Hope Christian Fellowship

Parents generally take naming their baby very seriously. While there are different reasons for everyone, most people put a lot of weight on ‘liking' the name. Some options are eliminated because a person with ‘that name' has a painful or bad history with one or both of the parents. Other options are eliminated because of personal taste (i.e. not liking how the name sounds or fits with the family name). Back in the world into which Jesus was born, names carried significance because of their meaning. We're starting our Christmas series by looking at the personal name of our Savior, “Jesus.” What does it mean and why does it matter? Let's dig into a few things that the Bible has to tell us about this name.

In our culture, it is understandable to say whatever you need to in order to get the results you want. Sometimes it means leaving out certain information to make sure that someone sees your point of view. Other times, it means actually being less than honest to protect yourself. From this mindset, the truth is less important than the results you desire.  Christians can find themselves following along in this pattern without realizing how contrary it is to following Jesus. Being in the world but not of the world means that we have a different relationship with integrity than others. We're going to take a look at a few passages from Paul, Jesus, and James to see how important it is that we are trustworthy with what we say and how we live.

In a world that loves attention, we should know who is worth ours. We have a limited amount of time, attention, and energy to give. Are we making choices about where to spend these precious resources like the world does? Those without Jesus tend to turn towards those with fame or money or personality. Christians – even in churches – can often do the same. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our hearts. Part of embracing this command is to recognize that we can't give our attention carelessly or go with the flow of our culture on whose opinion matters. Basically, the entire book of Proverbs deals with who should have our ear, so let's start there and recognize how we should be different from our world.

When we're kids, we think it will be great when we grow up and can be ‘the one in charge.' Of course, when we arrive as adults, we find out that we're not nearly as free to do what we want as we thought we'd be. It is normal to think that the person who has the power to decide is the one to be envied. Jealousies in jobs or churches or families often come from this mindset surrounding leadership and power. But God's people use power differently than those in the world. Let's see what Jesus had to say about this and what His life shows us.

If you ever played a never-ending game of Monopoly as a kid, you know the emptiness of playing a game without a winner. It's fun for a little while, but the norm is to play a game for competition. We all take that instinct with us into life. We want to keep score. Winners are those with the most. These ideas find traction in how people deal with money. The more you have, the more you're a winner. You have more security and power if you have more money. But Christians give money away. They don't measure their lives by their bank balance. Why are we so out of step with normal human thinking? We take to heart the words of Jesus and Paul on this topic. Today, we'll see that money for a believer is a God-given resource to invest in His Kingdom rather than an opportunity to enjoy ourselves. If you've found yourself wound up about money, these passages will help any Christ-follower to find freedom and life regardless of their financial situation.

Do you have any reason to worry? Of course you do! Human beings are not able to control the world around us, nor are we able to direct everything in our own lives. There are dangers aplenty – many of which we do not see. So we have no choice but to worry and fear, right? Wrong! As believers, we live with a different view of security and life itself. There are many passages in Scripture that teach us not to fear (“fear not” is found 365 times in the Bible). So how can a Christian live life free of worry and fear? We live in this world, but we are not of it. Let's learn how that applies to the scary and dangerous parts of our lives.

"Don't get mad…. Get even.” It's such a simple saying that gives focus and direction when you've been hurt. The betrayal or pain makes you feel powerless, and the thought of revenge reverses that. Instead, your pain makes you strong. That all makes sense in human terms and it is the way many of us want life to work.  But for those who follow Jesus, there is a very different way. We are called to forgive. What does that mean and how do we do it? Today, we'll look at some of the most famous places in Scripture where our call to forgive is spelled out and see what we can learn.

The world we live in has firmly adopted the idea that each of us get to decide fundamental truths about our lives. This has been seen most prominently in the discussions of gender and sexual orientation. It is understandable that people who do not worship the Lord will chase whatever they define as a path to happiness and satisfaction. But how do Christians face these issues? Again, we are in this world but not of it.  We walk by faith instead of sight or understanding. What do we see in Scripture that can help us sort out what we do with internal struggles over gender identity or sexual attraction? Let's take a look at some passages that have direction for Jesus followers.

