UStepIn Hope Ministries

We all face challenges and burdens in life, they can feel overwhelming. These feelings of weight are not uncommon as we navigate through our daily lives. When we talk about putting our burdens on God, it means acknowledging that we cannot carry them alone, and realizing that we don’t have to. When our burdens cause us to stop thanking God, it often reflects a heart that has forgotten His goodness,...

How often have you heard this sentence: "I have some good news and some bad news. Which do you want to hear first?” God, too, has good and bad news for us. We are eager to hear the good news, but shudder at the idea of hearing bad news. Often, we display “Selective hearing”, because we only want to hear the good news. Now we are reminded that God’s judgment is coming to a world that forsakes God;...

No one can promise you that your life will be pleasant, comfortable, free from stress and from aches and pains all the way through. No one can guarantee that your life will be happy, successful or that it will fulfill your dreams. There is an inherent risk in simply being born and living. With all that Jeremiah 20:13 tells us to praise the Lord: 13 Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For though I w...

I’ve often heard the phrase: life is complicated, and of course, it can be, at work, at your community, often it’s a competition to win, it’s testing our belief, it’s living on the edge. We compete about who has the best idea, who has the best answer, who has the best solution at the table in a meeting. But then there’s Jesus, his reason to come to earth was for us to let go of all the worries of...

Hosea was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel during the 8th century BC. He was the last great prophet that God sent to the northern Kingdom of Israel before they were destroyed and exiled by Assyria. In chapter 5 we hear a tone of exasperation and desperation. Even God seems to look at humankind and ask Himself, "What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? Your love for me is as short-lived as t...

The psalm is a hymn of praise that reflects on the grandeur of creation and the insignificance of humanity in comparison to God's glory. The greatness of God assures the worth of mankind. God, the all -powerful Creator, cares for his most valuable creation: people, Us! People in the Old Testament, worshipped the Lord in an open field, surrounded by nature, with birds singing, during the warm breez...

The word “Pentecost” comes from a Greek word meaning “fiftieth.” It appeared first during a Jewish festival called the Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot. Pentecost is often called the “birthday of the Christian Church.” Before this day, Jesus’ followers were hiding, scared after Jesus’ crucifixion. As they were gathered and prayed, on the day of Pentecost, “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent...

The new Christians Peter wrote to had been surprised by having to face persecution for their faith. These Christians Peter wrote to were Gentiles and they were shocked, because they became Christians just in time to be persecuted. Into this Peter breaks the news that persecution is ordinary for Christians. Jesus said that if they persecuted him, they'll persecute his followers. Peter knew he neede...

Stay Humble, with a good Attitude”. Try it. Keep your composure, avoid engaging in emotional reactions. In your day-to-day actions, avoid conflict and remain unimpressed by the intimidation tactics others might bring against you, and be aware of any insecurities that could affect you. All this, if you actually implement it, will help you to approach life’s challenges. If you would like us to pray...

“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”. These were the last words of the apostle Stephen just before he died. In ancient times, many middle eastern religions employed rock piles as altars, but none as prolific as the Semitic faiths. Homes and Jewish gathering spaces built in Capernaum too, were made of small blackish stones of basalt. We are God-made, not crafted by human hand, but designed by our World-...

Today I’d like to take you with me to look at a 4th admonition and that is looking at Christian behavior while we walk this world as temporary sojourners in this world. I know many of you have family members who don’t know Jesus yet, and if you’re honest, it sits heavy on your heart. I want to speak into that place right now and bring you peace. Because their salvation is not resting on your shoul...

Peter told us, we are to be set apart, for we are different, not blending in with the crowd, yet we’re not to be different just for the sake of being different. God’s qualities in our lives makes us different. We must admit that we all desperately need the gift of holiness, a holiness that we cannot manufacture or attain for ourselves. We cannot become holy on our own, but God has given us his Hol...

God is present in your Suffering – 1 Peter 1:3-9 Jesus is risen! Indeed, he is Risen, Alleluia! and we shout it with joy. After encountering this reality, how do you feel? During Jesus’ trial Peter denied knowing Jesus. Soon after Jesus died and rose again, Peter repented and became a great apostle and preacher. Nearly everywhere, when I talk to people some are troubled because they do not know th...

