August 12, 2025 • 12 mins
In today’s Spiritual Foundation Episode, I talk about Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-16. I share how it’s not about fear or frustration or escapism but about the vision of something better that we are called to. I also share how faith is assurance and conviction in the vision before it is realized.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Thanks for joining me on episode 1566 of the Inspired Stewardship
podcast. I'm Mr.
Productivity. I challenge you to invest in yourself,
invest in others,
develop your influence,
and impact the world by using your time,
your talent and your treasures to live out your calling.
(00:20):
Having the ability to live intentionally instead of reactively is key
and one way to be inspired to do that is to
listen to this the Inspired Stewardship Podcast with my friend Scott
Mater. It's about the vision of an ideal reality that we
(00:47):
hope and try to create each and every day so that
that next time that we step out,
that out truly will be different.
This welcome and thank you for joining us on the Inspired
Stewardship Podcast.
(01:08):
If you truly desire to become the person who God wants
you to be,
then you must learn to use your time,
your talent,
and your treasures for your true calling.
In the Inspired Stewardship Podcast,
you will learn to invest in yourself,
invest in others,
and develop your influence so that you can impact the world
(01:36):
in today's spiritual foundation Episode I Talk About Hebrews chapter 11,
verses 1 through 3 and 816 I share how it's not
about fear or frustration or escapism,
but about the vision of something better that we are called
to. I also share how faith is assurance and conviction in
the vision before it is realized.
(02:01):
Hebrews 11:1 3816 says,
now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.
Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the
word of God,
so that what is seen was made from things that are
(02:22):
not visible by faith.
Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a
place that he was to receive as an inheritance.
And he set out,
not knowing where he was going.
By faith he stayed for a time in the land he
had been promised,
as in a foreign land,
living in tents,
as did Isaac and Jacob,
who were heirs with him of the same promise.
(02:44):
For he looked forward to that city that has foundations,
whose architecture and builder is God.
By faith,
with Sarah's involvement,
he received power of procreation,
even though he was too old,
because he considered him faithful,
who had promised therefore from one person,
and this one as good as dead.
Descendants were born,
(03:05):
as many as the stars of heaven,
and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
All of these died in faith,
without having received the promises.
But from a distance they saw and greeted them.
They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth.
For people who speak in this way make it clear that
they are seeking a homeland.
(03:26):
If they had been thinking of the land that they had
left behind.
They would have had an opportunity to return.
But as it is,
they desired a better homeland,
that is a heavenly one.
Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God.
Indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
Throughout the years,
my wife and I have had many different animals.
(03:49):
Dogs, cats,
reptiles, others.
And what's interesting is I've noticed that with most of our
animals, like many of us,
we completely spoil them.
They live indoors,
they have an easy life.
And in fact,
I think if reincarnation was a real thing,
I'd want to come back as a animal with a really
(04:10):
good owner,
given the way that we treat them.
But oftentimes,
when they're indoors,
they decide that they want outdoors.
They stare out through the window or through the back door
and hoping maybe that it will magically open and that they
can go out and be in the outdoors.
(04:31):
The problem is that oftentimes outdoors doesn't live up to their
expectations. Sometimes it's wet or cold or windy,
or there's other things out there.
I don't know,
a leaf blowing in the wind that's scary and frightens them,
and they want to come back inside just moments after they've
gone out.
(04:53):
And yet within just a few minutes,
they're wanting out again because somehow this time out will be
better than it was last time.
And yet the out that they just experienced is still the
same out.
And they still want to believe that there is a better
out, that the next time it will be better,
(05:16):
just like us.
In fact,
this passage in Hebrews is talking of the story of people
that longed for a better out.
They desired a better country,
a heavenly country.
That's what drove them,
we're told.
That's what drives them forward.
It explains the lives that are written about before and after
(05:40):
this statement.
It shows the desire for.
For something better,
something more heavenly here on earth.
At first glance,
that may be thinking that's just a moment of escapism,
that fantasy that we have that there will be a better
out, just like the animals that forget moments ago that it
(06:02):
was an out that they didn't like.
These people are tired of where they are.
They're fed up with the brokenness surrounding them,
and they just are dissatisfied with that moment in time.
The political leadership,
the country,
the things that are going on.
And they're looking for a better place to go,
a place to immigrate to that is better than here.
(06:26):
Certainly, if you think about it,
no matter where you are in the world,
no matter what moment in time.
There's always a certain amount of dissatisfaction with the way things
are. And that's probably a healthy thing in some ways,
because things are usually not the way that they could be
or as perfect as they could be.
(06:47):
But when you think about it,
that negative emotion,
that rejection,
doesn't really motivate us to change the way a larger vision
can. Discontent,
frustration, anger,
fear, those can get us moving.
But the sustainability of that doesn't really last.
(07:09):
It gets you moving,
but it doesn't keep you going.
Instead, you need something more,
something that adds to us,
something that builds us up,
something that drives us forward,
that encourages us,
that paints a picture of a better future.
