to support them through their challenges, including any concerns about attending church.
  • Create a new group and guide others through this study to help them grow in their understanding.

Post Lesson Teaching Summary

Great job completing the study! Take a moment to listen to this summary to reinforce your group’s understanding of the text and ensure you’re all on the same page. We’re here to support your learning journey!

Impossible to please God without Faith

Hebrews 11: 1-12

Hebrews 11:1-12

Context

  • After urging perseverance and warning against shrinking back, chapter 11 provides role models of faith—ordinary people who ran the race to the end by trusting God’s promises despite unseen outcomes.
  • Faith is the key to pleasing God and inheriting promises; these examples counter temptation to drift or revert, showing faith as confident trust in God’s faithfulness.
  • Many heroes (e.g., Samson elsewhere) surprise us, yet all considered God faithful who promised.

Faith Defined and Exemplified (Hebrews 11:1-12)

  • Definition of Faith (v. 1): Confidence in what we hope for; assurance about what we do not see—substance that makes unseen promises real.
  • Why Faith is Essential (vv. 2-3, 6): Ancients commended by faith; by faith understand universe created by God’s word (seen from unseen); without faith impossible to please God—must believe He exists and rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
  • Abel (v. 4): Offered better sacrifice better than Cain’s; by faith commended as righteous (God approved offering); though dead, still speaks through example.
  • Enoch (v. 5): By faith taken without experiencing death (pleased God); testimony: pleased God before translation.
  • Noah (v. 7): Warned about unseen future events; by reverent fear built ark, saved family, condemned world, became heir of righteousness that comes by faith.
  • Abraham (vv. 8-10): By faith obeyed call to unknown inheritance land; lived as foreigner in tents with Isaac and Jacob (co-heirs); looked forward to city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
  • Sarah (vv. 11-12): By faith (though past age and initially laughed) considered God faithful who promised; enabled to bear children; from one man (as good as dead) descendants as numerous as stars/sand on seashore.
  • Common Thread: All acted on God’s word despite impossible circumstances because they considered Him faithful; faith believes God will fulfill promises—nothing stops Him.
  • Purpose: These examples inspire holding firm without turning back; emulate their confident trust in God’s faithfulness to finish the race and enter rest.

Application

  • Live by faith as confident assurance in God’s unseen promises; consider Him faithful regardless of circumstances—like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah—and persevere to inherit what is promised.
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How to use these studies

These lessons are designed as short, 25-minute studies based on Bible truths, and meant for self-learning or small group study. The study sets systematically cover different books of the Bible. 

Each lesson follows a simple structure:

  • Introduction (Including the outline and objectives)
  • Step 1: Connecting
  • Step 2: Comprehending
  • Step 3: Committing
  • Step 4: Communicating

These sections include questions to help you reflect on the bible passage and how it applies to your life. 

Use these lessons to disciple others by journeying together over time and allowing God’s word to penetrate your heart and bring transforming change to your life. As a leader, pray for wisdom in leading and for modelling the truths in your own life.

Sharing offline

  • Mobile Friendly PDF
  • Print Friendly PDF
  • Full Study PDF

Each lesson has three buttons allowing you to download a easily saveable and shareable PDF version of the study. You can choose either a Mobile-friendly PDF version, and Print-friendly PDF version, or a print version of the Full Study PDF (for example all the lessons in the current book of the Bible).

These are free and can be easily copied and shared from one person to another!

Gathering a Small Group

Start small to build a safe space for sharing and growth.

  • Pray first: Ask God to show you 3-6 people who need encouragement in faith, like family, neighbors, or fellow believers facing hardship.
  • Invite personally: Meet one-on-one, explain how the lessons are designed to help people grow in their faith and knowledge of God and his Word.
  • Keep it simple: Meet in a home or quiet spot; no need for fancy setup – just willing hearts.
  • Aim for consistency: Suggest weekly meetings, but be flexible for busy lives or safety concerns in persecuted areas.

Trust helps everyone open up, reflect, and apply truths without fear.

  • Start with sharing: In the first meeting, share simple stories of your own faith struggles to show vulnerability.
  • Set ground rules: Agree to listen without judging, keep stories private, and focus on encouraging each other.
  • Build bonds: Begin each session with a short prayer or song inviting God to be present with you.
  • Be patient: Trust grows over time – encourage quiet members gently, and celebrate small steps of honesty.

Good preparation makes the lesson flow and helps discipleship.

  • Read ahead: Study the lesson before; pray over the Bible passage and think how it fits your group’s challenges.
  • Adapt for the group: Use simple words; if literacy is low, read aloud slowly and explain questions or stories.
  • Gather basics: Have a Bible (in your language) and paper for notes.
  • Reflect personally: Ask yourself the study questions first – lead from your own growth and experience.
  • Pray: Pray for your group members.

Guide the group through the lesson structure to encourage discovery and commitment.

  • Step 1 – Connecting: Start the group meeting by praying together. Thank God for his Word and ask for open hearts to receive it. Read the Bible passage together (Read it aloud twice; ask someone to repeat in their words.)
  • Step 2: Comprehending: Use the provided questions to help you grapple with the truth of the Bible passage.
  • Step 3 – Committing: Consider how the passage might apply to your lives and what simple steps of obedience you can commit to. The goal of these studies if life-change! Not just knowledge!
  • Step 4 – Communicating:  Think of who you can share the truths you have learned with.
  • Close with Prayer: Let group members pray short prayers of thanks or commitment. Pray for one another.

For many of the lessons, there is a short summary teaching voice-note at the end of the lesson (together with a text summary). This is designed to be a recap and reminder of the key lessons you should have learned through the lesson. 

As a leader, you might like to use these summary teaching resources to help you in preparation for leading your group, though ideally not before you have spent time prayerfully reflecting on the passage.

This is an ongoing discipleship journey aiming to transform lives and help people to live victorious Christian lives. Focus on growth, not just finishing lessons.

  • Meet regularly: Join together at least once a week. Review past actions at each start to build accountability.
  • Encourage reflection: Between meetings, urge personal time with the lesson – read, pray, and try complete commitments made.
  • Support one another: If your group members are facing challenges, use lessons to pray together and share burdens; become “agents of change” by helping others in your community.
  • Multiply groups: As trust grows, encourage members to start their own small groups with family or friends.
  • Keep it short: Stick to 15 – 25 minutes per lesson to fit busy, challenging lives.
  • Handle challenges: If fear or hardship arise, encourage members by always pointing back to God’s love. 
  • Stay safe: In persecuted areas, meet discreetly; focus on heart change over big displays.
  • Celebrate progress: Note how people have grown in faith; allow time for sharing testimonies of what God has done. Take note of what you pray for, and give thanks when God answers prayer.

Final encouragement

Leading these lessons is serving like Jesus – humble, loving, and truthful. As you journey together, God will build growing faith into each person’s life. Pray often, and watch lives transform!

If you would like to share stories of faith from your own communities, please get in touch with us!