{"id":3069,"date":"2026-06-22T15:03:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T15:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/?page_id=3069"},"modified":"2026-06-22T15:03:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T15:03:32","slug":"the-faith-of-our-fathers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/the-faith-of-our-fathers\/","title":{"rendered":"THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hebrews 11:1\u201340; Hebrews 12:1\u20132 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, I want to talk with you about faith \u2014 the faith we have received, the faith entrusted to us, and the responsibility we have to steward it well. In essence, I want us to consider how we will handle the inheritance that has been placed in our hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, when most people hear the word inheritance, they immediately think about wealth. They think about money, property, investments, family heirlooms, and other possessions\u2026that are passed from one generation to another. And that makes sense. Because, when people work hard, and save carefully, they often want to leave something good to their sons and daughters (and those who come after them).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One example of this is found in the story of the late Ty Cobb.<\/strong> Some of you will be familiar with that name. He was one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He played the game during in the early 1900s and spent most of his career with the Detroit Tigers. He was a fierce competitor, noted for stealing bases 892 times. He had nearly 4200 hits, he scored 2,245 times, he had a batting average of .367, he won 12 batting titles, and he was the very first player ever inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During his lifetime, Cobb became one of the most recognizable athletes in America. He was the kind of guy that men respected and boys wanted to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What most people don’t know is that his success off the field was just as great as his success on the field.After his playing days were over, he became an incredibly respected businessman. And through wise stewardship and careful investment, he accumulated a significant fortune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when he died (in 1961), he left the three-quarters of his estate (worth nearly 12 million dollars), to his children and grandchildren, and one-quarter to an Educational Foundation he had founded.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, most people would look at that and say, \u201cWow! What a legacy.\u201d <\/em>And they would be right!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is something honorable about leaving resources behind to bless those who follow us. But as valuable as that kind of inheritance may be, there is an even greater inheritance we can leave to those we love. And, it\u2019s a legacy of FAITH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what I want us to consider on this Father\u2019s Day: what it means to receive an inheritance of faith, and what it means to leave one for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve titled this message, The Faith of Our Fathers<\/strong>, and I want to look with you at Hebrews 11 and 12.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if you have your Bible, turn with me to Hebrews 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My hope is that what we\u2019re about to study will empower you to live with a faith that honors God and impacts those who will follow you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, my first challenge, is this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Remember the Faith Behind You.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I were to put this in the form of a question, it would be this: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who has helped you get to where you are today? <\/strong>(spiritually speaking)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hebrews 11 reminds us that there\u2019s a long list of people who have come before us. But it begins by defining faith for us. As the writer of Hebrews<\/strong> says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.\u201d <\/em>\u2014 Hebrews 11:1\u20132 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That phrase, \u201cthe ancients,\u201d<\/em> (other versions say, \u201cthe people of old\u201d<\/em>),is really important. The writer is pointing us back to those who trusted God before us. He is reminding us that faith did not begin with you or me. We did not invent it. Faith has been lived, modeled, tested, proven, and passed from one generation to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout this chapter we read some amazing stories. At first glance, it looks like a list of spiritual heroes, but that\u2019s not what it is! Not because of their greatness<\/strong>, but because of their faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, the writer tells us, they lived \u201cby faith.\u201d<\/em>  We\u2019re told:<\/p>\n\n\n\n