“Encourage One Another”

Church family, last week Jesus told us, “Love one another.” If love is the culture of a church, encouragement is the oxygen. And Hebrews 10 tells us where that oxygen comes from.

Because we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus… and since we have a great priest over the house of God— Hebrews 10:23–25 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Have you ever had one of those weeks when everything just seems heavier than usual? The coffee’s not strong enough, the deadlines keep coming, the kids have more activities than hours in the day—and by Thursday you feel like your soul’s battery light is blinking red. You don’t need a lecture in that moment—you need someone to look you in the eye and say, “Hey, you’re not alone. Keep going.”

Encouragement is like jumper cables for the heart—power borrowed from another source so you can move again.

The believers in the book of Hebrews knew what that felt like. They were tired, pressured, some of them persecuted. They’d followed Jesus faithfully, but life had worn them thin. And the writer says to them, “Hold fast… stir one another up… don’t give up meeting together.” In other words, don’t stop cheering for each other.

If you think about it, our world doesn’t offer much of that. News headlines divide us. Online voices tear down more than they build up. And even in the church, discouragement can quietly take root. But what if Fannin Terrace became known as a place where people walk in weary and walk out renewed?

That’s what this passage is about. God calls his church to be a community of courage—people who receive encouragement from Christ and then give it away.

If we’re honest, church family, encouragement sounds easy until you actually need it.

When everything’s going well, it’s simple to say, “God is good.” But when life hits hard—when the test results aren’t what you hoped, when the bills keep piling up, when that prayer you’ve prayed for years still feels unanswered—that’s when courage starts to leak out of your soul.

Discouragement has a way of sneaking up on all of us. It’s not always dramatic—it’s often slow, quiet, ordinary. For some, it’s the exhaustion of long days and short nights. For others, it’s loneliness that doesn’t go away even when you’re surrounded by people. And sometimes, it’s the weight of past hurt that keeps whispering, “Don’t trust too deeply again.”

In a town like ours, we’ve learned to push through. That West Texas grit runs deep—we’re used to hard work and self-reliance. But if we’re not careful, that same independence that helps us survive can also keep us from reaching out for help. We smile and say, “I’m fine,” when deep down we’re running on fumes.

And for some in our church, that weariness isn’t just about life—it’s about faith. Maybe you were wounded by another Christian or a former leader. Maybe you’ve been trying to serve faithfully but you feel unseen. Maybe it’s been a long time since you’ve truly felt refreshed in your walk with God.

That’s why Hebrews speaks so powerfully to us. God knows his people get tired. He knows our courage fades. And he doesn’t scold us for it—he surrounds us with one another to lift our eyes back to him.

Hold Fast to the Hope We Have

The writer of Hebrews begins this passage with a call to courage: Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”

That’s where encouragement begins—not with our feelings, but with our foundation.

Before we can encourage one another, we have to remember what we’re holding on to.

Now, notice the wording. He doesn’t say, “Hold fast to your strength,” or “Hold fast to your positivity.” He says, “Hold fast to your hope.” Hope is the anchor of encouragement.

And that hope isn’t wishful thinking—it’s the settled confidence that Jesus keeps his promises.

We live in a world full of things that promise stability but can’t deliver it. Jobs change, markets shift, oil prices rise and fall, people come and go. But this verse reminds us there is one anchor that never moves: “He who promised is faithful.”

That means your hope doesn’t depend on your circumstances—it depends on your Savior.

You see, the people in Hebrews were tempted to let go. Their faith had cost them. Some had lost property, some friendships, some security. And the writer doesn’t tell them, “Cheer up,” or “Be strong.” He says, “Hold fast.”

Sometimes that’s all faith looks like—just holding on when it would be easier to let go.

And if you think about it, we know what that’s like. Out here in West Texas, we’ve all seen what happens when the wind starts howling and dust starts flying. If you’re not anchored to something solid, you’re going to get tossed. Encouragement is like that—when the winds of life pick up, you need to be tied down to something stronger than you.

