Hope

The Big Idea

Especially in our culture of instant gratification, waiting challenges us all. Children find it difficult to be patient for Christmas morning to come. Parents-to-be anxiously await the arrival of their baby. After an interview, a job seeker checks his phone repeatedly to see if a prospective employer calls with a job offer. Sometimes, it seems like the long-awaited event will never come. And sometimes, no matter how much we hope, it never does.

After Adam and Eve fell into sin, God promised a Savior who would reconcile His people to Him. So, God’s people waited. Throughout the Old Testament, we hear God’s promises of this Savior, shared with us through His prophets. And yet, it must have seemed like the Savior would never come. That is, until God’s timing came, and the Savior was born.

In this series, we’ll explore the impact that hope had on God’s people in the Bible and how hope in Jesus changes us, for now and for eternity.

Series Breakdown

December 1, 2019: Hope is Coming

Sometimes in a season of waiting in life, we feel forgotten. We feel as if God lost our address and does not even know where we are. However, we must remind ourselves that hope is coming. As we enter the season of Advent, let us track hope as it arrives into the lives of some of the key people in the birth narrative of Jesus. We will find out that God will never leave us or forget us. Hope is on the way. Hope is coming.
Sermon Text: Isaiah 42:5-7

December 8, 2019: Hope Changes Me

When we allow ourselves to think that where we are is always where we will be, we lose a sense of determination and confidence in the future. We lose hope. But what creates this hope in the future is the fact that God makes us promises that He will be with us, He will guide us, and He will bless us if we stay strong in His promises. There are many circumstances that attempt to rob us of our hope: what we see, how we feel, the voices of other people. However, God has called us to remain resilient in hope.
Sermon Text: Lamentations 3:20-26

December 15, 2019 – Hope Changes Everything

God promises grace to His people, but grace doesn’t mean life is going to be easy. Sometimes, our lives are going to be difficult. If we are not careful, we will only see life through the lens of our circumstances. However, hope brings about a new perspective and focal point. It allows us to see our lives and our situations from a different perspective. Hope has the power to change everything. Even though in many instances the circumstances do not change, how we view them does when we see them through the hope given to us through Jesus.
Sermon Text: 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10

December 22, 2019: Hope is Real

There is transforming power in realizing that hope is not merely a concept that glosses over the pain of life, but that it’s real. When hope becomes real to us, we can see and experience its benefits. It provides a substance to that which is not seen. Often, life can feel dull and empty. However, as we engage in hopefulness, our lives take on a new meaning, new concept, and quite a new purpose.
Sermon Text: Luke 1:26-38

December 24, 2019 (Christmas Eve): Hope is Here

Some people who read the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus think it sounds made-up. However, as Christian believers, as those who believe in Jesus Christ and the hope He brings, we realize that, ultimately, in the most unbelievable moments, Jesus is not just a story. In the craziest of situations, in the times when it seems like there is no way the situation could change, we realize that Jesus is hope!
Sermon Text: Luke 2:8-20

December 29, 2019: Hope For the Future

The battles and struggles of life are real. From sickness to relationship issues to stress… they all take a toll on us. But Jesus brings you a hope that sets you free from the hand-cuffs of hurt, from the chains of chaos, from the devils’ discouragement and sure death. This hope is an eternal hope that is out of this world.
Sermon Text: Jeremiah 29:11