February 4, 2018 Teaching Outline

​Embracing Exile – “This is My Story”
Hebrews 11:1-16
 
We are people of a particular story.
 

 
We find ourselves in a unique “life story” …
 
• Everyone has a life story.
 
• Our life story answers several key questions:
 Who am I?
 
Where am I?
 
What’s the problem?
 
 What time is it?
 
• Life stories are usually shared;
(communities of people tend to have very similar stories)
 
• Our life stories compete for allegiance
 
 
Hebrew 11:3, “By faith we understand . . .” (CEB).
 
How do we think about this story in contrast
to the stories that surrounded the people who told them?
 
Competing stories are forms of idolatry.
 
• The success story:
 
• The sensuality story:
 
• The humanist story:
 
• The fragmented story:
 
• The damaged story:
Where do we fit in this story?
 
 
 
 
Paraphrase of Hebrews 11:39–12:2:
 
“But all these died, convinced that there was a story that was more true than any other story in the world. They died looking forward to act 5, but that story is not complete without us.
 
So now, since we’re surrounded by all of these folks who live the story so well, let us get rid of all the ways those other stories shape us.
 
Take those off, and look to Jesus, the One who’s writing this story.
 
 He’s the main character. It’s his story, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who, for the glory of the story, took on the cross, despite its shame, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, urging us on to be faithful to the story.”
 
 
 
Today is the day to write MY Story with Jesus!