Word of Hope Christian Church Podcast

Today, we come to the end of our journey through the Gospel of John. In this final chapter, John recounts Jesus' post-resurrection appearance to His disciples in Galilee, which begins with a miraculous catch of fish after they had fished all night without success. After breakfast, Jesus restores Peter to leadership by asking him three times if he loves Him, which counters Peter's three denials. Jesus then predicts Peter will be martyred and tells him to focus on his own calling. Then John ends the Gospel with a reflection on his future. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Today marks the beginning of the celebration of Advent, traditionally the four Sundays prior to Christmas Day. As such we're excited to share with you our sermon series called The Advent of Christ. Starting today and then for the next 3-Sundays we're going to share with you about 4-key aspects of Advent – Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Today we begin with “Hope” and message titled: Rejoicing in Hope. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

In today's passage, John 20:19-31, we'll study about the risen Jesus appearing to His disciples two times after His resurrection as they were hiding in fear behind locked doors. In the first appearance three key things happen. Then in the second appearance to the disciples Jesus specifically addresses one of His disciples, Thomas and his unbelief. And in the closing verses John will tell us the purpose of the Gospel. All that and more so open your Bible or Bible app and let's get ready to study! Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

We are officially 4 days from Thanksgiving Day. So, we though it would be a great time for us to consider how we can Engage with Thankfulness. There are two texts for today: 1 Chron 16:1-10 and Phil 4:10-13. As we'll see in 1 Chron 16, for a long time, God had not been front and center in the life of Israel. Perhaps some of us have drifted away spiritually as well. It's time to put the Lord back as the focal point of our lives. To do that we need to address our greediness and then we'll be able to engage in thankfulness to the Lord. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Today's passage will highlight different kinds of belief, from the initial shock and grief of the disciples to Mary Magdalene's recognition of Jesus through His voice. It will emphasize that belief in the Resurrection is based on eyewitness accounts and evidence, like the empty tomb and grave clothes. The story will begin “while it was still dark,” symbolizing the confusion and death that surrounded the event. But, as Mary recognized Jesus, the darkness will give way to the light and she will become a messenger of hope. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

In today's sermon we're going to talk about, what is or will be for some, a very uncomfortable topic. It's about phony Christians and hypocrisy in the church. Nothing turns the world off to Christ more than phony, hypocritical Christians. The non-believer often asks, “If their religion is real, why doesn't it show in how they speak, how they act and in what they do?” To help us we'll define hypocrisy and we'll study some Biblical examples both OT and NT. Then we'll tell you how you can answer folks who say the church is full of hypocrites in a God-honoring way. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

At this point Jesus was suffering and in great agony on the cross. But in today's passage Jesus actually gives up His life and dies. And when He does, we see a remarkable change in the tone of John's Gospel. The emphasis shifts from all that Jesus must still do to all that Jesus has now accomplished in full. The death of Jesus was a monumental event in salvation history. His death on the cross would pay the price for all sins, making it possible for all who would believe in Him to have eternal life. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Today we want to honor all our armed service veterans. To you we owe a debt of gratitude because you were willing to go, to serve and to give on behalf of the United States of America! God bless you! We're also going to talk about a different kind of veteran, a spiritual veteran. So, we've titled the sermon simply Spiritual Veterans. Let's turn our attention to what it takes to be a spiritual veteran of Christ, something we all need to be and do. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

We must never forget the reason Jesus died. Unless we recognize the eternal tragedy that would have happened to the human race without the Cross, we will not be able to see the Cross as our victory. At great personal cost, Jesus won eternal life for us. He paid the price for our sin with His own life. That He offers us life as a free gift ought to give us deep joy. We must be touched by Christ's death, for He died in our place! Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Today, we're going to take a look at an individual who was maxed-out emotionally. He was running on empty and had no margin left in his life. After he took it to the limit, God intervened and, in the process, taught him a few things—things we can learn as well. Who was this individual? Stay with us and let's find out. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

In today's study we'll discuss the details of Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate. Pilate will actually find no guilt in Jesus but will be pressured by the Jewish leaders and their accusations. And despite his repeated attempts to release Jesus, Pilate will ultimately succumb to the crowd's demand to crucify Him, declaring, “We have no king but Caesar.” Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

We've been journeying through the Book of Ecclesiastes for the past 16 weeks in A Search for Significance. Today, we come to end of that journey with the final message titled: The Conclusion of the Matter and the text is Ecc 12:9-14. In Solomon's concluding words we'll be challenged to wake up and warm up to what is most important with 4 final conclusions. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

