Hope Church Podcast

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The world tells us greatness is measured by success, recognition, and influence. But Jesus turns that definition upside down. In Luke 9:43–48, while the disciples are arguing about who is the greatest, Jesus is preparing to give His life on the cross. They're focused on position and recognition, but Jesus is teaching them that the way up is down.

In this message, we discover that greatness in God's Kingdom isn't about how important we become, but how willing we are to humble ourselves and serve others. Through Jesus' example, we're reminded that God's greatest work doesn't always look like success, pride turns serving into competition, and how we treat those the world overlooks reveals the condition of our hearts.

Whether it's welcoming someone who feels unnoticed, serving behind the scenes, or putting someone else's needs ahead of our own, Jesus calls us to a different kind of greatness.

Stop trying to make a name for yourself and start making a difference for Jesus.

The question isn't whether others notice your service. It's whether you're willing to serve even when they don't.

Are you chasing recognition, or choosing humility?

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Have you ever experienced an incredible moment with God, only to feel like it disappeared when Monday rolled around? It's easy to feel close to God on the mountaintop, but what happens when life takes you into the valley?

In Luke 9:37–43, Jesus and His disciples come down from the mountain after the Transfiguration, where God's glory was revealed. But waiting in the valley is a desperate father whose son needs a miracle. While the disciples struggle to help, Jesus demonstrates His authority, compassion, and power.

In this message, we discover that God never intended for us to live on the mountaintop. He reveals His glory so we can trust Him in the valley. Through this powerful encounter, we'll learn to bring our desperation to Jesus, recognize that yesterday's spiritual experiences cannot replace today's dependence on Him, and trust His authority over the things we cannot control. Most importantly, we'll be challenged not to become so focused on what Jesus can do for us that we miss the greatness of who He is.

Whether you're celebrating a mountaintop moment or walking through a difficult valley, Jesus is worthy of your trust and worship. What is beyond your control is never beyond God's authority.

Transformational Questions:

• What valley are you walking through right now that you need to surrender to Jesus?
• Are your circumstances drawing you closer to God or pulling you away from Him?
• Can you trust Jesus even when you don't know how your situation will turn out?

Join us as we learn to depend on Jesus in every season and discover that His glory is just as real in the valley as it is on the mountain.

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Have you ever been so distracted that you missed something incredible happening right in front of you? In this message, “Don't Miss It,” we explore Luke 9:28–36 and the moment Jesus revealed His glory to Peter, John, and James on the mountain.

It's possible to be close to Jesus and still miss what He wants to do in your life. Between the noise of everyday responsibilities, distractions, and the voices competing for our attention, we can easily lose sight of what matters most.

In this message, discover three important truths about following Jesus: transformation begins with spending time in His presence, distractions can cause us to miss what God is doing, and truly following Jesus means listening to His voice above all others.

In this message, you'll discover:

• Why spending time with Jesus is essential to spiritual growth.
• How distractions can keep us from recognizing God's work in our lives.
• Why following Jesus means more than having a Sunday experience.
• What it means to make Jesus the authority in your everyday decisions.
• How small, intentional steps of obedience can lead to lasting transformation.

The question is: Are you so caught up in the noise of life that you're missing what God wants you to see, hear, and do?

Don't let your relationship with Jesus become just another part of your routine. Make room for His presence, refocus on His purpose, and choose to listen when He speaks.

Join us as we discover what it truly means to follow Jesus and why we can't afford to miss it.

Scripture: Luke 9:28–36

Hope Church Cleburne | Love God. Love People. Make Disciples.

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Have you ever wondered if Ouija boards are really dangerous, or if they’re just harmless fun? In this episode of Ask A Pastor, Pastor Todd Barham tackles a question that many people have asked and explores what the Bible says about Ouija boards, tarot cards, psychics, horoscopes, and other practices that promise supernatural insight.

