Hope Christian Fellowship

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...

Hero stories are some of the most compelling that we ever take in.  In today’s storytelling, the soon-to-be-hero is often unaware that they will become the one to save the day.  Or they are full of doubt and personal weakness, making their heroics all the more miraculous.  One of the great hero stories of the Bible is about a man whose faith was not very strong when God calls him to save his peopl...

Have you ever asked for God’s help?  At a moment like that, you knew that only divine power could address your need. And yet many times, we think God did not answer our cry.  What if we are thinking about God’s help all wrong? As Moses begins the work that will eventually result in the freedom of all Israel from slavery, God begins to show Moses how He will help. God takes normal, seemingly powerl...

Ephesians 2 Bible Study

Some days you feel like you can take on the world. They may not come very often, but we’ve all known the feeling of excitement and energy where we believe that we can handle whatever life throws our way. But more often, we feel small in comparison to the challenges we face.   Moses was no different.  As God unfolds His calling for Moses, Moses has some questions.  But the good news is that God had...

At the theme park, there are two types of people.  The ones who run to the roller coasters and the ones who wish they didn’t exist. We don’t often find people who are indifferent to the thrill rides. Those who love them are ready for the rush of energy and are very able to put aside any thoughts of danger or fear.  But in life, the thrills can often come with very real risk.  And those who live th...

Ephesians 2 bible study

Ephesians bible study – Ephesians 2

We know that our Creator made us with a purpose in mind. While many try to reject this idea, the language of our world reflects it regularly.  We hear that we are to ‘follow our heart’ and ‘find our passion’.  We are supposed to ‘do what we were made to do’. Disconnecting these ideas from a purposeful Creator doesn’t make a lot of sense.  But even when we understand the concept that we have a purp...

The term friend has been forever changed by social media.  Our ever changing technology has completely altered how we establish, keep, and grow our friendships. Today we will take a look at the life of Abraham and how his journey leaves the Scripture calling him a friend of God.  God put a unique calling on Abraham’s life, and despite the overwhelming odds that he faced, Abraham put his faith into...

Sometimes, we ask God for too little. Probably all the time. God is not the God of "just enough" or the "what you expected". He is the God of "more than we could ask or imagine". Yet, when we pray and try to hold on to that idea, our limited way of thinking and seeing so often overrides our faith. We can't quite believe that God would be impossibly good because we...