You know the verse. It's the most famous in the Bible. It's been memorized in Sunday school and plastered on posters at sporting events. John 3:16. There's good reason for the attention it has received. In it, we see the gospel explained. However, somehow we can naively believe that we "get" the gospel, and we are ready to move on. Don't be deceived. The beauty of the gos...

We naturally want to be on the winning side. To be the ones who are noticed for our achievements. Rarely does someone dream about being second chair in the orchestra, or the back-up quarterback, or the understudy for a lead role. That is where our natural thinking must change. If you want to follow Jesus, it means diving to the bottom. It means humbling yourself: giving u...

What does it mean to be "born again?" Your answer will vary based on your station in life. For some (normally unbelievers), born again is a derogatory term referring to an extreme, conservative Christian. For others, this term is used as a litmus test to distinguish a legit, Bible-believing follower of Jesus from the pretenders. Regardless of your use of the term, we can...

When was the last time you considered what makes Jesus angry? We often dwell upon His love, and rightly so, but not as frequently upon His anger. As a foundational principle, we must first acknowledge that Jesus' anger is always fully righteous and justified, and never tainted with sin. That makes it different than the typical human anger that we all know too well. Jesus ...

When you know Jesus, all things are possible. Mary: "They've run out of wine."Jesus: "Woman, my hour has not yet come."Mary (to the servants): "Do whatever he tells you." Join us this Sunday as Pastor Jared preaches this familiar text (John 2:1-12) about Jesus' first recorded miracle in John's gospel. The story may be familiar, but I am confident that the Lord will revea...

This Sunday we will be picking up our series through the Gospel of John that started during the Advent season. We'll be continuing from where we ended on Christmas Day, in John chapter 1. You may be wondering, why are we going back to John's Gospel immediately after Easter? It's because we want to encounter Jesus in a fresh way, to see how he lived and what he taught, up c...

This weekend marks the pinnacle of the Christian calendar. It is when we celebrate the most monumental events in human history. Today, on "Good Friday," we remember the Son of God who died in our place. The events of Good Friday assure us of God's unfathomable love for us. On Easter Sunday, we will celebrate Jesus' glorious resurrection from the dead. This day assures us o...

Failure. It's a word no one wants to be called. Since this is true, we make every effort to avoid the label. Perhaps you often feel like a failure as you go about your day. Or, conversely, perhaps you cannot identify with those who struggle in this way. Surprise! You likely struggle with this fear more than you know. Let's take a minute to identify the symptoms, origins, a...

Good summaries are invaluable. Sorry to every English teacher out there, but when I was in high school, book summaries called "Cliff's Notes" (if you're younger, think Spark Notes or Schmoop) helped me understand the meaning of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and other challenging texts. These summaries were priceless in helping me understand the author's main idea...

Busywork. Nobody likes busywork- those activities that take time but don't connect to a greater purpose. Meaningless worksheets for students. Time wasting projects at work. Life-sucking chores at home. Busywork seems pointless. If you're honest, I suspect there are times when your walk with the Lord can feel like busywork. At such times, your internal dialogue may generat...

In the days before smartphones and GPS, when you got lost on the road, you had two options: You could try to find your way back on your own, or You could ask for directions. The same two options are available to us when we are lost, or struggling, or feel distance in our relationship with God. If you've lived long enough, you know that option #1, trying to find your...

The brutality of war. The sting of death. The defeating diagnosis of disease. The reality of failed relationships. Injustice is everywhere. In this environment, cynicism and despair often flow freely. We feel a need to blame someone (or something) for our predicament. Our political leaders, the government, big tech, foreign nations- they are all candidates. Other suspects...

Why are golden retrievers so loved by their owners? They are faithful. Reliable. Consistent. In a world where breaking promises is the norm, faithfulness stands out, even when it comes from our pets. We see broken promises all around, as we observe: Politicians not fulfilling their campaign platforms; Professional athletes not honoring their contracts; and, more person...

I wonder if you've had this experience- you sit down to pray, and immediately your mind wanders. To-do list items float to the front of your mind, dominating your thoughts like lily pads covering a pond. Before you know it, your prayer time is finished, and it's time to face the day. Secretly, you wonder whether it was even worth the effort. Why can prayer be such a challe...

Dear Hope Fellowship, This week we are stepping into the Old Testament as we begin preaching through Malachi. I suspect that very few of us have heard a sermon series on this short prophetic book. It begs the question: why are we preaching through Malachi? Here are a few reasons: To maintain a balanced spiritual diet as a church, continuing an effort to preach through ...

Church is an ideal place to learn God's perspective on difficult issues. Few issues are more difficult to talk about than how to deal with sin in the church community. In our age of licentiousness and self-empowerment, calling out another's "sin" is nearly unthinkable. Fellow Christian, let me remind you that we are called to follow God in this area (as in all other areas)...

