A Moment of Hope

by Marilynn Chadwick We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure...  (Hebrews 6:19 NIV). God's strength helps keep our hope alive. Hope, in turn, makes us stronger—like an anchor for our soul.  Perhaps you're fighting today to hold on to your dream.  The mountain of obstacles looks too big to overcome. It takes spiritual muscle to keep dreaming when circumstances look bleak. Stren...

by Marilynn Chadwick Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you...  (Isaiah 26:20 NIV). I'll say it again.  Some of God's best miracles happen behind closed doors. Jesus instructed his disciples to go into their room and shut the door when they prayed. Their Father, who "sees in secret," would reward them, he promised. We may discover God gives us strength when we're out of sigh...

by Marilynn Chadwick But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Matthew 6:6 ESV). There is strength in getting alone with God. The Bible tells us Jesus "withdrew often" to be alone with the Father. How much more should we? There's no more important task on earth than seeking God.  When trouble...

by Marilynn Chadwick Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue  (1 Samuel 30:8 ESV). God is near to the broken hearted. He loves us when we're weak. But he wants to make us strong.  It's not hard to embrace the concept that God is close to us when we suffer. After all, we love our own children and hold them close when they're in pain. We may secretly wonder whether God wants us...

David and Marilynn Chadwick join Jenn Houston in a discussion about today's blog.

by Marilynn Chadwick The Bible says angels are God's "ministering spirits" sent to serve the followers of Jesus (Hebrews 1:14). They deliver his messages and give help when needed. But Scripture also reveals how they provide protection. Scripture reminds us how the angel of the Lord "encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them" (Psalm 34:7 NIV). One clue about whether we've encountered...

by Marilynn Chadwick The next day, I checked into the hospital. The surgery, we were told, could last up to four hours. But forty-five minutes into the operation, the surgeon called my husband for an immediate consultation. "Had they found something awful and simply closed Marilynn back up?" He feared the worst. Meanwhile, I awakened groggy in the recovery room, with a man in a white lab coat peer...

by Marilynn Chadwick During our years of infertility, hopes to have a baby grew increasingly dim. David and I continued to "feed" on the promises of God's Word about healing—too many to count—day after day, month after month, year after year. Promises such as, "He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children" (Psalm 113:9 NIV). During those desperate days, I learned to hea...

by Marilynn Chadwick I think back to an incident that involved two curious strangers who showed up at our church one evening. I was a beginner in my ministry journey. David and I had only been married a couple of years. My own faith was still pretty new, but very real. I sensed God had a ministry calling on my life. How ironic, since I'm the girl who once vowed, "I will never become a Christian, a...

by Marilynn Chadwick Have you ever wondered whether you've had an encounter with an angel? If so, you're not alone. Over 80% of Americans believe in angels and over half feel sure they've been helped by an angel—even those who claim to be non-religious! But how are we as Christians to understand these supernatural beings? With all the misguided fascination with angels, it's important for us to rel...

by David Chadwick We are wrapping up our week with one more heresy: Marcionism. This heretical thinking became popular in the 2nd century. Marcion, an early Christian theologian, presumed that there is a difference between the God of anger and judgment in the Old Testament and the God of mercy and love revealed through Jesus in the New Testament. Marcion drew up a canon of 11 books in the New Test...

by David Chadwick Understanding the heresies of the Christian faith strengthens our theological muscles. If you've spent any time at Moments of Hope Church lately, you've heard us talk about what we call the "Core 4": Scripture, Theology, Wholeness, and Outreach. These are 4 spiritual food groups, if you will, that we believe develop mature believers. Too much of one thing over another creates an...

by David Chadwick Heresies. They are the beliefs and opinions that are contrary to the Christian faith. As we move forward, let me first add how important it is to note that not every area of disagreement is a heresy. Unfortunately, in my many years of pastoral ministry, I have seen many who deem things they are uncomfortable with as heretical. Dear friends, please be careful. Unless it's a clearl...

by David Chadwick Theology is one of our "Core 4" at Moments of Hope Church. Scripture, Theology, Wholeness, and Outreach are 4 pillars we believe create a healthy diet in maturing Christians. Developing a strong understanding of theology is a crucial part of living as a mature Christ follower. It is important to understand the key doctrines of the Christian faith. But it is also important to unde...

by David Chadwick We recently looked at 15 key doctrines of Christianity. Doctrines are the deeply held beliefs of the Christian faith that have withstood time and testing. Each day, I urged you to think of each doctrine as a key, creating a collection of keys to use when faced with resistance, questions, or confusion. Heresies, on the other hand, are the beliefs and opinions that are contrary to...

by David Chadwick Who moved the stone? Our last proof of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is found in this question. In fact, it is essential to answer this question. Let me ask it again. Who moved the stone? It wasn't the Romans. They wanted a dead body behind the one ton stone. It wasn't the Jews. They had the same motivation as the Romans. They wanted Jesus dead. His body in the tomb forever. I...

by David Chadwick There are many proofs of the Resurrection. Proofs give evidence to the reality of something. I want you to walk in confidence that Jesus is God and is our risen Savior. Here is a significant proof to examine. Produce a body and Christianity dies. What do I mean by this? Well, it's pretty simple. If anyone could produce a dead body of Jesus, the game's over. Finished. Movement sto...

by David Chadwick I love the many proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus. They provide evidence to the message that has captured my heart and changed my life. I want to share this proof with you today: Jesus received worship from those who saw him after the Resurrection. Why is this significant? Because only God is worthy of worship. Only God can receive worship. If any creature demands your worship,...

by David Chadwick There are so many proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As you look at them, it builds your faith and stirs up the reality of his message. These proofs give us evidence for the truth of the gospel and make us impervious to the influence of the enemy's lies. The change of Passover to the Lord's Table is our next proof. Remember what I shared with you about the Sabbath yester...

by David Chadwick We are taking two weeks to look at 10 proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Proofs give evidence to something being true. I hope these proofs will also help you share your faith with skeptics and see their hearts become alive for Jesus. Here is today's proof: the change of the Sabbath from Friday to Sunday. For 1200 years, the Jews had celebrated Shabbat from 6:00p Friday t...

by David Chadwick The life change of Peter is the next proof of the Resurrection of Jesus. My hope is that these proofs give you evidence for the Resurrection. And reasons to give to skeptics in your life who doubt Jesus's claim to be God and Lord over our lives. In Matthew 4:18-22, Jesus called Peter to be one of his 12 apostles. Peter was a fisherman when Jesus gave him the famous invitation to...

by David Chadwick One of the most significant proofs of the Resurrection is the life change that took place in those who were initially skeptics. The life change of Paul might be the most profound of them all. He persecuted and killed Christians for a living. In Acts 7, Paul was the one who oversaw Stephen's martyrdom. Stephen was brutally and mercilessly stoned. And as it was happening, he fell t...

by David Chadwick I am going over proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. These proofs are evidence that Jesus is Lord. They should also help make you stand firm against the messaging that wants to convince this world that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is not real. There were many persecutors and critics of Jesus during his earthly ministry who experienced radical life change afte...

by David Chadwick We are looking at 10 proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus to help you stand against the lies of the enemy. Today's proof is that women were eyewitnesses to an empty tomb! In those days, women were second class citizens. They were not even granted the opportunity to be eyewitnesses at a trial. They were seen as less than. Their perspectives were rarely validated and often overlooke...

by David Chadwick Have you ever looked up the definition of the word proof? One definition is "the evidence or argument establishing or helping to establish a fact or the truth of a statement." When used as an adjective it is defined as "able to withstand something damaging; resistant." I am going to share ten proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. For without the Resurrection, Christians are...