Hope Fellowship Blog

Posts by Eric Channing

Subscribe to the RSS Feed
  • Featured Posts
  • All Posts

God's Calling

2024_Hope_1Corinthians_SQUARE

Do you ever wish that you had a different life? Or that your life's circumstances were more favorable? Fellow believer, this is fruitless thinking. In Sunday's preaching passage, 1 Corinthians 7:17-24, God shows has called us to live for Christ wherever we are right now, not where we hope to be sometime in the future. Bottom line: you don't need a change of status or a c...

Keep Reading

Family Matters

We live in a confused world when it comes to marriage, divorce, and singleness. Too often our culture's beliefs on these matters have crept into the church. Therefore, it is essential that we who follow Jesus know God's will in these areas. We often have questions, which vary based on our life situation. Questions such as: How do I know if I should get married? Does Go...

Keep Reading

Washed. Sanctified. Justified.

2024_Hope_1Corinthians_SQUARE

Living in community with other believers inevitably results in some disagreements and disputes. How we handle such disputes matters greatly to God. In 1 Corinthians 6:1-11, Paul is addressing a situation in Corinth where two believers were seeking to resolve their dispute in a secular court. He is distressed about this situation, and he uses the opportunity to remind the ...

Keep Reading

Set Apart

2024_Hope_1Corinthians_SQUARE

God has designed His church to be set apart from the world. He has rescued us through Jesus Christ. He has made us holy. He has given us a holy calling, and the Holy Spirit to accomplish that calling. Even still, there are situations where people within the church act just as bad, if not worse, than those in the world. This must not be tolerated. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul...

Keep Reading

Servants and Stewards

2024_Hope_1Corinthians_SQUARE

Our culture loves celebrities. This is true even amongst Christians. Just look at the best attended Christian conferences. It is the most well-known speakers who draw the largest crowds. Paul employs a far different "marketing" strategy for the cause of Christ. According to 1 Corinthians 4:1, his preferred job title is "servant" and "steward." He refuses to fill his minis...

Keep Reading

Understanding God's Wisdom

2024_Hope_1Corinthians_SQUARE

I want you to consider the following statements, which should be undisputable: Ants marching on the sidewalk cannot comprehend the complex world of human beings. Dogs do not understand their owner's weekend plans. A piece of clay cannot fathom the potter's reasons for shaping it in a certain way. Let me add one more, perhaps slightly less obvious: Humans, when left...

Keep Reading

Responding to the Word of the Cross

2024_Hope_1Corinthians_SQUARE

The world's system says you need to "win" to get ahead. It rewards promoting your strengths and hiding your weaknesses. In this system, those who have it all together rise to the top. The rich. The bright. The beautiful. The powerful. The talented. Not so in God's kingdom. His kingdom is upside down. To gain entry, you must admit your weakness. You must confess your failu...

Keep Reading

The Bond That Holds Us Together

2024_Hope_1Corinthians_SQUARE

How do we live faithfully for Christ while living in a world that constantly lures us away? What is the remedy for divisions within the church? How should we approach singleness and marriage? How should we think about spiritual gifts? These questions and more will be answered in our new sermon series in 1 Corinthians. This week we'll be exploring chapter 1, verses 1-17. ...

Keep Reading

Fighting To Keep The Faith

2024_Hope_Jude_SQUARE

Certain books in the Bible seem to garner lots of attention (Romans, etc.), while others are often overlooked due to their brevity. Jude is one that is easy to miss. Therefore, over the next two weeks, we will explore the treasures of this New Testament epistle, which was penned by the earthly brother of Jesus. Jude longed to write a letter about salvation, but instead he...

Keep Reading

From Fishermen to Fishers of Men

Luke 51-11

This Sunday we'll be taking a break from our Ruth series as Doug O'Donnell comes to deliver the Word as our guest preacher. Doug is a longtime pastor, professor, and author who is currently the Executive Vice President of Bible Publishing at Crossway Books. More importantly, he is a devoted follower of Jesus, who loves God and His people. Doug will be preaching on the call...

Keep Reading

The Time of the End

2024_Hope_Daniel_SCREEN_2MB

When was the last time you stopped to consider, "What is my purpose in life?" or, "What am I really living for?" Given the busyness of our lives, it is much easier to merely "get through the day" than to dwell on these essential questions. Often it takes a tragedy, or a changing season of life, or the death of a loved one to bring such questions to the forefront. That's b...