Have you ever felt uncomfortable when "money" or "giving" is talked about at church? You are not alone. There are very few topics about which we are more reticent to share with other believers than the topic of how we handle our personal finances. And yet, Jesus spoke frequently on the subject. Perhaps this is because He knows how money can uniquely displace God as the foc...

Let's admit it: church life can be difficult at times. Why is that? Perhaps it's because living in community exposes our flaws and shortcomings. That is uncomfortable. Not to mention that at some point we will inevitably hurt others, and be hurt by others. Consequently, some of us have concluded that life is better lived with a bit of distance from other Christians. The ra...

When you picture a "church leader," what comes to your mind? Are you filled with gratitude and gratefulness for those who have loved you, cared for your soul, and humbly taught you the Word of God? Or do you picture someone who has hurt you, disappointed you, or someone whose behavior has disillusioned you? Regretfully, many of us identify with the latter description more ...

As we begin the New Year, the elders have called a prayer meeting for this Sunday evening (1/8) at 7pm at the church offices. As you contemplate whether to attend, you might be asking yourself, "Why should we pray together?" It's a valid question. Here are 10 reasons, in no particular order: We pray together because we are completely dependent on God for everything. We...

Somehow January 1st feels different than other days. It feels like change is more possible. It feels like there is a bit of a reset, a blank slate ahead. Now if we're honest, we know that we won't change just because the calendar does. However, in a very real way, the beginning of a new year can provide the motivation to do things we've been meaning to do. Like exercise. O...

It's hard to believe that Christmas is only two days away. The anticipation is building. Presents are getting wrapped, and last-minute gifts are on their way (Please get them here soon, Amazon!). Holiday traditions are in full swing. As we hurry around, readying ourselves for the big day, have you stopped for a moment to consider your motivation for all this busyness? The...

As Christians we always have an occasion to give thanks. The apostle Paul exhorts us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to "give thanks in all circumstances." So as Christmas approaches, don't let it pass by without spending many moments giving thanks to God for sending his Son Jesus. Last week's passage in John 1 reminded us of this unfathomable truth: God became a man. Amazing. Jes...

Black Friday. It's a day where marketers are vying for our attention. The promise of life-changing deals on everything, from clothing to new technology, bombard us from all directions. Companies are desperate for us to spend money on their products. It is out of control. In any case, the good news of Black Friday is that Christmas is not far away. As followers of Jesus, o...

Why is it so challenging to pray, or at least to persevere in prayer? Perhaps it is because prayer feels unproductive in our efficient age. Perhaps it is because our minds are so easily distracted. Perhaps it is because we are unsure of its effectiveness- we secretly think "Is God really listening? Does He really care?" Perhaps we forget the intense spiritual battle ...

This Sunday, in Colossians 3:18-4:1, we come to a passage that continues to answer the question: "How do I walk in Christ throughout my daily life?" It's a section of scripture that Martin Luther called "household tables," which are commands related to how a household should function. Three sets of the typical 1st century household are addressed: wives and husbands, childr...

Have you ever wondered: "Why do I still struggle with some of the same sins if I am a redeemed child of God?" or "How can I defeat the ugly pattern of thoughts and actions that remain in my life?" If so, you are not alone. In this Sunday's preaching passage, Colossians 3:5-17, God continues to show us how to live the life that is ours in Christ. This involves "putting to ...

This Sunday we come to yet another majestic passage in Colossians. Paul begins chapter three by turning our eyes heavenward: "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1). After reading this verse, questions may be flooding your mind, such as: How am I raised with Christ? What are...

On Sunday we will be celebrating communion together once again. You may be thinking, "why so soon- I thought we did this two weeks ago?," and you would be correct! The recent pattern at Hope has been to participate in the Lord's Supper once per month, with some exceptions. However, for a while now, even before I arrived at Hope, the elders have been considering an increase...

This week we will have the opportunity to participate in child dedications during the service. As an aside, we should really call these "parent dedications" since it is the parents who are dedicating themselves to raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. In any case, let us reflect today upon the tremendous blessing it is to be raised in a family...

Last Sunday we launched the Colossians series and celebrated communion together. It was a meaningful service, and if you missed it, you can watch here. As we look ahead to this Sunday, in Colossians 1:15-23 we come to one of the most amazingly majestic passages about Jesus in all of Scripture. Remember that the believers in Colossae were being tempted to move beyond Jesus ...

This Sunday we will dive into Paul's letter to the Colossians - I'll be preaching on the first fourteen verses of chapter one. What an amazing text! The letter to the Colossian church was penned by Paul from a prison (Col. 4:18), likely in Rome, while he was serving time on account of the gospel. During this prison stay, Paul probably also wrote the letters to the Ephesian...

Sunday morning marks a significant moment in the life of our church. As always, our focus will be upon worshipping the Lord Jesus through the preaching of God's Word, prayer, and song. In addition, during the service there will be a special moment where the elders will officially "install" me as your lead pastor. Here are three reasons (among many) that a pastoral installa...