Discover Hope Radio

A good example we have of loyalty would be die hard sports fans. They spend all their time checking stats, watching games, and researching players in the off season. Sometimes they're even ready to fight a fan of a rival team to defend the honor of their own. In today's message, Pastor Tom very seriously reminds us that when we convert to Christianity, we're pledging our loyalty to Christ as Lord of our life. We're saying that everything we say, do, and think from this point on is going to be for Him.

Have you ever been to a grand opening before? Usually they have all kinds of things for the whole family: fun, food, games, and prizes for everyone. There might be a line to wait in, but other than that, everyone gets something. All you have to do is show up. In today's message, Pastor Tom teaches us that for everyone who walks through the door of salvation, there's a prize they'll receive. The prize is the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given by God to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Death is certain for everyone. The percentage of people who die is still 100 percent. The reality that for all the marvels in modern medicine, we still can't make you live forever. Does that make you think about what happens after death? In today's message, Pastor Tom teaches us that death is the requirement for sin. But Jesus paid that debt. Jesus wasn't just an ordinary man, but in fact, was God in human flesh. This means that his death was sufficient to pay for your sins to give you eternal life.

Financial debt is all too commonly known to many households. It's a struggle that most people experience at some point in their lives, and then many just don't know how to handle it. Some people live with it for their entire lives, passing it onto their children. In today's message, Pastor Tom teaches us about how because of our sin, we are indebted to God. The Bible teaches us that the payment for sin is death. However, God offers us forgiveness for ours sins, but only because He's willing to pay the price Himself.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Of course this is an age old debate that has little to no consequence, but it still brings us to consider the difference between cause and effect. For every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction. We've all learned this. In today's message, Pastor Tom teaches us that water baptism isn't something we do to earn salvation, but it's an act we do in response to it. Have you been saved from your sins? Good. Then naturally you should want to obey the word of God by being baptized.

Can you imagine if driver's licenses were given out on a group basis? Just pile a bunch of people in a van, let the leader take the test, and then if they pass, driver's licenses for everyone! That's insane. Some things must be done on an individual basis. In today's message, Pastor Tom teaches us all about water baptism for believers in Christ. Just like each individual must themselves repent of their sins, baptism must also occur on an individual basis. You yourself must be the one that fulfills this ordinance.

How many mistakes can young people avoid just by learning from the experience of older generations? You know they say that history is forgotten or ignored, it is destined to repeat itself? The same is true even from one generation to the next. In today's message, Pastor Tom teaches us that today is the day to repent. The sooner we do, the better off we'll be. Are you willing to learn from those that have gone before you? That it's not worth it to run from God. The sooner you turn to Him, the better off you'll be.

When you plant a certain type of seed, you get that same type of plant. You're not going to plant tomato seeds and end up with okra. That's ridiculous. On the same token, if the wrong type of seeds get planted, like for weeds, then guess what you're gonna get. In today's message, Pastor Tom teaches us how crucial it is for the word of God to be planted in our lives to produce godliness in us. There are so many other things that can be planted in our hearts. We must repent of those and allow God's word to take root.

When did you know you needed a Savior? The thing about being saved is that you first need to know that you're lost. You need to know that you're in need before you ask for help. Everyone on this planet is headed for judgement unless and until they call on the name of Jesus. But when you call on His name, He is faithful and true, and He will rescue you. In today's message, Pastor Tom is going to discuss the need for truth telling when you share the Gospel with the people around you.

I think it's time to regain the sense of joy of a heart that is converted to following Jesus. When one person changes direction and follows Christ, instead of their own path, there's a great joy and celebration in Heaven. When's the last time you participated in that kind of celebration over a life made new? In today's message, Pastor Tom is going to celebrate and explore conversion. It's a foreign concept for our world, but it's a crucial one in the life of a believer.

In today's message, Pastor Tom is diving into the sermon Peter gave at Pentecost. In this sermon, Peter spoke about the resurrection of Jesus Christ that was foretold by the prophets hundreds of years before. But today, we are going to see that the most impactful, vital truth about the Resurrection is that it was featured in prophesy, but that it happened! Jesus was raised from the dead, and because of that, everything changed for you and me. Because Jesus was raised, you too will be raised to new life.

Do you think of your life in terms of chapters or seasons? You might be in the summer of your life, or the middle chapters, or you might be coming close to the end of the book, living our your winter years. You're looking at the final chapter, or the end of the year. But in today's message, Pastor Tom has a totally different idea for you. Death isn't the last chapter of your story. In fact, a whole new story begins when this life ends. You may die in the winter of your life, but the next spring will be brand new.

Jesus didn't just die. If he died like everyone else, there would be no story to tell. There would be no difference between Jesus and everyone who had come before him. No, he didn't just die. Jesus died and rose again from the grave. Death could not keep him, and today, Pastor Tom is going to show you why the bodily, historic, testified, and confirmed resurrection of Jesus proves once and for all that He is the Messiah. He is the Eternal Son of God. The resurrection of Jesus changes everything.