Keep Reading

God Rules the Future

6.28blog2

The future can be exciting and scary at the same time. Jesus warned us to not be anxious about tomorrow because tomorrow will be anxious for itself (Matt. 6:34). That means there is nothing to be gained by worrying about what is to come. Friends, on this warm summer morning, take comfort in the fact that God perfectly plans and knows the future. This is true for individua...

Keep Reading

The Unity of God's Word

6.21.24

In last week's message in Daniel 10 we witnessed the reality of the spiritual battle in prayer. This week, we'll step away from Daniel for one week to welcome a guest preacher from College Church, Pastor Ben Panner, who will be preaching on 1 Peter 5:6-11. There are many overlapping themes between Daniel 10 and 1 Peter 5. You'll remember that Daniel humbled himself before...

Keep Reading

The Spiritual Battle in Prayer

5.14blog

We must not deny reality. We are in the midst of a spiritual battle. Every minute of every day. This battle rages on, whether we recognize it or not. Sunday's preaching passage, Daniel chapter 10, gives a glimpse of the spiritual battle that ensues when we pray. We get a window into how prayer is, as Pastor John Piper puts it, "a war-time walkie-talkie." When we pray, we...

Keep Reading

Praying to A Sovereign God

5.31blog

Do you ever wonder if prayer is "worth it"? Or, to put it another way, if God is in complete control of this world, why should you pray? There is a philosophy of life that is captured by the phrase "Que Sera Sera," which means "whatever will be, will be." It represents a type of fatalism about the future; specifically, that the future is going to happen (no matter what), ...

Keep Reading

The Future is in God’s Hands

5.24blog

It is difficult to find those who will always tell us the truth, even when it's hard to do so. There are far more people who would rather not rock the boat, or who fear the relational consequences of communicating hard truths. There is Someone who can always be trusted to tell us the truth, and that One is God. As the Babylonian exile was ending, God's people were likely ...

Keep Reading

Worries of the Future & The Sovereignty of God

5.17blog2

Do you ever wonder what is happening in our present day? How should we make sense of the ideologies, the political instability, and the wars (and rumors of wars) that dominate our world? Daniel's original audience was likely wondering similar things. During such times of difficulty, God often uses apocalyptic writing to communicate to His people throughout His Word. This ...

Keep Reading

The Lion's Den

blog5.10

Dear Hope Fellowship, It's one of the most familiar stories in the Bible. Kids and adults alike know it well. Daniel and the lion's den. The leaders of Babylon are jealous of Daniel, so they plot to bring him down. The only potential area of vulnerability is in relation to his God. But Daniel fears God, not man. He will not compromise, no matter the cost. This famous st...

Keep Reading

Understanding the Writing on the Wall

5.3blog

In its modern usage, understanding the "writing on the wall" means to perceive danger or bad news ahead. For example, when a college football coach endures a losing season, the "writing on the wall" is often that his job is in jeopardy. This common phrase originated from Daniel chapter 5, which is Sunday's preaching passage. In the story, King Belshazzar sees a human hand...

Keep Reading

God Reigns

4.26blog

Do you know people whose pride has blinded them to God's work in their lives? King Nebuchadnezzar was such a man. He seemingly had it all, and he mistakenly thought his vast prosperity was due to his own effort. In Daniel 4, God used another bad dream and a humbling experience to open his eyes. This example helps us to see that God can reach anyone, no matter how far away...

Keep Reading

A Mysterious Dream

4.14

When was the last time you were awakened by a troubling dream? It's not a good feeling. If you think that's bad, now imagine being a ruler during a time where dreams give insight into your reign. In that scenario, troubling dreams become even more troublesome. That's where Nebuchadnezzar finds himself as we pick up the story in Daniel chapter 2. The most powerful man on t...

Keep Reading

God is in Control

2024_Hope_Daniel_SCREEN

When life feels out of control, we must never forget that God is in control. Be encouraged today that if you love Him and are called according to His purpose, He always works all things together for good (Rom. 8:28). No matter how impossible that may seem at the moment. Viewing our life under the control of God changes the way we process our deepest trials, and it even ch...

