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Better: A Study of Hebrews
In this verse-by-verse study of the Book of Hebrews, Jen Wilkin explores how God “provided something better for us” in the person of Jesus Christ (Heb. 11:40). Through stories of Old Testament heroes and practices, the author of Hebrews demonstrates how the new covenant is superior to the old and how Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of every promise. Explore familiar verses in context of the entire Bible, learning how to place your hope and faith in Christ alone.
(10 sessions)
Leader Kit
(10 sessions)
Leader Kit
115 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2019
85 people are currently reading
1103 people want to read
About the author
Jen Wilkin
71 books1,514 followersJen Wilkin is a speaker, writer, and teacher of women’s Bible studies. During her thirteen years of teaching, she has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and parachurch contexts. Jen and her family are members of the Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas. She is the author of Women of the Word.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
April 28, 2021
This is not the first study of Jen Wilkin's that I have done. Each study provides an indepth study of Scripture, verse by verse. Her study on Hebrews gave me a deeper understanding, not just on Hebrews but she often referred back to the Old Testament as well, tying the two in together, helping the reader understand how the two are related. Every study of hers has given the reader a deeper perspective on the portion of Scripture that the particular study covers. I highly recommend her studies as this is the 4th one of hers I have done and I have not been disappointed with any of them.
May 5, 2021
I highly recommend this study. Jen is gifted at breaking things down, asking the right questions, and leading the reader to a great appreciation of the text. Jen draws the reader’s eyes to Christ through every chapter and verse.
May 25, 2020
My women's bible study group at church was super excited about this study and so chose to go through it together when it came out. Personally, I have to admit, I wasn't as excited as they were. I mean, Hebrews has just never been my favorite book to trudge through.
Man, oh, man. Lemme tell ya.
This study blew me away! It's the first Jen Wilkin study I've ever done, and I am definitely intrigued by her teaching and writing style. The homework each week was productive and manageable. Small, easy chunks that went through the book chapter by chapter. I liked that it was simple, but still a lot of the questions challenged me and made me think. I also really liked the repetitive structure. I knew what to expect each week and how much time I needed to allot for it.
The accompanying videos really, truly tied everything together so well. Jen was funny and real, but she was also really prepared. I loved all of the background information she infused into the text to give us a better understanding of how the original audience would have interpreted the words. Cultural nuances, historical facts, etc. It really added a whole new light to the meaning for me. I would absolutely recommend that you use them as you go through the workbook. They worked together in a way that brought the study to a whole new level and I truly don't think I'd have had the same experience without them.
This study taught me to see Hebrews through new eyes. It gave me a better ;) understanding of the book and showed me so many parallels that connect the OT and NT, things I've always known were there but never known what they were. I've always believed that Jesus came to fulfill the law and that the new covenant was better than the old, but I never knew so many tangible hows that showed me exactly in what ways this was true! It's helped me to see so many incredible connections in God's plan. And I simply loved it for that. I loved unearthing an even deeper understanding of my Father and of His love for me.
I cannot recommend this study more highly. It is quite possibly my favorite that I've ever done.
Man, oh, man. Lemme tell ya.
This study blew me away! It's the first Jen Wilkin study I've ever done, and I am definitely intrigued by her teaching and writing style. The homework each week was productive and manageable. Small, easy chunks that went through the book chapter by chapter. I liked that it was simple, but still a lot of the questions challenged me and made me think. I also really liked the repetitive structure. I knew what to expect each week and how much time I needed to allot for it.
The accompanying videos really, truly tied everything together so well. Jen was funny and real, but she was also really prepared. I loved all of the background information she infused into the text to give us a better understanding of how the original audience would have interpreted the words. Cultural nuances, historical facts, etc. It really added a whole new light to the meaning for me. I would absolutely recommend that you use them as you go through the workbook. They worked together in a way that brought the study to a whole new level and I truly don't think I'd have had the same experience without them.
This study taught me to see Hebrews through new eyes. It gave me a better ;) understanding of the book and showed me so many parallels that connect the OT and NT, things I've always known were there but never known what they were. I've always believed that Jesus came to fulfill the law and that the new covenant was better than the old, but I never knew so many tangible hows that showed me exactly in what ways this was true! It's helped me to see so many incredible connections in God's plan. And I simply loved it for that. I loved unearthing an even deeper understanding of my Father and of His love for me.
I cannot recommend this study more highly. It is quite possibly my favorite that I've ever done.
