Hope in Christ Church Video Podcast

I don't know if you're aware, but the word “Corona” is Latin for “crown”. It was given this name because when viewed under a microscope it looks like a crown! This weekend we celebrate Jesus coming to earth to wear a thorny crown for us. He took the plague of every evil upon Himself … so that we might be raised from the dead. And He stands alive in the very air around us right now, ready to raise us up and empower us to overcome every evil thrown our way – from the coronavirus, to the disease of death and sin, to the virus of our own selfishness. He has conquered every evil we face! And He has come to infect us with His powerful new life!

With President Trump encouraging Americans to avoid crowds of ten or more people, we have decided to cancel our Sunday morning worship service for the time being. In its place is a shorter service with songs of worship, prayer, and a devotional message. I encourage you to listen, pray for one another, and continue to reach out to support and encourage one another. Click here to download the lyrics for the worship

A recent survey of 2,000 Americans found that the average adult will wake up in a bad mood 300 times a year. That means that on average we will only have 65 good mornings all year! Six days every week we will wake up on the wrong side of the bed. And friends, that is not how life in the kingdom of God is meant to be. If we are truly experiencing the life God wants us to have in His kingdom, 365 days a year we will wake up with the attitude that, “It's a Wonderful Life.” And the people around us will say, “I want what he or she has.” Click here to download the sermon outline

Too many professed Christians today live as if God is our servant instead of us being His. Too many professed Christians today live as if the church is their servant instead of us being servants of the church. Therefore, I think it needs to be said: Ask not what God can do for you – ask what you can do for God. Furthermore: Ask not what your church can do for you – ask what you can do for your church! Click here to download the sermon outline

Are you preoccupied with your foundation or are you focused on it?

Do you know that the kingdom of heaven is here, now? Every serious Bible scholar will tell you that the primary theme of Jesus' teaching was the kingdom of heaven. One professor and Christian author I read made the statement that, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” … was Jesus' first and only real sermon point. Matthew indicates Jesus proclaimed it every time He spoke.” And He didn't take it back when He ascended; it's still here. Click here to download the sermon outline

We are bombarded by messages and images telling us we have the right to be happy, we deserve to be happy, no one should stand in the way of my happiness. As a result, most people walk down that road pursuing happiness. And if I stay on that road I will never be good, and I'll never be happy. You would have a hard time finding one single person in the history of humanity who has found happiness by chasing it. Click here to download the sermon outline

Once we come to the realization of who we are, the beloved sons and daughter of God, we need to find a way for that to take root in our hearts and minds. If this would happen, we would stop worrying about our day and start it in giddy anticipation of the wonderful gifts our Father is going to bring into our lives. Imagine walking through 2020 listening to the voice of our Heavenly Father saying to us, “I have a gift for you today, and I can't wait for you to see it!” That is the life Jesus wants us to have. That is life itself. That is life as the precious one of God that each one of us truly is. Click here to download the sermon outline

The famous saying in Alcoholics Anonymous is: “I'm not God.” With that, a huge burden lifts off. But we know from experience how hard this is to actually do. Not to agree with; to do. God is still waiting for us to decide to hand the world over to Him. This one act would completely revolutionize our lives. If we handed the world over to God we would discover the easy yoke of Jesus. And we would finally be able to lie down and sleep at night. We would be set free from our stress. We would see and experience all of the wonderful gifts God has given us today. Click here to download the sermon outline

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gave us both a command: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus made it clear in this and many other passages, that while He wants to give us the gift of salvation, He expects those of us who have accepted His gift to share the Gospel, His “Good News” with others who have yet to take advantage of His eternally generous offer. Click here to download the sermon outline

Anxiety is like a giant knife in our minds that will keep us from ever experiencing the deep love, joy, and peace Jesus wants us to have. Anxiety makes us powerless. And to many, it might seem like an insurmountable foe. But I want to say to you this morning that Jesus comes to us today to offer us an anxiety-free life. God does not want His children to have any anxiety, any worry, any fear. Jesus wants to teach us to have a mind full of peace no matter what. Click here to download the sermon outline

