Faith for Life

Lizzy Smallwood

I don't know about you but recently I have keenly felt in need of some encouragement:
Living in a culture that is increasingly hostile to Christ and his followers, I need encouragement not to blend in and keep my head down. Living through Covid-19 with the temptation to do church in my pyjamas, I need encouragement to keep running this Christian marathon and not to drift off .
And this book is just the job.
Richard Coekin has written a short and punchy training manual taking us verse by verse through Hebrews 11. He encourages us to pause and learn from that great cloud who witness to the faithfulness of God and to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we seek to serve him in our various contexts.
This book encouraged me.
It encouraged me to stop faffing around and to live out my faith whatever the cost as I wait for the glorious future Christ has won for me.
I pray it does the same for you.

“A helpful encouragement to persevere in faith”

As many Christians know, the eleventh chapter of the New Testament book of Hebrews is known as the “hall of faith”—recounted stories of biblical heroes from the Old Testament, or what is referred to as “the great cloud of witnesses” in chapter 12. They were actually ordinary believers just like Christians today. The purpose of recounting their stories is to encourage readers to persevere in the faith despite hardships, fixing their eyes upon Jesus. In this new book, Faith for Life, British pastor Richard Coekin provides biblical commentary, theological teaching, and practical application from Hebrews 11 to ordinary believers in need of encouragement to keep from shrinking back from living by faith in our pressurized culture. If you’re interested in an in-depth study of this chapter, this is a great, accessible place to start. •••

Coekin writes, “Hebrews 11 has been an epic survey of characters from the Old Testament empowered by God to endure by faith to be confident in God’s word, commended by God, obedient to God’s call, patient in waiting for God’s heavenly city, sacrificial for God, aspirational for life with God beyond the grave, courageous for God before governments, self-denying in joining God’s people, empowered by God for achieving victories and empowered by God for enduring victimization. Now this emotional roller coaster reaches its climactic crescendo in Jesus [in Hebrews 12:1-2]… In fact, when you think about it, Jesus demonstrated all the characteristics of faith explored in Hebrews 11... Faith is truly perfected in Jesus. So fix your eyes on him—and live by faith in him.”