Hope Christian Fellowship

But I know I’m right! How often do we dig in for a fight when the alternative is to give in to someone else, even though I’m right? In today’s culture, we are told to stand up for our rights and those who do this are celebrated and honored. So why would we ever surrender our rights? Jesus talks about this topic by using a very specific example which is probably hard to understand in our society to...

On the list of sins, most people illustrate the darkest and most evil extreme by talking about murder. Something about taking the priceless life of another human being is so vile that it automatically elevates homicide to the top of the list. And it’s common for people to say “It’s not like I’m a murderer or something…” when they want to admit they’ve made mistakes, but also say they aren’t an evi...

In times gone by, people went to their ‘local’ church. We still use that term today, but it means something different. Back in the day, the local church was within walking distance – at the most, a few miles from the homes of those who attended. You were born in a church, got married in that church, and your funeral was held at that church. Today, we are much more mobile as a society, and people r...

The greatest sermon ever preached still has unbelievable power to change us. Jesus spoke these words about 2000 years ago to a large audience on a hillside, but He meant them to challenge us as well. The thoughts upend normal thinking on almost every spiritual front, and if we want to follow Jesus, much of what He represents starts here! SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE – Salty Lights ( Matthew 5:13-16 ) Th...

Are you tired of feeling like you’re racing through life, but you have no time for what matters? Discouraged when you think about the lack of meaningful relationships and deep friendships? Perhaps you are wrung out from all your responsibilities and calendar demands and wondering when you ever get a chance to take care of yourself and your soul. Many of us find ourselves in these places in life. B...

Have you ever thought what you’d do if you won the lottery… not just a few hundred dollars, but millions and millions of dollars? Most of us believe we would pay off some bills, take a few nice vacations, and maybe buy a new house. But then, we almost always talk about how we’d help people in need, or give to good causes. And while this reflects a heart that recognizes the good in giving, we have...

“Lucky you”. Have you ever had someone say that to you and thought, ‘If you only knew what it was really like to be me.”? Sometimes we look at people and think their lives are enviable, but it is likely that stepping into their shoes would cause us to think differently. Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with what we call the Beatitudes. And in these, He tells us who is ‘lucky’ – only He uses th...

The Magic Kingdom in Disney world is a place that feels like stepping out of reality and into fantasy. The slogan for the Magic Kingdom is ‘The Most Magical Place on Earth’. Stepping into the theme park is meant to take guests away from their mundane or over-stressed lives and allow them to live in a ‘kingdom’ where things are different and fun. They are in the escape business… But it is interesti...

Overcoming Struggles with Your Identity in Christ Does your past ever come back to haunt you? Do you wrestle with feelings of shame or guilt? Maybe you sometimes feel unworthy of serving our Lord. The enemy loves to throw these things in our faces to keep us from a fulfilling relationship with Christ. Mike Hartwell will be sharing truths from God’s Word to help us win this battle. Topics: Doubt ,...

It is often said that our young people are “the church of tomorrow.” It is probably more accurate as the leaders of tomorrow. Whether in church, business, politics, or wherever else our students end up, they will eventually be making decisions that impact all of us. Regardless if the students at Hope are your biological children or not, they will play a vital role in shaping the future. We have th...

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE – JIM JEFFERSON                                                                                                    We look forward with anticipation to hear what it is that the Lord has placed on Jim’s heart to share with us! Topics: Facing The Impossible

Have you ever tried the arcade game with a hanging claw that drops down into a pile of prizes and grabs whatever is where it lands? Some of the newer versions of this game let you play until you win, but for many years, it was rare that the claw returned with a prize. The player tried to align the claw over the desired item and then hoped that when it dropped and closed, it would catch whatever wa...

The week of VBS is a time of energy and activity. We feel privileged to welcome all of the kids who come out to learn about Jesus. And we love that we get to help families who are trying to raise their kids to be good people. But the big reason we do this is because we've been changed. We're going to close our VBS week by looking at some of the earliest followers of Jesus. They were witnes...

We are embarking on one of our busiest and most exciting weeks of the year. We sacrifice time and energy to serve kids and families so that they will remember what we do here for years to come. While we hope that all the hard work pays off for every person who comes out to VBS, we are really just doing what we’re always called to do. Of course, we can’t put on VBS every week. But every believer is...

There was a time in our world when people had dinner together as a family and then sat around and talked together. It seems like that way of living has mostly faded from existence. We run from one event on our packed calendars to the next. It feels like we’re always running late, but we simply have too much to do and not enough time to do it. This way of living has an impact on our mental, physica...

Advertising has an interesting dynamic. The target audience is often more willing to accept the word of a celebrity, even if that person is getting paid for their endorsement. Normally, the fact that they are compensated would make people suspicious. But the familiar face or voice makes us feel like we can trust the message. Followers of Jesus have a message to share as well. We aren't celebri...

We all know we should do it. Sometimes we do, and other times we don’t. Maybe we give ourselves a break because we know all of our own struggles, so we excuse ourselves from helping others in need. Yet, we want God to rush to our aid in times of need. David writes this psalm and begins it with some words about God’s desire for us to help those in need. This concept is a huge theme throughout Scrip...

In honor of our Dad’s, we’re all going to revert to childhood this Sunday. We are inviting the GoZone to take over our morning service and bring what happens each week in our elementary program front and center for us all to experience! Join us to support our kids and our kids workers. You’ll find that you’ll be encouraged, energized, and may even be challenged to be a part of what God is doing am...

There are times when children can be a bit dramatic. All of us have probably walked this path growing up. We saw something that we wanted so desperately that we thought we’d die without it. When we expressed this to our parents, we were often met with the rolling of eyes or sighs of exhaustion / disappointment. But have you ever realized that we were made to crave? Just because our longings wind u...

How many times have you thought you knew what you wanted, only to find out later that you were mistaken? Desire can be a tricky thing. We want what we THINK we see and we imagine what it will be like when we have it. But reality is a stubborn thing, and our fantasy idea of what it will feel like or be like when we have what we want can dissolve in the face of what actually is. So is desire wrong?...

A money back guarantee is a very useful marketing tool. It suggests that the seller is so confident in the quality of the product and in your satisfaction with it, that they will undo the sale if you are dissatisfied for any reason. They are inviting you to basically do a "taste-test" on their product because they are convinced you'll want to keep it. David found himself in a moment...

Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a short sonnet titled “How Do I Love Thee” which has been famously quoted many times. She is trying to capture the heart that overflows with love for someone. The words that she finds don’t seem to be quite enough, no matter how big they are. And the love she’s expressing is all-encompassing: from youth to old age, from joys to sorrows. While we can understand this...

Hope For Justice - hopeforjustice.org Exists to bring an end to modern slavery by preventing exploitation, rescuing victims, restoring lives, and reforming society.

Bible Study based on Joel 1

How many times do you keep going in a wrong direction simply because you don’t want to admit you’re wrong? Men have this reputation in driving, but all of us tend to do it in life. We are scared of unknown reactions or opinions of others. We are dreading the drama that comes from the conversations that follow an admission of wrong. Or we just don’t want to face the uncomfortable of the unknown, so...