In today's study we're going to talk more about Peter's denials as well as a pivotal conversation between Jesus and Pontius Pilate where Jesus confirmed His kingship but clarified that His kingdom was “not of this world.” Jesus will also explain He was born to “bear witness to the truth,” and everyone who is of the truth hears His voice. This passage sets up the irony of Pilate declaring Jesus as the “King of the Jews” on the cross, fulfilling the title despite his own cynicism about truth. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Ecc 12:1-8 is a poetic and urgent call to remember God during one's youth before the physical and mental decline of old age sets in. We'll discover that Solomon uses vivid metaphors of aging to illustrate the body and mind's breakdown before death. He'll conclude with the somber but inevitable reality of the body returning to dust and the spirit returning to God, reinforcing the "meaninglessness" of life lived without Him. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Today's text details Jesus' arrest after Judas's betrayal, His initial questioning by Annas and the beginning of Peter's denials. This passage highlights Jesus's control over the situation, His divine authority in the garden where His words cause the arresting soldiers to fall back and His calm submission to His fate. It also sets the stage for his subsequent trial before the high priest Caiaphas. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

In Chapter 11 Solomon is saying life is uncertain and situations are often unexplainable. As we journey through this chapter it will challenge us to accept those uncertainties and still act with wisdom and strength. It will be a reminder that while life is unpredictable and sometimes unexplainable, that's no excuse for inaction. By embracing the unknown and balancing youth's vitality with the wisdom of age, we will learn to live fully and faithfully. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

This entire chapter is Jesus' prayer. From it we will learn that the world is a tremendous battleground where the forces under Satan's power and those under God's authority are at war. Satan and his forces are motivated by bitter hatred for Christ and His forces. In this chapter we'll study how Jesus prayed for Himself, His disciples and for all future believers. He will pray that God would keep His chosen believers safe from Satan's power, setting t hem apart and making them pure and holy, uniting them through His truth. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

In Ecc 10 we're going to explore several key themes: First, the contrast of wisdom and folly. Then we'll discover how a small act of foolishness can ruin a great reputation, like a dead fly in perfume. Next, we'll find discover the consequences of actions, from foolish traps leading to downfall to a dull ax requiring more strength. Lastly, we'll find that the chapter also critiques incompetent leadership, where fools hold positions of power and advises careful speech, as words can spread and cause harm. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Today's text, John 16:5-33, summarizes Jesus' final instructions to His disciples before His arrest. He'll explain the coming work of the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. Jesus then predicts His departure and the disciple's eventual sorrow turning into joy, promising that He will send the Advocate to guide them into truth. Jesus concludes by reassuring them that they will experience tribulations in the world but should take heart because He has overcome it. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

As we come to the ninth chapter of Ecclesiastes, Solomon stops and looks around, then he does a deep dive into life once again. He's frustrated by the seeming randomness of life's events. And in the process, he discovered 5 more life lessons that he no doubt would have wanted to tell his younger self about—lessons about life, death, joy, eternity and wisdom. Let's dive in. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Jesus has been calling His disciples to abide in Him and to love one another. But their relationship with the world was going to be entirely different. Because they loved Jesus and were so like Him, the world would transfer its hatred of Christ to them. Yet they were still going to have to take the Gospel to the world. Today's study explains how the disciples, with the help of the Counselor, would continue Jesus' work of glorifying the Father in a hostile world. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

In chapter 8, Solomon is going to unpack for us a topic that he has already addressed before when he discussed oppression under the sun. Oppression, of course, is a cold, hard reality of life. When given authority over others, people often use it to harm those under them. In today's text Solomon will give us wisdom so we know how to navigate life under those who have such authority over us. He will also teach us about obedience and living with joy. Let get to it... Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Today, we're going to discover that Jesus' teaching on the vine and the branches isn't like most of the parables in the Synoptic Gospels, which are usually stories with one or more spiritual points. Here, Jesus will draw our attention to a fruitful vine and then provide applications for us to learn from. John 15:1-17 isn't very long, but these verses contain some of the most important and beloved passages in the Bible about the disciple's love relationship with Jesus, so let's begin. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