We live in a world that is constantly trying to shape our identity. It tells us lies. It says things like: “You are what you have.” “You are what you do.” “You are what people think of you.” It shouts things such as: “You are no good; you are not enough; you haven't done enough; you are nobody.” The message of Christmas is that because Jesus came to earth, I too can be God's beloved child. Because Jesus came to earth, I too can hear the Father say, “You are my beloved child; with you I am well pleased.” If we trust Jesus, He gives us the right to become beloved children of God. Click here to download the sermon outline

Christians in America have been saying, “No” to Jesus. He is continually asking each one of us to be a witness for Him and we have refused. We've said “no”. And because we have said “no”, the world continues on in darkness. And what we have this Christmas is an opportunity to say, “Yes.” “Yes, I'll shine the light. Yes, I'll spread the Word. Yes, I'll be who You have called me to be.” Click here to download the sermon outline

If you want to find Jesus, the light of the world this Christmas, all you have to do is know what to remove and remove it. You just have to know what to get out of the way and get it out of the way. A thousand things will clamor for your attention, a thousand things will call for your time, and unless you are willing to remove the clutter, eliminate all the extra stuff you will not find the Light of the World that is shining in the dark. And the only way you will encounter Jesus is if you practice the art of elimination and make room for Him. Click here to download the sermon outline

Our culture, our instincts and our hearts, clamor for the preservation of our own life at all costs – over every other life – and over any good we might do. “Save yourself!” is the golden motto of our supremely selfish nature. Absent any higher purpose, it is supposed that there is no greater good beyond the perseveration of the self. As believers, we trust Christ to save us from our sins, but do we trust Him to save us from ourselves? We all are given by God the same weapon of life; how we use it will determine our kingdom and our destiny. Click here to download the sermon outline

Are you waiting for God to do something? Is there anything you have been praying for God to do for months, years, even decades? My guess is there is. Are you waiting patiently for that to happen? Habakkuk writes that he will wait patiently for Israel's pagan invaders to be judged. And this changes everything in his life. He receives this news that makes his heart pound, lips quiver, and legs tremble. But then he makes a decision. He says, “I will wait patiently on God.” And because of this, instead of being fearful, Habakkuk has joy. Instead of being downcast or disheartened, Habakkuk finds strength! What's his secret? A patient heart. Click here to download the sermon outline

20th century French playwright, Samuel Beckett, wrote a play in which the curtain opens to show a stage littered with junk. And for 30 long seconds, the audience sits and stares at that junk. And then the curtain closes. That's it. Beckett was saying that our lives are like that. We are surrounded by junk; garbage. And that's all we can hope for. And that's what the world is like if there is no God. We are surrounded by ugliness. Life is a constant struggle. It is sad, hopeless, and empty. But in our passage today, Paul is going to take a good look at the church and say: “That's how some of you are living.” Paul's going to say: “There are people in the church who live as if they are surrounded by ugliness; they live without hope in their hearts; they live as if they are alone.” They profess a relationship with Jesus but they live like atheists, they don't really love Jesus. And because of this, they're cursed. They're separated from the complete sufficiency, the overwhelming goodness, the abundance of love and joy that is available in God. Click here to download the sermon outline

Tt's easy to sit and listen. But if that's all we do, we'll never grow. What's hard is getting out there and doing what God has told us to do. It's easy to hear about spiritual gifts, but it's hard to get out there and use them. That's scary! That's outside of my comfort zone! But that's the only way we grow. And a faith that requires no courageous action, a faith that never requires you to step out of your comfort zone is not a faith that opens the door to the kingdom of God; it's a faith that closes the door to the kingdom of God. Click here to download the sermon outline

In our passage today, Paul says that we are like little seeds. We're pretty small. We don't look all that impressive. This little seed doesn't appear glorious at all. That is, unless you bury it in the ground. Bury this tiny seed in the dirt and what is it that soon bursts forth? A plant thousands of times the size of that seed, full of flowers with breathtaking color, beauty, and glory. And that is a tiny picture of what soon will happen when our bodies are buried in the ground if we are in Christ. Just as you can't see the full glory of what is contained in this seed until it is buried in the ground, you can't see our full glory now. But once we are buried, the glory of who we really are through Jesus will be revealed. A glory thousands of times greater than what you can see right now; full of breathtaking beauty, power, and light. Click here to download the sermon outline