Hope, a why,
whatever you want to call it and in the name given
(07:32):
it here in this passage from Hebrews is faith.
That vision,
that faith,
that assurance of the future is what they're talking about.
For I am sure Paul writes,
that's from Romans,
or I'm convinced it says other ways,
that neither death,
(07:53):
nor life,
nor angels,
nor rulers,
nor things present,
nor things to come,
nor powers,
nor height,
nor depth,
nor anything else in all of creation will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our
Lord. That's from Romans,
chapter eight.
Think about it.
Faith is that assurance,
(08:13):
that hope,
that belief.
But think about the moments that we live in day to
day. Can we really be sure of anything?
It seems like we're surrounded by uncertainty,
fear, frustration,
change. Faith is hard when things are going well.
(08:36):
Faith is hard when things are going perfectly.
But then when things aren't going well,
it's even harder.
Faith as well as an assurance.
Faith is an assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.
(08:57):
And I don't know about you,
but I have a hard time believing when I can't see.
Doubting Thomas.
Yeah, I live in that moment.
I think most of us do.
We can't really base everything we've got on something that we
can't see.
(09:17):
And faith,
that's really at its root,
what it is,
it's believing in the hope of something not yet seen.
It's creating a vision of the future in your mind,
in your heart,
and in your soul that you feel assured and secure about
(09:38):
without ever really seeing it.
Yet. It's things hoped for.
Hope, Emily Dickson Dickinson said,
is the thing with feathers.
And you can think of that more than one way.
That could mean that hope is fragile,
it's ephemeral.
But it also could talk about hope having the power to
(10:00):
lift, to move,
or to take flight.
There's power in hope.
There's power in belief.
There's power in having a dream,
a vision of seeing things and being convinced in their truth
before they've ever come true.
(10:20):
It's about seeing that justice can prevail.
It's about seeing that equity can be true.
It's about seeing that promises can be fulfilled,
community can be built,
the future can be restored.
It's about the vision of an ideal reality that we hope
(10:45):
try to create each and every day that next time that
we step out,
that out truly will be different this time.
Thanks for listening thanks so much for listening to the Inspired
(11:08):
Stewardship Podcast.
As a subscriber and listener,
we challenge you to not just sit back and passively listen,
but act on what you've heard and find a way to
live your calling.
If you enjoyed this episode,
do me a favor,
go over to facebook.com
(11:28):
inspired stewardship and like our Facebook page and mark it that
you'd like to get notifications from us so that we can
connect with you on Facebook and make sure that we're serving
you to the best of our abilities with time and tips
there. Until next time,
(11:50):
invest your time,
your talent,
and your treasures.
Develop your influence and impact the world.
Thanks for joining me on episode 1566 of the Inspired Stewardship
podcast. I'm Mr.
Productivity. I challenge you to invest in yourself,
invest in others,
develop your influence,
and impact the world by using your time,
your talent and your treasures to live out your calling.
(00:20):
Having the ability to live intentionally instead of reactively is key
and one way to be inspired to do that is to
listen to this the Inspired Stewardship Podcast with my friend Scott
Mater. It's about the vision of an ideal reality that we
(00:47):
hope and try to create each and every day so that
that next time that we step out,
that out truly will be different.
This welcome and thank you for joining us on the Inspired
Stewardship Podcast.
(01:08):
If you truly desire to become the person who God wants
you to be,
then you must learn to use your time,
your talent,
and your treasures for your true calling.
In the Inspired Stewardship Podcast,
you will learn to invest in yourself,
invest in others,
and develop your influence so that you can impact the world
(01:36):
in today's spiritual foundation Episode I Talk About Hebrews chapter 11,
verses 1 through 3 and 816 I share how it's not
about fear or frustration or escapism,
but about the vision of something better that we are called
to. I also share how faith is assurance and conviction in
the vision before it is realized.
(02:01):
Hebrews 11:1 3816 says,
now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.
Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the
word of God,
so that what is seen was made from things that are
(02:22):
not visible by faith.
Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a
place that he was to receive as an inheritance.
And he set out,
not knowing where he was going.
By faith he stayed for a time in the land he
had been promised,
as in a foreign land,
living in tents,
as did Isaac and Jacob,
who were heirs with him of the same promise.
(02:44):
For he looked forward to that city that has foundations,
whose architecture and builder is God.
By faith,
with Sarah's involvement,
he received power of procreation,
even though he was too old,
because he considered him faithful,
who had promised therefore from one person,
and this one as good as dead.
Descendants were born,
(03:05):
as many as the stars of heaven,
and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
All of these died in faith,
without having received the promises.
But from a distance they saw and greeted them.
They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth.
For people who speak in this way make it clear that
they are seeking a homeland.
(03:26):
If they had been thinking of the land that they had
left behind.
They would have had an opportunity to return.
But as it is,
they desired a better homeland,
that is a heavenly one.
Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God.
Indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
Throughout the years,
my wife and I have had many different animals.
(03:49):
Dogs, cats,
reptiles, others.
