In Week 13, we will read through Hebrews and James which emphasize faith, perseverance, and obedience to God.

Hebrews teaches that Jesus is the perfect High Priest who fulfills the Old Testament sacrificial system. His death completely atones for sin, making further sacrifices unnecessary (Hebrews 9:11-14). The book calls believers to trust in Christ alone for salvation, and also stresses the perseverance of the saints, urging Christians to remain faithful because God sustains His people (Hebrews 10:23-25).

James focuses on how true faith produces good works (James 2:17). While salvation is by grace alone, good works are the evidence of genuine faith, not the cause of it.  James also highlights God’s sovereignty, saying every good gift comes from Him (James 1:17). 

Both books encourage believers to trust in Christ and live faithfully, relying on God’s grace. Let's enter into our rhythm of LEARN, READ, INTERACT.

From How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens, Michael Williams makes these points about Hebrews:

Phrase: Mediator
Theme: Christ is the ultimate revelation and mediator of God's gracious new relationship with his people.
Christ-focus: Jesus is the one who mediates to us the grace of our new relationship with God (Hebrews 9:15).
Implications: As we live in the grace of our new relationship with God, let us keep our eyes on Jesus, the one who mediates it to us (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Questions: Why does Jesus need to be our mediator? What is new about the new covenant? What are some practical ways to keep our focus on Christ?

From How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens, Michael Williams makes these points about James:

Phrase: Working Faith
Theme: God enables a life of good works that flow from a genuine faith.
Christ-focus: Jesus demonstrated the truth of his words by his works (John 10:25).
Implications: We must demonstrate the truth of our testimony about Christ by means of a corroborating life (James 1:22-25).
Questions: What does your faith look like? What could faith look like in your particular circumstances? What are you going to do about your faith?

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