New Hope Church Messages

Prayer is one of the most important spiritual disciplines in a Christian's life. And yet so many of us go through seasons where we neglect praying. As the Apostle Paul nears the end of his letter to the church in Colossae, he calls them to prioritize this all-important practice. He calls them (and us!) to give ourselves to prayer. 

In his letter to the believers at Colossae, the apostle Paul addressed the various relationships that existed in the home. He spoke to husbands and wives. He spoke to fathers and children. And then he spoke to masters and slaves. When we read Paul's words to masters and slaves he doesn't seem to take issue with the institution of slavery that was widespread across the Roman empire in his day. Was Paul pro-slavery? Was he against it? Was he indifferent to it? We unpack those questions and more in this message. 

The Apostle Paul continues his letter to the Colossians by addressing the relationships in families. Paul calls the believing fathers and children to live in God's design for the family, a design that reflects how we relate to God and sees the family as a gospel picture.

The Apostle Paul now turns his attention to the foundational relationships in a believer's life - the relationships we experience in the home. And he starts by addressing those who are married. He gives one sentence to wives and one to husbands. Just a few short words, but they will produce a life changing impact upon any marriage if husbands and wives take them to heart.

We used to be clothed with certain attitudes in our old life. But now that we are Christians, we are to put on a brand new way to live... we are to put on Christ. And every one in the church is supposed to be wearing the same thing.

We've been saved by Jesus from out of our old, dead life. And He's saved us into a brand new life with Him. That means that we have to leave our old ways behind us and we begin to learn how to live as His people now. In this message we will look at some of the old practices in our life that have to go if we are now children of God. 

On the first Easter weekend 2000 years ago, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion. The implications of His resurrection are intended to shape the way Christians live their lives today. 

When someone places their faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ - they die. Jesus' death becomes their death. And that death they experience should impact the way they live. 

Occult spiritual practices are nothing new. False teachers attempted to sway the church at Colossae into believing that if a person didn't have these kinds of spiritual experiences then that person didn't truly know God. Paul makes quick work of this false teaching by showing the Colossians that the only spirituality that matters is the one that is connected to Jesus. 

False teachers were telling the Christians at Colossae they had to obey commands in the Old Testament Law in order to be saved. Paul tells the Colossians they have no obligation to uphold the Old Testament Law now that they are in Christ. Why did Paul say that? Because the Law was the shadow that pointed ahead to Jesus. 

The Apostle Paul warns the Colossians not to be taken captive by the empty deceit and philosophies peddled by false teachers. He reminds the Colossians of the work Jesus did on the cross and the new life that is found in Christ. We were buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God. Jesus is the fullness of God and we have His fullness filling us.

Gratitude is one of the best defenses against false teaching. In this message we learn about the ingredients that make gratitude such a powerful weapon in the Christian life. 

The Apostle Paul is aware of the false teaching that is trying to infiltrate the church at Colossae. But instead of getting the Colossians to fixate on the false teaching, Paul calls them to focus on moving forward, continuing to grow their faith in Jesus. Because the stronger one's faith in Christ is, the harder it will be for false teaching to draw them away from following their Lord.

The Church at Colossae was spiritually healthy. They were doing well. But that didn't stop the apostle Paul from writing to them about Jesus. Because everybody needs Jesus – both the spiritually sick, and the spiritually healthy.

Every Christian today has Christ living in them – an incalculable treasure of understanding, knowledge, and wisdom. But not every Christian accesses that treasure within them on a regular basis. In this message we will learn that courageous and unified hearts are the key to opening those riches in Christ. 

Your Heavenly Father is a good dad. And just like any other parent would, God wants His kids to grow up into maturity.

Although the specific details of each Christian's life will vary from one person to another, the main components of every Christian's life are the same: We all started out alienated from God, Jesus saved us, and then we go on to build the rest of our life upon Him. This is what Paul shares with the Christians at Colossae in the three verses we are looking at in this message.

There are many voices in our world today vying for your allegiance. There are many who are trying to get you to follow them, trust them, align your life with them. But there is only one person worth following. His name is Jesus. In this message we see Paul elevate the person of Christ over and above all other competitors. Jesus is simply the best. There is no competition. And this statement is objectively true.

God has a plan for your life. He wants you to live your life a certain way. And if you give yourself to living how God wants you to live, then you will be blessed. And He will be pleased.

When the gospel was first proclaimed in Colossae it triggered a series of events that culminated with Paul and Timothy giving thanks to God for all that He had done. The things Paul talks about in these verses should mark any group of people who have received the gospel for themselves.

Why should the Christian community at Colossae have cared about the letter that was sent to them from Paul? Why should you care about that same letter if you are a Christian? Paul gives us a compelling reason in the opening two verses of that letter. 

We are starting a brand-new sermon series at Gospel City Church where we will be walking through the New Testament book of Colossians. We are spending some time in this introductory message to do the work of tilling the soil of our minds and hearts so that we will be better able to receive what God has to say to us in this book - that Jesus is supreme over all things... including my life and yours.