July 23, 2018
I did this study with a womens group at my church. I loved the way the study was done, we had a large group time of teaching the next weeks background for 45 minutes and then a small group time going over homework etc. I loved this study! Hebrews was a book of the Bible I to be honest just hadn't been super interested in diving into. I really enjoy the background Jen Wilkin gave to help me understand some of the Old Testament temple references. I felt there was a great balance of resources and freedom for self study.
April 29, 2020
I did this study with girls I disciple, it’s a incredibly helpful and useful to study Scripture in depth. I recommend any of Jen’s studies.
March 6, 2020
This was HARD. Probably would've been way more doable and enjoyable if I had been willing to pay money and rent the online videos, but oh well.
What I did like about this was how it gave me a really good feel for what Bible study should look like. I loved her pattern of doing a big overview on Day 1 while marking various words with various colored pens, and then zooming in on chunks of the chapters for more in-depth definitions and applications in the following days. I also thought it wise that her weeks were 5 days long. 😉
I do wish there were some form of an answer key in the back, as silly as that sounds. Sometimes the questions were so tricky that I'd get psyched out and wanted a general idea of what I should've written, but again. Maybe the "answers" were given in the videos I didn't buy. 😛
What I did like about this was how it gave me a really good feel for what Bible study should look like. I loved her pattern of doing a big overview on Day 1 while marking various words with various colored pens, and then zooming in on chunks of the chapters for more in-depth definitions and applications in the following days. I also thought it wise that her weeks were 5 days long. 😉
I do wish there were some form of an answer key in the back, as silly as that sounds. Sometimes the questions were so tricky that I'd get psyched out and wanted a general idea of what I should've written, but again. Maybe the "answers" were given in the videos I didn't buy. 😛
April 3, 2025
I've enjoyed Jen Wilkin's books, but this is the first of her Bible studies I've done. I did not purchase the supplemental video teachings, which may have increased my rating and deepened my experience. In terms of the study guide alone, I found it to be lacking depth, and the focus leaned more toward self-application than focusing on the text of the Scripture.
Format: Book, owned (unhauling)
Rating: 3 stars
Book 6 of 2025
Format: Book, owned (unhauling)
Rating: 3 stars
Book 6 of 2025
June 6, 2022
Wow! I loved this Hebrews study from Jen Wilkin! She has always been one of my favorite Bible teachers because I never fail to learn so much from her. This study was long and intense, and definitely not for the faint of heart. Wilkin asks a lot of her students: annotations, deep questions, cross-references, etc., but it is worth it because you learn so much. My favorite thing about everything that Wilkin writes is her obvious loves for the Lord and for learning. She always seeks after Him first and invites readers along for the journey. This was an amazing study, can’t wait to do another one by her (after a short mental break, haha).
January 8, 2022
Great guide to walking through Hebrews! I loved the organization of this study (highly recommend doing it in accompaniment with the teaching videos!!) and appreciated the focus on the rest we can find in the perfect and complete sacrifice, resurrection, and intercession of Christ!
December 10, 2021
In the past five years, I have participated in two women’s Bible studies at our church by Jen Wilkin: “God of Creation” about Genesis 1-12, and “God of Covenant” about the rest of Genesis. Wilkin was new to me at the time, but I found her takes on scripture to be compelling. She has the ability to take a passage I’ve read multiple times, and find new and refreshing insights. The studies I attended involved watching Jen’s video each week over the chapter(s) covered, and then meeting with a small group of women to go over the homework that was assigned each week in the book.
When I found out that there was another Wilkin Bible study this fall, I signed up. This one is called "Better: A Study of Hebrews." Prior to this study, if you’d asked me about Hebrews, my impressions/memories are that it’s a theologically-heavy book that is a bit different than much of the rest of the New Testament. I liked the beloved “faith hall of fame,” but couldn’t tell you a lot of specifics otherwise.
This was a challenging study, mainly because the book of Hebrews can be difficult. Over and over again I thought that the writing style of Hebrews was hard to follow at times. It’s a lot of theology, rather than the more-accessible stories of Genesis that previous Wilkin studies covered. Still, I liked Jen’s way of getting a “big picture” overview of the book. In the final video she made the point that the aim of Bible studies isn’t to come up with new ideas, but to better remember what has always been in God’s word. I liked that, and she has a gift for seeing things that I had missed when reading passages many times previously.
As the book is titled, “better” is the theme Jen goes with. Most of Hebrews involves taking various major components of the Jewish faith, and describing why Jesus is better: He’s better than angels. Better than Moses. Better than the high priests. He offers a better covenant, a better tabernacle, and offered a better sacrifice than those of the Old Testament. Some notes I made throughout the study:
* It costs us nothing to become a Christian — it costs us everything to live like one (I think this is attributed to John MacArthur)
* After his resurrection, Christ sat next to the throne of God in heaven; He sat because His work was done. Contrast this to the Old Testament priests who always were standing/working (there were no chairs in the temple).
*Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebr. 11:6), so, with faith it IS possible to please God.
* Abel’s blood cried out to God for justice against sin — Christ’s blood saves us and ushers in a New Covenant. He symbolized this by saying “It (old covenant) is finished” from the cross.
*Imagine under the old covenant, how conscious you would be of your sin: the priests at the temple were constantly sprinkling blood over the people to offer forgiveness (without blood, there is no forgiveness of sin). Your clothes would be covered by blood; you would witness the dying cries of the animals and the smell of death in the temple courtyard. Are we conscious enough of Christ’s sacrifice for us now that forgiveness comes so much more “easily” to us now?
*Fear of the Lord is foundational to right faith.
I probably preferred Jen’s “God of Creation” and “God of Covenant” studies just due to Genesis stories being more accessible than Hebrews. But, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would recommend it. I feel like I have a better handle on Hebrews after completing this study. I would definitely try to watch the videos too. Jen’s commentaries there add a lot. Each video is 30-45 minutes long and is full of “meat.” She speaks quickly, and there is no time to space out, since most everything she says is something worth pondering.
When I found out that there was another Wilkin Bible study this fall, I signed up. This one is called "Better: A Study of Hebrews." Prior to this study, if you’d asked me about Hebrews, my impressions/memories are that it’s a theologically-heavy book that is a bit different than much of the rest of the New Testament. I liked the beloved “faith hall of fame,” but couldn’t tell you a lot of specifics otherwise.
This was a challenging study, mainly because the book of Hebrews can be difficult. Over and over again I thought that the writing style of Hebrews was hard to follow at times. It’s a lot of theology, rather than the more-accessible stories of Genesis that previous Wilkin studies covered. Still, I liked Jen’s way of getting a “big picture” overview of the book. In the final video she made the point that the aim of Bible studies isn’t to come up with new ideas, but to better remember what has always been in God’s word. I liked that, and she has a gift for seeing things that I had missed when reading passages many times previously.
As the book is titled, “better” is the theme Jen goes with. Most of Hebrews involves taking various major components of the Jewish faith, and describing why Jesus is better: He’s better than angels. Better than Moses. Better than the high priests. He offers a better covenant, a better tabernacle, and offered a better sacrifice than those of the Old Testament. Some notes I made throughout the study:
* It costs us nothing to become a Christian — it costs us everything to live like one (I think this is attributed to John MacArthur)
* After his resurrection, Christ sat next to the throne of God in heaven; He sat because His work was done. Contrast this to the Old Testament priests who always were standing/working (there were no chairs in the temple).
*Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebr. 11:6), so, with faith it IS possible to please God.
* Abel’s blood cried out to God for justice against sin — Christ’s blood saves us and ushers in a New Covenant. He symbolized this by saying “It (old covenant) is finished” from the cross.
*Imagine under the old covenant, how conscious you would be of your sin: the priests at the temple were constantly sprinkling blood over the people to offer forgiveness (without blood, there is no forgiveness of sin). Your clothes would be covered by blood; you would witness the dying cries of the animals and the smell of death in the temple courtyard. Are we conscious enough of Christ’s sacrifice for us now that forgiveness comes so much more “easily” to us now?
*Fear of the Lord is foundational to right faith.
I probably preferred Jen’s “God of Creation” and “God of Covenant” studies just due to Genesis stories being more accessible than Hebrews. But, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would recommend it. I feel like I have a better handle on Hebrews after completing this study. I would definitely try to watch the videos too. Jen’s commentaries there add a lot. Each video is 30-45 minutes long and is full of “meat.” She speaks quickly, and there is no time to space out, since most everything she says is something worth pondering.
May 4, 2021
Took me longer than I wanted to get through it, but For God it was right on time! I had never studied Hebrews and it happened to coincide with my Old Testament Bible reading plan where so much of the teaching is pulled from in Hebrews. Jen is the most trustworthy Bible teacher, I’ve loved every study of hers, walking away with learning something new about God’s character every time. Jesus is better! And what a great argument the author of Hebrews made; there are many great reminders and knowledge I can carry with me when sharing the Good News.
April 23, 2020
I enjoyed this study and wanted more. I learned so much and it was enjoyable listening to Jen Wilkin talk about the study.
June 10, 2020
Didn’t think it was possible to get excited about a laborious book like Hebrews. Really helped break it down and work systematically through the book. Such great questions and clear teaching.
December 30, 2020
I just love everything this woman writes.