Keep Reading

Good Friday and Easter: Remembering the Gospel

GF24screen

Over the next few days we get the opportunity to reflect upon the Gospel and recalibrate our lives accordingly. There are many important truths to believe in this life, but only one is of foremost importance. That is the truth of the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul summarizes this life-changing message in succinct form:"that Christ died for our sins in accordance wit...

Keep Reading

Ordination

3.15blog

On Sunday we have the privilege of celebrating Pastor Jared's ordination to gospel ministry. You may be wondering, "What is ordination and why is it important?" Let me briefly explain. Ordination is the church's way of testing and approving those who are called by God to serve in pastoral ministry (2 Tim. 2:15). Essentially, through ordination the church is saying, "We wh...

Keep Reading

The Posture for A Lifetime of Prayer

2024_Hope_PrayerMatters_2MB

How do we obey the command to "Pray without ceasing?" (1 Thess. 5:17) Examining the commands that come before and after will move us closer to the answer. Paul says, "Rejoice always" in verse 16 and "give thanks in all circumstances" in verse 18. Even so, if you're like me, the absolutes of these commands can make them seem daunting, if not impossible. Friends, our Savio...

Keep Reading

Supplication

3.1blog

When you pray, what do you find yourself asking God for most often? For many of us, that is an easy answer. Current life circumstances dominate our conversation with God: Health issues. Relational difficulties. Stressors at work or at home. While these are important (and valid) issues to bring to our Heavenly Father, we must pay attention to the fact that the Apos...

Keep Reading

Jesus Our High Priest

2.23blog

When was the last time you felt unworthy to come before God? Do you have a nagging sense that you must "clean up" before entering his presence? If so, Jesus fully understands your struggle. If you are a follower of Jesus, dwell upon this glorious truth about your Savior today: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who i...

Keep Reading

Thanksgiving

2.15blog

If we want to flourish, we must make a habit of giving thanks. More specifically, we must make a habit of giving thanks to God. That's how God has wired every human being. Bad things happen when we deny God the thanks that He is due. We lose perspective. We naturally turn inward, and we forget the big picture. Long-term, neglecting thanksgiving leads down a perilous path ...

Keep Reading

Confession

blog2.9

Whenever we do something wrong, our natural tendency is to minimize, cover up, or ignore the wrongdoing. This is foolish and unwise. Why? It's because you cannot prosper without confessing your sins. Does that sound a bit extreme? If so, listen to what God says in Proverbs 28:13: "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes the...

Keep Reading

Adoration

2.22blog

When we typically talk about adoring someone (or something), it means we hold whatever it is in high esteem. We adore newborn babies. We adore our favorite pets. We adore our special friends and loved ones. However, the word "adore" means much more. According to Webster's Dictionary, to "adore" primarily means, "to worship or honor as a deity or as divine." That means that...

Keep Reading

What to Do about the Lord’s Prayer

blog1.26

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name." What is your relationship to the Lord's prayer? If you've been in any Christian context throughout your life, you have almost certainly been exposed to it. Some of you recited this prayer each week, without much thought about the actual words. Others of you know the prayer, but it hasn't affected your life. Still others of yo...

Keep Reading

What Jesus Says about Prayer

2024_Hope_PrayerMatters_SCREEN

If you are like many Christians, there's a good chance that talking about your personal prayer life fills you with guilt and/or shame. You have a sense that you "should" be praying more, butyou aren't. You wish you had more of a desire to pray, butyou don't. What is the way forward? A good place to start is Jesus' teaching on prayer from the Sermon on the Mount. This Sund...

Keep Reading

The Essential Nature of The Word and Prayer

Beige Modern Floral Home Decor Logo (19.72 x 11.11 in)

If we want to function as a Christ-centered community, we need His Word dwelling within us and we need to pray. These God-given means of grace help us worship Him, and God uses them to grow, sustain, and protect us, and to transform us into His likeness. So I ask you today: are you regularly using these means of the Bible and prayer in your personal walk with Jesus? Often...

Keep Reading

Rejoice: The Redeemer Has Come!

Neutral Watercolour Religious Christian Nativity Facebook Post (14.32 x 7.94 in)

As we are nearing Christmas, I hope your excitement is building. We get to celebrate the coming of our King! It is fitting for those of us who believe in Jesus to pull out all the stops for him. He is worthy of all the honor and attention that we will give Him this Christmas. That's because theOne who was born in Bethlehem thousands of years ago is the light of the world. ...