As we've been learning in our study of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was a student in the school of dissatisfaction as he searched in vain for meaning and significance under the sun (apart from God). In school terms he earned a lot of incompletes and failed every course he took. [That's saying something since he was the wisest man on earth!] Join us as we dive into today's Scripture, Ecc 7:15-29 and discover 8 more life lessons we should all consider. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Earlier in chapter 14, Jesus had been comforting His disciples, explaining that He was the way, the truth and the life. He also talked about His intimate relationship with the Father. Now Jesus begins teaching His disciples about the Holy Spirit who will come to take His place when He goes to the Father. All this and more in a moment. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Today we're going to unpack 6 principles for living focusing on that word “better” which appears 8 times within these 14 verses. And at the end we'll come to the conclusion that: Jesus is better because He's the best! Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

In today's verses Jesus will give His farewell address to the disciples. He'll offer them comfort amidst His impending departure and betrayal. He'll assure them of a place prepared for them in the Father's house, as well as revealing Himself as “the Way, the Truth and the Life.” He'll also emphasize His perfect unity with the Father, stating that seeing Him is seeing the Father. And He'll promise that His followers would eventually do works even greater than His by asking in His name. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

As we come to chapter 6, one would think Solomon would continue on a positive note, but instead, we come face-to-face with one of the darkest chapters in the Bible as he describes how dissatisfaction can literally decimate and derail our lives—and how our uncontrolled desires will end up consuming us. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Betrayal...denial...glory and something new. Sounds like we have the fixins for a great TV drama or movie! We've got all of these ingredients in today's study. We're going to talk about two incredible moments in Jesus' last hours. They are: The Last Supper where we'll discover the betrayal of Jesus followed by Jesus predicting Peter's denial. Then, the glorification of Jesus followed by His giving something new. This is going to be awesome...let's go! Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Have you ever had indigestion when you've looked at life? Maybe you've felt sick to your stomach over a situation you've observed or are in the middle of. As a result, our bodies can often feel similar symptoms like that of a literal digestive problem. Having indigestion about life might suggest that certain aspects of life, or our observations about them, cause us to feel uneasy internally. We believe this is what Solomon had been experiencing up to this point. And today we're going to dive into that even more. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Today's passage begins with a parable in action. Instead of a discourse or a message, it begins with the deeds of Jesus in the washing of the disciples' feet. And in that remarkable event, simple as it was, and yet strange in many ways, the Apostle John sees some very deep and remarkable meaning. We'll talk about that a whole lot more in a minute. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

What do you think of when you consider how to approach God in worship? Two words come to mind—reverence and awe. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing that we are fully forgiven and accepted in His sight. May knowing this inspire us to worship Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, both in the church and in our daily lives. And let's guard our steps as we draw near to God, offering Him the worship He so richly deserves. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

In today's Scripture passage we're going to talk about two important things. First, verses 37-43 represent a transition from Jesus' plan for Israel to His twelve disciples and their future ministry. John, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, provides an overview of Israel's response to Jesus. In a nutshell they outright reject Jesus' message. Then verses 44-50 contain Jesus' final public declaration before His crucifixion, serving as a powerful summary of His mission and a plea for belief. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

God made us in His image and He is all about community. The triune God-head—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—commune with one another. He knows we need fellowship. So, today we'll discover that God has implanted in our souls a desire for relational community. We'll talk about 5 key components needed to build authentic Christian community and 6 advantages to it as well. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

As if to confirm the fears expressed in verse 19 (last time), today's passage begins with a group of Greeks (Gentiles) who were trying to have an audience with Jesus. We're not told if their request was granted but Jesus replied with some instruction on the necessity of His own death. We'll also see that God the Father broke the silence of heaven to encourage His Son in the final days of His mission on earth. And we'll find that Jesus Himself emphasized again that His time on earth was coming to end after which the Light would no longer be present. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Today, we'll find that chapter 3 is going to teach us to accept life's ebb and flow and to understand that every season has its divinely appointed time. It's going to encourage us to find joy in our labor and acknowledge God's supreme and mysterious plan that far exceeds human comprehension. And despite the world's apparent injustices and the grim reality of mortality, we'll see that we are called to trust in God's ultimate judgment and live our lives with faith and contentment. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

In today's Scripture passage we'll talk about two more happenings. First, we'll begin with a portrayal of Mary anointing Jesus. Then we'll move to Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Lots to talk about so let's begin. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Here's the main idea for today: If you're looking for self-worth in your work, you won't find it there. But we CAN worship God by how we work. When Solomon tried to find meaning in what he did, he concluded work was vanity—it wasn't worth it. How can we honor God with our work? Stay tuned and let's find out! Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Just a quick note to say there will not be a midweek Bible study lesson today. But we'll resume the study of the Gospel of John (John 12:1-19) next week, July 30. Thanks for your understanding and we'll see you then!

