Hebrews 11:8-10 Hall of Faith Abraham- The First Steps

What if the next brave thing isn’t a giant leap, but a single obedient step without the address? We walk through Hebrews 11:8–10 and trace Abraham’s path in three movements—taking the step of faith, living the stay of faith, and fixing our hope on the site of faith, the city God builds. Along the way, we explore how a man pulled from an idolatrous city learned to move on God’s word, pitch tents where others would pour concrete, and wait with desire for a better country.

We talk through the Genesis backstory and why leaving Ur mattered, then linger on what it means to go “not knowing where” you’re going. From Philip on a desert road to Peter on a rooftop, Scripture shows how God often gives direction in small, clear pieces—go south, go with them—and how big stories turn on simple obedience. Abraham models a pilgrim posture even in a promised land, a loose grip that challenges our instinct to make comfort the mission. Hebrews calls them strangers and pilgrims, and that language reframes work, money, place, and plans when heaven is home.

Finally, we point our hearts toward the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. That eternal perspective clarifies what actually lasts. You can take two things into eternity: your relationship with God and people. So we get practical about reordering our days—deepening prayer and Scripture, inviting someone to a meal, writing the overdue note, forgiving fast, and practicing generous presence. If you’re ready to trade certainty for trust, weight your life toward what endures, and travel lighter through a beautiful but temporary world, this conversation will help you take the next faithful step.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs courage for a next step, and leave a review with the one practice you’re starting this week.

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Transcript

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Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8 to 10 will be our portion for today. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8 through 10. It's the hall of faith, as it's known in our circles. The hall of faith. And uh the last few weeks we have seen the antediluvians. I really just wanted to say that. The antediluvians, that's the pre-flood world. Um, Abel, Enoch, Noah, uh, normal people who in their world walked by faith. Uh, today we carry on to our next character in this book of Genesis, really, but here in Hebrews, he's listed Abraham. Romans chapter 4, verse 11. We're in Hebrews 11, but Romans 4, 11 says he's the father of those who believe, a spiritual father of all believers. Uh, in the hall of faith, the hall of faith doesn't honor some people more than others, uh, but there's no denying his name is great in the game of faith. Uh, he's a legend in three world religions. Um, he has his own legendary song in children's ministry, Father Abraham. And I thought about singing it, but we're not gonna do it. Um I know later, later, over lunch. Um uh we read a story in Genesis 11 through 25, and we see uh really a hundred years of his life, of his 175-year life, and we'll spend about three weeks looking at him and his wife. Um, but let's jump into what Hebrews has to say, since that's our springboard for this study. Uh, Hebrews 11, verse 8. By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith, he dwelt in the land of promise, as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. So, three points we're gonna see here, and they're easy to find because it each verse has a point. Uh, number one, in verse eight, we'll see Abraham's initial step of faith. Verse nine, we'll see his lifelong stay of faith. Then in verse 10, uh, the ultimate site of his faith that'll be heaven, right? So, verse eight, we see uh the step of faith. Now, uh here it says in verse eight that Abraham obeyed. He called out, he went to a place which he'd receive, and he went out not knowing where he was going. This is the step of faith. Well, a step of faith is kind of a Christian cliche, right? I'm taking a step of faith, right? And um it's a good one, but it goes along with maybe what uh Chinese philosopher, I don't quote Chinese philosophers much, but Lao Tzu, which is also fun to say, uh, he said, or is said to have said, that the journey of a lifetime begins with a first step. And that's really what we see here. Abraham's account starts with a first step. Um, life is full of first steps, right? We're at that wonderful age with our grandson Gunner, where he has taken his first steps and finally he's he's done it. He's worked hard at it, he's done a lot of crawling, but he takes his first step and now he's stepping all over the place. And every time he takes a couple steps, because we've been so proud of him, he he starts to clap, like, okay, I did it. You know, I did it again. It's my first step all over again. And he gets the applause, and we're good with that. Uh, metaphorically and literally, life is