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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...