And what's interesting is I've noticed that with most of our
animals, like many of us,
we completely spoil them.
They live indoors,
they have an easy life.
And in fact,
I think if reincarnation was a real thing,
I'd want to come back as a animal with a really
(04:10):
good owner,
given the way that we treat them.
But oftentimes,
when they're indoors,
they decide that they want outdoors.
They stare out through the window or through the back door
and hoping maybe that it will magically open and that they
can go out and be in the outdoors.
(04:31):
The problem is that oftentimes outdoors doesn't live up to their
expectations. Sometimes it's wet or cold or windy,
or there's other things out there.
I don't know,
a leaf blowing in the wind that's scary and frightens them,
and they want to come back inside just moments after they've
gone out.
(04:53):
And yet within just a few minutes,
they're wanting out again because somehow this time out will be
better than it was last time.
And yet the out that they just experienced is still the
same out.
And they still want to believe that there is a better
out, that the next time it will be better,
(05:16):
just like us.
In fact,
this passage in Hebrews is talking of the story of people
that longed for a better out.
They desired a better country,
a heavenly country.
That's what drove them,
we're told.
That's what drives them forward.
It explains the lives that are written about before and after
(05:40):
this statement.
It shows the desire for.
For something better,
something more heavenly here on earth.
At first glance,
that may be thinking that's just a moment of escapism,
that fantasy that we have that there will be a better
out, just like the animals that forget moments ago that it
(06:02):
was an out that they didn't like.
These people are tired of where they are.
They're fed up with the brokenness surrounding them,
and they just are dissatisfied with that moment in time.
The political leadership,
the country,
the things that are going on.
And they're looking for a better place to go,
a place to immigrate to that is better than here.
(06:26):
Certainly, if you think about it,
no matter where you are in the world,
no matter what moment in time.
There's always a certain amount of dissatisfaction with the way things
are. And that's probably a healthy thing in some ways,
because things are usually not the way that they could be
or as perfect as they could be.
(06:47):
But when you think about it,
that negative emotion,
that rejection,
doesn't really motivate us to change the way a larger vision
can. Discontent,
frustration, anger,
fear, those can get us moving.
But the sustainability of that doesn't really last.
(07:09):
It gets you moving,
but it doesn't keep you going.
Instead, you need something more,
something that adds to us,
something that builds us up,
something that drives us forward,
that encourages us,
that paints a picture of a better future.
Hope, a why,
whatever you want to call it and in the name given
(07:32):
it here in this passage from Hebrews is faith.
That vision,
that faith,
that assurance of the future is what they're talking about.
For I am sure Paul writes,
that's from Romans,
or I'm convinced it says other ways,
that neither death,
(07:53):
nor life,
nor angels,
nor rulers,
nor things present,
nor things to come,
nor powers,
nor height,
nor depth,
nor anything else in all of creation will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our
Lord. That's from Romans,
chapter eight.
Think about it.
Faith is that assurance,
(08:13):
that hope,
that belief.
But think about the moments that we live in day to
day. Can we really be sure of anything?
It seems like we're surrounded by uncertainty,
fear, frustration,
change. Faith is hard when things are going well.
(08:36):
Faith is hard when things are going perfectly.
But then when things aren't going well,
it's even harder.
Faith as well as an assurance.
Faith is an assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.
(08:57):
And I don't know about you,
but I have a hard time believing when I can't see.
Doubting Thomas.
Yeah, I live in that moment.
I think most of us do.
We can't really base everything we've got on something that we
can't see.
(09:17):
And faith,
that's really at its root,
what it is,
it's believing in the hope of something not yet seen.
It's creating a vision of the future in your mind,
in your heart,
and in your soul that you feel assured and secure about
(09:38):
without ever really seeing it.
Yet. It's things hoped for.
Hope, Emily Dickson Dickinson said,
is the thing with feathers.
And you can think of that more than one way.
That could mean that hope is fragile,
it's ephemeral.
But it also could talk about hope having the power to
(10:00):
lift, to move,
or to take flight.
There's power in hope.
There's power in belief.
There's power in having a dream,
a vision of seeing things and being convinced in their truth
before they've ever come true.
(10:20):
It's about seeing that justice can prevail.
It's about seeing that equity can be true.
It's about seeing that promises can be fulfilled,
community can be built,
the future can be restored.
It's about the vision of an ideal reality that we hope
(10:45):
try to create each and every day that next time that
we step out,
that out truly will be different this time.
Thanks for listening thanks so much for listening to the Inspired
(11:08):
Stewardship Podcast.
As a subscriber and listener,
we challenge you to not just sit back and passively listen,
but act on what you've heard and find a way to
live your calling.
If you enjoyed this episode,
do me a favor,
go over to facebook.com
(11:28):
inspired stewardship and like our Facebook page and mark it that
you'd like to get notifications from us so that we can
connect with you on Facebook and make sure that we're serving
you to the best of our abilities with time and tips
there. Until next time,
(11:50):
invest your time,
your talent,
and your treasures.
Develop your influence and impact the world.
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