Hope Missionary Church located in Bluffton, IN
Teams and businesses often use mantras to inspire, to remind, and to define what their mission is. Likewise, every church has statements or phrases that help define core values, vision, and mission. Hope Church is no different. Jesus had a clear mission for his disciples, and for His church. The question is, our we on His mission? Through this series, we are going to use memorable statements to remind us to keep our eyes focused on the true priorities of Jesus and His church. In the same way that Jesus served as an ambassador to the greatness and goodness of God, we want to fulfill that role for our world as well. It's our privilege to be a missionary for Jesus, whether we have to cross an ocean or an alley to tell someone of His love and forgiveness.
In today's message, we'll learn that, when we receive the Holy Spirit, we are given the responsibility of denying ourselves as His presence moves us to live boldly.
In today's message, we'll discuss the fact that the New Testament church was completely dependent upon the power of the Holy Spirit. It wasn't about the show. It wasn't about the performance. It was the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we are so concerned about the what instead of the how. When we daily invite the Spirits presence into our lives, we experience true transformation.
In today's message, we'll explore the promise of the Holy Spirit. The promise of the Holy Spirit is a promise of true life. He is our promised Advocate, filling our lives permanently with His presence and unleashing us to live out of the promises of God. He renews us, gifts us and empowers us.
Throughout the Old and New Testaments, we see the person of the Holy Spirit being present on and in people to fulfill Gods plan for humanity. The Spirit plays a distinct role in the Trinity that cannot be ignored.
All of us have some area in life where we are tired, maybe a little bit frustrated, maybe discouraged, or disappointed, maybe where we want to see some progress. But it's just been slow. We feel like giving up, not only with things around us, but even with God Himself. Could it be that maybe at the very core, that you are giving up on God, because you've asked God to do some things and He hasn't done them. You've asked God to fix some things, and He hasn't fixed them. The Christians in Corinth—were feeling this way. They were disillusioned. This is all brand new to them. And I'm just sure that they thought, “Hey, if I follow Jesus, then the path is going to be clear. If God is my Father, then things in life are going to get easier, not harder.”
In part 2 of our Self-Insufficient series, we'll examine the story of Jacob and his tendency to try to fix or run away from his problems instead of running to God.
Broken Cisterns Jeremiah 2:13 Jeremiah documented God's heartache as He watched His beloved people pursue emptiness while He was offering them endless fulfillment. Instead of choosing God and running toward the life-giving water of His presence, His people poured their energy and resources into futile, broken ambitions. Those cracked cisterns were never going to be able to sustain or fulfill God's people, and yet they continued to put their hope in emptiness. They looked to barren wells to provide what only God could give them. For many of us, as we navigate the current reality of inflation, national turmoil, what is being revealed many of the empty wells we've been digging. For years, we've poured into our jobs, our relationships, our hobbies, our status, our savings, and every other thing that we've hoped could satisfy us. And now we see more clearly that those wells have left us dry and thirsty. As we move forward into a new season, we don't have to spend any more time digging broken cisterns. We can drink deeply from the living water that we've been offered through Christ.
At our core, we all have a desire both to know others and to be known by them. That is what a relationship is. Seeking and being sought. Knowing and being known. Accepting and being accepted. Loving and being loved. Pouring into someone else, having them pour into you. We sometimes treat God in the same way. We approach seeking God like He is someone that we want to know, but we see Him as someone, who seems distant and disinterested in who we are. We act as if we have to gain His attention or His approval. Other times we focus on the immensity of God because we are worried about putting God in a box. The truth is that all the great and powerful attributes of God sometimes lead us to forget His personal nature. We spend time focusing on the fact that He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, creator of the universe and therefore so much bigger than it. The message of scripture is that God calls us into relationship. A chief attribute of being in relationship with God is, just like human relationships, knowing and being known. Galatians 4:9 says, “Now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God.” Psalm 139 praises God for His amazing power, but it does so by showing how that power is used by God to know us. The result is a psalm of praise for who God is, a psalm of love for being cared for by Him, and a psalm of devotion to God in response to His devotion to us. The whole psalm could be summarized by v17: “How precious are your thoughts to me, O God.” God knows You Because He Sees You (v1-6) God Knows You Because He is Near You (v7-12) God Knows You Because He Made You (v13-18) Our Response to God's Knowledge (v19-24)
Join us as Pastor Kent leads us in a discussion of Psalm 22!
Why has the Word of God stood the test of time? Why do we read it over and over again? Because it holds the answers to some of life's most difficult questions. Humanity goes to great lengths to search for life giving things. We drill thousands of feet into the ground for water, we sink millions of dollars into sustainable food resources, yet the one thing that gives the most life is often neglected and ignored. In Psalm 119, the psalmist displays a great love for the thing that is the most treasured in his life, the Word of God. Join us this week as Pastor Chris leads us in a study of Psalm 119!