filled with uh first steps. In Christian circles, we might call these ventures of faith or again, steps of faith. Uh, we see this in Abraham's life by turning back to Genesis chapter 10. Now you know you hold your place here in 11. We'll be back, but Genesis chapter 10 is where we find Abraham's account. In Genesis chapter 10, uh, we really see the in-between from the flood to Abraham's time. And there's uh another family tree here. A lot of names that are hard to say, uh, but in chapter 10, we see really Abraham's family tree. Notice verse 21. Uh we read, and children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber. So here we read Shem. Now you'll remember that Shem was one of Noah's sons, uh, one of his three sons, uh, Shem, and uh that's where we get the idea that Abraham's people are Shemetic, Semitic people, the Semitic people. If you're anti-Semitic, then you're against uh Shem's descendants, uh, and that's what that word means. Verse 24, somebody else of note in Abraham's family tree is not Arfaxad, uh, but Arfaxad begot Salah, and Selah begot Eber. Eber is another big name in Abraham's family tree. The people of that were descendant from Eber would eventually be known as the Hebrews. Uh well, the Hebrews, right? Uh, and that's where we get that idea from. Um, now, verse 25, we read that it was during his days that the world was divided. And perhaps this is mentioning something that happens later, uh, in the in, I think in chapter 10 or chapter 11, uh, the Tower of Babel. You remember how the world was divided. As they were building this tower, God frustrated their languages and they split up all over, just as God said, Um, be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. So the world was divided. And now, verse chapter 11, verses 10 through 32 fills some of the gaps here. And in verse 27 of chapter 11, this is the genealogy of Terah. Terah begot Abram. We see his name there before it was changed to Abraham. That's a different story. Nahor and Haran. Haran begot Lot, and Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldes. Then Abraham and Nahor took wives. The name of Abraham's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milkah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milkah, and the father of Iscah. But Sarah was barren. We'll see that next week. And she had no child. And Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, and the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, uh, his son Abram's wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldes to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to Haran and dwelt there. So the days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran. So here, verse 31 of chapter 11, Terah took Abram and Lot and went out of Ur. Well, why did they do that? Well, we see the answer in chapter 12, and that's when we get into Abraham's story proper, right? Chapter 12, verse 1. Now the Lord had said to Abram, Get out of your country from your family, from your father's house, to a land that I will show you, and I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you, and in you all the families of earth shall be blessed. So Abraham sets out at God's command there in verse one. Now, in what we just read in chapter 12, there's a lot to that promise, right? I will bless those that bless you, I'll curse those that curse you. In you, all the families of earth will be blessed. This is a reference to Jesus. Abraham, through you, the Messiah will come. And that's a huge promise. Now, all of these promises were things for the future, but it started with that first step in verse one. Uh notice he says, get out from your country. Uh, leave. Leave Ur, right? We find there that Abraham's place of origin was a place called Ur, a major Babylonian city, Chaldean city. It was a place of idolatry. Joshua uh chapter 24, verse 2 through 3 says that Abraham was an idol worshiper in Ur. Kind of the dirty truth there, right? When God found Abraham, he was worshiping idols. He was worshiping literally demons connected to those idols. Now that's good background for us because again, it shows us God can use an idol worshiper to become father of the faithful. He can use us. Uh, God's choices don't really make sense to us. Abraham was a full-blown sinner, right? An unlikely candidate for God to work through. And that's what God does. 1 Corinthians 1:27, he chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. He does things that we just don't understand. And here he takes an idol worshiper who has no idea, as far as we can tell, who this God is, and he calls him out. Uh, now we want to notice that he's 75 at this point, just in case some of us start to feel like we're getting a little too old for God to work in our lives. Um, well, it's never too late, right? As long as you have breath is always an opportunity for a new step of faith. Um, so this is where God calls him, and God calls him out. Now turn back to Hebrews chapter 11. I don't think we'll be back in Genesis today, but you can read, just start going through Abraham's account there in Genesis. Uh, it'll be worth your time for sure. But chapter 11, verse 8. