Hope Lake Country

The people Jesus loved were messy. The way that Jesus loved people seemed inconsistent,unfair, and confusing. On the one hand, he could teach that God's righteous moral standards forour lives are even higher than we imagined they were. On the other hand, he ate with the taxcollectors and talked with the adulterers. As his church today, we still struggle to understand hisextraordinary love – but it all boils down to two key ingredients.

Everyone in our generation has associations with the word “church”. The problem is that ourassociations bear little resemblance to what Jesus designed and launched in the first century. Hedidn't design an institution that exists to perpetuate itself. He created an assembly of peoplewho are part of a movement that exists to declare God's praises and is characterized by love.

Hopefully, you've learned quite a bit from your future self in this series. But your future self hasone problem. It's still you. The same you that has created all of the problems in your life up tillnow. The good news is that there's someone else who is ready to offer advice. He's not justfrom the future, he's the beginning and the end. We'll wrap up the series by considering ourquestion from a different angle. Considering that Jesus has the words of eternal life, whatwould the future you tell you to do?

Many times, instead of eliminating the obstacles that keep us from moving forward in life, we try to compensate for them and keep going. We end up dragging our baggage and sin from one stage of life to the next. But God wants us to get rid of everything that hinders us and slows us down from becoming the future person that he has in mind. Don't compensate for what you must eliminate. In light of your past, what would the future you tell you to do? 

One of the things that makes it so hard to listen to the future you is that the past you is speaking too loudly. Maybe the past you is condemning you with accusations of failure, guilt, or shame. The Apostle Paul was no stranger to this reality. In fact, his past self was even worse than your past self. But he learned how to tune out to his past self and listen to his future self, the future self that was resting in heaven with Jesus. In this message, we'll discover how focusing on our future allows us to move past your past. In light of your future hope, what would the future you tell you to do?

If you could go back in time five or ten years to deliver your past self a message, you know exactly what you would say. Change this habit; Prioritize that goal; Pay attention to your cholesterol; Dump him; etc. You could save your past self so much worry, heartache, and money if you could share some of your current wisdom with your younger self. But what wisdom would help your present reality? What if you could get a message from your future self? What if your future self showed up to deliver you a message today? What would the future you tell you to do?  

Jesus identified a very specific reason for the season. It was a search and rescue mission. Not only have we been rescued by Jesus, but we've been recruited to join in the mission. Who are you inviting to Christmas in Lake Country?  

The reasons for Christmas isn't just about Joy to the World and Peace on Earth. One of the reasons for Christmas is destruction. Jesus came to destroy the work of evil in our world and our lives. 

The reason for Christmas begins with us. We were dead in our sins. We didn't just need some advice or some teaching. We needed resurrection. Jesus was born to give us a second birth.  

In today's episode of Beyond Grateful, we're taking a deep dive into Psalm 103, exploring it verse by verse to discover its powerful message about gratitude and praise. Whether you're a long-time Bible reader or simply curious, this is an invitation to experience gratitude in a fresh and meaningful way. Together, we'll uncover how gratitude can bring hope, perspective, and joy to your everyday life.Settle in, grab a coffee, or take us along on your commute, and let's explore this incredible passage together. Thanks for listening to the Hope Online Podcast—we're so glad you're here

The appropriate response to help is to express gratitude. In fact, failing to express gratitude create an inequity in a relationship that can undermine the integrity of a friendship or family dynamics. This dynamic is also true in our relationship with God. In the story of the Ten Lepers, we see how expressing thanks to God is critical for a healthy faith in God.  

This is our third biggest weekend of the year! We are going to raise as much money as we can to support our partner's charities in Southeastern, WI. Why? Because on our own we can't do much, but together we can make a difference and give hope to those in need right here in our own community.There's a common habit that is destroying American families and communities. They're being destroyed through words of gossip and slander. This Sunday we will see why God reserves the harshest judgement for gossips and slanderers. More importantly, we will unmask the self-deceptions that cause us to justify gossip and replace it with words that that build community

There's a common habit that is destroying American families and communities. They're being destroyed through words of gossip and slander. This Sunday we will see why God reserves the harshest judgement for gossips and slanderers. More importantly, we will unmask the self-deceptions that cause us to justify gossip and replace them with words that build community.  

“Don't judge me” is a popular phrase. Yet people continually pass judgment on one another. We judge people for their politics, their competence, their appearance, their maturity, and – well, pretty much anything. This judgmental attitude is dividing people. Jesus had something to say about this. He didn't tell us not to judge others. He told us that you will be judged by the same standard that you judge others. How do you want to be judged? You probably want to be judged NOT. In this message, we'll learn a new filter to use before passing judgment on others.  

