Living Hope's Podcast

Do you ever find yourself gripping tightly to your future plans, your job, and your finances? Maybe you’ve realized that your grip is so tight that there’s little room left for God. This Sunday, Pastor Jess speaks to the culture of generosity in his sermon, Eyes of the Sent as he prepares us for Gala Sunday. He invites us to shift our perspective to a generous perspective, with hands open wide, re...

How are your firsts? The first of your Sabbath, the first of your day, your week, and your tithe? Regardless, how we tithe is more important than what we tithe. We serve a God who wants to bless, restore, supply, and multiply, but we first need to give our firsts, to our first—God. This week, guest Pastor Jared Lyons kicked off our 2024 Gala season with a powerful sermon about first fruits—about t...

Why do good things happen to others, but not to me? Sound like a question that’s crossed your mind before? This week in his sermon, Complete, guest Pastor Samuel de Sousa reveals the healing and satisfaction the Lord wants to deliver to His people. He reminds us that the focus of our lives should never be on the absence of something, but rather, our life will be complete with Jesus. Hear this—the...

Tag! You’re it! This week we finish our series, Thou Art With Me, with Pastor Jerushah revealing line-by-line in Psalm 23, how the Lord pursues us. How the same sense of urgency you may have had as a child in the game of “tag” is the same sense of urgency the Lord has in His pursuit of you—in His chase of you! Maybe life has felt like it is deep in the valleys, but our God does not get weary. He c...

You may feel weighed down by comparison, stuck in regret, simply too far off, or your cup may feel empty, but hear this: the Lord sees you and He has prepared a way for you. This week Pastor Jess continues in our sermon series, Thou Art With Me, by examining line-by-line the shift of the Father’s perspective—from Shepherd to Host. Despite who we are, where we’ve been, or what we’ve done, the Fathe...

Ever feel like you’re deep in the valley as opposed to high on the peak? You say “yes” to God’s requests, commit to His ways, and even follow Him through the wilderness, yet the destination isn’t what you anticipated. Maybe rather than the ease and joy you expected, you find yourself in a season of bitterness, failure, rejection, or loneliness—should we even be feeling these emotions as believers?...

Ever feel like you’re getting somewhere the long way? Maybe there have been a few extra turns, more time in the roundabouts than expected, or even some surprising backtracking? This week, Pastor Jess continues in our sermon series, Thou Art With Me, as he reminds us that despite the turnarounds and dead-ends, God is leading and preparing us to exactly where we need to be. It turns out His ways may...

You may have heard and read the familiar Psalm 23, but have you known Psalm 23? Have you known who the Shepherd truly is? This week Pastor Jess dives into our new series, Thou Art With Me, by refocusing our stimulated lives back to a Kingdom perspective– a Shepherd’s perspective. Just as David wrote this Psalm from a place of loss, we are reminded that even in the absence, God is always moving. We...

Ever find yourself disappointed? Is that even an emotion we’re supposed to feel as Jesus-followers? If you find yourself searching for contentment amidst a busy, limits-filled life, you’re not alone. This week Pastor Jerushah concludes the series, Minor Chord , by delving into life’s disappointments; we all experience them, but how do we combat it? As she explains how the children of Israel wrestl...

We are surrounded by shortcuts—find the fastest route, drink the powder for the six-pack, lather on the miracle cream, take the online class for instant wealth. What if God’s way, paths of righteousness, are not direct routes? In his sermon, I Send You Elijah, Pastor Jess explains how God’s route is not one where we try to steal and end up robbing God of what belongs to Him but is a route straight...

How is your sword? Is it sharp, dull, laid down, ready? Our longtime friend Pastor Eric Jaquith from Puebla, Mexico, joins us with a word of encouragement to have the word of God prepared in our hearts through memorizing scripture. He challenges us to recognize the power of the Word of God and to be those who live with a first response of scripture when any news comes. Wondering where to start? Pr...

How’s your anxiety level today? Do you find yourself in a spiral of “what if” thoughts? If you’re honest, how often do you grab your phone for a moment of escape and distraction? Trust us; you’re not alone. As Pr Jess explains in his sermon, When Facing “That Day," this challenge of fear and distraction goes back thousands of years. And the good news stays the same—no matter what, there is a safe...