Do you live as if sin and death have been knocked over? Do you live as if fear and weakness have been defeated? Do you live as if evil has lost the war? That's the power of the resurrection of Jesus. And that life is for us today. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we no longer have to be afraid. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we can experience a life where evil and sin no longer threaten us. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we can live an indestructible life. Click here to download the sermon outline

The grace of God not only has the power to forgive, it has the power to change. It has the power to reshape what is warped and deformed! It has done so for thousands of years! And it is in our midst today … calling out … reaching out. God's grace can make us totally new! And if we want it … we will find it. Click here to download the sermon outline

A recent World Health Organization report called noise pollution a modern plague. Real silence today is hard to find. Recent research has found that spending time in silence causes new cells to grow in our brain. Silence lowers blood pressure, boosts the body's immune system, promotes good hormone regulation, prevents plaque formation in arteries, and lowers stress. And to go even deeper, it is in the silence that we discover our soul … and it is in the silence that we find God. Habakkuk 2:20, “The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him." Click here to download the sermon outline

The human brain is millions of times more powerful than the most powerful supercomputer that exists today and it is also vastly more efficient. Each thought we have can actually change the structure and function of our brains. When you create new memories you physically change your brain. And wherever your brain goes, the rest of your life goes. If your mind is set on love, your body will follow suit. If your brain is filled with worry and fear and selfishness, you will live a fearful, worried, self-centered life. If your mind loses contact with God, your body follows. And that is why when Jesus came He focused on changing the ideas and thoughts that fill people's minds. The word “repent” is a word that literally means: Change the way you think. Jesus saw a world of people perishing because of the way they thought. Click here to download the sermon outline

“Wonder pulls us together – it is a counterforce to all that seems to be tearing us apart.” One of the primary, necessary elements in love is wonder at God. If you have eyes to see the wonderful, exciting kingdom of God that is all around you, you will find that you are someone full of agape love. My prayer for you is that you would have a rich life of joy and power, abundant in supernatural results, with a constant clear vision of never-ending life in God's world before you, and of the everlasting significance of your work day by day. Click here to download the sermon outline

For years, popular musicians have attempted to answer the question: “What is love?” There are over 10,000 songs on file at the U.S Copyright Office that begin with the words, “Love is …” Examples include: From 1912, “Love is a Sickness Full of Woes”; from 1927, “Love is Like the Influenza”; from 1968, “Love is Psychedelic”; from 1988, “Love is for Suckers”; and from 2007, “Love is a Losing Game”. As we read this description of agape love in our passage today, we might feel as if we are playing a losing game – that this is impossible, I will never be like this. Well, I want to start this morning by letting you know that you were created to love like this. Jesus loved you into existence so that you could be as wonderful as Him – full of His love. And if Jesus has His way, it will happen. Click here to download the sermon outline

Imagine waking up in the morning and realizing, “Only one thing really matters today – loving other people. And if this is all I do – if I don't get to the laundry, if I don't get to clean the house, if I don't finish my job at work – but I love the people around me, I have done what really matters.” And on the other hand, if I do all that other stuff, if I run all my errands and accomplish all the tasks set before me, but I haven't loved the people around me … I haven't accomplished anything of value. In the eyes of God, all my work has been worthless. Did you know that? Today, Paul is going to say to us: Love plus nothing equals everything. And if we would commit ourselves to learning how to do this one task, nearly all the problems we face in society would disappear. Click here to download the sermon outline

A physiologist and former British Olympian has unveiled a blueprint for what he describes as the world's ultimate superhuman. It includes the acceleration of Usain Bold's legs (whose fast-twitch muscle fibers can accelerate faster than 99.9% of people), the lungs of British rower Steve Redgrave (whose seven-liter capacity means he can take in a third more oxygen than the average person), the brain of “human calculator” Scott Flansburg (who can add numbers faster than a real calculator), the vision of Veronica Seider (able to distinguish detail from up to a mile away, her sight is 20 times better than the average human), the ears of Daniel Kish (able to navigate his environment by measuring the echo response of clicks made by his tongue), and the voice of Georgia Brown (whose vocal range spans 8 octaves). Well, God is assembling a body greater than that right here – the superhuman body of Christ! A body that has been gifted with such things (as we talked about last week) as: miraculous powers, prophecy, mountain-moving faith, healing power, life-giving mercy, and wisdom from another world. And if you are a follower of Jesus, you are part of that superhuman body. Click here to download the sermon outline

