The apostle Paul recognized that the true God is the God of hope (Rom 15:13). Even from the beginning, God gave hope of salvation when humanity fell in sin. The world causes problems and finds itself hopeless to address those problems. Biblical hope is a confident expectation. Self-pity, resentment, and anxiety hold even believers back from the hope of change. A person cannot change without hope. Jesus Christ is the believer’s hope (1 Tim 1:1). Jesus rose from the dead so that Christian put their confident expectation in God (1 Pet 1:20–21). Furthermore, God gave the Scriptures to give hope. This lesson challenges the believer to hope in a way that produces real change. There are many reasons to expect a life now that is full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22–23).

Scripture Reading: Romans 15:4-5 (read by Marcq Rhodes)

Lesson by Scott Shifferd

Recorded December 18, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL