Hello my friend Dr. Brad Miller here with the Daily Bible Refresh.

This is your daily reading of the Bible from a progressive point of view.

In a bit I will read the New Testament lessons selected from the Revised Common Lectionary for this very day.

The reading is understandable.

I use the message version relatable.

Please listen to the points to ponder and applicable with action steps you can take.

We pray and are done in less than 10 minutes.

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Here's today's reading and today's reading is From Hebrews chapter 11, verses 32 through chapter 123 from the Message I could go on and on, but I've run out of time.

There are so many more.

Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets.

Through acts of faith they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves.

They were protected from lions, fires and sword thrusts, turned disadvantaged to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies.

Women received their loved ones back from the dead.

There were those who under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better, resurrection.

Others braved abuse, whips and yes, chains in dungeons.

We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in too, murdered in cold blood.

Stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless.

The world didn't deserve them making their way as best they could in the cruel edges of the world.

Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised.

God had a better plan for us, that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed world, one completed whole.

Their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.

Discipline in a long distance Race do you see what this means?

All these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on.

It means we better get on with it, strip down, start running and never quit.

No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.

Human, keep your eyes on Jesus who both began and finished his race.

We're in.

Study how he did it because he never lost sight of where he was headed.

That exhilarating finish in and with God.

He could put up with anything along the way, cross, shame, whatever.

And now he's there in the place of honor, right alongside God when you find yourself flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through that would shoot adrenaline into your souls.

That ends the readings.

My friends and I just want to thank you for spending a few minutes with me here today as we discuss this incredible message here.

It's a.

This story here is a.

Just a whirlwind of names and stories about courage and losses and resilience.

And then there's that beautiful coaching line, like a coach would give you if you're involved with athletics or a band or something like that.

Strip down, start running, never quit.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, keep your eyes on the prize.

And if we're honest, though, these stories are hard.

They're about violence and torture and homelessness.

And the writer here doesn't romanticize suffering.

Instead, they say the world didn't deserve people who kept choosing faith on the cruel edges.

Then they handed the baton, as it were, to us.

So let's consider three points to ponder.

Fourth is that faith is communal courage, not solo heroics.

It says there, plural, there, faith and our faith come together to make one completed whole.

Progressive faith resists the lone wolf narrative.

It's a choir, not a solo.

It's mutual aid, it's public health, it's climate care, it's neighborhood solidarity.

And my weekly podcast I do with people impacted by cancer.

It's one of the ways I see this.

People who are together do better.

No one runs this race alone.

We carry each other meals, rides, text, humor.

All these things come together.

Another point to ponder is read the hard stories ethically, protect the vulnerable, pursue justice.

Hebrews in this passage where he names people who endured brutal harm.

A progressive faith refuses to sanctify violence or shame.

We honor bodies, consent, and the truth that God sides with the wounded and the wanderers.

The goal isn't glorifying pain, it's insisting on justice and care so fewer people live on the cruel edges.

That kind of looks like policies and practices that have equity in health care, safe housing in communities where every person's dignity is non negotiable.

One more point to ponder.

It's run light, drop what weighs you down and what builds up no extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins, is what it says here from a progressive lens.

That includes shedding cynicism, indifference and theologies that harm racism, sexism, transphobia, ableism, and adding solidarity, rest, joy, accountability.

My wife and I love to hike in the woods, and sometimes we take longer hikes, but even then we pack light and don't carry a lot of stuff with us so that the trek, the journey is more joyful.

That is what this is all about.

Lighten the load.

Here's an action step for this week.

Run light and cheer loud.

Drop one weight that is one habit or belief that drains you Dreamscholing isolating harsh self talk.

Set a small boundary 10 minutes off the feed A kindred a kinder statement to make.

Maybe you take a walk and then add one supporting thing to do.

Text someone who's in a long race, like someone going through some long term cancer treatment or on a job hunt or someone who's not being able to have a baby, who wants to have one and offer specific help.

Can I be helpful?

Can I bring dinner?

Can I want to take a walk together?

Can I sit with you during an appointment?

Things that you practically can do.

We're going to come back and have a prayer here in just a minute, but before we do, I want to share with you that we have a great resource for you.

It's called the ABC 123 Bible Study Method.

Hope that you'll tune into that at our website, voiceofgod daily.com so let's pray.

Jesus, runner and coach of our souls, teaches to run light and love heavy.

When the road curves and our courage thins, gather us in the cloud of witnesses, friends and family, caregivers and communities.

Protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded.

Turn our faith in the public Good meals, shared policies change, hope embodied.

Be close to those navigating illness, treatment, grief and long nights.

Give a steady breath, gentle humor and the next step to take.

Keep our eyes on you True from start to finish.

Amen.

My friend, I am delighted you chose to join me for today's reading.

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Thanks much.

My name is Dr. Brad Miller and I'll be right here tomorrow with your Daily Bible Refresh.

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Remember, God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up.

It's created new every morning.