Are you acutely aware of the spiritual world? I want to say to you this morning that the reason Jesus was able to perform so many miracles, the reason so many people flocked to Him, the reason He was able to change our world forever is that He lived, thought, worked, and taught in the power of the same Spirit of God that is available to us. It was not because He was also fully God. When Jesus came to Earth He veiled His divine glory, He emptied Himself in order to not just be our Savior but our example as well. While living on Earth, Jesus used His divine powers infrequently, if at all. The reason His life had such far-reaching power is that Jesus lived in complete dependence upon the same Spirit of God available to us. Have you been neglecting the gift of the Spirit of God in your life? Click here to download the sermon outline

In C.S. Lewis' “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”, two of the main characters, Susan and Lucy, hear about Aslan, the Christ-figure in the story. They as if he is a man. And they are told: “Aslan a man? Certainly not…. he is the King of the woods … Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh!” said Susan. “Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous meeting a lion.” “That you will … and make no mistake, if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly.” “Then he isn't safe?” asked Lucy. “Safe? Who said anything about being safe? ‘Course he isn't safe. But he's good.” Most people don't want such a dangerous God. They prefer a god who is safe. A god they can manage. And we have to decide: Do I want the real thing? Because if even some of us actually want the real thing, the tangible presence of God that is not safe will be manifest among us today. Click here to download the sermon outline

If I wanted to have light in a dark room, my faith in the light switch would cause me to walk over to it and flip it on. Receiving the light of Jesus happens the exact same way. Because of my faith in Him, I walk right up to Jesus and ask for His light to turn on in me. Do you have the faith to believe that Jesus can do that for you today?

God made men and women very different. We have been given different roles. And the process of bringing us together, in marriage and in the church, can cause sparks. This was causing sparks in the Corinthian church, causing division and confusion. And that is Satan's main goal today: to drive the people of God apart. Right now, Satan is working in our relationships, our marriages, our church to drive us apart; to keep us from being one. He knows that if the people of God come together in their marriages and in their churches … it's over. He has nothing that can stand against a united church. If we actually learn to live as one, as God is one, in our churches and in our homes, no force in hell or on earth could stand against us. Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!

When Paul looked at the Corinthian church, he saw a group of self-centered people. They knew they needed Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, but their minds were still dominated by one thought: me. And that is the one source of human brokenness – self-centeredness; self-will. When you bring a group of people together who are almost exclusively focused on themselves, there's going to be quarreling and fighting and hurt feelings and broken people. That is the church. Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!

Paul gives a warning to the church. It's a warning we really shouldn't need, but we do. We should have learned this lesson by looking at people throughout the history of our faith, but we haven't. The warning is this: Being a child of God is not about rituals … it is not about experiences … it's not about infrequent, scattered times of devotion to God. Being a child of God is about a long obedience in the same direction. A long obedience in the same direction. We don't go one direction Sunday morning and a different direction Friday night. It's not about occasional acts of obedience scattered throughout the year. Can it be said that my life is a long obedience in the direction of Christ? Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!

Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

Studies have found that older people are generally in more of a hurry than younger people. And that if you drive in a hurry, you will save a whopping 26 seconds a day. I think if Jesus was standing before us today, one of the first things He would tell us would be: slow down. Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

Jesus isn't looking for converts; He didn't ask Philip to repeat after Him a prayer of salvation. He's looking for followers, disciples, people who are interested in spending each day walking with Him. Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

I want to invite you to be honest with yourself about what's really going on inside. What is the truth? Do you feel close to God, or does He feel far away? Are prayer and worship exciting, or do they feel dry? So much of our services and our prayer lives are devoted to pretending everything is fine. But when we are honest with God we give Him something solid to work with. Truly, I think, He appreciates honest questions and laments much more than fake praise. Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