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. It's cute, but it's not true. Words have power - power to build - power to destroy. Words shape reality. The words spoken to you have shaped you in both healthy and unhealthy ways. Words weigh way more than we think they should or do.  Since words are so powerful, we will begin to discover how to use our words to make a difference, not a point.  

Have you ever had a moment where your brain caught up with your words – three seconds after they left your lips?  Why do we say the dumb things we sometimes say?  It happens because there is a direct conduit from your heart to your mouth. Sometimes, the things that you believe, think, and feel in your heart get out of your mouth before your brain has a chance to filter them. Your words are the window to your heart. As we begin this series, we will learn about the importance of paying attention to your words. What story are your words telling?  

The local church is the best financial you can make. Most charities exist to solve downstreamproblems. They want you to practice intervention giving (and you should). But church is theplace where we do prevention giving. Generosity towards the church keeps bad things fromever happening in people's lives because we help them follow the way of Jesus.

This Winter, we're embarking on our most ambitious, faith-growing, world changing project since the church was built. We're opening a new church. This is an “all hands on deck” kind of project. If you're grateful for hope Church. NOW is the time to engage or to re-engage. You're invited to participate in something bigger than yourself. And investing in the church returns the best return on your volunteering investment.  

If the devil can't make you sin, he'll keep you busy. Busyness keeps the activities that matter the most off of our schedules. This week we're going to learn that if we wasn't to make the world a better place, and if you want to make your world a better place, it will require something from you. It's going to require some of your time. And once you'll give it, you won't want to live any other way.

We all want to be known for something. People want to be known for everything from greatparenting to great success. But according to decades of research, if we're going to lead happyand fulfilling lives, the goal isn't to be known for something but be known by someone, or by agroup of someone. In this message, we'll understand why Jesus designed his church to be ateam sport.

Celebrations matter. What people celebrate reveals what matters to them. So what does God celebrate? Jesus' answer to the question surprised the people in his generation. But if we don't absorb the lesson of what God celebrates, we'll miss out on what matters most to God.

Storms will come in life. If we don't know how to respond, we're at risk of drowning.  Peter's reaction to witnessing a miracle can show us what we need to do when we are in the middle of a storm and gives us a glimpse of what Heaven looks like.

If Jesus asked you “What do you want me to do for you,” how would you respond?  Jesus once asked this question to a man named Bartimaeus who was blind. You think the answer would be obvious—“to see!”. But as we see with Bartimaeus, not only did he want to see, but he also wanted to follow.  Bartimaeus didn't see Jesus as a genie, but as Lord. He was ready before he was healed to follow Jesus in this life and into the next.

Life is so much easier when we know what's coming next. Minor inconveniences and frustrations now don't seem so bad when there's a glimpse of the good to come. Yet, what happens when life throws you a big problem and you have no idea what to expect next? That's scary. In this miracle, Jesus provides a snapshot of a restored world as God intended it to be. Your "right now" may be causing you anxiety and fear, but what's coming next is completely worth it! 

Not all miracles of Jesus were to heal people who were sick or broken because life in the Kingdom of God will not just be about us having resurrected life. Some miracles were done to glimpse how we will relate to God in resurrected life. Although Jesus has hit a dark place in his ministry, his transfiguration showed his disciples, and us, that this was part of his rescue plan to lead his people into the ultimate freedom and glory of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus was never in a hurry. Fully present people aren't. One time, Jesus was accompanying a desperate dad whose daughter was close to death. Then from behind, a woman who was suffering terribly from a chronic disease for twelve years came for healing. Who would Jesus decide to heal? The more desperate one? The more holy one? The one with more faith? No, Jesus healed both. This miracle shows that Jesus' ability to heal is limitless and that Jesus is never too busy for you.

Most modern people scoff at the idea of demons and that they are an active force in the world. Not only are they real, but they also hold remarkable power. In this miracle, we will not only see that Jesus has authority over all things, visible and invisible. He also has a heart of love that wants to help a tormented man – a crazy man that other people feared was a man that Jesus came to redeem and set free.  

The first miracle of Jesus is one of his strangest. A bunch of wedding guests were in danger of sobering up because they ran out of wine. Jesus made sure that the party kept on going. Why did he choose this for his first miracle?!? He was intentional in choosing this as his coming out miracle. This was how he showed the world that his true purpose was to prepare a wedding feast unlike any other, the wedding feast of the Kingdom of God.  

