Hope Church Mill Creek

This is our last week of the "Red Letters" series where we have walked through statements of Jesus, such as "I am the bread of life," "Forgive them, and "I will give you rest." We have learned much from these but on the last week, we will talk about what arguably could be the most important words Jesus said, "You must be born again."

This has been a good year for Hope Church Mill Creek in many ways. In other ways, it has been difficult for this body. Death has claimed the lives of several precious souls connected with us and has threatened to take others. In light of this, let us take a day and focus on the place called heaven. Let not your hearts be troubled.

Many of us in our lives have wrestled with many things in this world. Sins, tendencies, addictions, bad habits, bad attitudes, poor behavior, lack of self-control, etc. The topic at hand today in our Red Letters series, however, may well be the most difficult battle some of us will face in our entire lives. At the same time, it also may be the most important to win. Do not be afraid, Jesus can hel...

Anxiety. There's likely not one person on this planet who is of age that has not wrestled with this. For some, it is a daily struggle, if not hour by hour. So, how do we deal with it? How do we cope? Does God care? Furthermore, does Scripture say anything about anxiety? That is precisely what we will be exploring today from out red letter text.

Rest... we all desire rest. We desperately need it. We can't live without it. Yet, this is one thing that eludes many of us frequently - not only a rest and reset of the body, but also of the mind too. Jesus speaks of both in our text this week, but He doesn't stop there. He beckons and invites all the weary and tired to come to Him, and He will give it. But it is an interesting formula.

In our text, Jesus asks his disciples a very serious questions. "Who do you say that I am?" The way we answer this question will have a profound impact on us in this life, and the next. All throughout history, people have made various claims about who Jesus is. Who is Jesus to you?

If a grocery store is depleted of groceries, what good then is the store? Many, unfortunately in their Christian lives are operating in a state of depletion. They would love to give, serve, connect, and thrive, but they feel don't have it in them - they are empty. Today, we want you to know you can be "re-stored." You cannot thrive, live, and give if you're empty and disconnected from Jesus. Recon...

Here at Hope, we try to focus on the Savior all the time. Sometimes we do well, and sometimes we don't. For the next several weeks, however, in the preaching of God's Word, we will be focusing specifically on powerful direct statements of the Christ that are, in many Bibles, emphasized in red letters. Join us as we learn at the feet of our Master who we know is Jesus.

"The thief does not come but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." Our enemy is an ancient, powerful foe who would have us convinced that he is unbeatable... except he's not! Our God is greater, stronger, higher than any other - our God is the "healer" which is exactly what we're talking a...

Recovery Alive at Hope Church Mill Creek - Tisha Temple shares her testimony of the power of surrender in Jesus Christ. Recovery of life is found only in Jesus. There is hope in Jesus!

The letter of Paul to the Ephesians is such a blessing to the modern church. From warm greetings to spiritual blessings; from great mysteries to doctrinal teaching; from God's purpose to practical living, the book of Ephesians gives and gives. Directed originally toward the local church in the city of Ephesus all those years ago, we still today relish in the end of Paul's letter with his f...

Being a Roman citizen, the Apostle Paul would have been familiar with the Roman Legionnaire's armor. Having spent much time imprisoned for the sake of the gospel and guarded closely by Roman soldiers, Paul would have become even more knowledgeable of this armor. Thanks to this and divine inspiration, we have this beautifully iconic and timeless passage we now call, The Armor of God.

Why do Christians often feel so defeated? Why does life many times seem like a war we are losing? When do we get a break from fighting? How is it possible to fight a crafty, invisible enemy? Also, how is that even fair? The odds are stacked against us, no doubt. However, we are not without defense. We know that The Lord is on our side; however, we must readily and regularly put on the armor of God...

Husbands and wives are the picture of Jesus and His church on earth. The Bible is strong on the concept of marriage because of this very reason. It is through the God-centered home that roots-level transparency and transformation happens and that the gospel is most genuinely seen and shared. God bless our homes and may our marriages thrive under the banner and order of Christ.

Sometimes at Hope Church Mill Creek, we tangle with difficult or complicated topics presented as such in Scripture (like last week). Other times, we are allowed a refreshing return trip back to the basics of life in Christ (like this week). Let us step back from the conflict for a moment, and remember how to act because of who we are in Jesus.

For those genuinely converted to Jesus Christ, a light has been switched on in their lives. Rather, the Light himself took over our lives shining in every dark, hidden, and inconvenient corner. For many of us who were rescued by God in our own desperation, this was a welcome change. However, as time goes on, the world, our own flesh, and the devil seeks to pull us back into old, God-forsaken patte...

People who believe in Jesus should act differently than people who do not believe in Jesus. People are actively following in the way of Jesus will, in fact, be different. However, the issue is, we all have a flesh and past that will be with us until we pass from this earthly life. In the text this week, the apostle Paul calls us to "put off" that way of life - almost like clothes, so tha...

Pastor Ethan Riddle from Hope Church Stokes County delivers a message on Ephesians 4: 7-16. As we continue reading through Ephesians, we find that Paul discusses the gifts God gave to the church and the importance of uniting as the body of Christ to work together for His good.

Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Church of God, Church of Christ... and that is just to name a few! So many denominations, and so many schools of thought - is it possible then to get along? How? Why should we even try? We'll discover this week that we may be many in number, preferences, and opinions, but we are also one in Jesus Christ.

Paul once again covers his beloved Ephesian brothers and sisters in prayer. And yet once more, he doesn't flutter about with fluff and non-particulars. Instead, he lovingly intercedes for them to the Father through the Spirit by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He writes this specific prayer down, so that now, we modern-day believers can gain much needed encouragement, insight, and helpful corr...

Last week, the Apostle Paul painted a structural metaphor for us made up of walls and houses. This week, it's all about the mystery of God. Specifically, how God mysteriously works behind the scenes, creating unexpected beauty with unsuspecting (and many times, undeserving) people. How did God bridge the unbridgeable divide between Jews and Gentiles? With this mysterious plan and beautiful bod...

This week in the book of Ephesians, Paul is involved with the tearing down of walls and the building of houses. Just as with the remodel of any structure, it must get worse before it gets better. Paul reveals just how bad it was for us outside of Christ, then he leads us into the beautiful body that now exists and continues to grow in Christ Jesus.

Based on our reading of Ephesians, there is no doubt the apostle Paul loved this group of believers, and it's evident by his letter. After presumed dead by his Ephesian family, they received welcome news that Paul was, at the time, still alive and actively thinking and praying for them - what an encouragement that must have been! This week, we pore over Chapter 2: 1-10 where Paul breaks down t...

This week, we are starting a brand new series out of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. This book towards the end of the Bible is rich with sound theology, teaching, and encouragement. This book will no doubt bless us in many ways as we navigate through it together.

We are ending our sermon series, "Twisted Scriptures," with a sermon on how to study the Bible. As we end this series, we discuss ways to study the Bible through Scripture, observation, application, and prayer. May we all seek to be more like Jesus as we learn more about Him through His Word.