Hope Christian Fellowship

What is your taste in music?  Do you like country, pop, indie, rock…? If you’re a passionate fan of a genre, it can be difficult for you to understand how anyone doesn’t like what you do.  But we all know that no matter how popular a singer or song is, there is no way it appeals to everyone.  Is there anything that is universally appealing?  Jesus tells the crowd that when He is lifted up, He will...

1 Corinthians 11 Bible Study Pt. 1

Investing can be a great way to grow your savings – or it can be a devastating way to lose all you have.  It all depends on where you invest!  However, you can’t reap any of the benefits of investment without releasing your money.  You have to let it go in order to gain the rewards of good investing.  Jesus talks about a similar process spiritually.  Some Greeks want to see Him, and He uses this o...

1 Corinthians 10 Bible Study Pt. 7

The fake-out. In sports, this technique is often used by those who have great athletic skill to make a defender react to something they never intended to do. A shooter makes it look like they are going to take a shot, only to do something else. A pitcher makes it look like they are going to throw a pitch, only to try to pick off a runner. If you are on the receiving end of this kind of trickery, i...

1 Corinthians 10 Bible Study Pt. 6

Have you ever paid more than you should have for something? Maybe a friend or a family member warned you, but you were so intent on getting the thing you wanted, you didn’t listen. When you realize your mistake, it brings regret and even shame. You didn’t need to give away so much to get what you wanted! In Jesus’ last days before His death, we see the people around Jesus thinking that someone has...

1 Corinthians 10 Bible Study Pt. 5

Most of our fears have to do with loss: what we have lost in the past or what we might lose in the future. Whether it is the loss of life or of something or someone we hold precious, this fear can be powerful in driving our choices and emotions. Many people are threatened by Jesus. They think He will take away something precious to them – maybe even costing them more than they can bear. When we fe...

1 CORINTHIANS 10 BIBLE STUDY PT. 4

In your experience, are all batteries the same?  Does Energizer work better than Duracell – or vice versa?  Having the power you need in your devices (or to start your car) is really important.  Just having a battery isn’t enough – you want one with enough power to do the job. In the final part of the story of Lazarus, we see the kind of power Jesus has.  It is also the exact level of power we nee...

1 Corinthians 10 Bible Study Pt. 3

Have you ever been in a situation where your role made it unwise to let people know what you were feeling?  Sometimes a leader must project confidence in spite of their own misgivings.  Parents have to discipline their children for doing what is wrong, even if it is a big challenge to not burst into laughter at their antics.  On top of that, people have presumptions about what kind of person you a...

Psalm 68 Bible Study

If you’ve lived somewhere for a long time, you probably know some of the shortcuts and back roads that can save you time and aggravation in your travels. Someone less familiar with the area may be using a map or an app to give them directions, and if you took a turn not shown on their map, they might think you were making a mistake.  But your knowledge of the area would prove that there are someti...

1 Corinthians 10 Bible Study Pt. 2

Some people believe that being late is a good thing.  They use terms like “fashionably late” to describe the benefits of not arriving on time.  Being late on purpose is one step further than someone who is carelessly late or just couldn’t seem to get there on time.   It can feel like a slap in the face to everyone else involved, like there just wasn’t enough consideration or respect for those who...

Where to stand against demonic influences.

His Forever

Safe Sheep

If you have ever been on a serious hiking trail, you probably know from experience that the trail is marked.  Walking with your head down can get you lost – you need to be paying attention to the markings or you could easily wander off the trail.  Let’s say a hiker did just that (wandered off the trail) and they realized it.  How foolish would it be to press forward in spite of the fact that there...

We’re getting ready to jump into one of our biggest events of the year – Vacation Bible School.  We’re thrilled that we get to serve our kids and the surrounding neighborhood in this way and this Sunday will be a day when our focus shifts to our kids.  Get a sneak peek at VBS, join us in prayer for our kids and the coming week, and get a little taste of the ministry Hope has for kids.  Whether you...

Standing Out

Hope is 10 years old!  This weekend marks the anniversary of our very first service and we’re going to be taking the morning to give thanks, glory, and praise to God for what He has done among us.  We’re grateful for each person who has sacrificed and serve – everyone who has shared in the work God is doing.  God has been amazingly good to our church and we want to take this anniversary and celebr...

Denial…. It is a well-worn response to news that we don’t want to hear or accept.  It doesn't change the facts, but it makes us feel better in trying to pretend that they aren’t true.  However, denial almost always crumbles under the weight of reality over time.  Eventually, virtually everyone has to face the facts that what they don’t want to be true is in fact true.  For many people, this is...