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called out to a place which he would receive as an inheritance, and he went out not knowing where he was going. This is huge, isn't it? Uh, as far as even a road trip goes, right? Uh uh, the couples here. We all know, families here, we all know when you go on a trip, you want to know where you're going. Well, Abraham's called out, and he has no idea where he's going. God didn't tell him that. But it took a first step, a first step out of Ur, uh, a first step out of his comfort zone. And we picture that first step. I picture it like a movie, right? We go slow motion as Abraham takes that first step, and it's like thunderous, you know, that first step. And the dust just kind of, you know, billows out there from that first step. And it's huge. Now, I think this also has something to say about Sarah's faith. Uh, she trusted God, and in that, she trusted her husband. But just think about it, that's a big deal to leave your house not having any clue where you're going. Um, and and that is the step of faith. The step of faith is to an unknown destination. He's moved not by sight or insight, but by a simple leading of God. What was it like? Was it audible? The clouds parted. Abraham, leave your country and the place and go to a place that I will show you. Was it just an impression on his heart? Like he just felt like, man, I need to get out of here. Uh uh was what was it? It was, I don't know, but it was a leading to a first step, and boom, he's working, he's walking by faith. Um, sometimes we understand God's leading, and usually we don't. Think about that. Sometimes we understand God's leading in our life, but usually we don't. Acts chapter 8, we read about a guy named Philip, and all God tells Philip there in the book of Acts is go to the south. This is desert. Just go to the south. And and when he gets that call, he has no idea what comes next. But as he goes, God continues to lead him. He meets a guy from Ethiopia, he shares the truth from the book of Isaiah with him. The man believes and is baptized, and the church in Samaria is started through that simple step of faith. Go down to the south. Peter in Acts chapter 10 is praying on the roof. He has this weird vision of a sheet and these unclean animals, and God saying, Peter, kill and eat, you know, and and he doesn't get it, he doesn't understand it. And then God says, somebody's knocking at your door. When they do, go with them. That's all he gets. That's all he knows about this step of faith is go with this person. And he goes to the house of Cornelius the Centurion and the church to the Gentiles. The gospel goes to the Gentiles through that step of faith. Um, I see that in my own life. And bear with me with some personal testimony, but I wanted to share a couple of these because they're just things that happen in your heart. In September of 1991, I was in a chapel service uh there at a Bible college I was going to, and through a course of events, just found myself spending time with God. And he just said, just that moment, I'm a year out of high school, and God really speaks to my heart. Are you gonna do this? Or are you just gonna kind of go through the motions? You want to walk with me or not? And for whatever reason, in my heart, I said, Yeah, God, we'll do it. And it was in that moment he gave me a heart for youth ministry and ministry and just teaching. It's not anything that felt natural to me, but it's what he led me to. In 1992, 93. I thought about this one this morning. Um, I had a leading on my heart to write letters to people that I hadn't talked to in a while. Who writes letters? Well, in 1992, we put it off on the Pony Express and it would go to its destination, you know. Uh no, not quite. But and I just felt like writing letters to people that I hadn't talked to in a while. A couple friends and one friend, Leela Hofchee. I decided I hadn't talked to her in about a year. I just wanted to write her. And so I did. And the rest is history, right? Uh, because of that, just weird leading, man, just write some letters to people. Um a little later, we had an opportunity to go to uh East County, San Diego, a place called Santee. And you know, I just was ready. I was ready to go out and be a youth pastor, and I felt like, and I went there and it was a really rough time. It felt like a mistake from the very get-go. My wife saw it first, like this is a mistake. This is like a week into it, and and we really had a hard time in that place, but we had gone. I felt like it was a thing to do. And I've told the story to many of you. If it wasn't for that time in Santee, California, all four of my kids would not have been in our family. And and I can explain that to you over lunch if you want, but if it wasn't for that, my life would be so much different. Well, in 2005, and I don't have too many more, I promise. Um, 2005, I