Do you know someone who has control issues? It is human nature to want to shape our lives according to our desires. But as we fight for what we want or need, are we following the example of the lost world around us? We're going to look at how Christians fight differently in the battles we face. First and foremost, we have to learn what it means to let the Lord fight our battles. From the story of Israel trapped at the Red Sea to the writings of Paul to different churches, we'll try to get some traction on how knowing Jesus changes how we fight our battles.

Relationship advice is everywhere. It seems like people have opinions on what you should be doing in your friendships, your marriage, your parenting, and every other relationship in your life. Maybe you'd trust some of them more if their relationships looked healthy, but there does not seem to be a correlation between competence and the sharing of opinions.  Paul talks about his relationships with the people in the church at Corinth.  This is not an exhaustive discussion of Christian relationships, but it does include some pretty significant guideposts.  These same ideas have life for our relationships today!

You've probably heard someone say that God will not give you more than you can handle. It is a well-intended statement, but ultimately it is misleading. God does indeed put us in situations that overwhelm us and cause us to despair. Paul tells the Corinthians that he and his friends experienced exactly this in Asia. And then he goes on to tell them how knowing Jesus transformed that experience from loss into gain. It is a pattern that the Corinthian church was invited to follow and that we are too! When we learn how to rely on the Lord, we find a deliverance and hope that we can hold on to.

We all like to be comfortable and try to avoid uncomfortable situations. This can be as normal and small as being socially uncomfortable for a few moments or as large as a major trial or loss that unsettles your whole life. Our minds fixate on what we think will be easy and enjoyable because we think there is too much to lose in discomfort. However, Paul opens the book of 2 Corinthians by talking about how comfort and suffering are connected for believers. Maybe you've never thought of it this way, so let's take a look at Paul's promise of God's comfort that actually is brought through suffering.

The idea of surrender as a Christian can be offensive to people who don't understand it. It sounds like giving up.  It sounds weak and desperate. It can cause those who are willing to be brave and bold to think that there is no place for them in following Jesus. But Jesus' surrender showed us that yielding does not need to have anything to do with powerlessness. It can come from tremendous power and strength. The call to give our lives up is not one that requires us to believe that we have no ability to do anything else.  In fact, it actually asks us to choose it in spite of the fact that there are many other things we can do. Jesus' example (and Peter's) on the night of the betrayal brings our ‘One Night” series to a close with a look at these ideas.

Life is challenging. In fact, it is so full of challenges that many people are convinced they can never find peace or joy or even hope. Yet God's people are invited to walk by faith in the power of God. One story that illustrates this perfectly is the story of Jericho. The army of Israel is essentially asked to just go through some seemingly powerless motions. The point of God's instruction to His people here is to teach them about battles and victory. If you or someone you know is facing a giant wall that never seems to fall, this story is for you!

We live in the United States of America.  But we probably don't think about the irony of that name for the current state of the country we call home. There have always been disagreements and debates, but it seems that there are few times in our nation's history when we have been more divided than we are now. We used to see tragedy join us together, but now even that seems to be another reason to argue and fight. Jesus doesn't want division to be a marker of His people.  As Christians, we belong to another kingdom, and Jesus' prayer for us as well as all believers is that the Father would make us one. Living in a culture that normalizes division, it can be hard to even know where to start. Let's take a look again at Jesus' words about unity in Him and see if the Spirit will help us understand how to be one in Christ.

As believers, we recognize that our kids have to grow up in a world that seems so much more lost than anything we experienced. This can cause us to want to double down on protecting them and even isolating them from the world around them. While there is an appropriate level of insulation for our kids, we also have to recognize that part of our job is teaching them how to interact with their world.  For the gospel to be advanced in their generation, they will have to both know Jesus and their culture. A word in Scripture that Jesus uses in this discussion is ‘sanctification.' This concept has direct application to believers who are trying to figure out how to interact with this world and how to navigate it with our children. Let's see what Jesus has to say in His prayer for His disciples on this topic.

