Hope Alliance Bethlehem

Jesus promises abundant life to those who follow him. This life comes not on the basis of how good we are, but on the basis of his unfailing love for us. It is not a promise of an easy life, rather a promise of his constant presence with us. And when we learn to hear the voice of God, we lean more into the life he promises us.

Jesus said you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. The truth is Jesus and when we know him intimately we find the freedom we so desire. Freedom from sin and freedom from religion. Freedom from the pursuit of building our own value and worth and instead finding our true value in God's love for us announced in Jesus.

At the root of hope is a desire for an identity - to be loved, to have meaning and to have a destiny. This human desire was always intended to find its fulfillment in God himself. And when we do this, we lead lives characterized by confidence in God and a willingness to take faith-filled risks.

As followers of Jesus we are sent people. We are sent not only to proclaim the gospel, but also to embody the gospel while loving our neighbors as ourselves. But how do we do this? Jesus answer is somewhat surprising. He says we cannot do this unless we have been radically loved ourselves. To simply try harder to love others is a religious dead end. However, when we are so moved by Jesus' love for us we cannot help but begin to love those around us.

In order for us to live the kinds of lives God has created us for, we are called to the intersection of a shared gospel and shared lives. Shared lives give credibility to and embolden our gospel commitments. We need each other in order to grow in our embrace of the gospel and a life oriented around it.

Care is not a Christian obligation. It is a way of life for those who have been changed by the gospel. We have been formed into a family where we give and receive care in the way of Jesus.

Community is not just an interesting idea. It is an absolute necessity. The beauty of community is that we are able to build something together. This imagery is so beautifully seen in the story of Nehemiah and the reconstruction of the wall around Jerusalem. Just like in this story, as we seek to build our lives in light of the gospel we do it side by side with those around us, experience mutual investment in our lives and protect from the enemy. And in doing doing, see a seemingly overwhelming task become an ever increasing reality!

Multiplication is at the core of what it means to be a disciple. It defined the existence of the early church in the book of Acts. Likewise, we want it to define us as not only a value, but our vision. This is why we are beginning the process now to be able to plant another church in the next few years. And our ultimate goal is a regional network of churches partnering together to advance God's kingdom!

As followers of Jesus, we are called to let people know that God has won the ultimate victory for humanity in and through Jesus. We do this through our actions, choices and conduct. But we also do it through our words. We're to be ready to share about our hope and always seeking opportunities that God gives us. However, this is never about being pushy, obnoxious or religious. Its about speaking about hope in kindness, respect and love.

John the Baptist had a singular calling. He was preparing people for the kingdom of God. Martin Luther said that John was famous for his finger which was always pointing to Jesus. The truth is that this is also what every disciple is called to do. We have the opportunity to point to Jesus with every choice and action we make. Unfortunately, more often than not our finger is point at ourselves rather than Jesus.