Keep Running
Message Notes and Questions
John Harris
May 25, 2025

May 25, 2025
John Harris

Keep Running

Hebrews 12:1-3

Keep running your

of , no matter what or you might face.


Three Things to Help You Keep Running:

  1. from other .

  2. for the race.

  3. to finish the race.

lifegroupdiscussion.png

  1. Share stories in your group to determine who has walked or ran the furthest at one time?

  2. Read Hebrews 12:1-3. The call to “run with endurance” suggests a marathon rather than a sprint. In what ways have you experienced the temptation toward “sprint spirituality”—expecting quick spiritual highs or immediate results? How might embracing the marathon mindset change your expectations and approach to spiritual growth?

  3. The passage speaks of being “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.” When you think about the faithful people who have gone before you—whether biblical figures, family members, or mentors—how does their example encourage you in your own spiritual journey? What testimony of faithfulness or qualities about their life speaks most powerfully to your heart right now?

  4. The sermon distinguishes between “weights” (good things that hinder our spiritual progress) and “sins that cling closely.” As you reflect honestly on your own life, what good activities or commitments might have become spiritual weights for you? How can we discern when something beneficial is actually hindering our ability to run well?

  5. We’re called to run “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” What does it practically look like to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus during the ordinary, difficult, or mundane seasons of life? When do you find your gaze most likely to drift, and what helps you refocus?

  6. Notice the communal language: “let us run” rather than “you run.” How has Christian community been essential in your own spiritual race? In what ways can we better encourage one another when someone is struggling with weariness or discouragement?

  7. Jesus “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame.” The joy beyond the suffering motivated His endurance. As you consider your own challenges and struggles, how might focusing on the “joy set before you” provide strength for endurance? What promises or hopes sustain you in difficult times?

  8. Verse 3 acknowledges that we can “grow weary” or become “fainthearted.” Without judgment toward yourself or others, when have you felt most tempted to give up in your faith journey? What has helped you or others you know to persevere through those seasons?

  9. Based on this passage and your group’s discussion, what is one specific way you sense God inviting you to “run” more faithfully this week? This might involve laying aside a weight, drawing encouragement from the witnesses, or refocusing on Jesus in a particular area of your life.