Week 1

This two week series leading up to Christmas Eve will look into the beauty and wonder of Jesus’ humble beginnings and shed light onto the meaning of Christmas.

• How it started. How it’s going.

John 1:14-18 (ESV) John describes the first Christmas.

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

There are two approaches to life that human beings have been able to come up with.

1. Moralism

2. Relativism

Jesus says that both approaches are not enough.

Galatians 4:4-6 (ESV) God came down to us.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. …For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:14,16 (ESV)

To support the mission and vision of Hope Community Church, visit gethope.net/give.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Vision 2021 Chase Gardner – Teaching Pastor, Jason Gore – Lead Pastor

When we come to the end of the year, it’s important to remember where we’ve been and what we’ve accomplished. It’s also the perfect time to look forward to what we can do together in the future.

• We’re looking back through the past year and looking forward to what God is doing in and through Hope Community Church.

One of the best and most powerful things you can do in moments when your strength seems to fail a little is to look back.

Remember the faithfulness of God.

Psalm 77:1-2 (ESV)

Psalm 77:11-15a (ESV)

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Proverbs 29 says, “Where there is no vision, the people will perish…”

What if we could ALL ‘came back…’ and it still wasn’t enough?

What if the real threat was not the lack of people ‘in church’ on Sunday… but rather the lack of people thinking and living biblically Monday – Sunday?

Jeremiah 29:1-7 (NIV) “Seek the welfare of the city…”

Three takeaways from this text on how to be God’s people in exile:

1. Put down roots and play long ball.

2. Build strong, God-honoring families.

3. Invest in your community.

We Must:

1. Strengthen the core of families by investing in Marriage, Parenting and Youth.

2. Equip and empower the Church to follow Jesus’s mission in our current reality.

– “If we only focus primarily on a 1hr/week experience, we all will become irrelevant to a ’lost’ world faster than we realize.”

– “We are going to have to learn how to take our mission of ‘loving people where they are… and encouraging them to grow in their relationship with Jesus…’ out of the walls of our campuses.”

3. Meet the needs of our community even if they never attend a church.

4. Mobilize the church through leveraging online platforms.

BE THE CHURCH.

Two questions to consider:

1. What is one thing you can do to strengthen your family this Christmas?

2. What is one thing you can do to impact another family in your community this Christmas?

Support Hope Community Church's mission by donating at gethope.net/give.

House of Cards 

Week 6 Parenting 

God blessed humanity when He made us to live in community, and there is no closer community than our families. What makes a family strong? In this series, we’ll examine topics to help us get to a solid, Christian family based on God’s principles. 

The Bible teaches us that there are 5 things every child (really every human) needs 

1. Accept their uniqueness 
2. Every child/person is unique 
3. Ephesians 2:10 – You are a masterpiece that God custom designed before you were born. 
4. Two enemies that fight against uniqueness: 
5. The pressure to compare.  
6. 2 Corinthians 10:12  
7. Comparing is a waste. God never intended for you to be like anyone else. 
8. The pressure to conform.  
9. When you try to be like someone else, you push pause on God’s plan/purpose for your life 
10. Romans 12:2  

1. Affirm their value 
2. Affirmation should be constant 
3. We all need to be reminded how valuable we are 
4. Matthew 10:29, 31 
5. The value of something is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Jesus paid for you with His life. 
6. How to help your kids see their value 
7. Remind them how much God loves them 
8. Every day show them (1) attention, (2) affection, + (3) appreciation 

1. Trust them with increasing responsibility 
2. Give them responsibility so they can be responsible 
3. The goal of parenting is to move them from dependence on you to 
4. Independence 
5. And then to dependence on God (but with responsibility) 
6. How? 
7. Trust them with small things (Luke 16:10) 
8. Trust them with possessions and money (Luke 16:11) 
9. Trust them with something that doesn’t belong to them (Luke 16:12) 

1. Correct without condemning 
2. Proverbs 3:12 
3. Punishment looks at the past. Discipline is correction for the future. 
4. Never correct in anger 
5. Choose your words carefully 

1. Love them unconditionally 
2. Forgiveness (ask for it, accept it, and forgive yourself) 
3. Ephesians 4:32 
4. Never give up on them 
5. 1 Corinthians 13:7 

Application 

1. Practice parenting on someone else’s kid—serve in Family Ministry! gethope.net/serve  

2. Next Level Parent Conference (January 29)—Sign up at gethope.net/conference 

Week 5 Wives

God blessed humanity when He made us to live in community, and there is no closer community than our families. What makes a family strong? In this series, we’ll examine topics to help us get to a solid, Christian family based on God’s principles.

• The Bible says specific things to women as wives.