On the best teams, the players are more interested in the team's success than in their personal accomplishments. Sayings like “there is no ‘I' in ‘team'” find traction over and over again because a team that is working selflessly together is a team that maximizes their abilities and strengths. Too often, Christians in churches miss this reality. They become more invested in what people think of them individually rather than what they think of our cause or (more importantly) our Savior. Jesus prays about His followers on this last night before He dies. And one of the most amazing points that He makes is that, somehow, broken and messy people are a part of how God brings glory to His Son. Isn't that an incredible privilege? Maybe it's so extraordinary that it's kind of hard to believe. But what if we stepped into the opportunity for our lives to bring glory to Jesus? Could that change the world?

How many people can you think of who suffered mistreatment in their time, but later that same event was part of why their lives had a great impact? People like Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela who suffered imprisonment were later hailed as leaders beyond compare.  Their convictions and jail experiences were transformed from shame into honor. Many believers throughout history have had a similar experience. We see some of these stories in the book of Acts. What was painful and humiliating turned into something that was a source of glory. For Jesus, He opens His prayer to His Father talking about the hour that has come. And He connects this moment to the glory that comes through it.  In doing so, Jesus teaches those who follow Him that our suffering and shame are not what they seem. When we are rejected and mocked for believing in and following Jesus, it only serves to bring glory to our Savior. May we be people who believe the truth deeply enough to face shame with faith.

There are many callings that God places on His children. We are called to share Jesus with others. We are called to love one another. Our job is a calling. Parenting is a calling. Marriage and singleness are callings. These may endure or may just be for a season, but while we're in them, it is clear that God is asking us to serve His kingdom by being faithful in the place He has put us. Motherhood definitely falls under the category of a calling. It is one of the greatest privileges and one of the heaviest burdens that a woman can bear. So what does God's Word teach us about facing our callings faithfully?  We're going to go to a calling in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah. He was a prophet that God used and continues to use in significant and powerful ways. Maybe we think his calling was simple and straightforward, but if we look at the story of it, we may find that our callings feel the same as his.

In 1988, the World Series featured two teams from California – the Dodgers and the As. Game 1 is remembered for one swing in the 9th inning that won the game so improbably that the announcer said “I don't believe what I just saw.” Kirk Gibson who had injuries to both legs and could barely walk was summoned to pinch hit in the bottom of the 9th inning against a Hall of Fame closer named Dennis Eckersley. Somehow, Kirk Gibson hit a home run turning a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 win. They say seeing is believing, but sometimes what you see is hard to believe. And most times, it is hard to believe without seeing.  But Hebrews tells us that faith is exactly that. In this part of Jesus' discussion with His disciples, Jesus talks again about peace.  His disciples say they can now believe because they see.  And Jesus disagrees.  There is power in learning how to face trouble in this world without losing your peace.  Let's see if we can hear from Jesus on how finding that kind of peace can change the world.

How much joy is in your life? You probably have a lot of reasons to be glad and full of gratitude, but that's not the question. To what degree does your experience match up with a promise from Jesus of joy? On this night we're studying, Jesus says some pretty surprising things about joy.  We probably make the same assumptions that the disciples did before this conversation. Joy comes when life is going well and sorrow comes when life is hard and painful. Yet on this night, Jesus takes time to tell them that following Him should be filled with joy as a norm. Even grief will be turned into joy. Is that idea still true?  Does following Jesus allow us to live as people full of joy?  Let's see what Jesus says and allow Him to teach us what He was trying to teach His disciples that night.