Keep Reading

The Life-Changing Reality of the Resurrection

blog12.15

How does Jesus' resurrection affect you each day? May it never become "normal" or routine information for those of us who follow Christ. Because the resurrection changes everything. It proves that there is hope beyond the grave, and it gives us incredible power to live as God intends. Without the resurrection, our faith is futile and we are people to be pitied (1 Cor. 15:1...

Keep Reading

Can I get a Witness?

12.8blog4

In a court room, being a witness means testifying to what you know and what you have seen and experienced. In life, being a witness for Jesus is much the same. One main difference is that we don't need to wait until we're asked a question to witness about Jesus' work in our lives. Instead Jesus calls us to "go" and tell others the good news: "The King has come! There is ho...

Keep Reading

Competing Kingdoms

2023_Hope_Advent_SCREEN (2)

Dear Hope Fellowship, The Christmas season is upon us, which means the battle for our hearts has begun. The question is: whose kingdom is going to win- the world's or God's? Over the next month, the world will fight relentlessly to focus our attention upon the stuff we can give (and get!), and it will try to make us feel incomplete without these things. Conversely, God w...

Keep Reading

Thankfulness

11.24blog

As the turkey settles in your stomach, don't let thankfulness slip away from your mind. God commands us to be a thankful people; in fact, it's His will for us (1 Thess. 5:18). When we take time to thank the Lord, He transforms us, and He shifts our perspective to where it needs to be. What am I thankful for, on this day after Thanksgiving? Too many things to list, but one...

Keep Reading

Facing Life's Trials with Courage

11.17blog

Do you ever wonder why this world is so broken? Why bad things happen to "good" people? Undoubtedly, we can all agree that our world is not as it should be. Often, it's hard to make sense of the troubles in the big world "out there," let alone those trials "in here," which come to us without warning. God's Word always speaks to the reality of the world. He never hides the...

Keep Reading

Finding Joy

11.3blog3

In John 15 Jesus presents an extended metaphor to describe our relationship with Him: He is the vine and we (believers) are the branches. His goal? That we might experience fullness of joy. Come on Sunday as we learn what it means to abide in Christ and find lasting joy. In Christ, Pastor Eric...

Keep Reading

Receiving Power to Obey Jesus

10.27blog

Do you ever find it challenging to obey the Lord? Like there are so many areas left undone in your walk with Jesus? If so, you are not alone. That's why, when Jesus says "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15), it can feel like just another heavy weight that you are unable to carry. Here's the secret- you are unable to carry that weight on your own. T...

Keep Reading

Why Should You Believe in Jesus?

10.20blog3

The unbelieving world could not be more wrong about Jesus. The prevailing narrative says that it's narrow and old fashioned to follow Him. Or, that it's all about following rules, what you're against, and what you cannot do. What is the truth? The truth is that following Jesus is the most exciting life imaginable. It is a life that enables you to live as you were intended,...

Keep Reading

Love and Betrayal

blogoct6

To love is to be vulnerable. When you love deeply, there's always a risk of getting hurt. For some, this aversion to being hurt prevents them from being willing to give (or receive) love. Not Jesus. He loves us so lavishly, at a great cost to himself. He serves his enemies, even those who will reject and betray him. When he knew it was time to go to the cross and depart t...

Keep Reading

Unbelief

9.28blog

Do you ever wonder why people don't believe in Jesus? It doesn't seem rational when you consider the facts. The Bible presents the world as one covered in darkness. This external darkness is mirrored by the internal darkness of our own hearts, which means we do not naturally see and perceive these realities. Cue Jesus. The Bible presents Jesus as the Light of the world, t...

Keep Reading

Competing Glory

2023_Hope_John_Screen

The world tells us that our best life is "now." Therefore, we are told, we must seize the day. Tick off those items from our bucket list. Stand out. Promote yourself. Fulfill your destiny. Every day we are bombarded with a form of the message that says, "Today is all you've got, so love life and make the most of it." Enter Jesus. His way is different, and His message is o...

Keep Reading
worship-leaders-background

Join us Sunday mornings at 

10:00am