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?...
Have you ever paused when someone asked you how they might be praying for you? It can be an awkward moment when we try to determine how much to share, or even what we feel is truly worth sharing. Sometimes, if we are honest, we can even respond with a request that we ourselves are not personally praying for! So how might we be praying for ourselves and seeking for other...
Keep ReadingI wanted to recommend a few resources that we have found really helpful and enjoyable for our girls as they have begun reading over the last few years. ...
Keep ReadingSo often each week as I prepare for the sermon I have a number of quotes that I have read that were personally encouraging but didn't fit into the sermon. It is my goal each week to post some of these quotes on Friday for your encouragement....
Keep ReadingWe will be starting a four week series on the book of Jonah this Sunday, April 29, 2012. In preparation for the series, take some time with your family to read the book of Jonah together....
Keep ReadingWhen we come to the end of Mark 16, in most English translations of the Bible there are brackets that include something like, "some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9-20" which presents a question for those who are reading their Bibles and who hold it to be inerrant (without error in the original manuscript) clear and trustworthy. Perhaps you might think somet...
Keep ReadingJesus is reigning. He is king. In order to reign as king he must be alive. Verse 34, "David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." Imagine a kingdom where there was a king who reigned as a tyrant for many long years. He had no patience or mercy for anyone who crosse...
Keep ReadingVerse 32 says, "This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses." The disciples all saw the risen Jesus as did more than 500 other people. Tim Keller wrote, "Even if you propose the highly unlikely idea that one or two of Jesus's disciples did get the idea that he was raised from the dead on their own, they would never have gotten a movement of other Jews to be...
Keep ReadingIf the whole plan was of God for the crucifixion and the resurrection, it makes sense that the Bible is unified in the story of redemption-- of it's promise and fulfillment. In verse 25, Peter quotes Psalm 16, which is seen as fulfilled in Jesus. David, as a picture of what the Messiah would be was dead and had been for a long time. Death held him in the tomb and it was...
Keep Reading"God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it." It is impossible for Jesus to be held in the grip of death. The same word for "pangs" here is used elsewhere of labor pains. Labor pains on a pregnant woman indicates that there is going to be a baby born. Pregnancy by it's very definition is not permanent. Jesus is un...
Keep ReadingPart 2 of our Easter series of posts about the truth of the resurrection: I heard a speaker say recently that it was not as if the disciples were sitting around on Saturday night after Jesus died on Friday having a party saying, "I can't wait until tomorrow!" The disciples, though Jesus had clearly taught of his coming death and resurrection, didn't "get it" until he ap...
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