AgilEmpath

The Holy Spirit Comes

2 On the day of Pentecost[a] all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages,[b] as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.

7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.

13 But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”

Peter Preaches to the Crowd

14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15 These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. 16 No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:

17 ‘In the last days,’ God says,    ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.Your sons and daughters will prophesy.    Your young men will see visions,    and your old men will dream dreams.18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit    even on my servants—men and women alike—    and they will prophesy.19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above    and signs on the earth below—    blood and fire and clouds of smoke.20 The sun will become dark,    and the moon will turn blood red    before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.21 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord    will be saved.’[c]

22 “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene[d] by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. 25 King David said this about him:

‘I see that the Lord is always with me.    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.26 No wonder my heart is glad,    and my tongue shouts his praises!    My body rests in hope.27 For you will not leave my soul among the dead[e]    or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.28 You have shown me the way of life,    and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’[f]

29 “Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. 30 But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. 31 David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.

32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. 34 For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,    “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand35 until I humble your enemies,    making them a footstool under your feet.”’[g]

36 “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”

37 Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away[h]—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” 40 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”

41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

The Believers Form a Community

42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper[i]), and to prayer.

43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity[j]— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Life Skills for Leadership is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Psalm 69

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Lilies.”

1 Save me, O God,    for the floodwaters are up to my neck.2 Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire;    I can’t find a foothold.I am in deep water,    and the floods overwhelm me.3 I am exhausted from crying for help;    my throat is parched.My eyes are swollen with weeping,    waiting for my God to help me.4 Those who hate me without cause    outnumber the hairs on my head.Many enemies try to destroy me with lies,    demanding that I give back what I didn’t steal.

5 O God, you know how foolish I am;    my sins cannot be hidden from you.6 Don’t let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me,    O Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated,    O God of Israel.7 For I endure insults for your sake;    humiliation is written all over my face.8 Even my own brothers pretend they don’t know me;    they treat me like a stranger.

9 Passion for your house has consumed me,    and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.10 When I weep and fast,    they scoff at me.11 When I dress in burlap to show sorrow,    they make fun of me.12 I am the favorite topic of town gossip,    and all the drunks sing about me.

13 But I keep praying to you, Lord,    hoping this time you will show me favor.In your unfailing love, O God,    answer my prayer with your sure salvation.14 Rescue me from the mud;    don’t let me sink any deeper!Save me from those who hate me,    and pull me from these deep waters.15 Don’t let the floods overwhelm me,    or the deep waters swallow me,    or the pit of death devour me.

16 Answer my prayers, O Lord,    for your unfailing love is wonderful.Take care of me,    for your mercy is so plentiful.17 Don’t hide from your servant;    answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble!18 Come and redeem me;    free me from my enemies.

19 You know of my shame, scorn, and disgrace.    You see all that my enemies are doing.20 Their insults have broken my heart,    and I am in despair.If only one person would show some pity;    if only one would turn and comfort me.21 But instead, they give me poison[a] for food;    they offer me sour wine for my thirst.

22 Let the bountiful table set before them become a snare    and their prosperity become a trap.[b]23 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,    and make their bodies shake continually.[c]24 Pour out your fury on them;    consume them with your burning anger.25 Let their homes become desolate    and their tents be deserted.26 To the one you have punished, they add insult to injury;    they add to the pain of those you have hurt.27 Pile their sins up high,    and don’t let them go free.28 Erase their names from the Book of Life;    don’t let them be counted among the righteous.

29 I am suffering and in pain.    Rescue me, O God, by your saving power.

30 Then I will praise God’s name with singing,    and I will honor him with thanksgiving.31 For this will please the Lord more than sacrificing cattle,    more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves.32 The humble will see their God at work and be glad.    Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged.33 For the Lord hears the cries of the needy;    he does not despise his imprisoned people.

34 Praise him, O heaven and earth,    the seas and all that move in them.35 For God will save Jerusalem[d]    and rebuild the towns of Judah.His people will live there    and settle in their own land.36 The descendants of those who obey him will inherit the land,    and those who love him will live there in safety.

Life Skills for Leadership is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The Lord’s Future Reign Isaiah 2

2 This is a vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house    will be the highest of all—    the most important place on earth.It will be raised above the other hills,    and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.3 People from many nations will come and say,“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,    to the house of Jacob’s God.There he will teach us his ways,    and we will walk in his paths.”For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;    his word will go out from Jerusalem.4 The Lord will mediate between nations    and will settle international disputes.They will hammer their swords into plowshares    and their spears into pruning hooks.Nation will no longer fight against nation,    nor train for war anymore.

A Warning of Judgment

5 Come, descendants of Jacob,    let us walk in the light of the Lord!6 For the Lord has rejected his people,    the descendants of Jacob,because they have filled their land with practices from the East    and with sorcerers, as the Philistines do.    They have made alliances with pagans.7 Israel is full of silver and gold;    there is no end to its treasures.Their land is full of warhorses;    there is no end to its chariots.8 Their land is full of idols;    the people worship things they have made    with their own hands.9 So now they will be humbled,    and all will be brought low—    do not forgive them.10 Crawl into caves in the rocks.    Hide in the dustfrom the terror of the Lord    and the glory of his majesty.11 Human pride will be brought down,    and human arrogance will be humbled.Only the Lord will be exalted    on that day of judgment.