Many Christians find themselves asking: “Where are the rivers of living water? Why am I not experiencing the abundant life Jesus talks about? Why do I struggle so much to grow?” If you find yourself there today don't run from it. Don't try to cover it up. Don't try to act like you're doing better than you actually are. That's what Satan wants us to do. Let's be real and honest about how we're doing. At this stage we are in the grip of a great temptation: to despair and tune out; to act out immorally; or to try to use service, ministry, or good works to relieve the burden of guilt and shame we are experiencing. Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

God has specifically placed us around such hurting people to bring His goodness into their lives. He has specifically placed us right next to anxious, frightened, lonely people to bring them the love and blessing of His kingdom. Will you reach out to the scared people around you with the life-giving presence of Jesus within you? Will you be a blessing today? Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

What comes to your mind when you think about the promises you have made? Are your promises solemn vows you always live up to or are they intentions that you will “do your best” to fulfill? Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

There is a plan for your life, that is complete. And not just a complete plan, but a fool proof plan. Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

Our lives are so aimed at self-exaltation. Even as Christians, we want to elevate ourselves, elevate our church, elevate our reputation! But all the while, Jesus calls out to us saying, “Stop! Stop trying to become great and become small! Stop trying to make something of your life, stop trying to advance yourself! Discover the blessedness, the joy that comes from going low.” Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

The consumer Christian is someone who consumes the grace of God for forgiveness but does not participate in the practices of Jesus. And the question for us this morning is: Am I a consumer Christian and is this a consumer church? Is this a church full of people who claim to be runners, but when you look at our lives you discover we never actually run? Do we claim the name of Jesus, but then when you look at our lives we don't live anything like Jesus? Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

Very few Christians today talk about their relationship with Jesus with people in the world. It's almost as if we're embarrassed about it. We don't think it's appropriate. So, we keep quiet. In fact, a recent Barna study found that almost half of millennial Christians (in their twenties and thirties) say that sharing your faith with others is (are you ready for this?) wrong. They don't say it's hard, awkward, or uncomfortable; they say it's wrong! What would it take for you to join Christians throughout the world and Christians throughout history who refused to be quiet about their faith in Jesus? We have the same power they have – the same Spirit of God is living inside us. The decline of Christianity in America can be reversed … if the people of God choose to live as His witnesses today. Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

The American church is crumbling. Our influence in society is fading. Our light is growing dim. We are full of holes, breaking down, and desperately in need of repair. If we were to take a survey today about what the American church needs most, we would receive a myriad of answers – more outreach, better preaching, collaboration and unity, correct doctrine, more creative programs. Well, Paul today sums it all up in one word: love. Love builds the church of God. Click here to download the sermon outline

God's invitation to us is to begin to step into our resurrection life today. It is: Stop living like people of this earth, people of dust, and start living like heavenly men and women now. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we are now citizens of heaven. And Paul is going to say: It's time to start living like it. Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

Right in the middle of our imperfect circumstances, directly in the midst of our busy and stressful lives, Jesus wants to burst onto the scene. Just as He entered the home of Mary and Martha, Jesus is coming to our home today and this week. Will we receive Him? Or will our busyness push Him aside? Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

Our world talks a lot about peace. It's a popular slogan in songs and on TV. If it's not about Jesus, it's all a sham. John Lennon famously sang, “Give peace a chance.” Well, John abandoned his son, Julian, when he was five years old. Listen to what Julian said about his dad: “He was a hypocrite. Dad could talk about peace and love to the world, but he could never show it to the people who supposedly meant the most to him: his wife and son. How can you talk about peace and love and have a family in bits and pieces-no communication, adultery, divorce? You can't.” Peace comes only in the presence of God. And that peaceful presence is available to us in our homes – whether we are living alone or married with kids. Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

Probably the least understood aspect of spiritual formation is the role of the body. Today I want us to come to understand that our bodies were designed to bring glory to God. And if we figure out how to use them in this way, we will encounter God like never before. Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

We might find ourselves in a position today where we think no matter what we do we cannot stop the shocks of fear, anger, lust, or selfishness that have stung us for so long. That no matter how hard we try, we are powerless to change. When in truth, we may be a few steps away from experiencing the beautiful, new life of the kingdom of God. Click here to download the sermon outline Visit our webpage to learn more about us!  

Click here to download the sermon outline