Dig Deeper - Sunday 18th May

Sermon Reflection Questions - Courage for the Journey: Trusting God with the Unknown

Hebrews 11:8–16

Link to service

Dig Deeper notes from Sunday 18th May service:

Summary

We all like certainty. We like knowing where we’re going, how long it will take, and what the outcome will be. Recently I read about a mystery holiday competition where people packed a suitcase, boarded a plane, and had no idea where they were going. For some it was exciting; for others, unsettling. Most of us prefer control.

Hebrews 11 presents a very different journey - faith instead of certainty. At the centre is Abraham, called to trust God into the unknown.

Faith obeys without full clarity

“By faith Abraham… obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). God simply says, “Go… to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12). No map, no timeline, no full explanation - just a promise.

Faith often works like that: obedience before clarity. Noah builds before rain, Moses walks before the sea parts, Peter steps out before the water holds him. The question is not whether Abraham knew the destination, but whether he trusted the One who led him. That same question is ours today.

Faith continues when life feels unsettled

Hebrews 11:9 says Abraham lived “like a stranger… he lived in tents.” Even in the promised land, life remains temporary.

Faith does not remove uncertainty - it sustains us within it. Many of us know this: waiting, grief, instability, unanswered questions. Faith is continuing to trust God when life is not simple. Sometimes the hardest faith is not starting the journey, but continuing it.

Faith trusts promises not yet seen

“They did not receive the things promised… they only saw them from a distance” (Hebrews 11:13). Faith lives between promise and fulfilment. Like tracking a parcel, we know it is coming, but it hasn’t arrived yet.

Waiting is not wasted time. Faith is trusting God’s character when we don’t yet see His timing. At the cross and resurrection, we see this most clearly: what looked like defeat became victory.

Faith remembers where we truly belong

“They were longing for a better country - a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16). Abraham looks for “the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

This world is not our final home. C.S. Lewis said our deepest longings point beyond this world. Nothing here fully satisfies because we were made for more. And then this grace-filled line: “God is not ashamed to be called their God.” Despite weakness and failure, God holds onto His people.

Our hope is not the strength of our faith, but the strength of God’s faithfulness.

We all walk into unknowns. We want control, but Hebrews 11 shows the Christian life is not about having answers - it is about trusting the One who does.

Abraham didn’t know where he was going, lived in tents, and waited for promises he never fully saw. Yet he kept going - because he trusted God.

We stand on the other side of the cross and resurrection. Jesus has already gone through suffering and death and come out in victory. So, the future is not fear - it is hope.

Perhaps God is saying today: take the next step, keep trusting Me, don’t let fear have the final word.

Faith is not perfect certainty. It is courage to trust God with the unknown.

Questions to pause for reflection/group discussion:

1.           Where am I most tempted to demand certainty before trusting God?

2.           What might the “next step” of obedience be for me this week?

3.           Where do I feel I am in a “tent season” of uncertainty?

4.           How does God’s eternal promise reshape my current struggles?

5.           What helps me keep trusting when answers are delayed?

6.           How do the cross and resurrection strengthen my faith today?

A Short Prayer

Lord God,
Thank You that You are faithful even when we cannot see the full picture. Help us to trust You with the unknowns we are carrying today. Give us courage to take the next step, even when the path ahead feels unclear. When we are tempted to fear, remind us that You are already there. Strengthen our faith when it feels small. Sustain us when life feels uncertain. And lift our eyes to the hope of Your eternal kingdom, where all things will be made new.

We choose today to trust You - not because we understand everything, but because we know You are good.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.