Should our southern border have a wall? Should our northern border remain closed for non-vaccinated people? Should the FBI have raided former President Trump’s home? What should be included in our schools’ curriculum? So many opinions on so many topics divide so many people every day. In our divided culture, what would it look like if all who call on the name of Jesus heard and obeyed His appeal for a united church? Join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. to worship God and learn from our 2nd message from 1 Corinthians entitled, “Our Lord’s Appeal for Unity.”
Problems exist in the world and church. For us who live in Christ to be of service in the brokenness, the opening paragraph in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian Church starts by assuring Christians of our blessed status with God. Join us Sunday at 9 a.m. to worship God as we begin our timely series entitled, “In Christ in Culture” through the book of 1 Corinthians!
Our community is committed to growing, gathering, giving, and going together. Each of these commitments is crucial for us and our church to thrive, especially giving. Giving honors God and empowers Hope to meet the material and spiritual needs of families within our community and within the communities of those we partner with. It’s biblically supported, practically needed, and deeply fulfilling to invest in Christ’s redemptive mission through his local church. May we all freely give as we’ve freely received!
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.