HopeCity Mt Dora

Just about everyone loves new things. Who doesn't love a new car, new outfit, new shoes, new phone or computer, or what about a new house? Sometimes, we equate new with better, but that's not always the case. Perhaps it's fair to say new things bring focus? In today's message, Pastor Rick teaches us how to respond to the new thing God is doing in our lives.

Easter is the Hallmark of the Christian faith.

You are not an accident. God made you to do great things because he has intentionally created you and those good works for you and only you to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

Are you fair, firm and have fun? The #1 game competitive dads love is "hide and go seek". What memories are you creating with your kids? What memory of you, do you want your children to remember? 1 ultra competitive dad's memory.

What happens when a child gets hurt? Have you ever had a really bad day that God turned into a miracle? God is your power source.

"I never thought this would happen to me?" Have you ever said that about something that's happened to you? Who in your life has even begun to pick up the shattered pieces of your life? Listen to what Rick has to say about hope in heart break.

When I realize that God is trustworthy I get excited. With God, the best is always coming. He has a plan for you. It is always full of Hope and things beyond your imagination. Keep Hoping and Asking. Imagine a brighter today.

Romans 8:28 "...all things work together for good..." My children recently jumped out of a perfectly good airplane. I had jumped out of an airplane before to get over my fear of heights. As you climb to the right altitude, they then tell you... "It's now your turn to jump." It is scary. Your stomach feels like it's in your throat... but we all survived. When Gina and I lost our son to cancer, it felt like we couldn't survive...

Trusting God is the key. Proverbs 3:5-6 holds the formula to a successful life on all levels.

God loves you more than anyone else could ever love you. Sports fans and athletes promote John 3:16 from the Christian Bible. They make giant banners for the football end zones and paint it on their faces. Hear why God's love is such a big deal.

Rick Pughe talks about one of the questions most of us ask sometime in our life. Rick is the Lead Pastor of hopecity Church Mount Dora, Fl. He has a wife, Gina, and 3 children.  

Who am I? Where did I come from? And, Where am I going?  Some where in life we ask these 3 questions.  

Your birthday is so special to God that He says that "before you were in your mother's womb I knew you." Pslam 139. And He has a "plan for your life." Jeremiah 29:11. He knows you and cares about everyday that you are on planet Earth and beyond.

How can I get God to answer my prayers? The formula: Ask Don't stop asking for it Ask for bold, big things, God size Keep Circling your prayer until you have it

The pain of their oldest child Chad dying from a long battle with cancer at the age of 9! The hope of seeing him again and that he is there waiting for his family. How do you pastor a church with all the pain from life that seems to be unfair? Romans 8:8 "...what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later."

God's ways are like Opposite Day! "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." Isaiah 55:8 "He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30

Don't let fear stand in your way. Crazy Giant Faith, like the shepherd boy David had, means we stop fearing the giants. 3 Steps to CGF! Romans 8:31 "...God is for us..."

If a duck can attack something 10 times its size fearlessly, we can be lion chasers and pursue God size dreams. Jeremiah 29:11

What we are passionate about gives us purpose. Purpose equals hope. Hope keeps purpose alive.

Losing your balance can be messy. It can even be deadly. Rick talks about losing balance on a black diamond ski slope. Things got messy fast. But the hardest balance to keep is spiritual balance. The apostle Paul talked to his young friend Timothy, a leader in training. He said, physical training has some benefit, spiritual training benefits us here and in eternal life. Mind, Body, Spirit. All 3 need to be balanced, but the Spirit balanced in us seems to balance everything else evenly. How can this be helpful for your life?

Even scientists don't know what dark matter is. They just know that it "is". Could it be God's ingredient for His creations? People have a hard time believing that in the beginning there was "nothing". God created the universe by speaking it into existence. Side note: Rick talks about his love for sport cars and the showdown between a Corvette and a Porsche he was driving.

Our attitude in life will determine our altitude in life. 99 positive things can be said but if someone says one negative thing to you, that's what you will think of most of the day. Philippians 2:3-6 "... not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others...." When we think God's way, stinkin' thinkin', goes away. Keep thinkin' and dreaming and God will keep showing off for you.

Coach Pope was a scary man. But as our football coach we knew we were going to play our best for him. Your audience and mine should be an audience of 1... GOD! He is your Biggest Fan.

Life's race is more like a Spartan mountain mud run. Your race is already marked out for you. Run your race to win the prize. "Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!" - 1 Corinthians 9:24 (NLT)

If you are becoming who you don’t want to be, could it be that your friends are taking you down that road? Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

What seems like chaos to us, seems to be God getting us where we need to go. Rick Pughe has had a lot of that in his life. It was timing that brought he and his wife Gina together (and a white Corvette). It is timing that has brought our new church plant together. HopeCity Mt. Dora, FL is a church born after dealing with pain, suffering and a cure. Timing is everything. God's timing is perfection.