When Peter spoke to the Jews at Pentecost, and convinced them that Jesus is the Christ, he then showed them how the crucifixion of Jesus was a part of God's plan for the Messiah since the beginning. Jesus cooperated with God's plan and laid down his life willingly. In today's message, Pastor Tom is going to dive into God's plan of salvation, but he's also going to ask you this question, “Are you willing to submit yourself to God's plan for your life? Even when it gets uncomfortable?”

When it comes to the miracles of Jesus, there isn't any question that they happened. Even the people who called for his crucifixion acknowledged his miracles. In today's message, Pastor Tom is going to show how Peter used the life of Christ to show that Jesus was the one and only Messiah who they'd been waiting for. He spoke with boldness that came from the Spirit of God, and because of his words, many people came to believe. You have the same story to tell, so share it boldly.

It's really not hard to share the message of the Gospel. You already know all the key elements. Just follow the example that you are going to see today in the book of Acts. Peter stood up in front of the Jews, and told them about Jesus. Jesus lived and performed many miracles. He was crucified, died, and was buried. He rose again and ascended into Heaven, and one day He will return for everyone who will surrender to Him. In today's message, Pastor Tom is going to lay out the Gospel for you.

God's Word is always true, and what He says will happen, will happen. In today's message, Pastor Tom is taking a close look at Peter's message and the day of Pentecost, that launched the birth of the Church. In it, Peter showed the people the words of the prophet, Joel, and how they were being fulfilled right there in front of them. The Spirit of God was being poured out on the people of God. Don't you love how God's promises are promises you can trust? Come along and let's hear about God's faithfulness.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” In today's message, Pastor Tom is going to remind you that it's God's Word that imparts life. It's God's Word that draws you along the path of righteousness. It's God's Word that will convict others and draw them to repentance. Let's dive into God's Word together today.

There is nothing in the world like hearing from God. Have you ever felt that feeling when you're reading Scripture, and your soul is awakened and refreshed? That's the Spirit of God speaking to your spirit. In today's message, Pastor Tom is going to talk about sharing the Word of God with other people. What is it that others really need to hear from God? How can you be effective when you share the Gospel with the people around you? Find answers to these questions and more as you listen today.

If a brand new mall opened up in town with all the latest and greatest features, wouldn't it be quite the event? It would be a big ordeal. There would be a grand opening, a fun celebration, ribbon cutting and all! Pastor Tom teaches us in today's message about the grand opening, if you will, of the Church. During the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon His Church and gifted them with the gift of tongues, declaring the wonderful works of God. Would that have gotten your attention?

If a brand new mall opened up in town with all the latest and greatest features, wouldn't it be quite the event? It would be a big ordeal. There would be a grand opening, a fun celebration, ribbon cutting and all! Pastor Tom teaches us in today's message about the grand opening, if you will, of the Church. During the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon His Church and gifted them with the gift of tongues, declaring the wonderful works of God. Would that have gotten your attention?

If you've ever been to a busy city with crowds of people everywhere, you'll know it can be very chaotic, especially if there's some sort of big commotion. It can be very confusing and disturbing in a setting like this. However, as Pastor Tom teaches us today, when the Holy Spirit stirred up the church to speak in tongues, it had the opposite effect. When they spoke in tongues praising God, it drew the peoples' attention to Him. It must've been a wonderful event to have witnessed.

Remember that one time when God destroyed humanity with a flood, except for Noah, his family, and a boatful of animals? Do you remember the rainbow God sent as a reminder of His promise that it would never happen again? In today's message, Pastor Tom teaches us about the sign of the Holy Spirit and the promise it assures us of. The Holy Spirit living inside of you is the sign of the promise that you'll spend eternity with God. If you've put your faith in Christ, then your eternity is sealed with the Holy Spirit.

In the Old Testament, we hear about the Holy Spirit coming alongside a person for a time in order to help them accomplish a certain work for God. But in those days, He didn't stay with them after the job was complete. In today's message, Pastor Tom teaches us that after Christ came, He sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of those who put their faith in Him. When the Holy Spirit comes to make His home inside of you, He lives there forever, not just for one task, but for the rest of eternity.

Have you ever watched people go by and wondered about their life? Some things are obvious about a person, just by observing them, like a wedding ring on a finger, mud on someone's boots, or a business suit and a briefcase. Just by seeing those things, you can at least tell something about a person's life. Pastor Tom teaches us in today's message, that when someone's full of the Holy Spirit, you can tell! Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit? Can others look at you and see the evidence of His presence in your life?