In America, we often think of a person's heart as where our emotions reside. However, in scripture, the heart is seen as the driver of the whole person. Your heart directs your life. And just as we are shaped physically when we exercise, our hearts are formed by what we give our attention to. Who you love and what you love will determine the person you become and the destination you arrive at. This is why the scriptures warn and encourage us that we need to guard our hearts above all else. So how do we cultivate a healthy heart?

We hear lots of conflicting things about how to make plans-that God laughs at our plans, that you can control your own destiny, take care of yourself first, don't get your plans wrong or God won't use you....Making plans can be a hard thing. What's the wisest way to choice a course of action? How much is on us? And how much is on God? This weekend, come learn what wise planners do, and the dangers of planning in pride.

There are competing views on the purpose and meaning of sex. Some people view it as a natural appetite - so if it is safe and everyone consents, then it's good. Other people view sex as their identity – they believe that they are what they do with their bodies. The book of Proverbs shows us that “modern” views of sexuality have been around for a very long time – and they aren't leading us to good destinations. In this message, we'll see that Sophia has an approach to sexuality that leads to delight and flourishing.

"I know what is right." This is a common statement we make throughout our lives. However, as we progress through different phases of life, we see that our understanding is constantly growing and evolving. History demonstrates the same pattern: what we once believed to be right often turns out to be wrong. If both our personal experiences and history show that our understanding is flawed, where do we turn for true understanding?

Ancient philosophers taught on it, physicians directly and indirectly told us about it, and many social media influencers claim to have the perfect recipe for it. The topic of self-control has been discussed throughout history. The Bible has plenty to say about self-control, but the practice and end goal of self-control in scripture isn't about living to be a hundred or learning how to be a minimalist. The Bible teaches that self-control is about submission to God. Those who practice self-control understand its perfection in Jesus, but those who don't will encounter friction.

Last week we saw that wisdom wants to be in a relationship with you. But so does anotherwoman. Her name is Folly. In Proverbs, Solomon describes Folly as an adulterous woman. The people she ensnares all share a common trait. They don't see their lives as a path that has an obvious destination. Instead, they view life as a series of isolated events. And by the time they get to their destination, it's too late to avoid it. This message will warn people about the methods, and the danger of the Harlot

The information age is multiplying our knowledge and our access to knowledge. But it feels like our wisdom, knowing what to do with the realities and complexities of life, is stagnating. The world is changing so rapidly that our need for wisdom has never been greater in our lifetimes. Wisdom is not correlated with intelligence. And that's good news. Wisdom can be had by anyone. But it requires intentionality. As we begin this series, we'll discover why Solomon personified wisdom as a woman. He's inviting you to pursue a relationship with her. And if you have one, Sophia will teach you how to have the competence to know what to do with the realities of life.

In the 1900s, the American Dream wasn't about individual wealth and possessions. It was about community flourishing. That dream didn't just want the grass at our house to be green but our neighbors as well. Today, the American Dream is simply the individual pursuit of more. Today we have more and consume more. More cars, more square footage, more technology, and more possessions. We also have more debt, more anxiety, more loneliness, and a bigger environmental footprint than ever before. Americans continue to consume and are never satisfied. Jesus warned about the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for things because they won't give us the life we are looking for. The truth is the more we consume, the more our possessions consume us. When we can break free from our possessions, we have space to pursue what truly matters.

If America is built on the premise of an unalienable right to the pursuit of happiness, how come we don't crack the top ten of happiest nations in the world? Why are we hanging out with Lithuania on the happiest nations in the world list? Why do we have an epidemic of mental illness? Because after 247 years of trying, maybe it's time to admit that we're lousy at pursuing happiness. The truth is that you will never achieve happiness by pursuing happiness. In this message, we'll learn how to end our chronic discontent and pursue an inner peace that would make us the happiest place on earth.

The American Christian Church is known for being divided more than it is known for being united. It's known for what it's against rather than for what it's for. Church people have behaved with as much as (or more) godlessness as people who don't go to church. As a result, Americans haven't left the church because THEY don't believe what Jesus teaches, but because the CHURCH doesn't seem to believe what Jesus teaches. If we're going to make our generation think twice about throwing baby Jesus out with the church bathwater, it will only happen if we return to the number one value of God's Kingdom.

Culture wars become an incredibly divisive topic within American culture. As a nation, we're at odds over immigration policy, gun laws, abortion, support for Ukraine, support for Israel, and more. Some Christians respond by retreating from these culture wars. Others respond by attacking their cultural enemies. This Sunday we're going to see that Jesus did not intend for us to retreat from culture wars. Nor did he intend for us to fight them. He taught us that the objective isn't to win culture wars, but to pursue something far more important.

The trust that citizens have in government institutions has been cratering in recent years. Thepublic's faith in the government is at all-time lows. But how's your faith in God? Is it alsorunning low? Because there's an important link between your relationship with God and yourrelationship with the government.