In today's sermon we'll discover that the more Solomon pursued pleasure, projects, possessions, prestige and performance, the more he lost perspective on the purpose of life. Friends, we will never find our purpose in life if we put the pursuit of our pleasures above God's priorities. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

In today's Scripture passage we'll talk about two happenings. First, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead—a powerful miracle that would highlight Jesus's authority over life and death. But this event would also trigger a plot by the Jewish religious leaders to kill Jesus, which will demonstrate the conflict between faith and unbelief. Let's go! Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

In Solomon's search for satisfaction, he tried to squeeze meaning and purpose out of life by conducting three experiments. He tried, and he tried, and he tried, but he couldn't get no satisfaction. The journey today will make clear: You can search for satisfaction under the sun in your work, in our secular world or in human wisdom, but you will never find it there. Come...let's learn more. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Many of you have had an encounter with Jesus. I'm sure it was unique in many particulars, but it was also life changing. There's just nothing or no one like Jesus. You can't be neutral toward Him either. He evokes a deep-seeded response, either you're drawn to Him or repelled by Him. Today we're going to look at a relational encounter with Jesus and two of his very best friends, Martha and Mary. It's found in John 11:17-37 so open your Bible and/or Bible app and let's get to it. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Friends, life is empty apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ. The only way to find meaning in everything under the sun is by means of God's Son. Only He can give us purpose when everything around us and inside us feels empty. Looking for satisfaction in this life is like chasing after the wind. The book of Ecclesiastes reveals a longing for something greater, for Someone greater. Without God as the goal of your life, your life will become vain, empty and meaningless. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Today's Scripture passage, John 11:1-16 introduces us to the story of Lazarus—his illness, death and Jesus's subsequent raising of him from the dead. This passage highlights the deep love Jesus had for Lazarus, Mary and Martha and it sets the stage for Jesus' most spectacular miracle, demonstrating His power over death and revealing His glory. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

A pastor once said: God's people following God's plan receive God's promises.” Amen to that! But what is God's plan and how can we receive God's promises. 2 Chronicles 7:14 gives us the answer. In this verse we will not only find the 4 conditions we're to follow to honor God but then in that same verses we find the 3 things God will do as a result. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Today's study is about a pivotal passage that reveals Jesus' divine nature, His role as the Good Shepherd and the importance of faith in Him for receiving eternal life. Are you ready for more? Let's go! Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

For many preachers, a sermon on giving ranks up there with having a kidney stone. While some get uncomfortable preaching sermons on stewardship, we don't because stewardship is an essential part of our Christian walk. We would have to apologize to God if we didn't preach on the joy that comes from giving what God has given to us. That said, we're not out to make anyone feel guilty or to coerce them into giving money to this church. But we DO need to remember—when we give as God tells us to give, we will have everything we need to do what God tells us to do. No one can give everything beloved, but everyone can give something and to God be all the glory!. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

The kind of relationship Jesus desires to have with His people is one that is familiar, personal and leads to abundant life. Jesus described Himself as “the Good Shepherd” calling into our minds Psalm 23 and the promise of God to lead His people to green pastures, still waters and rest. In John 10 Jesus basically said, “I am the God of Psalm 23” in your midst to lead you to life. The problem though is that there were competing voices and Jesus used strong language and called them thieves and robbers who want to steal the sheep. He also pointed out that others are hired hands who take off at the first sign of danger. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Today we're going to Study John 9:13-41 and talk about 2 important happenings. First verses 13-34 is about the religious leaders questioning the blind man. Then in verses 35-41 Jesus will teach about spiritual blindness. There are some really important takeaways in today's journey so stay with us and let's discover them together. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.

Folks, we have finally reached the end of our Journey through the Book of Acts. This is the final sermon about this incredible book of the Bible—and what a journey it has been. It's taken us a little over a year to complete but it has been worth it and to God be all the glory for it!!! You know with all the news and information out there on Social Media, trying to make sure we are “caught up on things,” and with all of life's daily demands in front of us, we can easily neglect the very thing that will keep us anchored, focused and in a place of faith. We must be intentional to make time to Stay Spiritually Sharp. Let's talk about it. Thanks for listening. God bless you! To find out more about our church please go to www.whccnb.org.