Within Hope Church we are united in our commitments to grow, gather, give and go. The primary reason why we do these things is because Jesus included these habits in His life, and He summoned us to do the same. Of the many times when Jesus would “go” to love people, this Sunday we will consider the account of His going to a tax collector and the implications for our going to also love those in our lives.
Sunday Morning Gathering
Have you ever wondered if going to church is really that important? Coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, our world still feels more isolated, and it’s more and more common to stay home, work from home, and even “church” from home. This week we discuss the value of gathering with fellow believers, and take a look in the book of Acts at the early church’s extremely communal lifestyle. We remember that we can’t do it alone – we can only be the bride of Christ as we come together to worship, sing, learn and grow.
Our bodies grow until they stop growing. Yet our life with God is meant to grow continually. When the first disciples devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, they began their life-long journey of increasing nearness to God. Join us on Sunday to learn how you can increase your closeness to God and why a commitment to grow for the duration will produce a life of sustained exhilaration.
Let’s be honest, “go therefore and make disciples of all nations” is a big ask. Participating wholeheartedly in Jesus’ Great Commission is a big investment of time, money, and energy. So much so that many who do eventually burn out. However, there are also many who endure for years, decades, even lifetimes co-missioning with Jesus. How do they? What sustains them? God sustains them in his great, big MISSION by sharing with them his great, big VISION. And he can do the same for each of us!
What is God’s vision for his world? What is his ultimate purpose for it, especially for its people? Where does his vision apply and whom does his vision apply to? The Psalmist answers, “let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!”
Last week we learned that our church’s mission comes from Jesus when He declared, “make disciples of all nations.” In this next message, we will consider the gift of intimacy with Christ while we join in the ministry for Christ.
While most organizations engage in a process to solidify their mission statement, the church does not. Every local church has only to receive hers from the One who has all authority in heaven and on earth. After Jesus’ resurrection He revealed to His followers that our mission is to continue His mission to “make disciples of all nations.” In this message we will consider why this is the greatest mission on earth and how we all can participate!
Have you ever wondered what a Christian is actually supposed to do? After hearing the message and invitation of Jesus, believing in Him, having an ‘ah-ha!’ awakening… it can be hard to know what the next steps are. There are so many methods, voices, and opinions on how we should act and behave as Christians. But in this message, we look at the command of Jesus “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” and what that means for us as his modern-day disciples. How can we respond and follow in the dust of the Rabbi?
Join us on Sunday as we continue to learn how the Greek work “metanoia” (translated in the English Bible as “repentance”) means so much more than making a change and feeling bad about how we have been living. This cardinal word in the gospel announcement from John the Baptist, Jesus and the apostles is forward looking and filled with hope! In this message we will learn what happens when the people of God come to grasp the true meaning of “metanoia.”