Hope Alliance Bethlehem

Zerubbabel was the leader of the first group of Israelites to return from exile.  He led the people to rebuild the temple in the midst of persecution and enemies. But this temple, and Zerubbabel himself were actually signs pointing forward toward something greater.  Jesus would lead the ultimate return from exile and rebuild the temple in his death and resurrection.

Solomon was the son of David who presided as king over a time of great peace and prosperity in Israel. Though he was famous for his wisdom and discernment, pride and power got the best of him and led to total corruption. What about God's promise for a son of David to sit on the throne forever? His ultimate answer is Jesus, the better Solomon. His kingdom is forever and brings the true peace a...

Though an unexpected choice, David was empowered by the Spirit and killed the giant. God promised him an eternal throne and reign of peace and prosperity. David's story is not just triumph though, its equal parts prideful tragedy. For their to be an eternal reign of peace, Israel would need a new David. Jesus is the ultimate David who killed the ultimate giant and brings peace once and for al...

The story of Ruth and Boaz is a story of unexpected kindness. Kindness that lays down one's life for another to protect and preserve them. In all, this kindness finds its source in God himself who is providentially meeting his people. And Jesus is the ultimate Boaz who not only lays down his life for us, but marries us into the family of God.

As two spies blow their cover, they are surprisingly protected by a Canaanite woman named Rahab.  Why? Because she had experienced a transformation and her faith was now in the God of Israel.  As a result, her house would be marked by God and she wold be preserved. Rahab appears in the genealogy of Jesus because he is the ultimate fulfillment of this story. We find refuge in Jesus and are marked b...

Why include such a horrible story in the genealogy of Jesus? Matthew does so to remind us of the destructive power of sin and the redemptive power of grace. Grace is greater than sin. And he shows that Jesus came right into the mess of this world in order to rescue it.

Isaac arrived as an unexpected joy to his parents and the world. But at the climax of his story, in faith he willingly laid down his life.  God supernaturally intervened to provide a sacrifice.  Isaac story foretells the story of Jesus - an unexpected to joy to his parents and the world who willingly laid down his life and was supernaturally raised from the dead.  Jesus is the ultimate Isaac.

God gave Abraham an outrageous call.  He was to leave home for a foreign land where he would become a great nation to bless the world.  Abraham's faithful response is amazing, but it is also faulty.  But ultimately Jesus would fulfill this great call and covenant to launch a family that blesses the world.  And we get to be part of it!

God’s gifts are meant to be shared.  With this in mind, our aim at Hope is to see people come to embrace Jesus and grow, while investing themselves to make this happen in others as well.  In the same way, we want to see our ministries and even our church reproduced.  We have a multiplication mindset.

Too much in life is artificial!  At Hope, our desire is to see people make a real connection to God and real connections to each other.  We also want to help people connect to their unique, God-given calling so they can pursue it.

At Hope we believe it should not be hard to meet Jesus, but it is hard to stay with him.  So, we are guided by a key priority we call casual depth.  That means we want to create environments were everyone is welcome without expectation.  But when we gather, we also intend to to go deep in the gospel and in relationships to find the true life that Jesus offers.

At Hope we value gospel saturation.  Everything we do is saturated with the gospel because it is our true message and the only way we can bear fruit.  The gospel is not just an entrance into faith, it is the ongoing basis of faith.   

At Hope, we are defined by the statement Simply Jesus.   Jesus is first.  Everything else is second.  It's that simple.  The story of the transfiguration helps remind us that our role is to point people to Jesus only and avoid the common pitfalls and traps of religion.

Everyone has a shepherd.  In Psalm 23, David is telling us that God is the best shepherd.  Why?  He lead us to true contentment.  He nourishes our soul and gives it true rest.  He directs us toward God, even through dark seasons.  And he is a covenant companion with us.  

The psalmist says that one day in God's presence is better than a thousand elsewhere.  Why?  Because in God's presence we find strength.  The presence of God is our true home where we experience his genuine care, are restored by his grace and are redirected to worship.  In God's presence we are immersed in his goodness and even the valleys of weeping become blessings.

The psalmists love to remind us that God is our refuge.  That amidst the darkness of the night and terror of the day, God is our shield and protector.  However, this is not simply a call to hide in fear, but rather an assurance to keep moving forward.  And as we engage the world around us, we do so with God as our refuge when we trust, love and call on him.

When David says that God is compassionate, he is reminding his forgetful soul of what God has done and who God is - his character and his covenant.  This is the God who forgives and restores us. The God who redeems and rescues us.  The God who crowns us with his love and adorns us with his goodness.   This is a God to be feared and praised.

In the course of life, just like David, we run into fears, pain, loneliness, guilt and uncertainty.  Often beneath these feelings are deep questions in our soul.  David asked those same questions.  Will I be ashamed?  Can I trust God?  Is God good?  But he knew the Lord was good because he had experienced his guidance, his forgiveness, his protection and his comfort.

The holiness of God represented by the ark of the covenant was an anchor for the people of God.  No matter their circumstances or the powers that threatened them, the holiness of God meant that his just and equitable reign not only existed but would prevail.  How do we live in a broken, unjust and inequitable world today?  The resurrection of Jesus is our anchor, a fulfillment of the ark's pr...

Psalm 95 reminds us that the LORD is God.  He is the God far above any would be gods and he is our God who shepherds us through this life.  Our only response, no matter the current circumstances of life, is worship.  Worship is both an emotional and a volitional response to the realization that God is both the God and our God.

Paul tells the church at Ephesus to walk in the way of love.  What does this mean and how can we do it?  Perhaps the best answer comes from another letter of Paul to the church at Corinth.  In his famous poem on love, Paul shows us the volitional and active nature of love that we have experience from God and that we are called to exhibit in our lives.  

Central to loving another person is listening to them.  When we genuinely listen to each other, we affirm our shared humanity.  In an age of shouting over each other and the polarization that brings, Christians ought to lead the way in loving by listening.  We listen to understand.  And we listen to prepare ourselves to speak well if prompted.  In so doing, we follow the example of Jesus.  

Love engages other people, no matter their ideology or worldview.  It means getting proximate and embracing a posture of hospitality that humanizes everyone.  Jesus shows us exactly what this looks like and the societal impact it can have in his relationship with Zacchaeus.  May we go and do likewise!

As Christians we are people who have been radically changed by love.  God's love, ultimately displayed in the gospel, is transforming us.  We cannot manufacture love on our own.  Instead, we love others because we know God and have an ever deepening understanding of the gospel.  And when we step out in love toward others, we join in God's transforming work of our own hearts, helping to b...