And the good news is, our hope in Christ holds firm even when our grip feels weak.

A few years ago, I was at the main recreation center at Baylor University. There’s so many things there, to include a rock climbing wall. I watched a dad teaching his little boy to climb the rock wall. The boy got scared about halfway up. He yelled, “Dad, I can’t hold on!” And his dad said, “You don’t have to. I’ve got you.”

That’s the gospel.

When your strength fades, God’s faithfulness holds. When your grip loosens, his grace doesn’t.

That’s why we gather—to remind one another that God’s still faithful. Because discouragement makes us forget what’s true, and encouragement helps us remember.

Maybe you’ve been through a season where you feel like you’re hanging by a thread. You’ve prayed, you’ve served, and you’re wondering if anything’s changing. Let this verse breathe life into you again: “He who promised is faithful.”

He was faithful when he called Abraham and kept his covenant.

He was faithful when he brought Israel through the wilderness.

He was faithful when he sent his Son to the cross and raised him from the dead.

And he’ll be faithful to you, too.

So, loved ones, before we ever try to lift someone else up, we have to let God steady us. Encouragement isn’t about pretending everything’s fine—it’s about remembering who’s faithful.

And when a church family holds fast to that hope, we become the kind of place where weary people can catch their breath again.

Because the truth is, people don’t just need to hear, “You can do it.” They need to hear, “God’s got you. He’s not done. You’re not forgotten.”

That’s where encouragement begins—holding fast to the hope we have, because he who promised is faithful.

Stir Up One Another to Love and Good Works

After telling us to hold fast to our hope, the writer of Hebrews shifts our focus outward. Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”

If the first verse is about holding on, this one’s about reaching out.

Now, I love that word consider. It means “to think carefully, to give attention to.” Encouragement doesn’t just happen accidentally—it takes intention. The writer’s saying, “Put some thought into how you can encourage people.”

We plan all kinds of things in life—meals, trips, football schedules, even grocery lists. But when was the last time we planned how to stir someone else up to love and good works?

I love how this passage pictures the church. It’s not a bunch of people sitting quietly in rows—it’s a family intentionally thinking about how to help each other stay faithful.

The phrase “stir up” literally means “to provoke” or “to spur.” And that’s a good word for West Texas, isn’t it? Anyone who’s ever ridden a horse knows that a spur isn’t meant to harm—it’s meant to nudge. It gets things moving in the right direction.

That’s what encouragement does. It gently provokes people toward love and good works. Sometimes that means lifting them up when they’re down. Sometimes it means challenging them when they’ve gotten comfortable. Either way, encouragement gets people moving again.

Now, you and I both know—discouragement spreads quickly. But so does encouragement. It’s contagious. When one person starts speaking life, hope starts to rise around them. When one small group starts serving together, others start asking, “How can we help too?”

Church family, encouragement is spiritual CPR—it keeps hearts beating for Jesus.

Think about how powerful that can be. A kind word at the right time, a handwritten note, a text message that says, “I see you, and I’m praying for you.” Those things may seem small, but God can use them in eternal ways.

I remember hearing about a coach who told his players, “You never know whose tank is empty. That’s why you should encourage everybody you meet.” That’s not just good leadership advice—that’s biblical discipleship.

When we “stir up one another to love and good works,” we’re saying, “I care too much to let you drift.”

Now, let’s be real—encouragement doesn’t always come naturally. Sometimes we assume someone else will say it, or we think, “They probably already know.” But most people don’t. Most people are starving for one word of affirmation.

Parents, your kids need to hear that you’re proud of them.

Spouses, your husband or wife needs to hear that you see their effort.

Friends, that person you haven’t seen in a while needs to know they still matter.

Encouragement doesn’t cost us anything but time—and yet it can change someone’s day, or even their direction.

And the church that lives this way—the one that intentionally stirs each other up—becomes irresistible to a weary world.

When we hold fast to hope (Hebrews 10:23) and stir up one another (Hebrews 10:24), the love of Christ becomes visible. People start noticing a difference. They sense joy that can’t be explained by circumstances. They see lives that shine brighter together than they ever could alone.

That’s the beauty of encouragement. It doesn’t just lift people up—it moves the whole church forward.

Don’t Give Up Meeting Together

Hebrews 10:25 says “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

If verse 23 tells us to hold fast, and verse 24 tells us to stir up, then verse 25 tells us how to keep doing both: don’t give up meeting together.

Now, that phrase “not neglecting to meet” tells us something important—this isn’t a new struggle. Even in the first century, some believers had drifted from gathering. Maybe they were discouraged. Maybe they were afraid. Maybe life just got busy. Sound familiar?

The writer is reminding them—and us—that encouragement grows best in community. You can read the Bible alone, pray alone, worship in your car alone, but you cannot be the church alone.

God wired his people to need one another. You can’t stir others up or be stirred up if you’re not close enough to feel the warmth.

It’s kind of like a campfire. When you pull a coal away from the rest, it cools quickly. But when the coals stay together, they glow hot and bright. The same is true for our faith. Apart from one another, we cool off. Together, we burn with encouragement and joy.

That’s why gathering matters so much. Every Sunday, every Bible study, every prayer time is a chance to be reminded that you’re not alone in this race.

When you show up, it’s not just about what you get—it’s about what you give. Your presence preaches a sermon that says: “I’m still here. God’s still faithful.” You never know who’s watching you walk through those doors and thinking, If they’re still trusting God, maybe I can too.

Church family, I’ll tell you something I’ve noticed in Midland. We’re loyal people. We’ll show up for our teams, our jobs, our kids’ sports, sometimes even when we’re sick. But too often, the thing that suffers first is our spiritual community. And I think the writer of Hebrews would say to us, “Don’t let that happen. You need each other.”

Because the truth is, we gather not just to learn, but to encourage. Every handshake, every smile, every prayer you whisper over someone—it all matters. It’s part of how God strengthens his people.

I think of those who gather faithfully week after week, even when life is hard. They’re like pillars holding up the rest of us. And what they may not realize is that just by showing up, they’re fulfilling this command. They’re living proof that hope endures.

And notice the urgency in the verse: “All the more as you see the Day drawing near.” In other words, the closer we get to Christ’s return, the more encouragement we need. The world’s not getting easier. Hearts are growing colder. But that’s exactly when the church shines brightest—when we keep meeting, keep encouraging, keep holding fast to hope.

So when you come here on Sunday morning, don’t underestimate the power of your presence. You might sit beside someone whose faith is hanging by a thread. And your simple act of worship, your quiet “Amen,” or your kind word after the service might be the very thing God uses to lift them up.

That’s what the church is meant to be—a community of courage in a world of despair. A place where faith is fanned into flame because we refuse to let each other grow cold.

So what do we do with all this?

If Hebrews 10 shows us that encouragement grows best in community, how do we actually live that out here—at Fannin Terrace, in Midland, in real life?

Let me give you three simple ways encouragement takes root in a church family like ours: show up, speak up, and lift up.

First,

Show up.

Encouragement begins with presence. You can’t encourage people you never see.

Every time you walk into this building, attend your Sunday School class, or grab coffee with a friend, you have an opportunity to give courage away.

When you show up for worship, it reminds someone else they’re not alone. When you show up at a hospital room, it reminds someone that God still cares. Presence says, “You matter.”

And if you think about it, that’s how Jesus encouraged. He showed up. He didn’t just shout truth from heaven—he came near, wrapped himself in our weakness, and met us right where we were.

Second,

Speak up.

Encouragement often sounds simple, but it echoes deep.

A text, a note, a quiet word in the hallway can change the course of someone’s day—or their week.

I don’t know what sticks and stones will do, but I will tell you that words have power. Proverbs says they can build up or tear down. When we use our words to build up, we’re reflecting the heart of Christ.

So say what’s good. Speak what’s true. Remind people of what God’s already done.

Third,

Lift up.

Encouragement isn’t just verbal—it’s practical.

When someone is struggling, we don’t just say, “I’ll pray for you.” A wise member of this congregation showed me the value of asking, “What do you need?” Maybe that means bringing a meal, helping with kids, or just listening without fixing.

Encouragement becomes real when our faith gets hands and feet.

When a church starts doing those three things—showing up, speaking up, and lifting up—it becomes the kind of place where courage gets renewed and hope gets restored.

And that’s when we begin to see our bottom line truth lived out:

Encouraged people encourage people.

That’s the cycle God designed. You’re encouraged in Christ, you encourage others, and in the process, both of you grow stronger.

Maybe that’s exactly what someone here needs this morning—a reminder that your words matter, your presence matters, your kindness matters.

Because when we show up for one another, when we speak life into one another, and when we lift up one another, this church becomes more than a gathering—it becomes a glimpse of the kingdom of God right here in Midland.

Church family, here’s the best part of all this: the reason we can encourage one another is because we’ve been encouraged by God himself.

The gospel is the ultimate story of encouragement. When humanity was hopeless, God sent hope. When we were broken, he came to heal. When our courage ran out, he gave us his own.

I love how 2 Corinthians 1:3 describes him: “The God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction.”

In other words, God never wastes the comfort he gives you—it’s meant to flow through you.

Think about Jesus. He encouraged Peter after failure, Thomas after doubt, and Martha after loss. Every time someone came to him worn out, he didn’t turn them away—he lifted them up. And if you think about it, he still does that today.

That’s what makes the Christian life so different. We’re not trying to be positive people—we’re responding to a personal Savior who meets us in our weakness. His encouragement doesn’t say, “You’ve got this.” It says, “I’m with you.”

And when you realize that the Son of God stepped into your mess, carried your sin, and now lives to intercede for you—you start to see that real encouragement isn’t something you create, it’s something you receive and reflect.

Maybe today you walked in here running on empty. You’ve been faithful, but you’re tired. The good news is, you don’t have to fill your own tank. The same Christ who spoke peace to a storm can speak courage into your heart right now.

So, before we ever go out to encourage others, let’s pause and let him encourage us. Because the more you see his faithfulness, the more your words, your actions, and your presence will carry his strength to someone else.

That’s the heart of the gospel: the God who encouraged us now sends us to encourage one another.

So church family, here’s where it all comes together.

The command to “encourage one another” isn’t a nice add-on to the Christian life—it’s the heartbeat of it. Because when God’s people encourage each other, the world sees a living picture of his grace.

Maybe today, some of us just need to receive encouragement. You’ve been running hard, praying faithfully, but your heart feels heavy. Hear this truth again: He who promised is faithful. Jesus hasn’t forgotten you. He hasn’t let go of you. And he never will.

Others of us need to share the encouragement we’ve been given. There’s someone in your life who needs a word, a prayer, or a visit this week. Don’t wait for someone else to move first—be the one who carries the courage of Christ to them.

And maybe there’s someone here who’s never experienced the ultimate encouragement—the hope of salvation. Friend, if that’s you, know this: Jesus gave his life so you could live forgiven, free, and full of his Spirit. You don’t have to face life alone. You can come to him right now and find grace that never runs out.

Because here’s the truth that carries this whole message—

Encouraged people encourage people.

That’s how God designed his church. We receive courage from Christ and then we pass it along until everyone around us knows his presence and love.

So this week, let’s be that kind of people.

Let’s hold fast to hope, stir up one another to love and good works, and never give up meeting together—until the world sees Jesus in the way we encourage one another.