“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily

entangles and run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Hebrews 12:1

Hebrews 12:1“Therefore, since we are surrounded

by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that

hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and run with perseverance

the race marked out for us.”

“O God, who will get in their face and give them something to live for? They waste their days in a trance of insignificance, trying to look cool or talk cool or walk cool. They don’t have a clue

what cool is.”We do not use the word “cool” to describe true greatness. It is a small word. That’s the point.

It’s cheap. And it’s what millions of young people live for. Who confronts them? Who pleads with them not to waste their lives?

Who takes them by their collar and loves them enough to show them a life so radical and so real and so costly and Christ-saturated that they feel the emptiness and triviality of their

music collections and their pointless conversations about passing celebrities? Who

will waken what lies latent in their souls untapped – a longing not to waste their lives?”

John Piper

Hebrews 12:2“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the

author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before

Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat

down at the right hand of God. “

"Therefore we,[A] having seated around about us such a cloud of witnesses,

[B] setting aside every weight and every clinging sin . .[C] with patient endurance . . .

[D] let us run the race that is set before us[E] keeping our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of the faith,

[D'] who for the joy that was set before Him . . .

[C'] patiently endured the cross . . .[B'] despising shame . . .

[A'] and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:2“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the

author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before

Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat

down at the right hand of God. “