This is the start of a new series that will walk through the NT and discuss the entire story of Jesus from beginning to end with one question in mind, “So what?”. Why does this matter? How is this still relevant for people today? It’s a great opportunity to invite friends and neighbors who are maybe still on the fence about Jesus or who have started to question the validity of going to church – so be praying about people to invite! Very excited for how these discussions will encourage and build up our entire community.
"community" Tagged Sermons
Is it possible for a church to grow by serving more people without dramatically increasing expenses to hire more pastoral staff? The fourth of Hope Church’s five overarching goals for this next year is to expand our capacity to love and care for all whom God entrusts to us, primarily through friendships in small groups. Join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. as we see how Jesus cared for those in His small group and then invited Peter and all of us to do the same!
This Sunday, as we reach the final chapter of I Corinthians and the end of our series, we reflect on all of the ways the body of Christ has struggled with political division and cultural controversy since the very first century. Yet in this final chapter was also see Paul encouraging us to continue to strive for unity and generosity in the faith, and demonstrates that love is not measured in quantity – but in quality. Join us at 9 a.m. as Ministry Coordinator Tara Farrell brings a message on how to love the church with generosity, abundance, and joy.
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!
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.
Sometimes we disagree with people we love. This difficulty can cause sleepless nights, stomach aches, avoidance, anger and sometimes even slander. Last week we learned from Ephesians 4:1-16 that God’s vision for the church is unity, not uniformity. In this coming message, from Ephesians 4:17-32, we will begin to discover God’s guidance on how to be faithful to our convictions and kind toward others, especially when we disagree.
After investing 12 weeks learning from Jesus’ teaching in the vineyard it has become clear that abiding in Jesus is essential for God’s glory, the world’s good and our joy. In this final message in The Abide Project we reflect on how we have been affected by Jesus’ invitation to abide and how abiding together can help us grow in our close, dependent and continual relationships with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Why do so many followers of Jesus gather consistently with a group of friends during the week? After meeting to worship God together on the 1st day of the week why would anyone in their right mind add another commitment somewhere on the 2nd through the 7th? One of the many reasons why Christ followers have come together beyond Sunday for the past 2,000 years is to help one another live with and follow Jesus in all of life. Or, as King Solomon described it to his children, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise.”
Ancient wisdom affirms, “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” (Proverbs 18:1, ESV) Yet, according to the General Social Survey reported in Time magazine, “the number of Americans who say they have no close friends has roughly tripled in recent decades. ‘Zero’ is the most common response when people are asked how many confidants they have.” (Time March 18, 2015). During His time on earth Jesus lived in loving community with a handful of friends. Before His departure He commanded His small group to love one another as He had loved them. In this message we consider a few of the many reason why followers of Jesus should unite with a few others as one way to obey Jesus’ command to “love one another.”
What comes into your mind when you think about Jesus is the most important thing about you. When a statement like this is made, it must be supported. In this message we will learn why thinking accurately about Jesus is so essential for your life now and for the life to come. Then we will discover from Acts 18:24-28 a few of the many gifts God gives us to help us think more accurately about Himself.