1 John 5:13; 1:1-4 | Gospel Assurance in a De-Conversion Age | Dan Cruver

In this series, Gospel Assurance in a De-Conversion Age, we examine John’s first letter to strengthen our faith amidst an uncertain world. In this sermon we focus on 1 John 5:13 and 1:1-4. John wrote his letter to a Christian community struggling with inner turmoil caused by false teachers who had been a part of the church. In response, John emphasizes the importance of embracing the apostolic gospel to attain assurance. Ultimately, our assurance rests upon Jesus Christ himself, the unwavering foundation of our faith.

Hebrews 13:4-6 | An Anchor for the Soul | Trent Hunter

Sex and money are two of the most painful subjects on the planet. Humans are universally bad with these. But these powerful threats to our happiness are also the source of great happiness—happiness that multiplies in the lives of others when we get it right. It's why these topics are paired in the Ten Commandments and it's why the author of Hebrews takes them up for our sake in Hebrews 13:4–6. God's unshakable kingdom includes these gifts and the church is the place where we know how to use them.

Hebrews 13:1-3 | An Anchor for the Soul | Trent Hunter

The book of Hebrews has taken us to the heights of our theology, the truth we believe about Christ, and even the very place he takes us, to the throne of God in heaven. Now, in Hebrews 13:1–3 we come down from the clouds not to leave that glorious truth behind, but to show it off. What does it look like to show off the truth that we have received an unshakable kingdom? It looks like the love of the saints for one another in local churches, love for Christian strangers traveling through, even love for those who are locked up somewhere else, for they belong to us.

Hebrews 12:25-29 | An Anchor for the Soul | Trent Hunter

Have you ever ignored a warning and come to regret it? On every page of Scripture and in every Sunday sermon we are being wooed by God into his worship. That is true. His kindness leads us to repentance. He is a God of steadfast love and mercy. But we are equally being warned. For if we refuse the voice of the God who promises us a heavenly country, an unshakable kingdom, we will not only miss out but we will receive the earth and heaven shaking wrath of God. Let that not be you.

Hebrews 12:18-24 | An Anchor for the Soul | Timothy Martin

In the second half of Hebrews 12, we are told to “lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees.” Last week, we were told how to do it. Pursue peace and holiness. This week, we are going to be told why we have the strength to do it. God will give us strength through the stories of two different mountains. First, we are given the story of the mountain that we are not at. We have not come before Mount Sinai, the mountain shrouded in smoke and fire where broken promises were made and curses were uttered. We are instead told that we have arrived at Mount Zion, the city of the living God, where a better promise is spoken through the blood of Christ.

Hebrews 12:12-17 | An Anchor for the Soul | Trent Hunter

You understand that the Christian life is a race that requires endurance. Check. You read and hear the Scriptures preached each week. Check. You seek the Lord in prayer for help. Check. But you remain weak, exhausted, and dangerously close to falling out of the race. What are you missing? What more could we need for this race we are in? That's the question that our author addresses in Hebrews 12:12–17.

Hebrews 12:3-11 | An Anchor for the Soul | Trent Hunter

Fatherhood is no small calling and discipline is no small part of fatherhood. We might even say that discipline is the uniquely distinguishing characteristic of a father to a son. Are you discouraged in your struggle against sin? Alternatively, are you despondent, even dangerously so? Perhaps you're forgetting something: that you are a son of the father and that your hardships are his love for you.

Hebrews 12:2 | An Anchor for the Soul | Trent Hunter

How did Jesus endure the cross? How did any of the saints of old endure their various sufferings? Thankfully, the Lord gives us more than a call to endure for Christ but a vision of Christ to help us endure. Thankfully, he gives us more than Jesus on a cross to behold as an example, but Jesus enduring for the joy set before him: the throne and all that comes with it, including forever fellowship with the Father and with us.

Hebrews 12:1-2 | An Anchor for the Soul | Jason Read

The heroes of faith recalled in Hebrews 11 show us the life of faith is possible because God is ever faithful. Their stories, filled with victories and failures, illustrate for us that faith is more like running a marathon than it is a sprint. We feel that in our own lives as we battle the sin within and around us. When faith is hard, when you’re weary and can’t go on, where should you look for help?

Hebrews 11:32-40 | An Anchor for the Soul | Trent Hunter

Does God praise only the faith of a few famous Old Testament characters? What about us? What are we to make of God's posture toward us when the costs for faith seem steep and unrelenting? We come now to the end of the list, that list of Old Testament characters who lived and died by faith recorded for us in Hebrews 11. But this is no soft landing. Hebrews 11:32–40 bursts names, spectacular feats through faith, and cruel deaths, also in faith.