got a call from my friend Jason Duff. I remember driving on the Coast Freeway there, and and he said, Hey, I don't know. I just want you to pray about it. Would you pray about coming to Texas? And all in an instant, in one instant, I said, I know I the spiritual answer is I'll pray about it, but I just really feel like that's what I want to do. I didn't ask Leela, that's not the way it should go down, by the way. I just said, you know, I think I'm gonna say yes. He's like, we'll pray about it. I said, yeah, but I'm gonna say yes. And I did, and I have zero regrets. I am so glad I did. Last one, 2014, for various reasons. I knew it was time to step down from youth ministry. I look back at my pictures, it was July 6, 2014, and I stepped down and I thought, you know what? I'm doing this, but I may never teach the Bible again. I mean, I don't know what God wants. And and that was 11 years ago in November, and we just started teaching a little Bible study here. And I have absolutely loved it. I love it every time. Uh, and and I just wanted to put all those things out. Those things just happen as God moves in your heart. Just little things. Write a letter. Uh move your family. That's not a little thing, but you know, move your family. But whatever it is that God leads, whether it makes sense, whether we have all the information or not, that's what uh you want to do. So even this week, the little things, maybe God will move you to do something simple like that. Maybe it's to move your family, maybe it's to stay where you are. That can be a calling too, to stay right where you're at. Whatever it is, it's that by faith we trust God. Um, now in that, we always want to trust God with a loose grip. God, if you want to change my direction now that I've moved, you go ahead and do it. But uh, it is that step of faith. Now look at verse 9. Back to Hebrews 11, verse 9. It's a stay of faith. By faith, he dwelt in the land, he lived in the land, he stayed right there in the land. Um, God promised Abraham the land, and and the promise still stands for Abraham's descendants. But God promised him the land, and by faith he dwelt in it. Now, I think in this story, as God has given Abraham the land, I think a better way to look at this would be Abraham going into the land. He takes a flag with the big Abraham on it, or something, I don't know what, and and he just puts it on the land and says, This land is for me and my descendants forever. And he claims it and he builds a house and he establishes a fortress there, you know. That's the way I would see it. But what do we read here? That Abraham dwelt in the land as in a foreign country, he dwelt in tents, they were strangers. We read a little later. They were sojourners. He was a nomad, right? And wandered through the land. Um, he had a loose grip on the promised land, even though it was in fact his. Uh Genesis 12, Genesis 15, both times where God specifically promises him the land, but he had a loose grip on it. Now, he stayed in the land, but but it was a loose grip. And that's a good picture for us, the grip that we have on even this world, right? It's a little different story, but it's a loose grip on the world. We're supposed to live the same way that Abraham did as pilgrims, we're told, as sojourners. This world is not our home. We'll consider that in our next point as well. But but look, look at verse 13 there in Hebrews chapter 11. Summing up kind of Abraham's generation, it says this these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them, and confess that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly, if they are called, if they called to mind the country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. So living in light of eternity, which is what we'll talk about in our next point, but living in light of eternity influenced the way that they lived here and now. They were pilgrims and strangers and foreigners. The world was not their home. Now, that is especially for us. This is a wonderful world that we're put in here. I mean, we look around just to be outside and go, man, God, why did you make it so good? And by the way, this is the fallen world, right? In Genesis chapter three, creation fell. And we look around and we go, this is so beautiful, God. The things that you made, they're so wonderful. And why? Well, we get to enjoy them. And there's so much to enjoy in this world. The benefits of this life, so many ways we can enjoy the benefits of this life that God has given us. Um, but we cannot consider it our home. Uh, this is the mentality of staying that Abraham had. Um, he lived as a stranger in that land, and this world ought to seem a little strange to us at the same time. We'll never be at home until we get to heaven. And that leads us to verse 10. Chap uh Hebrews 11, verse 10. He waited for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. He waited. That word wait there is to wait with expectation, right? He waited knowing something better was coming. Um, he waited for the city that