Water cleans dirt from our skin, but what does it do for our spirit? Is it possible for us to go through a physical act or ritual to cleanse us from sin and give us new spiritual life? Pastor Tom teaches us in today's message that only Jesus' death on the cross can cleanse us from sin spiritually. Water baptism is an outward expression of what Christ has done with our inward man. Have you been cleansed by Christ's blood? Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit? That's what really matters.

Do you know what it means to be all in? In today's message, Pastor Tom teaches about what it means to be baptized by the Holy Spirit, and what it means to be fully immersed in the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. Are you all in?

Have you ever felt inadequate? In an age where we are constantly being told to trust the experts or to leave it to a professional, it's easy to feel unqualified or ill-equipped for a lot things. However, Pastor Tom teaches us in today's message that if you're a Christian, then you are equipped with the Holy Spirit. In the Body of Christ, there's not a special group of people that possess access to God. Every disciple of Christ has been given the Holy Spirit to empower them for the work of ministry.

Anyone that's ever put in the hard work of growing a garden knows what it's like when you get your first fruit. It's a very exciting thing when all your hard work begins to pay off, and that first tomato, cucumber, or strawberry becomes ripe. It's so rewarding, but still that first fruit is just the beginning of what's to come. In today's message, Pastor Tom teaches us about the birth of the church, when the Holy Spirit had finally come. As exciting as it was, that was just the first fruit of what God has in store.

We forever have access to the same powerful Holy Spirit that Jesus himself had. What an incredible truth. In today's message from Pastor Tom, you will hear that this was not always the case for people. You'll learn about the Holy Spirit's existence prior to the day of Pentecost, and about how he was not available to all people and could be removed from those who had received it. Thankfully, that's not true today. Jesus made it possible for all believers to access the Spirit forever. How amazing is that?

Have you ever thought of the Holy Spirit as your energy source? In today's message from Pastor Tom, you will learn that the Holy Spirit is just that. The Holy Spirit empowers you and helps you to live a righteously. He also gives you boldness to share the gospel message with others. You will hear today about the day that Jesus' followers first received the gifting of the Holy Spirit. Not only was the Holy Spirit poured out on them, but if you are a believer in Christ, then He dwells within you, guiding and empowering you today.

What are some of the ways you have observed the providence of God? In today's message from Pastor Tom, you will learn about the time that the eleven apostles sought to appoint the twelfth apostle. The Lord provided them with a clear answer of who he had chosen. Our God is a personal God. He cares about all matters of your life. He brings provision for the big stuff and the seemingly small stuff. There is no such thing as being lucky or unlucky. You can trust that He is sovereign over everything.

Who is someone in your life that needs to hear about Jesus? His resurrection is the centerpiece of our faith. In today's message from Pastor Tom, you will learn that the disciples' most important message was that of the Resurrection. It was central to the Gospel, and it was vital that the news of Jesus was spread far and wide. Having eyewitness accounts of the life, death, and resurrection was key. The apostles had to thoughtfully choose someone who fit that criteria to join them as the twelfth apostle.

Peter had faith and conviction in the weight and value of the word of God. So much so, that he depended on it as he led the people. Do you have this kind of faith in what God has told you through the Bible? Do you stake your life and words on its truth? The only effective leader, as Peter discovered, was the one that placed himself under the authority of Jesus. Don't just be sorry for your past mistakes, but do a complete turn around and let God lead your days, as Pastor Tom shares with us today.

Scripture was Peter's go-to when there was an issue that he needed to talk about with other believers. Remember the man who betrayed Jesus? Well, everyone knew what had happened, and it was Peter who reminded them that God is effectual no matter what. Scripture is good for instruction, rebuking, convicting, and correcting. As a church leader, Peter stood by these truths. Do you have a lighthearted attitude toward the word of God? Don't. This is the encouragement we hear from Pastor Tom today.

From the apostles that were handpicked by God, we have much to learn. From praying and their obedience to God, we see how important it is to believe in the common mission of telling others about Jesus. The apostles had to work together. Maybe you've heard of Judas Iscariot, who was the one who was payed to betray Jesus. Well, he had been one of the twelve original apostles, and now there was a problem. This called for some leadership. Today, Pastor Tom talks about Peter filling that role.

The Bible is full of cases where we see obedient, prayerful witnesses testifying to the saving power of Jesus. But, we must obey what God tells us to do. Satan will try to fool you into thinking that you know better than the Creator of the universe. The hard fact is you don't.

The disciples believed that God would fill them with His Spirit and power to accomplish the task of sharing the story of Jesus with others. Pastor Tom speaks today of the women that were there, too, fully trusting God that they too had a role of sharing Jesus. They got involved. Will you copy the faithfulness of these individuals?

God designed the starting point of the early Church to be an example that we can learn from and do ourselves. The starting point was normal men and women understanding the importance of obeying and doing it together. God told them to wait in Jerusalem for the power of the Holy Spirit. But as Pastor Tom points out today, they didn't sit and twiddle their thumbs. They stayed, prayed, and made decisions, and believed. Can you imagine being one of them to share first hand experiences of the life and resurrection of Jesus?