Jesus never fought to reform the political system of his day. Neither did the early church. Instead, they loved the people sitting in institutional chairs (along with everyone else) and invited them to repent and believe. They di it without taking up political positions? Why? Because they weren't interested in saving Judea, they were interested in saving Jews. They weren't worried about saving Rome. They were worried about saving Romans. Their focus was fixed on what happens after this life because they didn't see their earthly home as their nativeland. They saw heaven as their native land. America is not a city on a hill. The church is. And we will be the light to all the earth when we firmly plant our feet in the soil of our true nativeland.

We live in an age of expressive individualism, and Americans uphold “freedom” as our highest value. But what began in America as political freedom, hallmarked by empowering citizens and giving everyone an equal vote, has devolved into radical individualism, in which no one has the right to restrict the individual. And this is one reason why society is fragmenting. It's going to get worse until we realize that a lack of restrictions doesn't lead to freedom but enslavement. It is the careful selection of the right restrictions that leads to freedom.

When life is predictable, losing sight of what's most important is easy. But in the face ofuncertainty, a person's true values come to the surface. As we face (yet another) election year, does the uncertainty surface anything in you? As you think about what comes to the surface, what does it say about what's most important in your life? And is it Jesus? The Christian faith begins (or ends) with your answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?” If a New Testament author were to write a letter to the American Church, the correct answer to this question might be the central theme. Jesus is God's Son. Jesus is King. Jesus has the words of life. To believe in him is to fear him and to follow him. He must be central.

Imagine a moment where everything changes—for the better. We're celebrating a turning point in history that brought hope and new beginnings this Easter. It's not just about painted eggs and bunny rabbits; it's about the incredible story of a man named Jesus who, after making the ultimate sacrifice, didn't let death end his story. Against all odds, he rose, offering a message of renewal and love that's as relevant today as it was over two thousand years ago.

One of the metaphors for sin in the Bible is leprosy. That's because it slowly devours us, and we are numb to reality. In this episode, we'll look at how the sin of pride is all-consuming. Pride is the opposite of faith. Pride destroys both love and wisdom. It refuses to acknowledge the need we have or embrace humility and receive grace from God. In this message, Naaman teaches us that to be healed from sin, all we need is a need that we know we cannot heal ourselves. God is quick and gracious to heal.

What is it about the human condition that we know what we shouldn't do, we know the consequences, yet we do it anyway? The Bible's explanation isn't just that we sin but that we are slaves to sin. Sin is not just an action in our lives. It is a power in our lives. In this message, we'll see how God liberates us from our layers of slavery so we are free to serve God.

Addiction doesn't kill people as much as a denial of the addiction kills people. In the same way, self-deception is not the most terrible thing that we do, but it allows us to do the most terrible things. And until you defeat self-deception, you will never overcome the destructive power of the sins we do to ourselves. In this story, King Saul tries to prop himself up and build esteem for himself. But to do that, he disobeyed God. And, he thought he had perfectly good reasons for disobeying God. We think the same thing. We are brilliant at finding perfectly good reasons to disobey God. In this message, we'll see that it's only after we realize that Christ has made us great and filled us with his esteem that we'll stop letting sin deceive us.

After Eden, God commanded his creation to spread out over the world. Man decided to build an identity and find purpose apart from God. Man turned to his own ingenuity to build an identity and purpose apart from God. They thought that they could get to eternal life by going up. But in the story, the only way God could help them was that he had to come down. Today, we still seek to build a life for ourselves apart from God. The result is always chaos. That's why only when Jesus came down could we finally ascend to heaven.

The first strategy of sin is to get so small and so hidden that you don't even notice that it is there. You won't even notice that it is about to destroy you. This Sunday, we will hear the story of Cain. Although he was a religious person, he did not see the sin crouching in his heart, and as a result, it ruined his life forever. Yet God, in his mercy, was tender towards Cain. Why? Because the true Abel, Jesus himself, would give his blood to intercede for us

Temptation is everywhere. The fact that this doesn't frighten us suggests that we might not seesin for what it really is. In every temptation, there's always more hanging in the balance thanmeets the eye. The stakes are always greater than they appear. As we kick off this series, we'lllearn to see sin for what it is, and learn how to see what's hanging in the balance.

Everyone wants to be good at money because money is a central aspect of our lives. And how good you are with money will have a direct impact on your ability to flourish as a human being. Money can be a source of stress or a source of joy. The difference will depend on your ability to get better at money. Jesus invites us to be rich toward God. Not because God needs riches but because he wants us to experience the peace that comes from being free people.