All tagged hope
There is the reality that the dying process may be painful, both emotionally and physically. Sometimes death is sudden, due to accidents, heart attacks, or even violence. But the day is coming when death will be no more. That is the promise of Revelation 21:4. No more death. No more mourning. No more pain.
As a spectator of the roller-coaster ride sport fans experience with player trades, injuries, coach firings, etc., I see a parallel lesson for believers about having confidence that good things are yet to come in the absence of proof. For Christians, no matter how long we travel in the valley, we will crest the peak once more.
Love is the ministry of presence. Love knew that I did not need to be alone. And yet, love understood that no words were needed. Love in the form of these two young friends who came into my home to simply be present with me in my pain. Love sat with me. Love listened to me. And it was powerful.
If you want to get serious about studying Scripture, you have to become serious about poetry. God chose to allow his interactions with humanity to be written in both prose and poetry. There are both histories and hymns, statements and also songs.
The prophetic imagination reminds that hope is a gift when we decenter our own perspective, trust God, and take our place within the Christian community that stands before God and waits.
The children of God have the firstfruits of the Spirit. The Spirit is the first delivery, it is the guarantee that there will be a full harvest.
Yet if leaders remain in the world of present reality without the hope-engendering question of “What if?” then leaders falter in their leadership.
Sometimes we become impatient regarding Jesus’s promise to come again to take us home. Oh, but he will come! And his coming will be like a bright and fresh spring dawn.
So share good news! Do it whenever you have the opportunity. And trust God to be at work in people’s hearts and lives, including your own.
May we too continually be surprised with the moments of joy in our care that reflect God’s presence in the world!
Hope is the thing. Not wishful thinking about a job raise or whether your football team will win, but Hope as the Christian vision for the living of our days.
Faith in God gives meaning to our life and provides us with the emotional and spiritual strength necessary to endure the harshest realities.
When we face the unknown, we are demonstrating a different type of faith to the world, and we may have the opportunity to share about how God has been faithful in our lives and the lives of others in the past.
Let God hear you, restore you, and bring you hope. Call out to God and run TO Him. He is waiting to receive you with open arms!
We recently sat down for virtual conversations with our church host (Chris Benjamin) and our breakout session leaders (Mark Hamilton, Grady King, John Knox, Roland Orr, and David Wray).
We recently sat down for virtual conversations with our keynote speaker (Don McLaughlin) and our breakout session leaders (Cheryl Bacon, Eddie Sharp, Dennis Conner, Omar Palafox, and Carson Reed).
Have you sometimes been humbled by a pastoral situation, entering or exiting in a clumsy or awkward way, or struggling to get a sermon or initiative off the ground?
Grief is real, but so is hope. And hope in Jesus carries us through the grief all the way home.
Sometimes the shark jumps into the boat. You may be the one they call for help. Be ready to share the hope we find in Jesus.