James uses the final two verses in his letter to highlight the importance of our roles as Christians in the lives of our fellow brothers and sisters. According to James, our involvement in each other's lives could be a matter of life or death.

God loves you so much He came into this world to save you. That love is what Christmas is all about. *Note: I (BJ) made an anatomy mistake in this message. In one of my illustrations I confused the number of kidneys we have with the number of livers we have. For the record, we only have one liver. I hope that slip up doesn't distract you from hearing the good news I share in this message. Bless you. And Merry Christmas!

On the first Christmas day an angel appeared to some shepherds nearby and declared that the birth of Jesus was good news of great joy for all people. In this message we take a look at how the birth of Jesus can produce joy in our lives today. 

Our world is full of chaos. On Christmas day Jesus Christ was born to bring us peace. 

Jesus was born into our world to secure for us something much more valuable than a couple extra days off work and school each December. Jesus was born into the world to bring humanity hope. In this first message of a four-part Christmas series at Gospel City Church we explore what hope is, the reason we can put our hope in what God has promised us, and how anyone can access this super-sized hope that we have in Jesus. 

"Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit." - James 5:13-18

"Come now, you rich people, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you. Your wealth has rotted and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days. Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who mowed your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Armies. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and have indulged yourselves. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous, who does not resist you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord's coming is near. Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door! Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord's name as an example of suffering and patience. See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job's endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful. Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won't fall under judgment." - James 5:1-12

"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it. - James 4:13-17

Part One in a Four Part Series of the blueprint Jesus has for his Church. Presented by Pastor BJ Chursinoff.

Pastor BJ Chursinoff continues the walk in part two of Jesus' Blueprint for His church - Jesus' Spirit

Pastor BJ steps into the territory of what Jesus' meant when he referred to His Family. From Genesis to Jesus' word, BJ spares no blushes in the celebration of the eternal family thanks to the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world. We resume our series on the book of James. Sermon by Pastor BJ Chursinoff.

Pastor BJ walks us along the very fundamentals of Christian faith through Jesus' Mission, the how, the why and the gift of salvation. Worthy is the lamb!

James continues unpacking the profound truth of V.22 that true faith is transformative, leading to observable changes in our lives. We're encouraged to look 'intently' into God's Word, allowing it to reveal our true selves, show us who God is, and remind us of our identity in Christ.

James shares one of the most important verses in the Bible, telling us plainly that salvation isn't just about hearing God's Word, but acting on it. This message urges us to reflect on whether we're merely accumulating knowledge or truly allowing God's Word to change our lives. It's a sobering reminder that self-deception is a real danger, and that the evidence of our faith is found in our obedience to Christ.

In this study, we'll delve into the critical importance of controlling our anger and speech. We'll learn how to handle our anger in a God-honoring way by turning to reflection, rather a reaction, when we're upset. And we'll learn what the power of grace is supposed to do in our lives with regard to anger, as we grow in godliness over the years.

James 1:19 contains three specific commands to believers that profoundly affect how we interact with one another, be it in conversation or conflict. The second and third exhortations are to be "slow to speak, and slow to anger".

Jesus died on the Cross so we could live a life full of His resurrection power. But a lot of us don't realize that we have to die too before we can experience that power in our lives.

Christians need to maintain spiritual balance as we follow Jesus. And we are able to experience this balance when we live out the implications of the Gospel in our life.

James 1:19 contains three specific commands to believers that profoundly affect how we interact with one another, be it in conversation or conflict. The first exhortation is to be "quick to listen".

After warning us to not be deceived into thinking God is tempting us or trying to set us up to fail with temptation and sin, James exhorts us to instead have a right view of God as the source of every good and perfect gift.

We continue examining the reality of our own evil desires and how they create temptations for us. We'll also look at how James' teaching disproves dangerous lies about LGBTQ+-related issues that are growing in popularity in the Church.

James reveals the shocking source of our temptation in trials and we'll look at ways to live effectively in light of it.

In this study, James gives us clarity on questions like, "Does God ever set me up to fail in a trial?" and "Is God ever trying to get me to sin by tempting me?" We'll also learn why love for God motivates endurance in trials.

In this study, we are reminded that earthly riches and status are fleeting, while our eternal inheritance in Christ is imperishable. As believers, we should find our joy and hope in Him, regardless of our socioeconomic circumstances. The Bible calls both the poor and the rich to focus on the reality of eternity, rather than temporary earthly conditions. This wisdom helps us maintain a proper perspective, especially in the face of trials and an uncertain future.

This message delves into the wonderful promise of James 1:5-8, which assures us that if we ask God for wisdom in our trials, He will generously provide it. BUT... there are conditions. And we'll dig into those in this study.

What is wisdom and how do we get it? In this study, we'll search the Scriptures for answers to these questions and learn why wisdom makes all the difference in our trials.

What is God like in our trials? How does He receive us when we come to Him for help? As we continue examining the subject of trials sent or allowed by God into our lives, we'll spend some more time learning about the heart of God.

God uses trials to test and refine our faith, revealing things like where we find our identity, hope, and sense of security. In this study, we'll illuminate more of the ways God works in our lives to do good through trials.