For some reason, when it comes to spiritual matters, we are less comfortable encouraging ourselves to do things we don't feel like doing. That is because spiritual matters are often like exercise. The things God commands us to do are for our good and are things that once we have been trained in righteousness, we will desire to do. This is the point of obedience. Doing what you are supposed to do, even when you don't feel like it will ultimately help us “acquire a taste” for righteousness. Worship is the same way. When you don't feel like worshiping is the time you need to worship most. When we are being stubborn, selfish, stiff-necked, strong-willed, hard hearted people, the cure is to force ourselves to worship, to put the focus on God and see how He can change our hearts in the light of his presence. Psalm 95 is an invitation to this kind of worship. It is a call to worship God with your whole self – heart, mind, strength – and in the midst of it, to meet God and be transformed by Him from the outside in. Worship through Rejoicing (v1-5) Worship through Reverence (v6-7) Worship Through Obedience (v7-11) The psalm ends with rest, because that is what God wishes to give those who follow Him. He calls us through worship into a life of following Him, a life that ends in fulfillment and rest.
Join us this 4th of July weekend as Pastor Josh helps us dig into Psalm 34!
Join us on Father's Day as Pastor Todd leads us in a discussion of Psalm 86!
This Psalm starts out by describing the glory of God in nature. The second half of the Psalm describes in detail the importance of the law of God. It seems like such an odd transition that some people do not see the connection, maybe even wondering if it is two different poems. But they are not. This Psalm is not about nature or the law. It is about God and how He speaks to us. Verse 1- 6: God Revealed in Nature Verse 7-13: God Revealed in his Word Verse 12: God Revealed in Me The Psalmist Writes: "The heavens declare, the law declares, now may my words and my thoughts also declare the glory of God. But the Psalmist desires not just what he says to glorify God, but also what he thinks about to be pleasing to God.
If you walk through any bookstore or do a basic google search, or if you listen to the radio or a podcast, you will find that we are all searching for keys to how we can live our best life possible. The answers abound ranging from the right job, diet, vacation, partner, hobbies, etc. We are simply overwhelmed by all the possible choices. Our lives are characterized by making a choice of one of these paths. Sometimes we try them for a little while, then either when we don't see results or we lose patience, we make a decision to move on to a new track. Today we are going to look at a path that is different. I would even go as far as saying that this path will guarantee you a life of fruitfulness and fulfillment. Today as we begin our series on several Psalms, this is exactly where the book of Psalm starts, it begins with the staggering claim that such a life awaits the blessed man.
Pastor Ross Kilgore King Saul and King David had a lot of similarities. Both were kings of Israel, and both enjoyed periods of success and prosperity while on the throne. Both also made some pretty major mistakes. But, the way that they responded to those failures led them down drastically different paths. Join us as we examine the failures of both Saul and David to learn how to move past our own sins and failures.
As followers of Jesus, we don't live with the end in mind, but with the beginning in mind. Jesus has won the war for our souls, so we have nothing to fear from the spiritual battles we face. Always remember we do not fight for victory, but from victory.
As followers of Jesus, we don't live with the end in mind, but with the beginning in mind. Jesus has won the war for our souls, so we have nothing to fear from the spiritual battles we face. Always remember we do not fight for victory, but from victory.
We were never meant to cruise aimlessly through the minefields of life. We're not unaware of the enemy lurking around us, but we are unafraid—because Christ is a Conqueror. However, it is important for us to remember that the moment we pick up the weapons of this world, we are no longer fighting AGAINST the enemy, but fighting FOR the enemy.
We were never meant to cruise aimlessly through the minefields of life. We're not unaware of the enemy lurking around us, but we are unafraid—because Christ is a Conqueror. However, it is important for us to remember that the moment we pick up the weapons of this world, we are no longer fighting AGAINST the enemy, but fighting FOR the enemy.
Today as we're celebrating Mother's Day, we're going to discuss some of the lies that we tend to believe. These age-old lies come from the father of all lies, Satan. Whether we know it or not, a lot of us have believed lies. We don't know they're lies. If we knew they were lies we wouldn't believe them. But because we've believed them, we end up living our lives by them.
Today as we're celebrating Mother's Day, we're going to discuss some of the lies that we tend to believe. These age-old lies come from the father of all lies, Satan. Whether we know it or not, a lot of us have believed lies. We don't know they're lies. If we knew they were lies we wouldn't believe them. But because we've believed them, we end up living our lives by them.
