Hope Christian Fellowship

Here’s a spoiler: magicians don’t actually have magical powers.  While it can seem like they have otherworldly powers, the reality is that they are very clever and skilled in performing illusions that seem to have no possible explanation.  If you simply believe what your eyes see, you will be tricked!  Spiritually this is also true.  We have to decide if we are going to trust what we see, what mak...

Topics: 1 Corinthians

Waiting for someone to keep their promise can be a frustrating experience. Depending on how well you know the person, you may have trouble waiting for a long time without doubting whether or not they are going to stay true to their word.  God made a promise to humanity back in the Garden of Eden – pretty much right after mankind rebelled and broke everything. That promise waited thousands of years...

If you look back on your life, you may have one or two regrets… maybe more! Many times, regret is connected to something you did even though someone tried to warn you not to do it.  If you’ve been on the other side of this dynamic, you know the sadness and frustration of trying to help someone avoid trouble who isn’t interested in what you have to say.  Proverbs talks about this reality.  It advis...

Have you ever been at a party where everyone is talking at once and it is hard to hear the person you’re talking to?  Some people say it’s hard to even think when it is that noisy.  Lots of noise and talking can actually become a barrier to communication.  The answer is to go to a place with less noise so that you can tune into the person you’re actually having a conversation with.  In life, there...

This is the day we celebrate together the most powerful and transformational event of all time: the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Many think this is just a fable meant to teach us some philosophical truth.  But those who were closest to Jesus did not believe that; in fact, they were killed because they wouldn’t back down from their testimony that He had risen.  Today, we’re going to start with an...

Holidays generally have some meaning behind them.  People often treat them as just a day off work (or a day of holiday pay) but throughout time, holidays have been based on something that the culture felt was important enough to remember. As we finish the story of Esther, we’ll see that God’s deliverance of the Jews was supernatural and stunningly complete.  In response, the Jews create a new holi...

Many of us know the frustration of working hard to finish only to find that we missed something. The relief that can flood our mind when we feel 'done' is quickly replaced with a deeper level of exhaustion than before. Whether it is a school project that we thought was complete, or our personal to-do-list, realizing that the finish line is still a bit further up the road can really be demo...

Have you ever had to deal with a decision someone else made without your input?  Those moments can be filled with fear, frustration, and disappointment.  If it is someone in charge of you, you can feel helpless over your own life.  In Esther’s story, the king has made a decision that will affect Esther and her entire nation.  She has decided to make an appeal to him about this decision, hoping tha...

Many picture God as an angry, kind-of-grumpy, old man.  Others see Him as a great big heart that is mushy and soft.  But God is much more complex than any of our cartoonish ideas of Him. In fact, as we read the stories in the Bible, we sometimes get a glimpse into His humor!  As we read this story, we’ll notice that God clearly knows how to inject a note of levity into very serious matters.  And u...

Week 8 of an extended 5-6 week study on what the Bible has to say about the end of the world.  We’ll be looking at books like Revelation and Daniel as well as many other passages in the Bible. Our topics will include the tribulation, the rapture, heaven and hell, the Second Coming, as well as Jesus’ rule on earth as King.  Since there are so many different ideas about what the Bible says, we’ll tr...

We hear a lot about self-centered people and how awful it is to be around someone like that.  But what does it mean to be ‘all about you’?  And what if it turns out that every one of us struggle with seeing life through a self-focused view?  Haman is the villain in the story of Esther, in large part because he is selfish.  But as he interacts with his family over the way he’s treated, we can see t...

Week 7 of an extended 5-6 week study on what the Bible has to say about the end of the world.  We’ll be looking at books like Revelation and Daniel as well as many other passages in the Bible. Our topics will include the tribulation, the rapture, heaven and hell, the Second Coming, as well as Jesus’ rule on earth as King.  Since there are so many different ideas about what the Bible says, we’ll tr...

Becoming Who You Are

Week 6 of a 5-6 week study on what the Bible has to say about the end of the world.  We’ll be looking at books like Revelation and Daniel as well as many other passages in the Bible. Our topics will include the tribulation, the rapture, heaven and hell, the Second Coming, as well as Jesus’ rule on earth as King.  Since there are so many different ideas about what the Bible says, we’ll try to talk...

Dear Friends of Hope ~ There seems to be a plethora of thirsty people in the world.  It seems like everyone walks around with a water bottle in their hands.  There is a billion dollar industry for specialized water bottles, water purifiers for home and on the go, all kinds of fancy jugs and containers, and even water itself!  I don’t know exactly how or when this started; when I was young we didn’...

Week 5 of a 5-6 week study on what the Bible has to say about the end of the world.  We’ll be looking at books like Revelation and Daniel as well as many other passages in the Bible. Our topics will include the tribulation, the rapture, heaven and hell, the Second Coming, as well as Jesus’ rule on earth as King.  Since there are so many different ideas about what the Bible says, we’ll try to talk...

You probably know the feeling in those dark moments when you are pleading with God to do something about the crisis or the hardship you are facing.  It can feel like God is uncaring or cruel when no answer seems to be forthcoming.  But what if God has already answered?  What if the answer is a person God has prepared for this moment – maybe even you!  We’re going to look at that exact scenario in...

Wednesday Night Bible Study – End of Days – Fourth Week

Week 3 of a 5-6 week study on what the Bible has to say about the end of the world.  We’ll be looking at books like Revelation and Daniel as well as many other passages in the Bible. Our topics will include the tribulation, the rapture, heaven and hell, the Second Coming, as well as Jesus’ rule on earth as King.  Since there are so many different ideas about what the Bible says, we’ll try to talk...

Being hated is an awful experience, one which most people try to avoid at all costs. It is bad enough if you’ve done something wrong and someone won’t forgive you or let you make things right.  But if you’ve done nothing wrong and in fact are hated for simply doing what is right before the Lord, it can feel like a deeper betrayal.  We all believe that doing the right thing should pay off, and when...

We’re starting a 5-6 week study on what the Bible has to say about the end of the world.  We’ll be looking at books like Revelation and Daniel as well as many other passages in the Bible. Our topics will include the tribulation, the rapture, heaven and hell, the Second Coming, as well as Jesus’ rule on earth as King.  Since there are so many different ideas about what the Bible says, we’ll try to...

Have you ever had someone tell you that they wish they had your life and your internal reaction is to ask, WHY?  It is very common for others to see your life through a lens that doesn’t represent the reality of living your life.  When we’re kids, we think we can’t wait to grow up and do whatever we want.  When we’re adults, we wish we could go back to being kids without anything to worry about. ...

Tug of War Relationships

There is nothing that represents the Christmas season more fully or fills it with more joy than the Sunday that our kids sing about Christmas and Jesus!  This day is a highlight of our year and it is exciting to spend this morning together enjoying what God wants to say through these children. And then we’ll spend a few minutes looking at the last ‘must-have’ for Christmas.  It’s an obvious one, a...