Together, we’ll look at why Scripture warns against seeking spiritual guidance apart from God, the difference between cultural acceptance and biblical truth, and what to do if you’ve participated in these practices in the past. Most importantly, discover why Christians don’t have to live in fear of the supernatural, but can find confidence, peace, and direction in Jesus Christ.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What the Bible says about Ouija boards and communicating with the spirit world.
• Why seemingly harmless entertainment can raise important spiritual questions.
• How to recognize the difference between seeking God’s guidance and looking elsewhere for spiritual answers.
• What Scripture says about repentance, forgiveness, and freedom from fear.
• How to find direction and peace through prayer, God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit.

The big question isn’t how close we can get to something God warns us about, but how close we can get to Him. When we have access to the living God, why would we look anywhere else for answers?

Join us for this episode of Ask A Pastor as Pastor Todd brings biblical perspective to a topic surrounded by curiosity, questions, and misconceptions.

Have a question you’d like Pastor Todd to answer? Send it our way for a future episode of Ask A Pastor!

#AskAPastor #HopeChurchCleburne #PastorToddBarham #BiblicalTruth #ChristianLiving

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What does it really mean to follow Jesus? In Luke 9:23–27, Jesus challenges us to count the cost of discipleship and consider what it means to surrender our lives to Him. In this message, Pastor Todd explores the importance of daily surrender, the freedom that comes from letting go, and the danger of chasing worldly success at the expense of what matters most. Through Jesus’ words and a glimpse of His coming glory, we’re reminded that following Him may cost us something, but His Kingdom is worth far more than anything we could leave behind.

In this message, we’ll discover:

• What it means to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily.
• Why surrendering to Jesus can lead to a life of greater purpose.
• How to recognize when the things we’re chasing are costing us too much.
• Why we can trust God’s plan even when the road of obedience is difficult.

Following Jesus is more than a one-time decision—it’s a daily choice to trust Him, surrender control, and live for what matters eternally. The question is, are we willing to follow Him no matter the cost?

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Everyone has an opinion about Jesus. We can easily spend so much time listening to what everyone else says about Him that we never stop to answer the question for ourselves: Who do YOU say that He is?

In Luke 9, Jesus asks His disciples this very question. They had watched Him heal the sick, cast out demons, calm storms, raise the dead, and feed thousands. They had seen enough to know that Jesus was more than a teacher, prophet, or miracle worker. Peter finally declares, “You are the Christ of God.”

But recognizing Jesus as the Christ means more than knowing about Him—it means knowing Him and allowing Him to define what it means for Him to be Lord of our lives. Jesus then reveals that the Messiah must suffer, be rejected, and die. The disciples expected power, victory, and a throne. Jesus showed them a cross. What looked like defeat was actually God's plan unfolding—and Friday's apparent defeat became Sunday's victory.

This message challenges us to stop letting culture, other people, or even our own expectations define Jesus and instead encounter Him for ourselves.

Do you know Jesus, or do you just know about Jesus? Who do YOU say He is—and does your life reflect your answer? And can you still trust Jesus when His plan doesn't look like you expected?

Sometimes a hard chapter isn't the end of the story. God still has resurrection in the plan.

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We can know about Jesus without truly knowing who Jesus is.

In Luke 9, Herod asks the question, “Who is this about whom I hear such things?” That same question confronts each of us today: Who is Jesus to you?

In this message, we discover three ways Jesus reveals Himself in Luke 9:

Jesus is our Healer. He welcomes people, teaches them, and cares for their physical needs. Jesus does not stand at a distance from our suffering. He meets us in the middle of it. We are reminded that sickness is not a punishment from God, and that while we believe Jesus still heals, our ultimate hope is not simply in receiving the answer we want—it is in knowing that Jesus is with us through every circumstance.

Jesus is our Provider. When thousands of hungry people gathered around Jesus, the disciples saw an impossible problem. Jesus saw an opportunity. With five loaves and two fish, He demonstrated that what is insufficient in our hands can become more than enough in His. Faith doesn't mean pretending we have enough; it means trusting Jesus with what we do have and taking the next step He asks us to take.

Jesus is more than someone we know about—He is someone we can know.

Whether you're facing sickness, uncertainty, financial pressure, a difficult situation, or simply wondering what God is doing in your life, the invitation is the same: Give Jesus what you have and trust Him with what you need.

