Hope Christian Fellowship

(2 Cor. 11:16-33) From different points of view, the same information can have dramatically different impacts. For example, a national election can bring results that cause some to feel euphoric and others to feel doomed. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he talks about their idea of foolishness versus his own understanding. He uses sarcasm quite a bit in these chapters, so if you’re fluent in...

Camouflage was first officially invented in France in 1914. Of course, armies have been using some form of it since warfare began. The concept is pretty simple: if your enemy doesn’t know you are there, they cannot attack you. And they cannot effectively defend themselves. Paul talks about our spiritual enemy, Satan, using the same tactic. In fact, Paul says that Satan disguises himself as an ‘ang...

Have you ever met anyone who thinks everything is dangerous? They can find deadly peril at every turn. Usually, they have statistics and personal stories to back up their approach to life. If you don’t share the same level of panic, they think you are blind and dumb. It’s kind of annoying, isn’t it? Essentially, you internally think, “What’s the big deal?” That’s exactly the response the Corinthia...

Have you ever been in a place where you felt blinded by despair? Are there times that you forget about God's ability to do the impossible? In these verses, we will look at how Jesus took extraordinary steps to prove who He was and how His disciples responded. Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forevermore. Let us fix our eyes on how He moved in this text and how it can give us a blueprint fo...

Virtually every ad you see invites you to compare yourself with someone else. The advertisers know that comparison is a natural driver for our desires and choices. If we see someone enjoying a vacation, we compare our situation with what we think the person in the ad is experiencing. Social media influencers embody this principle even more powerfully. They recommend product with the same kind of c...

We all know people who are full of confidence in a way that makes everyone else irritated. The self-focus of this kind of confidence seems to think everyone else matters less and is not worth their time. Many people – Christians included – assume from people like this that confidence is the same as pride. Basically, you have to have a big head to be sure of what you’re doing. However, in these few...

In the series Cobra Kai, the iconic characters from the original Karate Kid come to life again. There is still a contrast in fighting techniques. And there are still bullies and those who need to stand up and fight back. But one of the subthemes of the story is that those who were powerless can become powerful by learning a different way to approach an unavoidable fight. The kids who get bullied a...

The last word of our church's name seems to point directly to small groups. It certainly is our goal that everyone experiences and knows the joy and peace that come from deep and healthy community within our spiritual family. We've given away how high of a priority this is for us by putting it in our name. Is this unique to us? Are we being extreme? Or is this the God-designed way for a church to...

The second word in our church’s name is “Christian.” In American culture, many people call themselves a Christian without really meaning what we mean. So what is the difference between someone who chooses a label and someone who is what the Bible describes as a Christian? We’re going to focus on one word today that describes real salvation: Grace. It is the grace of God that saves someone and make...

We call ourselves Hope Christian Fellowship. Over the next three weeks, we’re going to look at each word in our name. This Sunday we look at hope. What kind of hope do we have? How do we get it and what does it do? We’re going to look at some words from Paul who describes the process for each believer receiving hope, and then he describes how each one experiences that hope more and more. Our hope...

It probably comes as no surprise to you that people in our country and culture are struggling more than ever with the feeling of loneliness. Some long for connection with others but cannot seem to find it. Others wall themselves off from connection after experiencing some of the harsh wounds that can come from connection. But what may not seem as obvious are the spiritual implications of lonelines...

Money is always a huge issue, and it tends to make people feel uncomfortable when churches talk about it. But Paul didn’t have any hesitation instructing the Corinthians on this topic, challenging them to give faithfully and sacrificially. These challenges are for us today as well. As we finish up the two chapters on the topic, we will see that giving is actually worship. And that worship is tied...

Guest Speaker Psalm 120, 109:1-5; 1 Peter 3:9, 15-17; Matt 5:10-12

People often give to church because of guilt. And churches often use emotional manipulation to motivate people to give. But this is not the way Paul describes the motivation behind a believer’s giving. Instead, he points to the reality that we see the value in what God is doing, so we naturally want to give to His work. That enables us to be faithful and not give up. Not everyone gives the same am...

Some churches talk way too much about money. Our church tends not to talk about it enough. But we’re walking through the second letter to the Corinthians in the New Testament, and Paul takes a significant amount of space to teach them about giving. What Paul tells us in these verses is how giving is a key part of growing in our faith and living as mature believers. If those connections are hard fo...

We’ve had an amazing week together as a church during this year’s Vacation Bible School. This morning, we celebrate together all of the fun, the people, and the lessons. Our kids will take the stage to share their songs and the truth they’ve learned. Then, we’ll talk about how what seems so simple can be so life-giving and powerful. No matter what our age is, we all are looking for answers in this...

Every summer, Hope comes together to pour our hearts into Vacation Bible School. We see dozens of workers and scores of kids come out each morning and night to learn about Jesus. What is it that makes this week worth it? Why would a church spend their time, resources, and energy to put on a huge program like this? This morning, as we kickoff VBS, we’re going to read one of Paul’s accounts about hi...

Turn on the news, scroll through social media, or phone a friend and before you know it you will be given some kind of advice, tip, or life hack. Everyone is trying to explain how this can be done quicker, how you can do that for less money, or how you can avoid this chore. Everyone thinks that they are an expert, except of course the experts, who get drowned out in the noise or simply ignored for...

In our faith journey, it’s easy to try to stay in a comfortable place since life gives us our fair share of bumps and bruises. But we have a shared calling as children of God to share what the Lord has done in our lives. This week we will look at the calling that Jesus gave to some of the original disciples to see how we can apply it to our lives today.

Does it feel to you like the world keeps creating new and unique reasons that we should be afraid? Maybe there is no such deliberate force at work, but it can feel like every day is a struggle to steer clear of fear. God’s people are called to be ‘strong and courageous’ (Josh. 1:9). How do we actually do that? We celebrate fatherhood and our fathers on this day. In that vein, we’ll take a look at...

If you find yourself going the wrong way, you have a choice to make. You can keep going a way that you now know will not take you to your destination. Or you can double-down on your mistake in some kind of pride and refuse to admit your mistake. But the second response doesn’t actually save you. You still wind up missing your destination. Refusing to admit that you were wrong seems foolish and poi...

When cold season hits, many people become more conscious about cleaning surfaces and making sure they do everything possible to keep away from touching what could make them sick. Parents of little ones feel a little hopeless during this time because kids seem to be magnets for all kinds of viruses and even the most vigilant parenting does not seem to keep them away from catching whatever is out th...

When you’re applying for job, it can feel like all you’re doing is bragging about yourself. In order to advocate for your ability to be considered for the job, you have to rehearse all the reasons you would be a good hire. That can feel self-focused and certainly self-promoting. As a Christian, we’re supposed to be humble. Is it possible to be humble while reminding those who need it of the reason...

We gather on Sundays to worship our Savior. And we gather on this Sunday to honor our mothers. Being a mom is reported to be one of the greatest joys in life. But many mothers find the reality to be significantly more challenging and complicated than a simply joy-filled experience. Just like anything a Christian is called to do, the Lord invites us to FIND joy in all of it. How can we do that? Tod...

Most people probably believe that marriage is one of the great blessings of life. But so many moments in marriage can be taken for granted. Sometimes, people even destroy this great blessing by their choices of action (or inaction). Humans have often treated other great blessings from God in similar ways, wasting talent or time or freedom or any number of HIs priceless gifts. Paul urges the Corint...