Hope Alliance Bethlehem

When the resurrected Jesus appeared to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus, he showed his heart for those experiencing disappointment with God. The plans they had didn't go as they expected, but Jesus showed them how God was telling a far bigger and far better story for the whole world that culminated in the resurrected Jesus. Because of the resurrection, we can believe that God is truly...

When Mary Magdalene is the first to see Jesus after his resurrection, we are reminded that there is real hope for the broken and broken hearted. To a world and humanity who has been defined by its broken past, the resurrected Jesus offers a new and validated identity as children of God.

Even in the most challenging circumstances, we can experience real peace. This is possible because of the nearness of God in Jesus, not the absence of struggle. The greatness of our God is evident in his drawing near to us. And our experience of peace is found in our willingness to turn our mind and hearts to the One who experienced the loss of peace on the cross so we could draw near to God and f...

In Philippians 3:12-4:1 we find Paul completing his thought that he started in the verses prior concerning the Gospel. We can sense his desire to know Jesus fully by joining in his suffering and triumph. Paul is challenging the Philippians and us to be steadfast as ones who will die to self and live the cruciform life. And by doing so, we come to know Jesus in a deep way and learn to expand the ki...

To many people, religion seems harmless. And yet both Jesus and Paul are very careful to warn about the traps of religion. Paul, who met Jesus in the midst of an impressive religious life, is determined to remind his readers that the only thing that matters is knowing Jesus. The rest amounts to nothing. In the gospel, we discover that hard as we try we can never rise high enough to meet God, but m...

Obedience is birthed from love. When Paul calls the church to obedience, he is reminding them of God's great rescue and our rightful response of a life of submission and gratitude. This life of worship is one of God's great means of demonstrating his renewal of all things to the world which labors in darkness. When we gain a posture and perspective of gratitude, we make space for obedien...

The Apostle Paul calls the church in Philippi to "next level humility" in light of the opposition that was surrounding them as well as a disagreement in their midst. But in classic Pauline theology it is based on understanding, and being motivated by, Jesus and the Gospel. And what we see is that humility is an act of faith that depends not so much on what we think of others, but what we...

In Philippians 1:12-26 the apostle Paul encourages his Philippian friends and readers that, though the journey for him (and them) is difficult, the Gospel is advancing and that is cause to celebrate. And in one of the loftiest verses in the New Testament, Paul claims that "to live is Christ and to die is gain." Digging deeper it is clear that Paul can make this claim due to his purpose a...

The Philippian church has a special place in Paul's heart because of their clear partnership in the gospel. This is evident from their radical hospitality, sincere faith and financial generosity. And Paul's prayer for them is that this love for and commitment to the gospel will increase even more and result in love that abounds.

As followers of Jesus, we are sent as ambassadors. People who are entrusted with the good news of true life found in Jesus. At Hope, we are committed to living into this reality by living with intentionality in our spheres of influence and by launching a network of churches that will be able to represent Christ in communities across the Lehigh Valley.

The main role of the leadership of the church is to equip the people so the church can be built up. We are called to be equipped to maturity in the gospel so that we can withstand the winds of this world. And we are called to be equipped for ministry so each one can do his or her part to see the church grow.

The Bible reminds us that we are powerless to live the life that we were created for. Yet through the work of Jesus for us, we are now empowered to live that very life. Two of the most significant ways to tap into that power are through a devotion to prayer and a desire to be full of the Spirit.

We are a church formed by a provident God through a gracious gospel. And therefore we desire to be a gospel outpost and a gospel family. A place and people who are defined by God's love and undeniably joined together for his glory.

Who would you expect to be present at the grand arrival of God to earth? Certainly not the people who make up the nativity story. And yet, in this upside story we find a God who has come for those who need him and calls people personally to himself. And we find those who have responded to his calls with faith.

The true beauty of Christmas is the realization that the light of God has invaded the darkness of our world. In so doing, we are called out of the darkness through the incarnation of Jesus to be sons and daughters of God, children of light. ** This teaching includes personal stories of light coming into darkness from our Hope family. Thanks to Regina, Maura, Jesse and Michelle for sharing your sto...

Growth can be slow and gradual or happen in spurts. But when it happens, it is the Spirit's work of changing us to be more like Jesus. Even though this is true, the Bible still calls us to cooperate with the Spirit's work. We cannot do this personal improvement projects where we stop doing wrong things and start doing right things. We have to get to the foundation of our behavior and bri...

Doubt is a common and universal reality. In fact, our call to faith implies the presence of doubt. Rather than turning away from God in pride or stuffing our doubt deep inside to be more religious, God receives those who humbly and honestly acknowledge their doubts to him. And in so doing, we actually find more of him.

For followers of Jesus, mission is something that is meant to intentionally define as aspects of our lives. No matter what we are doing, we believe God has providentially placed us there is order to reflect his image and his gospel to those around us. And so it becomes critical for us to become aware and active in the spheres of influence.

Loving others is foundational to Christian faith, yet difficult to live out. In this talk we look at the origin of Christian love and some practical ways to try and grow this character trait in partnership with the Holy Spirit working in us.

God is generous. And he calls his people to be generous people. True generosity is found in the gospel and in a life lived in response to the gospel. We are called to a radical, sacrificial generosity because we are made in the image of a radically and sacrificially generous God.

Prayer was never meant to be some religious activity for the spiritual elites. It is actually one of God's means of welcoming us into his loving arms. In prayer, we reflect on who God is and what he has done. And in light of those realities, we speak honestly with him about our lives and trust in his goodness. Rather than trying to prove ourselves as spiritual people, we come to God in prayer...

In this talk we look at how the Holy Spirit works in both dynamic and subtle ways to make us "Heaven and Earth" people that reveal God to the world around us. This was God's intent as prophesied in Ezekiel 36 and 37 (among other places) and fulfilled in Acts 2. Furthermore, the Spirit also fills us and transforms us as we see in Ephesians and Galatians 5.

The Bible, inspired by God, is a gracious gift that provides for us the wisdom that leads to salvation. In other words, it faithfully and authoritatively tells God's story. So, engaging with the Bible should be a regular part of the rhythm of our life. As the Bible helps us find our place within God's story and we meditate deeply on those realities and implications, we see our lives cont...

Faith is not just a set of beliefs or an internal feeling. More than anything it is action. Action on the basis of hope. When Scripture calls us to faith, it is calling us to act on the hope we have in God's love for and divine rescue of us. When we find our identity in this story, we take holy risks - big and small - living into what it means to live by faith.

God's story will conclude just as it began - God dwelling with his people in his perfection creation. God will fulfill his promise to make all things new. This is both a great hope to believers living in a broken world today and a call to live new creation lives now rather than thinking escapist thoughts. Maranatha!