July 22, 2023
Where has Jen Wilkin been all of my Christian life?! I appreciate and wholeheartedly agree with Jenn’s passion that all women should know how to read their Bibles and not just rely on others to tell us what we should know.
I completed this Bible study, along with the video teachings, with my discipleship group of 3 other women. We all agreed that we learned so much about the book of Hebrews through this study and really enjoyed studying God’s word together.
I will absolutely be doing another Jen Wilkin study soon!
I completed this Bible study, along with the video teachings, with my discipleship group of 3 other women. We all agreed that we learned so much about the book of Hebrews through this study and really enjoyed studying God’s word together.
I will absolutely be doing another Jen Wilkin study soon!
November 4, 2025
This was my first study by Jen. Her teaching style was not my favorite - specifically the questions she asked - but I am walking away with a deeper understanding of Hebrews. Not sure I will do another of her studies anytime soon, however. Ultimately, I am grateful for the study in growing my relationship with the Lord & with my Bible study friends who joined me along the way.
August 10, 2022
Jesus is better. Better than angels. Better than Moses. Better than high priests. Better than promise. Better than hope and covenant. Better than the tabernacle. Better than sacrifice. The ultimate sacrifice. Chapter by chapter, Jen Wilkin takes us through this somewhat enigmatic book. I just finished this ten week study with other women at my church. We did not view the Jen Wilkin videos, choosing instead to take advantage of the opportunity to learn from other women in our community each week. Weekly discussions helped to review the homework and give opportunity for small groups to dig deeper into connections with the Old Testament. One of my favorite things was the weekly question: Knowing God is _____ shows me that I am ________. An extensive list of the attributes of God was included in the Appendix for reference. Such a great way to share what you learned from the lesson with your group. Highly recommended!
August 3, 2020
Understanding Hebrews helps unlock the deep truths of scripture which connects the Bible, both Old and New Testament to each other.
Better: A Study of Hebrews is a very special in-depth study. Since the biblical Book of Hebrews holds a very special place in my heart, I yearned to do this study. Jen Wilkin has presented an analysis of the theological and practical perspective that has given me an even more appreciation of the Book of Hebrews. If you have a desire to study Scripture, or perhaps you want to gain a better understanding of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, this study is for you.
Better: A Study of Hebrews is a very special in-depth study. Since the biblical Book of Hebrews holds a very special place in my heart, I yearned to do this study. Jen Wilkin has presented an analysis of the theological and practical perspective that has given me an even more appreciation of the Book of Hebrews. If you have a desire to study Scripture, or perhaps you want to gain a better understanding of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, this study is for you.
October 20, 2020
Excellent study of Hebrews employing good study methods. Love the strong links between the Old Testament and the New Testament. You come away with a better understanding of Hebrew culture and the trials of their day. Looking forward to the next few weeks. The videos are excellent as well. I highly recommend if you want to walk away with a fuller understanding of Jesus and who He is in relation to God the Father. Hebrews provides excellent source right out of the gate!
October 22, 2022
This is my first Jen Wilkin study, and just WOW. I already can't wait to start another study by Jen.
I did watch the video lessons free through Lifeway, and for this study, it made a tremendous difference.
In the first video Jen says to prepare yourself not to be able to answer all of the questions and not to read notes from study Bibles until you are finished with the homework. Well, that gave me a nervous twitch right away because the way I normally do a study is to have multiple versions of study Bibles piled around me to read the notes. But I followed her instructions, and I believe it made the teaching more impactful.
On the last study I did through Lifeway, I felt like a person could do all of the homework in the book and not watch the videos and get just as much out of the study with the book alone. That is not the case with this study. The homework felt less intense, but the video lessons were very intense, both in the level of information they contained, and in the level of emotional impact to me. I found myself constantly pausing the video to take notes and if I would have had time I would have gladly gone back and watched every one at least a second time. I also loved the fact that the book had a widely spaced copy of the whole book of Hebrews at the back for us to use for the homework and to take notes. Mine is now full of notes from the videos.
I was very glad I had done the Lauren Chandler With Us in the Wilderness study before this one because it really helped to have that base of knowledge about the OT sacrificial system fresh in my mind. Jen reminded us through the lessons that the audience of Hebrews would have been very familiar with OT scriptures and the sacrificial system.
The way Jen taught Hebrews made it so beautiful, and broke down some of the confusing aspects of the book. I was just struck over and over by the contrast of God telling everyone to get back from the mountain in Exodus, then all through Hebrews we are urged to draw near to God through Christ. I also loved how she pointed out the nautical language throughout the book in holding fast and Jesus as our anchor. I will never think about communion in the same way after Jen contrasted Moses sprinkling the Israelites with blood on the outside compared to us taking Christ on the inside.
