Hebrews 11

This is a fabulous chapter. I've always liked it as the Faith Hall of Fame but after Reggie Joiner's message at Orange I see another element in it. Reggie didn't use this chapter as a reference, but what he was talking about is illustrated here really well.

Reggie started with a frame with the Stock Family photo still inside. He talked about how the church has offered families the idea of a better picture. We tell them that there's some ideal that we are supposed to live up to. Some perfection we should try to attain. But, he pointed out that the Bible doesn't offer the same concept. God did not include a Stock Family in the Bible. There is no perfect family we can use as a model to try to copy. This list, full of the heroes of our faith includes murderers, harlots, adulterers, and a long list of other imperfect people from less-than-ideal families.

While God doesn't offer us a better picture, what He does show us is a bigger story. In the lives of every one of these people, God told a bigger story of redemption, restoration, and grace. And that's what he wants to do in your family. I can't live up to some standard set by man. Everything's already too messy. Perfection was lost long ago. But, I can give my kids a front row seat to the power of God's grace to bring about restoration and redemption in our family.

What does your family look like? Not ideal? Less than perfect? That's OK. You can fit right in with this list of faith heroes. You can be a part of God's bigger story.