As believers, one thing that we receive that is both mysterious and powerful is the Holy Spirit.  There are many ideas about what the Spirit does in people, but on this night Jesus spends with His disciples, He actually takes some time to talk about the Spirit and His work. This group of men who were about to change the world seemed no more ready to have a historical impact than any of us. But Jesus knew that when He went back to heaven, the Spirit was coming, and that would be a game changer.  Since the Spirit still comes into those who believe today, the same power to change the world is alive in us! So let's take some time to look at what Jesus has to say about the Spirit and hopefully we'll understand a little more about how this Spirit can work in us to change our world.

This is a morning that we celebrate together the resurrection of our Savior in power and glory. We are reminded again that nothing in this world compares to what He has done for us and what He can do for each person who believes. And in that simple truth comes a challenge. We're not trying to get people to see us; we're trying to show them Jesus. When some men came asking to see Jesus, Jesus had some words in response that help us understand what it takes for His disciples to point people to Him. He says if He is lifted up, He will draw all men to Himself.  This may mean more than you think it does.  Let's take Easter morning to allow Jesus to teach us how to make Jesus known in our lives and in our world.

On this day, we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem amidst cries of worship and honor. In that moment, it seems clear to all who watch (even Jesus' enemies) that He can take over as King. Yet only a few days later, Jesus dies on a cross. What is the point of this episode in Jesus' life and what did His disciples learn from it? It turned out that God's work at that time was to open a door of invitation for all who would believe. Normally, kings rode into a city in power to conquer by force.  But the church was about to be birthed through faith and grace. The King that rode into Jerusalem that day still keeps the door open for all who would believe.

We all have those seasons where it feels like the harder you try to get ahead, the more you fall behind. You try to be more careful about your money and as soon as you begin seeing some extra in your account, an emergency hits that drains you again.  New Year was a time to set new goals on healthy eating, but at just the wrong moment, you have to go to a party and you wind up eating what you shouldn't. Bumps in the road are normal and can be endured.  But what really derails us is discouragement. We think that our hard work will never make a difference.  Jesus talks to His disciples this night about the response they are going to get from those who call themselves “God's people.” It is surprising to hear, but we can imagine it was hard not to be discouraged when they were living it out. Let's see if we can learn the same lesson Jesus tried to teach them so that we can be ready to change the world.

Everyone wants to be liked, right? Disapproval and exclusion are powerful tools to pressure people to conform or fit in. Some people will do almost anything to gain the approval of others. It is such a universal reality in our world that many people get trapped in living for ‘likes' or for the opinions of others. But we follow Jesus.  And on the night He was betrayed, He had some words for His disciples on this very topic.  He said that in fact they would be hated as He was hated. He gives reasons for this, and they don't include being rude or obnoxious and then claiming that ‘we're hated like Jesus was hated.' Instead, the bigger point is one that offers freedom to live for the King and His Kingdom without the fear or pressure of what everyone thinks of you.

The concept of love really defies a clear and concise definition. Stories have been written and rewritten. Songs have been sung over and over. People think they have a sense of what love is because they “know it when they feel it.” But Jesus is having a discussion with us about what kind of love He's calling us to. In this part of the conversation, Jesus invites them to bear fruit that will last.  Still using the picture of a plant, He now explains more to the disciples about how we are to stay connected to the vine and what that will do for our souls.  We are invited to change the world like they did by choosing great love.

How many times do we hear about the darkness of this world? Christians are presented with more and more opportunities to shine a light in the darkness, but how do we handle circumstances that are unfair or even painful? This week we will take a look at how the Apostle Paul endured being incarcerated for doing the work of the Lord.

Some people are really good with plants. Others are really bad with them. Whichever one you are, you understand the simple illustration Jesus gives His disciples about living in a way that changes the world. The spiritual reality is quite complex. It is hard to walk in what Jesus is instructing. But the picture He gives is simple, easy to understand, and gives us helpful insight so that we can know when we're doing it right (and when we are not). If every Christian lived like Jesus talks about in these verses, we'd change the world!