When was the last time your breath was taken away in awe? Perhaps it was a view, a generous gift, or the birth of a child? What if God is looking to restore awe that’s not just a monumental event but is a part of each day? What if our eyes are lifted and our souls are turned to see awe all around us? As we continue in our sermon series, Minor Chord, Pastor Jess explains how God is renewing awe in...

Turn on the news, read the latest report, study the projections, hear the stats…it’s not encouraging. You might even find yourself asking God where He is in the mess of what you see around you. Hear the words of Nahum and be reminded, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in Him” (1:7). In this sermon, Pastor Jess reminds us of God’s promise that He...

Have you raised your hand? As you do the work of each day, whether it’s your weekday job, taking care of your kids, managing your home, or developing dreams and ideas, is your hand raised as one to be used by God? Or, does the work feel like a drag and the to-do list a burden? As we continue in our sermon series on the minor prophets, Pastor Jess takes us through the book of Micah, encouraging us...

Who’s your Assyrian? Who or what do you place above the presence of God? It might be a group, a place, a celebrity, a political party, or it could even be someone who has wronged you. It might feel like living with an Assyrian isn’t that big of a deal, but how does that impact our allegiance to King Jesus? In his sermon, When Facing Contempt, Pr Jess walks us through the familiar story of Jonah in...

Are you in a season of waiting, hoping, wondering, and contending? Do you find yourself growing tired of holding out and holding on? This sermon is for you. On Mother’s Day Sunday, our one and only Pastor Brenda brings the word and speaks to the seasons of "meanwhile." Speaking from the story of Jacob in Genesis, she encourages us to not forget the promises of God and to be people of preparation a...

Sometimes we feed on the wrong thing, and we’re not talking about cookies and donuts. Sometimes our appetite for superiority, pride, and ambition control what we see. Teaching through the book of Obadiah, Pastor Jess challenges us to be those who seek to see the reflection of the glory of God in the faces of those around us. Instead of playing superior, cracking jokes, and taking advantage, he rem...

Justice—it's a word we hear in courtrooms, see held on street corners, and find at the top of social petitions. But where is justice in the Bible? As we continue in our Minor Chord sermon series, Pastor Jess takes us into the book of Amos, encouraging us to see how God’s definition of justice builds His house. It’s not a system of rules, laws, and policies but of intention, connection, and delight...

Don’t forget to eat! We’re not talking about meals or snacks; we’re talking about our true Daily Bread. As we continue in our Minor Chord sermon series, Pastor Jerushah invites us to consider how to respond when we find ourselves resonating with the Minor Prophets and experiencing loss—to get up and eat as we get into the Word. It’s when we feed on our Daily Bread that we find He sends supply, He...

We live full. Full schedules, full jobs, full social calendars, full leisure…full. Much of what makes our lives full doesn’t land on the calendar—full stress, full worry, full guilt. In this sermon, When Facing Unfaithfulness, Pastor Jess invites us to hear the invitation of Jesus to empty ourselves and make space for the sacred. What happens when we are empty? We drag our pain to the feet of Jesu...

They are the words of old, cries of lament, and longings for deliverance. They might not be the most quoted scriptures or the ones turned into framed art. They are the prophetic words of the Minor Prophets, and their voices have incredible relevance today. In the first sermon of our new series, Minor Chord, Pastor Jess explains the silent hope and the silent agony found within these voices that ca...

He’s the reigning King who conquered death; there’s nothing common or ordinary about King Jesus. This Easter sermon is filled with celebration of our King Jesus, the uncommon King who does what goes beyond expectation. What does the rule of the One who left the tomb empty look like? Listen as Pr Jess explains four uncommon resurrection realities that impact us as His people today. Get ready—His re...

Palm Sunday—it’s the story that leads us into Easter weekend, one that kids greet with delight as they wave palm branches in the air shouting, “Hosanna!” It’s the story that causes us to pause and consider why our King chose a donkey and why He entered Jerusalem. It’s the story that reminds us where Jesus was heading in the days to follow. As we prepare our hearts to remember Good Friday, listen t...

Are you facing a storm? Does it feel like the winds are blowing, the waves are raging, and the boat is sinking? This sermon is for you. As we continue in our series, The 7 Wonders of Jesus, Pr Jess teaches from the story of Jesus walking on water and encourages us to consider how Jesus is coming to our storms with the force and power of the One who creates and provides. Connecting this story to Ge...