has foundations, whose builder, designer, architect, um, and maker, the fabricator is God. We're talking about heaven, right? Heaven is the ultimate reality. Heaven is in so many ways more real than even Earth. One of my favorite books, C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce. Um, he presents Earth compared to heaven as almost like a ghost town, literally, like a ghostly kind of just shadowy kind of town, not even real compared to the reality of heaven. Uh, Keith Green, uh a Christian artist from I think the 70s, 80s, he said that going to heaven will be like waking up from the longest dream. How real it seemed. And I really do think that when we look at heaven, when we finally get there, we'll go, man, what was that earth stuff all about? 70 years, 80 years, 90 years? What was that all about, anyways? It's almost like a dream. And here's the reality of heaven. So, in light of that, the reality is heaven. If we're gonna put stock anywhere, it ought to be heaven, not here. Again, enjoy this life, you know, investing, not bad, but investing in heaven is what we ought to do. Invest in the things that we can take to heaven. Now, listen, the things that you can take to heaven, what can you take to heaven? The only things you can take to heaven are one, your relationship with God. You can take that to heaven, it'll continue on like it never stopped. Relationship with God started here, it goes right on through into heaven. It's wonderful. No change. Invest in your relationship with God, spend time with him, trust him daily in prayer. Uh, what else can you take to heaven? Only one other thing that I can think of that you can take to heaven, souls, people. People are the only things you can take to heaven. Paul said, I think it was about the Corinthians, you're my treasure, you're my crown. And the crown that I really have is you in the presence of God one day. And Paul looked at it and went, You're really my treasure, and I want to see there. That's a great way to look at people. The only thing we can take to heaven, our relationship with God and people and our family, our neighbors, our work, wherever we're at, our friends, people we don't even know. Bring them along, invest and lay up treasure in heaven. Um, Jesus said that. And and and so Abraham did that. You know, he had this step of faith. He had this stay of faith where he lived in this land, but it wasn't his home. And his ultimate investment was heaven. Now, check it out. That's a choice. To live that way is a choice. Abraham, he was an idol worshiper from Ur. Not a whole lot going for him, right? An idol worshiper from Ur. He was a sinner just like you and me. You and I, us, he was a sinner like we are. Um, and and and yet he had this opportunity to live by faith. And this week, of course, I say it every time. This week, we have the opportunity to live by these things. Think of ways that you can live by faith this week. Stepping out, maybe honestly, maybe it's something just totally random. God tugs on your heart. Hey, invite that person to lunch, you know, tugs on your heart, you know, write a letter, text, an email. You know, maybe it's a sin that we need to deal with. And God just says, you know what, deal with it this week. Step out in faith and let go of that sin. Um, stepping by faith is something we ought to look to do. And I encourage you, don't be afraid to do it. Continue to stay in this world as long as God has you here. But a loose grip is what we need on the things of this world, a loose grip. But the ultimate site is heaven. We would say it's living in light of eternity, it's an eternal perspective. God, the things that matter, it's my relationship with you and it's people. God help me to invest in the things that matter. Uh, the life of faith. God, thank you so much. God, just thank you for using normal people like us. We look at Abraham and we'll see his flaws and his failures uh next time. But but God, he was just an average person the way we are, flesh and blood. He had concerns and and dreams and desires and all these things, and yet, God, you stepped into his life and you said, Go, go where I'm showing you. I'll tell you. God, you encouraged him to a real step of faith. And and uh, although it was one step, the consequences of that step of faith were huge. God, we have no idea what the little things can do in our lives and in the lives of others. God, help us this week to live by faith, to just step out and see what you might do. As we open our mouth or as we uh write a letter, whatever it is you call us to do, help us to have the faith to do those things. God, I also pray that we would have a right grip on the things of this world. We'd enjoy them. Enjoy this wonderful, beautiful life that you've given us. But God, it's not the end, and it's not the main thing. But being with you one day is. So, God, help us to live with an eternal perspective. God, I pray that you would work these things into our heart even today. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.