Have you ever taken a minute to think about what it must be like to live in peace? Not for a minute or an hour, but as a normal mode of life – what would a life of peace feel like? Maybe it seems unrealistic because the only way we could figure out to live like that is to be superhuman (which none of us are) or to find some way to calm everything down around us. But Jesus tells His disciples that peace is a gift that He gives. Does that mean He gives it to us too?  It sure seems like that's what Jesus meant and why John wrote these words down. In this moment, Jesus is talking about a peace that they learn how to live out over time, but one that will feel far away over the next few days for them. Launching this promise right at this moment has meaning for us too. Let's see what we can learn from Jesus' offer of peace.

Nobody likes to need help. We'd rather be the ones giving help than receiving it. But life has a way of putting us in the position of need more often than we'd like to admit. Can needing help be more than just an inconvenient truth? Can it be part of changing the world? Jesus seemed to think so as He talks to His disciples at the Last Supper. He gives the disciples a few promises that seemed strange and scary to them, but turned out to be the exact pathway to a having a transformational effect on their world. We need the same kind of help and it is available to us. How do we live in the power we're offered?  There are a few simple choices we can make that let us step into the help Jesus wants to give us.

People have all kinds of ideas about God. Some think He is a distant old man sitting on a throne paying little attention to what happens in our world. Others imagine him to be an angry person ready to zap people who do the wrong thing. Still others pretend that He is a soft and warm guy who never gets upset and waves away any idea of right and wrong. All of these ideas (and more) existed when Jesus came to earth. On this night of the Last Supper, Jesus has something to tell His disciples about who God really is.  He explains it to them in a way that seems simple, but turns out to be profound and powerful. How can we really know who God is?  The answer is the same today for us as it was for them. And when we see Him, we're ready to change the world.

Is it possible to live in such a troubled world with an untroubled heart? We hope so… we want it to be true…  but most of us either don't know how to get there or don't believe that we can. At the Last Supper, Jesus has some very interesting words for His disciples that leads to one of the most famous statements He makes. How does Jesus being the Way, the Truth, and the Life connect to having hearts that are at rest in the chaos of this world?  Thinking about what is about to happen after this dinner, why would Jesus say this to the disciples at this moment?  Perhaps John records these words for us so that we can know what Jesus invited the disciples to know and believe.  One way we change the world is by living with an unshakeable hope in the ups and downs of life.

Today, almost everyone agrees that love is one of the highest values that exist in human experience. The devotion of a parent to their child, the affection of a husband for his wife, the enduring connection of a friend – these are just some of the many examples in the real world of how precious we hold love. But love did not have such an elevated status when Jesus walked the earth. In fact, as he speaks with his disciples on this night, he gives them a command that seems to be both overly simplistic and almost irrelevant. With what they are about to face in the next hours, a command to love one another seemed pointless. Yet later, when they actually understood this command and lived it out, it changed the world. What if the same power is available and at work in us today?  Could God change the world through believers loving one another as Jesus loves us?

Betrayal is a wound in the soul that feels like it changes everything. You don't know who you can trust or if you will ever be able to put your faith in someone again. All of your thoughts bend toward how you didn't see it coming or didn't believe what you saw.  Regret can spill into those thoughts as well and start to disable you from even trusting yourself. But in this story, we are presented with a different outcome to betrayal. We know what's coming so we can connect the dots. Judas' betrayal of Jesus led to the events of the cross and the empty tomb. And Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him; he actually sent Judas to do it.  What does this have to do with us? And how is this betrayal part of why this group went out and changed the world? Let's think through that together.

Does this world need help? Perhaps it needs even more than that. Jesus' world certainly did. Just before He died, He spent one last night with His disciples around a dinner table and talked to them about what He knew they needed to know. The result of that conversation eventually changed the world. When you think about it, those last words before Jesus suffered and died have more significance and impact because of when He said them and who He said them to. As we look at these chapters in the Gospel of John, let's keep in mind that these ideas grounded men who were about to run away from Jesus so that one day they flipped the world upside down.