1 Peter 3:1-6 (ESV) This Scripture focuses on wives.

This is part of a larger discussion on submission.

1 Peter 2:13 (ESV)

1 Peter 2:18 (ESV)

All Christians are called to submit to many different people in many different spheres of life.

Submission is a voluntary disposition to affirm your husband’s calling to lead, and to use your gifts to help him do that.

Submission isn’t possible when you’re afraid. It’s only possible when you get rid of fear and replace it with faith.

Matthew 11:29 (ESV) The words “gentle” and “quiet” can be said of Jesus as well.

Week 4 Husbands

God blessed humanity when He made us to live in community, and there is no closer community than our families. What makes a family strong? In this series, we’ll examine topics to help us get to a solid, Christian family based on God’s principles.

• The Bible gives specific instructions to men as husbands.

Ephesians 5:22-24 (ESV) This Scripture begins by addressing women first.

Ephesians 5:25-33 (ESV) The Bible tells husbands that they play the role of what Christ plays to the church. The husband isn’t Christ because he can never be perfect, but he should love his wife just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.

Biblical, Christ-like love is an act of the will that leads to action for the good of the other person.

There are responsibilities of a husband.

1. Sacrificial love

Ephesians 5:25-27 (ESV) A husband must look out for the spiritual needs of his wife.

Ephesians 5:28-30 (ESV) A husband should love his wife as he loves himself. 

2. Protective leadership

Husbands step into this leadership position to protect their wives and families.

Week 3 Sex

God blessed humanity when He made us to live in community, and there is no closer community than our families. What makes a family strong? In this series, we’ll examine topics to help us get to a solid, Christian family based on God’s principles.

• When used in the right way, sex is an amazing gift that God gave us to enjoy.

Song of Solomon 2:3-6 (ESV) Part of this couples’ dating experience is the awakening of sexual desire for each other.

Song of Solomon 2:7 (ESV) She says to not awaken love until the time is right.

When it comes to sex, there’s a time not a line.

The proper time for any sexual touch or activity is after marriage.

Solomon records what the wedding night is like from the man and woman’s perspective.

Song of Solomon 4:1-5 (ESV) 

Song of Solomon 7:7-8a (ESV)

Song of Solomon 5:10,14-15 (ESV)

Song of Solomon 4:16-5:1 (ESV) 

There are aspects of sex that are incredibly helpful for married couples and incredibly harmful and destructive to anyone else.

1. Sex Blinds

“You can’t objectively judge compatibility with someone you’re sleeping with.” – Dave Lanuti

2. Sex Binds

Song of Solomon 6:3 (ESV)

Song of Solomon 8:6 (ESV)

1 Corinthians 6:12-18 (ESV)

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV) No matter what your past is, not only can God forgive you, but He can also cleanse you and use you in His Kingdom.

To support the mission of Hope Community Church, visit gethope.net/give today.

Week 2 Marriage

God blessed humanity when He made us to live in community, and there is no closer community than our families. What makes a family strong? In this series, we’ll examine topics to help us get to a solid, Christian family based on God’s principles.

• What is the point of marriage?

Your marriage will reach its highest potential and will give you the greatest satisfaction when it is operating according to how God designed it.

Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV) God created man in His own image. He created male and female.

Genesis 2:18a (ESV) God said something He never had before. It wasn’t good for the man to be alone.

Genesis 2:18b (ESV) God made a helper fit for the man. This term implies a yin and yang situation, a complement to each other.

Genesis 2:19-20 (ESV) Even with all of creation surrounding him, Adam felt alone.

Genesis 2:21-22 (ESV) God crafted a woman by His own hand.

Genesis 2:23 (ESV) She was named “woman” because she was taken out of “man”. They were alike and yet so different.

Genesis 2:24-25 (ESV) A man will leave the comfort and safety of his family to join his wife because it’s not good to be alone.

 Marriage exists to show the watching world what God is like.

Genesis 3:7 (ESV) When sin entered the world, their relationship with each other and with God became imperfect.

The purpose of your marriage is to tell a story about the saving and transforming love of Jesus.

Marriage is actually a sermon on the Gospel, proclaiming the good news of  Jesus Christ.

Marriage is not about what you can get out of it. It’s the means by which you tell a story that reflects Jesus.

The image of marriage is used throughout the Bible.

– The Bible starts with the marriage of Adam and Eve.

– Throughout the Old Testament, God uses the metaphor of marriage to describe His love for His people.

– Jesus begins His ministry at a wedding.

– Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of God is like a wedding reception.

– The New Testament uses the metaphor of marriage to describe Jesus’ love for us.

– Our first moments in eternity are described as a wedding and marriage celebration. Revelations 19:7 (ESV)

The purpose of your marriage is to tell a story about the saving and transforming love of Jesus.