The cross represents the ultimate sacrifice, offering hope and forgiveness for humanity's sins, and is a reminder of God's love and grace. No one took Jesus’ life from Him. God had given him a specific task. That task was to lay down his life on behalf of the world. We’ve arrived at Easter Sunday. Throughout the world the light is back, no more darkness. Churches are filled with Christians shoutin...

The first Passover. They obeyed the Lord not knowing that the next day they would leave Egypt. Then around 1,500 years pass since the 1st Passover. Now Jesus and his disciples were getting ready to celebrate the Passover, this time Jesus began by washing his disciples’ feet. If you would like us to pray for you, please send your prayer request to: pastor@ustepin.com If you would like to see this o...

Praise God in highest heaven!” … Hosanna! Why were people shouting Hosanna? The Hebrew word yasha means “deliver or save” and anna means “beg or beseech”. These combine literally into the word: Hosanna meaning “I beg you to save!” or “please deliver us!” … It’s a cry for help. Yet Judas, a disciple, sold Jesus for 30 coins. If you would like us to pray for you, please send your prayer request to:...

Let me give you two words: Two words: “Not guilty” With and through Jesus Christ we are FREE! The fact is that the whole human race is on death row. Justly condemned for repeatedly breaking God’s holy law. Without Jesus we would have no hope at all. But thank God! He has declared us not guilty and has offered us freedom from sin. The “power within”, this power is not derived from human strength or...

Ultimately, Saul’s story is a cautionary tale about the consequences of turning away from God’s guidance and the tragic results that can ensue when one seeks to fulfill their own will above the will of God. The way we choose people or things is different from how God does it. God chooses us for servanthood, not based on other people’s ideas, but rather based on His. True inner power might be obser...

The Bible teaches that we Christians are not immune to suffering. Instead, it emphasizes that trials and tribulations are part of the process of sanctification and are designed to enable believers to grow into the image of Christ. The message for us, if we believe in Him, is this Through Jesus, we are justified, which means He set us into a right relationship with God. As Paul puts it, we have "ac...

When some people learn that they are saved by God through faith, they start to worry. “Do I have enough faith? Is my faith strong enough to save me? Don’t miss the point, it is Jesus Christ who saves us. Not our feeling or actions, and he is strong enough to save us no matter how strong or weak our faith is. Jesus offers us salvation as a gift because he loves us, not because we have earned it thr...

The Christian church began the season of Lent last Wednesday on Ash Wednesday. Lent is a 40-day period of penitential preparation for Easter, involving fasting, abstinence, and almsgiving. Someone who spent time on the space station said this: From orbit, that Earth doesn’t look like a collection of countries, borders, or competing interests. It appears as a single, radiant blue sphere suspended i...

The Bible is filled with stories of remarkable leaders who transformed nations and shaped history. While qualities like courage, wisdom, and charisma are often attributed to their success, one aspect that often goes unnoticed is their exceptional listening skill. Like Moses, his obedience to God's voice was crucial in leading his people to freedom and establishing a covenant with God. Then there’s...

If you would like us to pray for you, please send your prayer request to: pastor@ustepin.com If you would like to see this or previous messages, either as video or audio versions, please visit us at: https://www.ustepin.com If you would like to be a part of this ministry and support the creation of these videos with a gift, please e-transfer your gift to: giving@ustepin.com or use the QR Code prov...

We need to realize that God’s hatred was real-burning, consuming and destroying... He hates sin, and he stands as the righteous Judge, ready to mete out justice; punishment to all who defy his rule. God’s love is also real. So real that he sent his Son, the Messiah, who is the Lord’s chosen Servant, to save us and accept judgment in the sinner’s place. If you would like us to pray for you, please...

If we carry a heavy burden, then sadly our life may feel heavy and dark and then what should we do? The world these days is very noisy, instead of having peace, we find just the opposite, in our gloom and despair, we fear that our sorrow and troubles will never end. But we can take comfort in this certainty, that although the Lord may not always spare us from troubles, he will lead us safely throu...