HOPE Sermons

Upon his passing, Moses’ assistant, Joshua, was called by the Lord to lead the people of Israel into the promised land. We can imagine how daunting stepping into his predecessor’s role may have felt for Joshua, but the Lord promised His presence and commanded him to be strong, courageous, and obedient God’s Word.  To be obedient, whether in leadership or not, means to seek the Lord, hear Him, and...

Senior Pastor David Dwight continued our series on ordinary people called by an extraordinary God with a message on Moses. The Lord called on Moses to ask Pharoah to free the Israelites, but Moses felt he was inadequate for the job. He even asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” The Lord answered him, not with precise answers, but by promising His...

This morning, we continued our Walk On series with a message on Joseph — a man who suffered mistreatment at the hands of his own loved ones, but would later offer reconciliation that could only be possible by being deeply rooted in the Lord. Senior Associate Pastor Pete Bowell shared three poignant questions we can ask ourselves in relation to Joseph’s remarks in Genesis 50:19-21: Who is in my cha...

Abraham | Walk On | Part 1 Today we began Walk On — a series on Old Testament figures that said yes to God in faithfulness + obedience. Senior Pastor David Dwight kicked us off with a message about the father of our faith, Abraham. Genesis 12:1-4 shows Abram's obedience to God's call. He stepped out in faith without knowing the full plan, but trusting in God's promise, “I’ll be with you.” True fai...

Vision for Heaven | Abundant | Part 7 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 If we pursue God’s vision for abundant life, it will be anchored in a robust vision for Heaven. Senior Pastor...

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. - John 15:4 We all long for relationships in which we can know and be known, but we sometimes struggle with how to find the true intimacy we are seeking. Senior Pastor David Dwight continues our sermon series, “Abundant,” reminding us that th...

Resource Generosity | Abundant | Part 4 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Our Father gave us His only son. His only son gave His life for us. The very foundation of our religion is radical generosity. So, it is no surprise that when we have abundant life in Christ, we have the opportunity...

Sacrificing for Bigger | Abundant | Part 3 Our God, the Lord of the universe, tells us that abundant life is found in serving. He says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) In Mark 10:45, Jesus says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” He’s telling us, like He told the rich, young leader, to get rid of...

Purposeful Vision | Abundant | Part 2 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 Have you ever thought about your vision for your life? What do you hope to accomplish? Missional Pastor Matt Hartman continues our sermon series, “Abundant,” and teaches that when we invite God to reveal his vision fo...

True Faith | Abundant | Part 1 In John 10:10 , Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Where do we find life? Is it in our financial security, popularity, the causes we support, passions, or personal happiness? Where can we find life that’s truly life? John 1:4 says, “In him [Jesus] was life, and that life was the lig...

Crisis | Peter’s Story | Part 5 Peter’s story tells us that, like him, we will mess up and we will face failure. His story tells us that we have the choice to either live in the condemnation and shame of our mistakes or let them drive us back into the arms of Christ. Jesus sees our mess, knows all our past, present, and future mistakes, and loves us still. Romans 5:6-8 says, “You see, at just the...

Passion | Peter’s Story | Part 4 As we read about Peter it becomes clear that a story of a man transforming from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness is unfolding. He, like us, begins as rough rock under the chisel of Christ. He was brash and outspoken. He inserted himself into conversations + situations that did not necessarily need his input. He stumbled, tripped, and failed tremendously alo...

How often do we find ourselves amid something grand + important, but are unaware of it until we look in hindsight?  This morning, Executive Pastor Wes Peterson shared with us the story of the Last Supper in Luke 22:21-24, 31-34. The disciples argued with each other about who was the greatest among them all the while sitting in the presence of Jesus Christ, the greatest of all time!  It was there J...

In thin spaces, where the veil between heaven and earth is almost translucent, we’re able to see a vision of goodness + glory. Maybe it’s beholding an unending landscape of peaks and valleys or basking in the joy + warmth of laughter with your dearest friends. In God’s incredible kindness, He shows us these glimmers of glory. Yet, in all their beauty, they are not enough. They point to a vision mo...

HOPE Church celebrates the joy of the resurrection with services from the Altria Theatre in Richmond, Virginia. Senior Pastor David Dwight reminds us that the truth of Easter changed the lives of his disciples in Jesus’ time and it is no less radical for us today. This is the conclusion of our sermon series on the meaning of miracles. The resurrection is the ultimate miracle which gives us confide...

Spring brings warmer air, brighter days, fresh blooms, and a new sermon series! Today, we began Peter’s Story — a series about the making of an apostle. Jesus calls us, like He called Peter on the shores of Galilee, to come and follow Him. He asks us not just to follow at a distance, but to walk with Him, leaving our preoccupations behind, taking up our cross, and becoming His disciples. We invite...

This Palm Sunday morning, Senior Associate Pastor Pete Bowell, shared with us the story of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:39-48.  When we hear “miracle” many of us may think of physical healing, but have we considered the miracle of praying “not my will, but Yours be done” amid sorrow and anguish? Jesus uttered this prayer We are thankful for a savior who, in His own pain, yielded to...

Senior Pastor David Dwight continues the sermon series, “The Meaning of Miracles” by examining Jesus’ healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda. Our current culture tells us that we can experience self-managed conversions, in pursuit of health, fitness, and the lives that we want to have. However, true transformation and healing can only take place through the intervening work of God. This conver...

This morning, Senior Pastor David Dwight continued our series on the meaning of miracles with a message on the bleeding woman in Luke 8:40-48. She had suffered from a deeply personal medical disorder for twelve years. She was outcast by her culture because she was deemed unclean. Then amongst the throngs of people, Jesus restored her. He healed her in public where she was not welcomed. Miracles de...

This morning, Worship + Family Ministries Pastor Kyle Freedman shared with us the story of the demon-possessed man in Mark 5:1-20.  This man was tormented by a legion of demons, cast out by the Gentile society, living among the dead, and roaming the hills + caves throughout the night like an animal. Upon seeing Jesus’ boat approach shore, he ran to Him. There Jesus cast out the demons, setting the...

Senior Pastor David Dwight continued our sermon series, The Meaning of Miracles, with a reading from Matthew 12.  In this passage of scripture, Jesus heals a man with a crippled hand on the day of the Sabbath. It is no coincidence that Jesus healed on this day and did so six other Sabbath days.  This day was for God’s people to rest from their labor, but also to connect with God more than the rest...

But soon a fierce storm came up…Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”  Senior Pastor David Dwight continues our sermon series about miracles, focused on the reality that when we are praying for miracles, we are often in the most challenging circumstances of our lives. Like the...

This morning, Executive Pastor Wes Peterson kicked off our new sermon series, The Meaning of Miracles, with the story of the wedding at Cana.  In one of the most recognizable miracles in the Bible, Jesus turned water into wine. Why? Not to simply fill the cups of the wedding guests for a single event, but to reveal His own glory for the first time.  This supernatural act was a sign pointing to som...