12 For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies    has a day of reckoning.He will punish the proud and mighty    and bring down everything that is exalted.13 He will cut down the tall cedars of Lebanon    and all the mighty oaks of Bashan.14 He will level all the high mountains    and all the lofty hills.15 He will break down every high tower    and every fortified wall.16 He will destroy all the great trading ships[a]    and every magnificent vessel.17 Human pride will be humbled,    and human arrogance will be brought down.Only the Lord will be exalted    on that day of judgment.

18 Idols will completely disappear.19 When the Lord rises to shake the earth,    his enemies will crawl into holes in the ground.They will hide in caves in the rocks    from the terror of the Lord    and the glory of his majesty.20 On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idols    they made for themselves to worship.They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats,21     while they crawl away into caverns    and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs.They will try to escape the terror of the Lord    and the glory of his majesty    as he rises to shake the earth.22 Don’t put your trust in mere humans.    They are as frail as breath.    What good are they?

Life Skills for Leadership is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Proverbs 29 New Living Translation

29 Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism    will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.

2 When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.    But when the wicked are in power, they groan.

3 The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,    but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted.

4 A just king gives stability to his nation,    but one who demands bribes destroys it.

5 To flatter friends    is to lay a trap for their feet.

6 Evil people are trapped by sin,    but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.

7 The godly care about the rights of the poor;    the wicked don’t care at all.

8 Mockers can get a whole town agitated,    but the wise will calm anger.

9 If a wise person takes a fool to court,    there will be ranting and ridicule but no satisfaction.

10 The bloodthirsty hate blameless people,    but the upright seek to help them.[a]

11 Fools vent their anger,    but the wise quietly hold it back.

12 If a ruler pays attention to liars,    all his advisers will be wicked.

13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common—    the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

14 If a king judges the poor fairly,    his throne will last forever.

15 To discipline a child produces wisdom,    but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.

16 When the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes,    but the godly will live to see their downfall.

17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind    and will make your heart glad.

18 When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.    But whoever obeys the law is joyful.

19 Words alone will not discipline a servant;    the words may be understood, but they are not heeded.

20 There is more hope for a fool    than for someone who speaks without thinking.

21 A servant pampered from childhood    will become a rebel.

22 An angry person starts fights;    a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.

23 Pride ends in humiliation,    while humility brings honor.

24 If you assist a thief, you only hurt yourself.    You are sworn to tell the truth, but you dare not testify.

25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap,    but trusting the Lord means safety.

26 Many seek the ruler’s favor,    but justice comes from the Lord.

27 The righteous despise the unjust;    the wicked despise the godly.

Life Skills for Leadership is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Psalm 61New Living Translation

Psalm 61

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

1 O God, listen to my cry!    Hear my prayer!2 From the ends of the earth,    I cry to you for help    when my heart is overwhelmed.Lead me to the towering rock of safety,3     for you are my safe refuge,    a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.4 Let me live forever in your sanctuary,    safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude

5 For you have heard my vows, O God.    You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.6 Add many years to the life of the king!    May his years span the generations!7 May he reign under God’s protection forever.    May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.8 Then I will sing praises to your name forever    as I fulfill my vows each day.

Life Skills for Leadership is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Ephesians 3 Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth 14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,[e] 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.[f] 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 2 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 6 The Whole Armor of God 10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[b] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[c] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.[d] 19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.[e] 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

Life Skills for Leadership is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Psalm 61

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

1 O God, listen to my cry!    Hear my prayer!2 From the ends of the earth,    I cry to you for help    when my heart is overwhelmed.Lead me to the towering rock of safety,3     for you are my safe refuge,    a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.4 Let me live forever in your sanctuary,    safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude

5 For you have heard my vows, O God.    You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.6 Add many years to the life of the king!    May his years span the generations!7 May he reign under God’s protection forever.    May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.8 Then I will sing praises to your name forever    as I fulfill my vows each day.

This 30 minute prayer flowed beautifully to help us understand who we are in Christ, what we have, and what our life is really about.

Ephesians 3

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,[e] 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.[f] 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 2

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 6

The Whole Armor of God

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[b] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[c] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.[d]

19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.[e] 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

Life Skills for Leadership is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

John 17 New Living Translation

The Prayer of Jesus

17 After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4 I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.

6 “I have revealed you[a] to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8 for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.

9 “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. 11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name;[b] now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. 12 During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me.[c] I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.

13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”

Life Skills for Leadership is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Hebrews 11 New Living Translation

Great Examples of Faith

11 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.”[a] For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

7 It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.

8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. 10 Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

11 It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed[b] that God would keep his promise. 12 And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.”[c] 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

20 It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.

21 It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

22 It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.

23 It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.

24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. 27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. 28 It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.

29 It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.

30 It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.

31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. 33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 35 Women received their loved ones back again from death.

But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half,[d] and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

Life Skills for Leadership is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.