Although the Ascension is a real event that happened in the past, it has implications for us today, and even into the future. One of those implications is that because Jesus physically rose to Heaven, he is also going to physically come back to earth. Today, Pastor Tom teaches us how the Ascension is a foreshadowing of the second coming. Jesus will come back to the same place, in the same manner, riding on the clouds. Will he find you doing His work or distracted by the things of this world.

Nothing puts a fearful child more at ease than knowing their parent is with them. The darkest nights and scariest noises can be dealt with if mom or dad are near. It probably felt like that to the disciples, too. When Jesus was near, everything was okay. So when it was time for him to ascend to Heaven, it would be easy for fear set in. But as Pastor Tom shows us today, it was actually better when Jesus left, because he was not leaving them alone. He was giving them the Holy Spirit, who would be with them always.

Have you ever stopped to think just how incredible the ascension of Jesus is? Jesus could have been taken up into Heaven in any manner he wanted. He could have just disappeared with a snap of his fingers, or gone away in the middle of the night with no one around. But he was taken up in the day, before the disciples' eyes, in a physical manner. Why? Today, Pastor Tom shows us that this way he had eyewitnesses to testify to the validity and uniqueness of the event. It was unlike anything that had ever happened.

An eyewitness account is only as credible as the witness. When it's one person's word against another, you will believe the person you trust more. Today, as Pastor Tom looks at the ascension of Jesus, he shows us that there was not just one eyewitness to this event. This event is not just one person's word against another. It's all the disciples who saw Jesus rise to Heaven. As Luke has plainly told us here, this is a real event that really happened, just as he documented. This source is credible.

When is the last time you said something? For many of us, evangelizing is intimidating. In today's message, Pastor Tom urges you to say something despite your fears, despite your discomfort. Fight what you think the outcome may be. It's not up to us whether someone gets saved or not. That's the job of the Holy Spirit. It's our job to share the truth about who Christ is with others. We are commanded to witness about who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Who is someone who needs to hear about Jesus today?

The disciples who spread Christianity were first hand witnesses to Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection. In today's message from Pastor Tom, you will hear about how we are called to be witnesses, and what we are witnessing to others about: the eyewitness testimonies of Jesus' followers. These men saw with their own eyes and touched Jesus with their own hands after he was resurrected from the dead. We are to continue to spread their gospel message with confidence that it is truth.

After the resurrection, the disciples asked Jesus if it was now time for the kingdom to be restored to Israel. Many theologians have criticized this question, saying that the disciples completely misunderstood the Kingdom. In today's message from Pastor Tom however, you will hear why this question was actually a relevant and valid question for them to ask Jesus. He argues that if it was not, Jesus would've made that very clear because he spent much of his time teaching about this coming kingdom.

What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase, “kingdom of God?” Is it something that we're a part of now? Or is it still yet to come? Where is it? Who's invited to it? In today's message from Pastor Tom, you'll hear much more about the kingdom of God and how we can participate in it. You'll learn why it was the most frequent topic that Jesus taught about during his time on Earth. We have a calling right now to anticipate the coming Kingdom and to be witnesses of it to those who do not yet know the Lord.

The historic descent of the Holy Spirit is not taught about as often as the death and resurrection of Jesus. As you will hear Pastor Tom teach in today's message, Jesus' mission was to baptize us with the Holy Spirit. This part of his mission was just as important as his death and resurrection. He told his disciples that it is to our advantage that he leave so that we can receive the Holy Spirit, the Advocate. If you have placed your faith in Jesus like the disciples, you too have received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Many view death as the end. Final. Tragic. As Christians, we know that death is just the beginning. In today's message, Pastor Tom unpacks the implications that Jesus' life, death, burial, and resurrection have for us. We are not only given eternal life when we believe in Him, but we are also invited to be a part of His kingdom now. Is that hard for you to believe? Today, you will hear historical evidence for how we know for sure that Jesus Christ lived, was killed and then resurrected three days later.

It would be really easy to slide on past what Pastor Tom says today, but don't make that mistake. He said if God created the universe, and he did, then miracles are not only possible but are to be expected. Do you expect miracles? Do you expect God to reach into human history and do impossible things? Our whole faith is based on God reaching into human history. Come along today and learn how God created the Church by reaching into human history and doing the impossible through miracles.

Do you ever look back through the accounts in the gospels and think, “If only I could've been alive when Jesus was on Earth?” We often link our intangible faith to the things we can see, hear, and touch, just like Thomas, who doubted the resurrection until he saw Jesus. In today's message, Pastor Tom is going to show us the work of the Spirit inside of us is greater than even physically walking with Jesus. You have access to a greater power because the Spirit of the living God is living within you.