Interesting links, articles, book reviews and information for the people of Hope Fellowship
When we looked at Galatians 5:16-17 we spoke about the flesh. But it is more than simply the flesh that threatens to undo us in this life. Ephesians 2:1-3 speaks of the trifecta of difficulty we face in sanctification. ...
In our sermon last week we looked at Galatians 2:20, the description of the decisive death to our old person that has happened when we believed in Jesus and where crucified with Christ. In this quote from John Stott see three ways that Scripture speaks of this union with Christ in his death and the kind of death(s) that we die....
On Sunday morning we spent some time in Psalm 119:9-40. My main goal was to begin this new school year (and re-entry into post COVID??) by helping us desire to be nourished by the Word of God. We didn't spend time on the "what does this look like practically" or "how can we try some new ways to study God's Word" because I wanted for us to desire God's word before we looked for ways to satisfy that desire. In this and the next few blog posts, I want to give a few practical tips for how you can practically infuse more Bible into your daily lives. ...
We should be set free from the view of planning and decisions that make us put the weight on ourselves that only God should bear. We will not plan for everything. Sometimes we won’t know what to do. Even in our best plans, there will be the unexpected that arise. We take comfort in a God who is in control and who works all things according to his purposes....
Join other Hope Fellowship women on October 8th & 9th in Bristol, WI as Nancy Guthrie leads ladies through the basic makeup and storyline of the Bible. She'll trace major themes that run from Genesis to Revelation and demonstrate how a better grasp of these themes can help to understand and apply the Bible rightly. Find out more information or register to join ladies from Hope for the Biblical Theology Workshop here. Early bird registration ends August 31 - current cost is only $20!...
If you have been around Hope for any length of time, you have probably heard us talk about the “functional centrality of the gospel” from the pulpit and in our mission groups. Starting the last week of August we’ll be unpacking what it means that the gospel is central and functioning as it should in our lives and church. My desire is that this short series serves to help people connect with one another as we begin our mission groups and welcome those who are new to Hope....
In Psalm 90:12, Moses lays out a long list of petitions, asking God to act. What does he request of God? I suggest that each of you read these and pick out one or two of them to focus on this week. They can serve as a starting point to recalibrate 2019 in light of who God is and who we are....
Many of my books sit on the shelf only being referenced once every year or two, as need arises. There are other books like "Jonathan Edwards on the Christian Life," by Dane Ortlund that I come back to again and again. And there is one chapter in this book that I find exceptionally helpful to me personally as I seek to grow in my faith; his chapter on "Gentleness: The Aroma of the Christian Life."...
By “reason,” I mean rational thinking and God-given common sense. Proverbs 3:5 does not say, “do not use your understanding” but rather, “don’t rest on human understanding, don’t make it your ultimate rule; don’t put all your weight upon it!” Instead, put all your trust in God who rules and over-rules all human decisions. There are always gaps in our knowledge. Even the most logical decisions necessarily have some unknown factors. So what is the proper role of reason? ...
Of all the issues that cause stress and confusion among Christians, the question of divine guidance must be near the top. How can I know God’s will for me? Are there certain steps we need to learn in order to access information from God that we would not otherwise know? How does God guide me?...
The faith of a follower of Jesus is a dependent faith, dependent on God who does the impossible...
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What do the writers of the New Testament mean when they say gospel? Why is it such a central concept that Christians need to understand today?...
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What does it mean for us to be trained by the gospel? Titus 2:11-14 is a key passage to help us understand grace, gospel and training in righteousness....
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Bruce Ashford has written a helpful article, about how Christians should respond to the shootings in Las Vegas At Hope Fellowship, we grieve with those who are grieving in Las Vegas, and also are praying for those friends and loved ones who have been affected by this senseless act of evil. Please pray for Grace Point Church and Pastor Ty Neal as they seek to minister to ...
Keep ReadingOne of my favorite books about the incarnation is The Incarnation in the Gospels in the Reformed Expository Commentary series. I highly recommend it as a collection of sermons that are very encouraging and edifying to read and think about this Christmas season....
Keep ReadingAt the heart of the gospel and the Christian life is the person and work of Jesus. If Jesus is most excellent and above all and if Jesus is worthy of all the praise of the universe, then it would follow that for our thinking to be what Paul is calling for in Philippians 4:8, “If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise†then it must find i...
Keep ReadingDr. Josh Moody, Sr. Pastor at College Church in Wheaton, joined us on Sunday morning, October 14. He preached from Galatians 2:11-14 "How One Long Word Can Make a Big Difference to Your Life." Dr. Moody wrote an article on justification that has been posted on Christianity Today Online. Since we have been going through our doctrinal statement as a church, and Dr. ...
Keep ReadingI picked up Thomas Watson's "The Godly Man's Picture" off my shelf today and began reading the section, "the godly man strives to be an instrument for making others godly."Watson writes, "The godly man is not content to go to heaven alone but wants to take others there. Spiders work only for themselves, but bees work for others."He then applies it to how we might encourage...
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