Maybe today you need Jesus to be your Healer.
Maybe you need Him to be your Provider.
Wherever you find yourself, remember: God has provided, Jesus is with you, and you don't have to carry it alone.

Listen now to this message from Luke 9 and ask yourself: Who is Jesus to you?

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Every year when we raise money for Guatemala, God seems to stretch Hope a little further. The goal gets bigger. The opportunity gets bigger. And every year, we watch God provide. But God has also been teaching us something: we aren’t called to just watch what God is doing—we’re called to be part of it.

In Luke 9, Jesus makes a major shift with His disciples. After spending chapter after chapter watching Jesus teach, heal, and perform miracles, the disciples are now sent out to participate in His mission. Jesus calls them, equips them, teaches them to depend on God, and sends them to go.

In this message, “Just Go!”, we discover three truths about what it means to follow Jesus:

• If He sends you, He’ll equip you. You don't have to feel qualified or have everything figured out before God can use you. Your job is to go; His job is to provide the power.
• You don't have to have all the provision yet. Jesus taught His disciples to depend on God rather than their own plans, resources, or security. Sometimes faith means going before you know exactly how God will provide.
• You can't control the response. We are responsible for being faithful and sharing what God has given us—not for controlling how people respond. We bring the witness; God brings the results.

The mission may be bigger than you, but the One who sent you is bigger than the mission.

Where is God calling you to go? What are you trying to control that you need to surrender to Him? And who has God already placed in front of you that needs to hear about Jesus?

Jesus told them to go, and they went. Maybe it’s time for us to do the same. Just go!

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Why should we care about people on the other side of the world when there are needs right in our own neighborhoods?

In this episode of Ask A Pastor, Pastor Todd Barham tackles the question, “Why should I care about foreign missions?” From Guatemala and Kenya to our own communities, we explore what the Bible says about the Church’s responsibility to reach the nations with the Gospel.

Missions isn’t simply an extracurricular activity for especially passionate Christians—it’s part of the identity of every follower of Jesus. Jesus told His disciples to be His witnesses “to the end of the earth,” and Scripture reminds us that people cannot believe in a Gospel they have never heard.

Pastor Todd discusses why missions begins in the heart of God, why local ministry and global missions should go hand in hand, and how God has entrusted ordinary people with the message of reconciliation. We’ll also look at what it means to pray, give, go, and live sent wherever God has placed us.

Whether you ever travel overseas or never leave your hometown, you are part of God’s mission.

Following Jesus isn’t just about where we’re going when we die. It’s about who we’re taking Jesus to while we’re here.

Tune in and discover why the mission of God is bigger than our church, our community, and our corner of the world—and how each of us can play a part.

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Have you ever reached a place where you’ve done everything you know to do? You’ve prayed. You’ve waited. You’ve tried to fix it. And still, nothing is changing.

In Luke 8, we meet two people who have reached that place of desperation. Jairus is a respected synagogue leader whose twelve-year-old daughter is dying. An unnamed woman has been suffering for twelve years and has exhausted every option she knows. Their stories are different, but they come to the same conclusion: “I need Jesus.”

As Jesus encounters both of them, we see His authority over sickness, suffering, and even death. Jairus is told that his daughter has died, but Jesus responds with a powerful command: “Do not fear; only believe.”

This message reminds us that faith doesn’t deny bad news—it refuses to let bad news have the final word. Faith doesn’t mean knowing exactly what Jesus will do; it means knowing who Jesus is and trusting Him even when circumstances get worse.

In this sermon, we’ll discover that:

• Desperation can drive us to Jesus.
• Faith pushes through, even when the answer seems impossible.
• Faith doesn’t quit when bad news arrives.
• When Jesus speaks, even death listens.

Jesus is Lord over every category of brokenness. Sickness, suffering, grief, and even death do not get the final word—Jesus does.

If you’ve reached the end of yourself, this message is a reminder that you’ve found the perfect place to reach for Jesus.

Do not fear. Only believe.

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