Hello Everyone,
God is a God of hope. But could you tell that as you listen to us sometimes? Us as in Christians, people who profess to have been saved by Jesus Christ and living new life in him.
- (Romans 15:13) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
What is God’s desire for us? That we are filled with joy and peace and abound in hope.
Let me ask: Can God not do this? Is he incapable of overcoming the darkness of this world and giving us hope as he promises … no matter what?
I received a booklet–HOPE: Choosing Faith instead of Fear–by Bill Crowder via Our Daily Bread Ministries. I ordered a bundle, and we are passing them out this Sunday to everyone. Here is an excerpt.
- The “Hope Vacuum”
During a recent economic downturn, I noticed how communities around the world were affected by dire evaluations of an impending global financial crisis. I listened as analysts forecasted troubled times. I felt the emotional weight of problems no one seemed able to solve.Yet when I was among followers of Christ, I saw that our fears, frustrations, and political polarization mirrored the outlook of the society around us. It was as if our conversations and moods had been scripted by broadcast and Internet financial reports. Our comments and attitudes carried the same fearful, angry tone as those who do not share our faith. Any evidence of hope seemed conspicuously absent.
I have observed this exact thing for years now. We scare one another to death with our stories of gloom and doom. We are angry and bitter when legislation does not go our way. News of the most recent ruling of the Supreme Court has filled many with anxiety and fear. We sin time and again in our dishonor and disrespect toward our president. And we do it in the name of God.
But here is what bothers me most. This is what we EXPECT to hear from each other. And this is SO ACCEPTED. We have sinned in this way for so long that many actually believe this is the godly way to react to these things. In fact, if someone doesn’t join in our misery, we think something is wrong with them, maybe even question their walk with God.
How ironic!
One woman after sitting through a class of impending doom exclaimed, “Well, I’m about scared to death now.”
Many of us draw more hope and joy from a Republican gaining the White House than the truth of God’s promise.
So who are we listening to if we come away from our sermons and Bible studies fearful, angry and overwhelmed by anxiety? Do we really think that is God’s message to us? Please show me those Scriptures. But you won’t because you can’t because they are not there.
What is in Scripture is the following concerning God’s desire for us.
- (Romans 15:13) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
What is God’s message? Joy, peace and abounding in hope. Faith in God. Believing him over the circumstances of our world and our lives personally.
Message Title: The God of Hope!
Message Text: Romans 15:8-13
- PDF LESSON 39 : The God of Hope : Romans 15-8-13 : FFC : dave scott : 071215: STUDY SHEET ONE
- PDF LESSON 39 : The God of Hope : Romans 15-8-13 : FFC : dave scott : 071215: STUDY SHEET TWO
***PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE REVISED STUDY SHEET TWO. It is now much more readable. I have received feedback on white text being difficult for some to read. So I made the adjustments. Much easier to read now and follow the progression.