In the words of the apostle Peter, Jesus is "the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Nothing can stop Him. And when the church stands firmly on Christ's identity, nothing can stop it. Even as an invisible battle rage all around us, we can lift our hands in victory, knowing no spiritual force holds any power against the living God. We are not unaware of the devil's schemes, but we are unafraid. Although the enemy prowls, the Church prevails. Join us as we kick off our brand new series: Unstoppable.
In the words of the apostle Peter, Jesus is "the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Nothing can stop Him. And when the church stands firmly on Christ's identity, nothing can stop it. Even as an invisible battle rage all around us, we can lift our hands in victory, knowing no spiritual force holds any power against the living God. We are not unaware of the devil's schemes, but we are unafraid. Although the enemy prowls, the Church prevails. Join us as we kick off our brand new series: Unstoppable.
We love being on the mountaintop, but it isn't where we're meant to live. We can't stay on the mountaintop and we have to embrace the realities of the struggle that the valley brings. Join us as Pastor Geoff shares a message about the valleys that inevitably come after mountaintop experiences in our faith.
We love being on the mountaintop, but it isn't where we're meant to live. We can't stay on the mountaintop and we have to embrace the realities of the struggle that the valley brings. Join us as Pastor Geoff shares a message about the valleys that inevitably come after mountaintop experiences in our faith.
The Cross was the payment for our sins, but Easter is what completed the transaction. The Resurrection is the proof of purchase. Through Christ we have been given Hope, Grace, and Purpose. Join us this Easter as Pastor Mark shares a message titled "Erasing Easter."
The Cross was the payment for our sins, but Easter is what completed the transaction. The Resurrection is the proof of purchase. Through Christ we have been given Hope, Grace, and Purpose. Join us this Easter as Pastor Mark shares a message titled "Erasing Easter."
Sometimes it's hard to recognize the presence of God because of the disguise He is wearing. Sometimes it's hard to recognize the presence of God because we are asking for a specific kind of deliverance. The Jews were looking for a material deliverance, while God was bringing a spiritual deliverance. We need to join God's Kingdom instead of asking him to join ours. We get more excited about the Jesus we create than the Jesus that created us.
Sometimes it's hard to recognize the presence of God because of the disguise He is wearing. Sometimes it's hard to recognize the presence of God because we are asking for a specific kind of deliverance. The Jews were looking for a material deliverance, while God was bringing a spiritual deliverance. We need to join God's Kingdom instead of asking him to join ours. We get more excited about the Jesus we create than the Jesus that created us.
Jesus lived purposefully in His final days. Jesus was fully present. Jesus lived with power. How can we live with this kind of focus?
Jesus lived purposefully in His final days. Jesus was fully present. Jesus lived with power. How can we live with this kind of focus?
This week, Pastor Andrea will lead us through an exploration of the Parable of the Sower and encourage all of us to ponder the question, "What's your dirt like?"
This week, Pastor Andrea will lead us through an exploration of the Parable of the Sower and encourage all of us to ponder the question, "What's your dirt like?"
Last week, we discussed the time that Elijah spent Cave Dwelling. This week, we will explore the process by which Elijah began to step into the light.
Last week, we discussed the time that Elijah spent Cave Dwelling. This week, we will explore the process by which Elijah began to step into the light.
This week, we'll be exploring the story of Elijah's cave dwelling outlined in 1 Kings.
This week, we'll be exploring the story of Elijah's cave dwelling outlined in 1 Kings.
Remember the Goodness of God. Embrace that God is still on the throne, that He has always been good & faithful. We won't have a Chapter 3 faith, without the wondering of Chapter 1 and the waiting of Chapter 2.
Remember the Goodness of God. Embrace that God is still on the throne, that He has always been good & faithful. We won't have a Chapter 3 faith, without the wondering of Chapter 1 and the waiting of Chapter 2.
Chapter 1 of Habakkuk is all about wondering. Chapter 2 is all about waiting. If it's not God's time, you can't force it. When it is God's time, you can't stop it.
Chapter 1 of Habakkuk is all about wondering. Chapter 2 is all about waiting. If it's not God's time, you can't force it. When it is God's time, you can't stop it.
Why doesn't God seem fair? God why don't You seem to really care? If you care, why aren't You doing anything?
Why doesn't God seem fair? God why don't You seem to really care? If you care, why aren't You doing anything?
Worship, do we have a biblical understanding of what this word means, or have we created our own definition of this iconic word?
Worship, do we have a biblical understanding of what this word means, or have we created our own definition of this iconic word?
Join us this week as Pastor Mark concludes the Awakenings series with a message titled "Private Disciplines"
Join us this week as Pastor Mark concludes the Awakenings series with a message titled "Private Disciplines"
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