HOPECAST

Happy Valentine’s Day! Listen in as Senior Pastor David Dwight is joined by his wife, Elisabeth Dwight, to discuss what Christian marriage looks like. David and Elisabeth teach a three-part marriage class called The Book on Love that provides clear and concise teaching about what the Bible says regarding marriage. Stay tuned for upcoming classes at: www.hopechurchrva.com/the-book-on-love __ Connec...

Have you intentionally sought wisdom this year? Listen in as Senior Pastor David Dwight and Hope Church’s Managing Director Kelly Pious discuss the importance of seeking wisdom above all else and their discoveries from the first sermon series of the year, Wise & True. Dive deeper by listening to past sermons at: www.hopechurchrva.com/sermons __ Connect with us at: www.hopechurchrva.com Facebook: @...

What has the word “sacrifice” meant to you? What if giving yourself for something greater is a not a loss, but a source of deep fulfillment? Listen in as Hope Students Lead Pastor Katie Nielsen and Senior Pastor David Dwight discuss why + how sacrifice is essential to the Christian life. Counter to today’s culture that prioritizes individual happiness, Jesus showed that sacrifice contributes to a...

In this episode of The HOPEcast from Hope Church in Richmond, Virginia, Katie Nielsen and Senior Pastor David Dwight delve into a concept they term "the colossal shift". This idea, inspired by the Copernican Revolution, draws a parallel between the seismic change in humanity's understanding of the universe and the transformative journey of becoming a Christian. Pastor David Dwight elucidates that...

Has someone ever pointed out something negative about you and in defense you said, that’s just who I am? As Christians, we are called not to hide behind our personality, but to steward it well as we walk with the Lord.  Listen in as Hope Students Lead Pastor Katie Nielsen and Senior Pastor David Dwight discuss the importance of identifying both the positive and negative aspects of our personality...

Have you had a moment to slow down + reflect on the significance of Jesus Christ’s birth? We invite you to stop, notice, and enter into the beauty + mystery of the Christmas season. Listen in as Hope Students Lead Pastor Katie Nielsen and Senior Pastor David Dwight explore what it means to behold, how we do it, and how the act of beholding impacts our spiritual lives.  Dive deeper by listening to...

As humans, we have a deep desire to know and be known, but sometimes we find it hard to be vulnerable.  We are held back by fear of what others will think of us when we are fully honest.  Hope Students Lead Pastor Katie Nielsen and Senior Pastor David Dwight reflect on interesting and vulnerable conversations they’ve found themselves in and what happens when we push past our hesitations.   For now...

What does it mean to be a human being? As Hope Church kicks off a new sermon series, “Being Human,” Senior Pastor David Dwight and Dr. Anderson Spickard, Dean of the Thomas J. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University explore this question from medical and faith perspectives.  As humans, we bear the image of God and yet are bound by the limitations of our earthly bodies.  The intersecti...

Have you ever felt out of touch with the world around you? Like you don't know how to communicate with the generation under you? Like you don't have the right thing to say/do? Listen to the conversation between Senior Pastor David Dwight and Hope Students Lead Pastor Katie Nielson as they discuss the challenges that comes with growing up in today's world. In this episode, they discuss the insecuri...

When we hear the word "influencer" we probably think of social media "celebrities" trying to engage us to follow their advice or fashion.  But when we talk about "life influencers" in the context of our faith, the concept means something very different.  Life influencers are people who may have offered us perspectives and encouragement that helped us identify our calling or confirmed something abo...

Senior Pastor David Dwight reads Jesus's sermon on the mount in its entirety from The Message, by Eugene Peterson, to kick off Hope's next sermon series: The Sermon. This episode has been revised following a partial rerecording.

What does it mean when the Bible says that "all things are possible with God?" How are we supposed to understand that - as Christians and non-Christians? What does that mean for us? In today's episode, Senior Pastor David Dwight and Discipleship Pastor Dan Yoon discuss the power of God through the analogy of the "camel in the eye of a needle," which is a metaphor that Jesus used when he was teachi...