A New Year. This moment is regularly used to evaluate what we need to change and how we need to hold onto what is valuable while letting go of what is empty. As a church, we're going to begin the year by observing Communion together and by asking ourselves what kind of church Jesus wants us to be. What should be our focus as Christians and as a church family for this New Year? This morning we're going to propose that we work on being a responding church. What does that mean and how do we do it? Maybe we have been responding to the wrong stuff and missing the good stuff. Maybe we don't understand how to know the difference. Join us as we figure out what it means to be a responding church.

If you could invite lonely and needy people to your Christmas table, would you? Of course, that's a difficult question. We don't know who is lonely unless they tell us (and we believe them). The same thing goes for those in need. But it's likely that our hearts would WANT to include as many as possible if we truly believed we could help meet their needs. Christmas is good news because God's heart is just like that.  He wants to include everyone possible in His goodness and grace. Christmas tells us that story because Jesus, God's own Son, came to be born as a baby so that He could invite as many as possible into the love of the Father. But He doesn't force anyone to accept the offer. So, if you've never responded to this offer with a yes, will you? And if you have accepted this offer, will you share it with as many as you can? *Please note the children's performance will not be live-streamed for privacy purposes, but the message will be. Tune in around 10:30 to watch.

This morning, we'll take some time to keep talking about why Christmas is good news. Jesus' arrival tells us that God is relational. That means He wants and seeks personal relationships with people. How does the birth of Jesus tell us that?  We're going to look at Jesus' words at the Last Supper to see what He says about why He came and who He's connected to. Then we'll see that it's also the reason behind why Jesus came – because a relationship with us meant that much to Him!

Here we are in December and it is time to celebrate Christmas! In the coming weeks, we're going to look at why Christmas is good news for everyone. And today we start by talking about the way Christmas relates to one of the big questions of history and of our lives: Is there a God? Jesus' arrival settled that question for all time. There is indeed a God of the Universe, all-powerful and glorious. Why is that good news for us?  We'll take a look this morning at the impact of this reality on everyone's life.

Have you ever looked back at some pictures of yourself from years ago and wondered what you were thinking?  You may even remember that you thought you really looked good. But now, with fresh eyes and a good deal of distance from that moment, you have a very different opinion of your appearance. For this last church in Revelation, Jesus tells the church at Laodicea that what they think of themselves is untrue. They think they are looking good, but Jesus actually tells them they are disgusting and to be pitied. As harsh as this message is to this church, it may have more application to the church today than any other message we've discussed so far.

With our state banning plastic bags, you may have found yourself in this situation over the past few months.  Since we're so used to having grocery bags to carry all of our purchases, sometimes we forget that we're not getting them anymore. That leads to an awkward attempt to carry as many loose groceries as possible into the house, which creates another problem… opening the door!  With no hands left, you have to decide what to put down so you can find your keys and get the door open. The closed door stops all progress of getting your food into the house until you find a way to get it open. Jesus uses this picture to describe a spiritual reality. He opens and closes doors for us. When God makes the way clear, we need to be ready to step into the opportunity He gives. And when He closes a door, we shouldn't waste our time trying to pry it open. These words to the church in Philadelphia are words of encouragement and motivation. May they be the same to us today!

Today, we hear a lot of talk about being ‘Woke'. That one word has been used as either a challenge or a derogatory label for people. Depending on what you think are the best answers for our country, you can think that being called ‘woke' is a compliment or a curse. But long before it became a code word for some social or political ideology, Jesus came with a message to the church in Sardis, telling them to ‘Wake up.' Do we know what a sleeping church looks like? What does Jesus mean when He says this to the church and what would that look like today? We may be surprised at what how this church is described because it seems far away from what our idea of ‘sleeping' would be. So let's hear from Jesus for the church at Sardis and see if there are any messages we need for our lives

If you have children, have they ever continually resisted advice you give them, but then when someone else gives them that same advice, they enthusiastically embrace it? This is one of many challenges in raising kids! Parents are pretty alert to the voices who have influence in their children's lives.  That's because they know that the choices their kids make are greatly impacted by who they listen to. For the church at Thyatira, they were listening to the wrong person. Jesus says they should know better and warns them to stop. In fact, He says that He will deal with the one leading them astray and purify His church. With so many voices trying to steer our lives today, it may be just the moment to be reminded that our true leader is Jesus and we need to check with Him so that we don't embrace advice He would reject.

