C+C Edmonds CG Discussion Guide
Text: Hebrews 11:8–10, 17-19
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
Summary
Everyone lives by faith in something; the real issue is whether the object of that faith can actually save and sustain. Biblical faith is belief and trust in an object that leads to action. Scripture holds together both sides: we are saved by faith alone in Christ alone, yet the faith that truly saves never remains alone. It inevitably bears the fruit of obedience, not as the basis of our salvation but as its evidence.
Abraham’s story shows this dynamic over time. God first calls Abram, a random pagan from a pagan family, to leave his country, kindred, and father’s house and go to an unknown land. Answering this call means walking away from identity, security, inheritance, and human safety. Yet Abram goes. This obedience reveals that he has shifted his faith from familiar supports to the promise and character of God. He is justified not by his obedience but by his belief in God’s word; his obedience displays the reality of that belief.
At the same time, Abraham’s life exposes how inconsistent our faith can be. Despite God’s clear promise of a son through Sarah, years of barrenness and aging bodies lead Abraham and Sarah to take matters into their own hands through Hagar, following common cultural practice rather than trusting God’s promise. That action is not a neutral mistake; it reveals a functional unbelief in God’s ability and timing. Yet even here, God does not abandon His covenant. His mercy is new every morning. The gospel announces that Christ died not only for our past sins but for our ongoing failures and misplaced faith. The risen Jesus intercedes for His people even now, and the indwelling Spirit works in us both to will and to work for God’s good pleasure.
By Genesis 22, Abraham’s faith has been deepened through years of walking with God. God tests him by commanding him to offer up Isaac, the beloved and long-awaited son through whom the promise is supposed to come. The command seems to threaten the very covenant, yet Abraham obeys promptly, trusting that God can even raise the dead. On the mountain God stops the sacrifice and provides a ram in Isaac’s place. This scene both confirms Abraham’s genuine faith and points beyond him: centuries later another beloved Son carries the wood up another hill, yet this time there is no substitute ram. The Father does not stay His hand. Jesus Himself is the Lamb of God, slain in the place of sinners, and then truly raised from the dead as the source and object of saving faith.
Because Jesus is the worthy Lamb enthroned in Revelation 5, He alone deserves our full trust and obedience. The call is not to polish our behavior in our own strength, but to let our visible actions serve as a diagnostic window into what we really believe about God. As the Spirit exposes where our functional faith has shifted away from Christ, we return again and again to who God is and what He has done in the gospel. From that root a life of growing, imperfect yet real obedience flows.
Key Takeaways
Discussion Questions
Practical Applications
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
Summary
Everyone lives by faith in something; the real issue is whether the object of that faith can actually save and sustain. Biblical faith is belief and trust in an object that leads to action. Scripture holds together both sides: we are saved by faith alone in Christ alone, yet the faith that truly saves never remains alone. It inevitably bears the fruit of obedience, not as the basis of our salvation but as its evidence.
Abraham’s story shows this dynamic over time. God first calls Abram, a random pagan from a pagan family, to leave his country, kindred, and father’s house and go to an unknown land. Answering this call means walking away from identity, security, inheritance, and human safety. Yet Abram goes. This obedience reveals that he has shifted his faith from familiar supports to the promise and character of God. He is justified not by his obedience but by his belief in God’s word; his obedience displays the reality of that belief.
At the same time, Abraham’s life exposes how inconsistent our faith can be. Despite God’s clear promise of a son through Sarah, years of barrenness and aging bodies lead Abraham and Sarah to take matters into their own hands through Hagar, following common cultural practice rather than trusting God’s promise. That action is not a neutral mistake; it reveals a functional unbelief in God’s ability and timing. Yet even here, God does not abandon His covenant. His mercy is new every morning. The gospel announces that Christ died not only for our past sins but for our ongoing failures and misplaced faith. The risen Jesus intercedes for His people even now, and the indwelling Spirit works in us both to will and to work for God’s good pleasure.
By Genesis 22, Abraham’s faith has been deepened through years of walking with God. God tests him by commanding him to offer up Isaac, the beloved and long-awaited son through whom the promise is supposed to come. The command seems to threaten the very covenant, yet Abraham obeys promptly, trusting that God can even raise the dead. On the mountain God stops the sacrifice and provides a ram in Isaac’s place. This scene both confirms Abraham’s genuine faith and points beyond him: centuries later another beloved Son carries the wood up another hill, yet this time there is no substitute ram. The Father does not stay His hand. Jesus Himself is the Lamb of God, slain in the place of sinners, and then truly raised from the dead as the source and object of saving faith.
Because Jesus is the worthy Lamb enthroned in Revelation 5, He alone deserves our full trust and obedience. The call is not to polish our behavior in our own strength, but to let our visible actions serve as a diagnostic window into what we really believe about God. As the Spirit exposes where our functional faith has shifted away from Christ, we return again and again to who God is and what He has done in the gospel. From that root a life of growing, imperfect yet real obedience flows.
Key Takeaways
- Faith Always Bears Fruit - Saving faith in Christ does not rest as a mere idea in the mind; it shows itself over time in real obedience, however imperfect, as God works in and through His people.
- We All Misplace Our Faith - Like Abraham, believers regularly shift trust onto ourselves, others, or cultural solutions, but God’s mercy in Christ covers our failures and His Spirit continually draws us back to rely on His promises.
- Jesus is the Worthy Object - Abraham’s story culminates not in Abraham as a model to copy but in Jesus as the true Son and Lamb, whose once-for-all sacrifice and present reign make Him worthy of our whole-life obedience.
Discussion Questions
- Faith was defined as "belief and trust in an object that leads to action". Do you agree with that definition?
- Abraham left everything familiar—his country, kindred, and father's house—based solely on God's promise. What would it look like for you to demonstrate that level of radical trust in God's call on your life today?
- Have you ever experienced a time when God called you to radical trust like He did with Abraham? Share about that experience with your group.
- How does knowing that Jesus intercedes for you right now and that the Spirit is at work in you change the way you think about growing in obedience this week?
- The vision in Revelation 5 declares Jesus worthy of all worship because He was slain and ransomed people from every nation. How does meditating on Christ's worthiness motivate you toward obedience differently than focusing on religious duty?
- If we all live every moment of every day by faith, how could you approach this topic with someone who says "I am not a person of faith"?
Practical Applications
- Fruit to Root, Root to Fruit - This week, take one area of visible “fruit” (a recurring behavior, emotion, or response) and use the questions in the Sermon Notes to walk it down to the “root”. Ask the Spirit to realign your faith with the truth of the gospel in that specific place.
- Scripture Meditation on God's Character - Choose one attribute of God that you struggle to trust (His goodness, timing, provision, etc.). Find 3-5 verses about that attribute and meditate on them daily.