I did watch the video lessons free through Lifeway, and for this study, it made a tremendous difference.
In the first video Jen says to prepare yourself not to be able to answer all of the questions and not to read notes from study Bibles until you are finished with the homework. Well, that gave me a nervous twitch right away because the way I normally do a study is to have multiple versions of study Bibles piled around me to read the notes. But I followed her instructions, and I believe it made the teaching more impactful.
On the last study I did through Lifeway, I felt like a person could do all of the homework in the book and not watch the videos and get just as much out of the study with the book alone. That is not the case with this study. The homework felt less intense, but the video lessons were very intense, both in the level of information they contained, and in the level of emotional impact to me. I found myself constantly pausing the video to take notes and if I would have had time I would have gladly gone back and watched every one at least a second time. I also loved the fact that the book had a widely spaced copy of the whole book of Hebrews at the back for us to use for the homework and to take notes. Mine is now full of notes from the videos.
I was very glad I had done the Lauren Chandler With Us in the Wilderness study before this one because it really helped to have that base of knowledge about the OT sacrificial system fresh in my mind. Jen reminded us through the lessons that the audience of Hebrews would have been very familiar with OT scriptures and the sacrificial system.
The way Jen taught Hebrews made it so beautiful, and broke down some of the confusing aspects of the book. I was just struck over and over by the contrast of God telling everyone to get back from the mountain in Exodus, then all through Hebrews we are urged to draw near to God through Christ. I also loved how she pointed out the nautical language throughout the book in holding fast and Jesus as our anchor. I will never think about communion in the same way after Jen contrasted Moses sprinkling the Israelites with blood on the outside compared to us taking Christ on the inside.
August 11, 2023
Went through this with my Bible study group. Hebrews is challenging so any study on it will be too! However, Jen does an excellent job of highlighting the overarching points of the text while helping you grasp the finer ones. Our group didn’t always watch her videos, but our main leader would to help us navigate more difficult concepts. Overall, I really enjoyed this. While this sounds petty, I just don’t care for the NIV translation which Jen referenced frequently, and I found some of the workbook wording and formatting to be confusing.
December 30, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this study. Jen's style of walking through a book verse by verse, line by line, and "discovering" it for yourself as opposed to simply being told the content - is brilliant. I love her premise of knowing God with all your MIND, not just your emotions. I loved Jesus and the book of Hebrews before this; I love it even more now.
January 4, 2022
Awesome Bible study that equips women to read the Bible to discover it’s objective meaning for themselves. Helped me get my hands dirty in scripture and process it without skipping to commentaries or life application.
September 29, 2024
Liked it, wasn't blown away. Generally I like Jen Wilkins as an author but don't like this format where so many of the questions are "why does it start with 'therefore'?" and were pretty basic. I enjoy more of a deep dive/to be given more information vs chasing down verses.
April 20, 2021
Exceptional study!!
I did this with a group at church-the videos were icing on the cake, but the study would still be excellent without them.
I did this with a group at church-the videos were icing on the cake, but the study would still be excellent without them.
October 13, 2022
The word “better” is used at least 12 times in Hebrews (esp around chapters 11-12) and when we got there, I got it. The message of Hebrews being that Jesus is better than the Old Testament law… and Hebrews lists all the ways this is true.
Jen Wilkins always goes in depth and has interesting insight to show these types of things. I did this study with Lifeway online Bible studies.
Jen Wilkins always goes in depth and has interesting insight to show these types of things. I did this study with Lifeway online Bible studies.
March 28, 2020
Very rich and insightful study of the book of Hebrews.
Thought provoking and heart searching questions. Makes you think a lot.
Thought provoking and heart searching questions. Makes you think a lot.
March 4, 2023
Incredible study. My bible study group and I went through this slowly and meticulously and I am so thankful we did. I learned so much and was inspired. It's crazy how many times the daily study was right on track with what I needed and what I was experiencing in my own life. God is cool.
May 8, 2023
I have wanted to do an in depth study of the book of the Hebrews for a long time and am glad I chose Jen Wilkins' book " Better" for my small group to study. I appreciated her methodical way of breaking it down for understanding.
I especially valued seeing a well-known verse in a spirit expanding light I had never thought of before. Thank you for sharing Jen!
I especially valued seeing a well-known verse in a spirit expanding light I had never thought of before. Thank you for sharing Jen!
April 19, 2021
This is an exceptional study in the book of Hebrews! It was such a phenomenal reminder that JESUS is BETTER!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews