The Personal Gospel
Words of Faith 5-29-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Hebrews 13
[22] Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter. [23] I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. [24] Greet all your leaders and all God's people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. [25] Grace be with you all.

The Writer concludes with some personal greetings. These are the verses we might easily dismiss or skip, but they give us a powerful message: the Gospel is always personal.

That may sound simple or obvious, but so often we miss it. God did not send just any son. He sent His only begotten Son. That is personal. God did not send Him to die for a mass of nameless people; God sent Him to die for you. That is personal. This letter is not to a mass of people; it is to specific people, you included. That is personal.

The truth is that sometimes we get so caught up in theology and Biblical study that we forget what it is all about:God. A very personal God. And people. Very personal people.

I once had a very bright man who wanted to teach the Bible. We formed a new adult class with about a dozen people so that they might benefit from his teaching. He did a wonderful word-by-word study through a book of the Bible.

But after about a year, the class had not grown. A few had left. The teacher wondered why his class never grew beyond about eight folks, while other classes grew quickly to 40 or more. I did not know the answer. The teaching was sound, well prepared, and even inspiring.

Then I had a conversation with this teacher that was quite revealing. He mentioned someone in his class and described her as "that tall lady." Then he spoke of some others as "you know, that older couple in my class". I suddenly realized that in a year and a half, this very fine teacher had never learned the names of the class members. The mystery was solved (though not resolved).

I suggested that the class spend more time together socially and that part of the class time be dedicated to concerns and prayer requests. But this teacher resisted the suggestion, saying that such "social times" were a waste of valuable time. He eventually left the class and even went to another church. He could never admit that theology must be personal.

There is an old truth here. We teach people— not subjects or topics. Bible study must be with people who have names. The Bible was written to people who have names. Ministry must be with real people who have real problems, or it is not much use at all. There is an old saying: They will not care how much you know until they know how much you care.

So when the Writer pauses at the end to greet Timothy, and the leaders, and all God's people, this is not a line we can drop. When he sends a greeting from the friends in Rome, this is not a formality. "Grace be with you all" refers to very real people and a very real God.

Lord, help me to be personal in all my dealings. Let me share the Gospel with real people and share the love of a personal God. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.