Hope Christian Fellowship

Have you ever had enough with a particular person and just told them to go away? Or maybe you just decided to walk away… Whatever the situation, we understand the feel of being fed up and not being able to just keep enduring what was happening. The plagues over Egypt were building up to the same kind of breaking point. And the tenth plague was the moment when Pharaoh and the Egyptians told the Isr...

Our culture is pretty familiar with Easter as a spring holiday that has religious connections. Of course, many celebrate Easter without focusing on the resurrection of Jesus or the offer of spiritual regeneration. But the nation of Israel has their own version of this holiday, and it is actually the holiday that was taking place when Jesus died. It is called the Passover. And this morning we’re go...

We are living through a global health pandemic during the information age. Everyone has an opinion on Covid-19's origins, the government's handling of the response, and just about everything else. As Christians, how should we step into these muddy and often tense waters? Pastor Mark and Pastor Dave look at how we can engage others in healthy ways and how we can tend to our own soul during,...

This is a day we set aside to celebrate and honor the role of mother. While it can be a painful day for some, we should never allow the Enemy to destroy our opportunity to give thanks to a good Father who loves us and created motherhood. As we study today, we’ll find out that we’re all vital in this zone – those of us who are actively mothering, and the rest of us who are connected to mothers as a...

Has life ever gotten really dark? It’s as if someone turned out the lights and now you really feel quite lost. Sometimes it happens suddenly through some unexpected or tragic event. But other times, you just drift into that darkness. We’re going to talk about what darkness can mean and how we can find hope in darkness. The second to last plague in Egypt was the plague of darkness. For Egypt, it wa...

What have your experiences with loss taught you? We all face loss as a part of this life no matter who we are. Losses can affect us, whether big or small. And many of them are just part of living in this fallen world. But sometimes, God chooses to take something precious away from us because we’re on the wrong track. He works to get our attention before it is too late by removing something importa...

Easter is such a wonderful celebration! For many, it is a day of family and friends as well as food and fun. For Christians, it is a celebration of the greatest miracle of all time and the event that changed us to our very souls. So, for anyone who doesn’t know what we’re talking about, we’re going to answer this question today: Why Easter? Why was it needed? Why is it important? And how can somet...

Many of those who question God’s existence or goodness come back to some version of this question: Is what we’re witnessing supposed to be a reflection of a God who is in charge and is good? We see such evil and trauma in the world around us, and then we hear that God is in charge. How do we put those two together? For people who reject the premise of a Divine Being, this is almost always part of...

Christianity is a social religion, but gathering together must look different during our #stayathome advisories. How can we continue to build our Christian community? And how can we love our neighbor as ourselves during this unprecedented time? Pastor Dave shares a few of his thoughts and a few of your stories! Hope Daily on Spotify  Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-25 Mark 12:30-31  Dig Deeper: Practice...

These days anxiety and unrest are at an all time high, with fear and uncertainty running rampant. Some have come to question “Where is God in all of this?” I believe we are at a special time and place that we can live like we know the answer to that question. This week, we will study John 11 to see how Jesus handles the news of Lazarus being sick and the beginning of John 12 to see Mary’s correspo...

Social distancing and self-quarantining is wise in our present moment, but it doesn't have to negate community of fellow believers or loving our neighbors as ourselves. We're just going to have to get creative in how we do it.

The spread of and response to coronavirus has reshaped our lives. As we adjust to these new normals let us rest in the fact that our help comes from the Lord. We are not immune to the troubles of this world, but we are guarded from them. In this short address, Pastor Dave shares a few thoughts on Psalm 121 that can help us to stay grounded in this time.

If you’ve ever been in the unfortunate position of having your supervisor tell you that you no longer have a job, you know from experience how difficult that can be. You probably didn’t see that moment as an opportunity to ‘negotiate’. Maybe when you were hired, or after a very good year, you asked for more than was offered. But negotiation requires some kind of standing or leverage, and when you’...

Payback

We use titles today regularly without knowing where they came from or what they mean. For example, we often use the title “Mister” or “Mr.” in front of a man’s name without knowing that it originated as a title for men of higher social status. While it is frequently used, the meaning of the word has shifted to a simple use as a formal title for any man. Titles were also used in Biblical times. For...

Have you ever been surfing channels on your car radio and accidentally come across a favorite song from long ago?  Even though you’ve listened to it many times over, you thoroughly enjoy listening to it again.  Maybe you even turned the radio up to get the full experience.  Knowing every word doesn’t make the song boring; instead, it lets you embrace the song to the fullest. But not everything in...

Have you ever had God try to get your attention, but you tried to ignore Him?  As the ten plagues begin, we read that God struck Egypt’s main asset: the Nile River. By turning the water to blood, the Lord is confronting the Egyptians and inviting them to know that He is the true God who rules over even the resources we take for granted. But while Egypt undeniably suffers, Pharaoh pretends that thi...

The currency of our world is power.  Other things that people pursue all fall under this quest for power.  We naturally believe that if we have the ability to control our lives or the circumstances of life, we’ll find peace, security, and even joy in our lives. This philosophy has created many evils in our world.  As Moses begins to confront human power in Egypt, God begins to demonstrate the real...

The problem for most of us is that we are well acquainted with our failures and weaknesses. Walking by faith requires some level of confidence that we are eligible and can be useful.  How do you keep going when it seems obvious that everything you try for God falls flat?  How can you let God lead your life when you’re convinced that you’re defective or broken or too weak to pull it off? Moses face...

Have you ever prayed for God to do something, and it seemed like nothing happened?  Perhaps you faced some kind of crisis and you asked God to intervene and resolve the problem, but it just stayed put. Then you hear how God is faithful and doesn’t forsake us, and it is hard to even listen. What should you do in that scenario? We step into a story today where God’s people were asking for rescue fro...

Some parts of life seem overwhelmingly unfair. This reality can crush a person’s spirit and wring the joy out of their life. Whether it is a loss of a loved one, an unexpected and tragic illness, a setback in career, a personal rejection or betrayal, or any of a multitude of other ‘unfair’ experiences, we are thrown towards grief and despair as we face what seems undeserved and unkind. As Christia...

Most people we know have some thoughts about God. They may or may not believe in Him, but they think they know what we’re talking about when we mention God. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t still asking the same question Pharaoh did.  When the Egyptian ruler asked Moses, Who is the Lord?, he was asking why the God of Israel deserved any kind of obedience or reverence.  Basically, Pharaoh thought...

As we kick off a new year, it is a great time to come up with a plan that will help us fulfill our calling as a church. The unique thing about a church is that it isn’t an organization or a building. Instead, it is a family made up of regular people saved by the power of God.  While all of us have day-in and day-out tasks that require our attention, we have to make sure that these don’t hijack our...

Why are we always making New Year’s resolutions? Why are they so hard to keep? As we come upon this time of year, we tend to reflect on where we have been and what we have done that has improved our experiences and outlook in life. This week we take a look at some Scripture that will show us the path to seeking God approved resolutions that can lead to life changing purpose for ourselves and for a...

Christmas is upon us, and that means we’ve arrived at the Sunday before Christmas and our Elementary Kids Christmas Program. We can’t wait to enjoy our kids on stage. And what adds to the joy is that they will be sharing the good news of Jesus with us! We’ll close our service by looking at the Christmas story of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2 and recognize how the story itself invites everyone – all chara...