What comes to your mind when you think of the word "obedience?" Is it total submission? Or perhaps, is your first instinct rebellion when you hear that word? On today's episode, Senior Pastor David Dwight and Discipleship Pastor Dan Yoon discuss America's version of obedience and compare it with Scripture. They also explore the meaning of what Jesus said in 1 John 5:1-5 when he tells his disciples...

Have you ever wanted to have complete and total control over your life? To be your own boss and live by your own standards? One of the main challenges of living a Christian life is subjecting our life to the total control (or kingship) of Jesus Christ, which means surrendering our own agendas before the cross. In this episode, Senior Pastor David Dwight and guest host Leandra Parks discuss how eve...

When you think of identity - what comes to your mind? Who you are as an individual? Your morals or values? What or who you believe in? Understanding our identity can be a complicated process that isn't always easy. As Christians, we are called to enter into our identify in Christ - but what does that really mean? In today's episode, Senior Pastor David Dwight and Discipleship Pastor Dan Yoon discu...

Forgiveness - everybody needs it and we're all grateful to experience it, but it often seems hard to offer when we find ourselves in challenging interactions. When two people or groups experience a brokenness from wrongdoing or sin, forgiveness is needed to reconcile the relationship.  As Christians, we have experienced forgiveness of the highest order that leads us to reconciliation with God.  As...

When the storms of life come, we often wonder if what we believe is still true.  Can I still trust what I knew? Will the anchor hold?  HOPE Senior Pastor David Dwight, joined by HOPE High School Pastor Katie Nielsen, explore the latest sermon series, Belief Anchors , and how we can know what to put our faith in when we meet challenging circumstances in life.   Just like the disciples in the early...

As we navigate the complexities of Jesus' death and resurrection, we can somehow miss the intricacies of the crucifixion.  Senior Pastor David Dwight and co-host Leandra Parks discuss Jesus' death on the cross, the customs and government of the Roman Empire, and how Jesus' death fulfilled God's plan to redeem us back to Himself. As we approach the end of Holy Week, take a moment to consider all th...

Many of us experience anxiety and worry as a routine part of life. From difficult circumstances around the world, to concerns about our own health, finances, work, and relationships, we have ample opportunity for worry. How do we think about these challenges without giving ourselves over to our anxieties? Senior Pastor David Dwight and Leandra Parks discuss their own experiences with anxiety and w...

When you hear about Lent, what does it make you think about? In different faith traditions, the season of Lent can bring different practices and rhythms. It can be a season of contemplation and an opportunity for reflection on God's holiness and glory. Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent and invites us to a place of repentance. It gives us the opportunity to reflect on how far our human natures are...

Many of us have a vision for our lives and work hard to create it.  Eventually we may realize we have less control over achieving this vision than we once hoped.  What is our role in this work versus God’s role in building out a vision for our lives?  God made us and knows us.  His vision for our lives may be more challenging than the one we would create for ourselves, but it will be more meaningf...

If you were to be asked the question "Who are your people?" what comes to mind? Family? Friends? Ancestors? How does the answer impact your life? In this life, it is easy to feel alone without the community of others around us. Life can be isolating, confusing, and incredibly difficult to navigate on our own. We can also find foundation in our values and what we believe through that community as w...

We hope for good weather, for that big promotion at work, to meet that special someone that will bring that sense of connection we've been longing for. Scripture tells us faith is the substance of the things we hope for but where do we place our hope?  Today, Senior Pastor David Dwight and guest host Leandra Parks take a closer look at what it truly means to have hope.

Christianity is full of surprises, and Christmas is no exception. Out of that idea, The Surprise of Christmas, our Advent sermon series was born. What's surprising about Christmas? Listen in to today's episode to hear David and Leandra share! Listen to all sermons from this series here . Mentioned in today's episode: Christianity's Surprise: A Sure and Certain Hope by C. Kavin Rowe