These days, it is probably hard to imagine getting lost while driving to some new location. We use technology that tells us each turn to make and when to make it. We even get to see a map with a symbol showing us where we are and how we're moving. But before smart phones, it was pretty easy to get lost if you were on the road.  Consulting a map could help, but it wasn't always a guarantee that you knew where you were going.  Spiritually, we can get lost too.  The Spirit could be a continuous guide like our smart phone, but many believers drift away from His direction. And before you know it, we've lost our way. We're going to look at Jesus' message to the church at Pergamum and notice that we can fall prey to the same forces that pulled this church off the path. What do we do when we find ourselves here?  Jesus has that answer too!

We've come a long way from the days of traveling with a map that unfolds, which has made it harder and harder to get lost.  The hopeless feeling of being lost is one that is much harder to come by due to the abundance of GPS apps.  By looking at a popular parable given to us by Jesus, The Prodigal Son, we will explore God's desire to draw all people unto Himself and the response we give as a result of God's deliverance of those we feel don't deserve it.

When you kicked off this year, you may have made some resolutions.  They probably didn't include any aspiration to suffer. We just don't like the hardship or pain, and we look to escape as quickly as possible.  But Jesus talks to the church at Smyrna and tells them that He sees their suffering.  He goes on to tell them that they will suffer more and in greater measure. But instead of apologizing for this coming persecution, the Lord talks to them about the perspective they have and need to hold onto in suffering. And then He calls them to faithfulness in it.  In the end, Jesus has a purpose for what they are about to endure, and He promises that He sees them and that they will receive a reward for holding fast to faith as life gets very hard. These words will be a great challenge to us as we allow the Spirit to sort through our lives and the hardships we're enduring.

Sometimes as you're doing things online, you come across one of those videos where a service member who has been overseas surprises their family by coming home and showing up unexpectedly. If you're given to emotion (and even if you are not), you can't help but be overwhelmed with how much it means to the family to be reunited. When you love someone, you want to be near them. Plenty of people today think that God either doesn't exist, or that, if He does, He stays far away from us. But nothing in Scripture presents God as someone who stays distant. Instead, He is close to us and holding us.  As Revelation opens, Jesus has some words that still ring in the ears of the church. He holds us and speaks to us, meaning He knows what is happening in our lives, it matters to Him, and He has direction to give us for our good.

Sometimes when you're watching a movie or a TV show, you see and actor and kind of recognize him or her, but you can't quite remember where you've seen them before. In our world today, we whip out our phones and look up their name and their career so that we can connect the dots. It's good to get an answer to the question “Who is that?” even if it's for something as trivial as just not having to keep wondering.  But the question of “Who is Jesus” is more than just a mental exercise or an answer to some trivia question.  Your answer to that question is the defining decision of your life.  The Apostle John knew Jesus as his friend on earth for about three years.  But then John meets Jesus in heaven and is overwhelmed with who Jesus really is.  Let's pray that as we read about John's experience that we see Jesus afresh and that this vision changes our lives too!

Have you ever noticed how some people seem to be ‘in the know' and others are left in the dark?  Whether we're talking about what's happening at school, at our jobs, or in our family or friend group, it can be really hard to be left out of the latest news. Some of that feeling is what drives people to stay constantly connected on their phones, scared they may not know what is happening. Spiritually, being ‘in the know' revolves around knowing what God says in His Word. As we start a journey through Jesus' messages to the early churches, we read how John describes both getting this message and the One who gave it to him