Good morning and welcome to our second service on Sunday mornings. We have two services. The first

is the prophecy update and the second, the sermon, where we're going verse by verse through

the book of Hebrews. Lord willing today, we are going to complete chapter 11. As you know, we

were in no hurry to finish this chapter, but we will today. We're going to pick it up in verse

32 and make our way to verse 40. So I'll ask you to stand if you're able, if not where

you're seated is fine. You can follow along as I read beginning in verse 32. The writer

of Hebrews by the Holy Spirit writes, and what more shall I say?

I didn't have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets who, verse 33, through faith, conquered

kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised, who shut the mouths of lions,

quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword,

whose weakness was turned to strength and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women, verse 35, received back their dead,

raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.

Some face jeers and flogging and even chains and imprisonment.

They were put the death by stoning, verse 37.

They were sawed in two. By the way, that's speaking of Isaiah,

who was sought in two. They were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and

goats skins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them.

They wandered in deserts and mountains living in caves and in holes in the ground.

These, verse 39, were all commended for their faith,

yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better

for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Let's pray if you would please join with me. We'll ask God to open the eyes of our understanding.

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