September 8-12

Out With the Old, In With the New

“But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.” — (Hebrews 8:6, ESV)

In 2007, Apple released the first iPhone, and suddenly flip phones seemed ancient. People joked about how they ever managed with tiny screens and buttons. Something better had come, and it completely changed the way we live. Now it seems impossible to keep up with all the new versions.

That’s the heartbeat of Hebrews 8: God has brought something far better than the old covenant. The old system of priests, sacrifices, and temple rituals had a purpose, but it was never the final solution. It was a shadow pointing forward to Jesus, who mediates a new covenant built on better promises.

This new covenant doesn’t just give us rules to follow; it gives us a relationship with God. It doesn’t just cover sin temporarily; it forgives sin completely. It doesn’t just instruct us outwardly; it transforms us inwardly. Through Christ, God has given us what the old could never accomplish: lasting salvation and true fellowship with Him.

Reflection Questions:
1. What are some “old ways” you may be tempted to cling to instead of resting in the new covenant of Christ?
2. How does the “better promise” of Jesus give you confidence today?

Suggested Prayer:
Father, thank You for sending Jesus to give us a better covenant. Help me to let go of the old and fully embrace the new life He provides. Amen.

We Are Transformed Inwardly

“I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” — (Hebrews 8:10, ESV)

A man once taped a sticky note to his refrigerator that said, “Eat healthy.” Weeks later, the note was still there, but the freezer was full of ice cream sandwiches. Rules on the outside don’t always change behavior on the inside.

That’s why God promised something new. Under the old covenant, the law was external; written on stone tablets, carried in scrolls, and enforced by priests. But in the new covenant, God writes His law directly on our hearts. Transformation isn’t just about obeying rules; it’s about receiving a new nature that delights in God’s will.

Through the Holy Spirit, God does inside of us what we could never accomplish on our own. He reshapes our desires, renews our thinking, and reforms our loves. That’s why real Christianity isn’t about striving harder to look religious; it’s about being inwardly changed by the Spirit of Christ.

Reflection Questions:
1. Where do you see God’s Spirit reshaping your desires in ways you couldn’t have done on your own?
2. Why is inner transformation more powerful than outward rule-keeping?

Suggested Prayer:
Lord, thank You for writing Your Word on my heart. Keep shaping my desires so I love what You love and walk in Your ways. Amen.

We Can Know God Personally

“And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.” — (Hebrews 8:11, ESV)

In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed away, and the world mourned. Many people admired her, but very few actually knew her. You could watch interviews, read books, or even attend an event, but knowing about someone is not the same as knowing them personally.

The beauty of the new covenant is this: every believer can know God personally. Under the old system, access to God was mediated through priests and rituals. Ordinary people couldn’t walk into the Most Holy Place. But through Christ, the veil has been torn, and every believer, from the least to the greatest, has personal access to God Himself.

This means your relationship with God is not second-hand or dependent on someone else’s spiritual life. By faith in Jesus, you can speak to Him in prayer, hear Him in His Word, and walk with Him daily.

Reflection Questions:
1. Do you know God personally, or do you simply know about Him?
2. How can you grow deeper in your personal relationship with God this week?

Suggested Prayer:
Father, thank You that I can know You personally through Jesus. Draw me closer each day so my walk with You grows deeper and richer. Amen.

We Can Be Forgiven Completely

“For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” — (Hebrews 8:12, ESV)

During a press conference in 2015, NFL quarterback Tom Brady was asked about “Deflategate.” He sighed and said, “I don’t remember.” The media had a field day, replaying the clip endlessly. The problem is, when humans say “I don’t remember,” we usually do.

But when God says, “I will remember their sins no more,” He means it. Through Christ, our sins are not just covered temporarily; they are forgiven completely. God chooses not to hold them against us. The slate is wiped clean, and the guilt is gone.

This is the heart of the gospel: no matter how great the sin, God’s mercy is greater still. In Christ, forgiveness isn’t partial or probationary; it’s full and final. That truth gives us freedom to walk not in shame, but in gratitude and joy.

Reflection Questions:
1. Do you struggle to believe that God has completely forgiven you? Why or why not?
2. How should living as a forgiven person shape the way you treat others?

Suggested Prayer:
Lord, thank You that in Christ, my sins are remembered no more. Help me live with freedom and extend that same forgiveness to others. Amen.

God Provided Something Better Through His Son

“Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven.” — (Hebrews 8:1, ESV)

In 2020, SpaceX launched astronauts into orbit from U.S. soil for the first time in nearly a decade. The astronauts said the moment they docked safely at the International Space Station, they felt an overwhelming relief that someone had provided the technology to carry them where they could never go on their own.

That’s what Jesus has done for us. Hebrews says He is seated at the right hand of God’s throne, interceding for us, mediating a new covenant by His own sacrifice. Where priests once had to offer endless sacrifices in an earthly temple, Jesus offered Himself once for all and then sat down His work complete.

Why does it matter? Salvation is not about what we can provide for God, but about what God has provided for us in Christ. He is the better priest, the better sacrifice, and the better covenant. Out with the old, in with the new. Jesus has made the way to God open forever.

Reflection Questions:
1. How does Jesus’ finished work give you confidence in your salvation?
2. What does it mean to you that Jesus is seated at God’s right hand today?

Suggested Prayer:
Father, thank You for providing salvation through Your Son. Help me to rest in His finished work and live with joy in the new covenant. Amen.