Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love our neighbors. A few days later he gave a third new commandment to love one another. Do you ever feel unworthy of God’s love? Do you ever wish you could love God more consistently? Do you have any frustrating relationships with others who are in the family of God? Do you want to be a more positive influence for Christ with your co-workers, classmates and neighbors? If so, join us each Sunday in March at 9 a.m. as we begin this Sunday by exploring the unconditional love of God and practical ways to express our love for him followed (in future Sundays) by Jesus’ guidance regarding loving others.
If your house was burning down, and everyone was safe, but you had a few minutes to save one thing – what would it be? You’ve probably been asked this kind of hypothetical question before as a get-to-know-you or team-building exercise. That’s because whatever someone chooses to save reveals a lot about what they value most in life. In our final message on the Values of Hope Church, Tara Farrell will show us how God’s Presence, Guidance, and Peace are by far our most valuable possessions as Christians because they serve as the foundational blueprint for how to abide in Christ.
As we continue learning the biblical origin and present application of Hope Church’s values, our third value is God’s peace. When we receive God’s presence and guidance in every area of our lives, we also receive God’s peace. Jesus told us that God’s peace differs from the world’s peace. How does it? And how can each of us and all of us experience it for the first time or to a greater degree?
As we continue looking at Hope’s values, our second value is God’s Guidance. When we seek, live in, and desire God’s Presence, we will also get all of God’s Guidance…in every area of life. Living in the Presence of God is like having a GPS for every relationship, project, decision, culture, and area of your life. God wants to lead and direct us because He is our gracious and loving King. And He will lead us if we let him! But, be aware the destination God has for us as He leads may not always be the one we would choose for ourselves, but His Ways are always ultimately better than our ways.
This month our group discussions, kids’ curriculum and Sunday messages will focus on our 3 core values: God’s Presence, God’s Guidance & God’s Peace. We begin this Sunday 2/6 by observing how Moses discovered that God’s presence is God’s greatest gift to God’s children. In God’s presence, we are most like who we were created to be, most empowered to carry out God’s plans for our lives, and most capable of bringing glory to Him! In this message, we consider how to avail ourselves of God’s presence personally and corporately.
The Westminster Confession is a document of the church from 1646 that states so much of what we believe in. The opening statement in the Westminster Confession says, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” This is God’s vision for your life as revealed throughout the Bible. So what does it mean to glorify God, how can we glorify God, and how is glorifying God forever united with joy? Join us Sunday to discover Jesus’ answers to these crucial questions!
Fruit is a blessing to the world. So, it is God’s chosen metaphor for the good that He does in and through you as you abide in Christ. Join us on Sunday at 9 a.m. to learn how to abide in Christ in a way that produces genuine fruit for the world’s good, your joy (as we learned through Arik’s message last week) and God’s glory!
Happiness comes and goes as circumstances change but joy transcends all circumstances, and Jesus wants his followers to experience it. He taught us to abide not only to enact God’s redemptive plan for the world and to glorify the Father, but so that we can fully experience His joy. Join us on Sunday at 9 a.m. in person or online as we worship together and learn how we can each experience Christ’s immense joy.
Have you ever thought that a close relationship with God is for others but not a real possibility for you? This thought is familiar to most of us. Yet, Jesus came to bring us into union with God in a way that is personal and real. Join us on Sunday at 9 a.m. in person or online as we worship God and learn how to cultivate an abiding relationship with Jesus, our True Vine!
In spite of what many Christians think and teach, God’s primarily plan for your life is not good behavior so you can make a positive impact on the world! According to the One whose birth we celebrated and whose return we await, these things are “nothing” if we neglect primary invitation to abide in me. Don’t miss this, or any message in this series, so you can learn what it means to abide in Jesus, how to experience this blessed life and the rewards that will result in your life in 2022 and beyond!