To support the mission of Hope Community Church, visit gethope.net/give today.

Week 1  Dating – Ayren Nelson, Apex Middle School Pastor 

God blessed humanity when He made us to live in community, and there is no closer community than our families. What makes a family strong? In this series, we’ll examine topics to help us get to a solid, Christian family based on God’s principles.

• What is the purpose of dating?

Dating is a period of evaluation.

Song of Solomon 7:1-3 (NLT) Solomon wrote about his love and attraction in his descriptive poetry.

The natural progression of a dating relationship:

1. An immediate physical attraction – Song of Solomon 1:2-4 (NLT)

2. Just hanging out – Song of Solomon 1:7 (NLT)

3. A meaningful, God-honoring relationship – Song of Solomon 2:2-3 (NLT)  

Evaluation of character is the first thing to look at while dating. 

Song of Solomon 1:3 (NLT) The young man had a reputable and honorable character.

Proverbs 31 – Attributes of a Christian woman of character

Ephesians 5 – Attributes of a Christian man of character

Attraction grabs the attention, but character keeps them around.

You have to allow others to evaluate your relationship.

Song of Solomon 1:4b (NLT) Others supported their relationship.

One of the most accurate ways you receive the type of evaluation you need in dating is 

to allow others to evaluate your relationship.

Allow God to evaluate your relationship.

Song of Solomon 2:2-3 (NLT) Their focus was on one another.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (BSB) Do everything to the glory of God.

You need to allow God to evaluate your relationship.

Inside Out: Week 5 Addiction

For five weeks, we will be tackling issues that have raged out of control over the last couple of years like anxiety, anger, depression, hurry and addiction. Our goal is to let God help us through these hard times, so that when challenges hit us and we start to feel it on the inside, we’ll have the tools to work it out.

• Addiction can be to many different things and affects many people.

Addiction is a personal attempt to solve an emotional problem.

“I’ve learned that all people are addicts, that addictions to alcohol and other drugs are simply more obvious and tragic addictions than others have. To be alive is to be addicted, and to be alive and addicted is to stand in need of grace.” – Gerald May, Addiction and Grace

• The Bible has a lot to say about addiction even without using the labels.

Addiction is really the worship of a false idol.

Romans 1:21-23, 25 (NLT) The people traded the truth of God for a lie.

Isaiah 44:9-10, 19-20 (NLT) The people bought into a lie and worshipped something worthless.

Addiction becomes a voluntary slaver with diminishing returns.

Jeremiah 2:13 (NLT) The people abandoned God and tried to fill the hole with something that can never fill it.

Romans 6:14 (NLT) People can live in the freedom of God’s grace.

To receive freedom and grace, you have to:

1. Admit you have a problem.

2. Allow God to meet your underlying need.

For more resources, click here.  

To support the mission of Hope Community Church, visit gethope.net/give today.

Week 4: Hurry

For five weeks, we will be tackling issues that have raged out of control over the last couple of years like anxiety, anger, depression, hurry and addiction. Our goal is to let God help us through these hard times, so that when challenges hit us and we start to feel it on the inside, we’ll have the tools to work it out.

When we become too hurried, our lives can feel out-of-control.
In John Mark Comer’s book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, he gives a quiz on the symptoms of Hurry Sickness.

1. Irritability
2. Hypersensitivity
3. Restlessness
4. Workaholism
5. Emotional numbness
6. Out-of-order priorities
7. Lack of care for your body
8. Escapist behaviors
9. Slippage of spiritual disciplines
10. Isolation

• If you want to experience the life of Jesus, you must adopt the lifestyle of Jesus.

Jesus invited us into a “full life.” John 10:10 (MSG)

Jesus was busy but never hurried. The Gospels repeat the the phrase, “as Jesus walked along…”

Matthew 6:34 (NLT) Jesus said to not worry about tomorrow.

Jesus made several statements about how to live. Mark 1:35-39 (NLT)

Jesus made the first “thing” first.

Mark 1:35 (NLT)

This is the principle of the tithe: give back to God the first 10% of everything.
Jesus took control of His schedule.

Mark 1:36 (NLT)

Mark 1:37 (NLT)

Jesus said no.

Mark 1:38 (NLT)

Jesus did what God lead Him to do.

Mark 1:39 (NLT)

Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Practice the discipline of “slowing.”

1. Drive the speed limit.
2. Get into the slow lane.
3. Show up 10 minutes early for an appointment.
4. Get in the longest checkout line at the grocery store.
5. Take your email off your phone.
6. Put your phone to bed before you and make it sleep in.
7. Keep your phone off until after your morning quiet time.
8. Set a time and a time limit for social media.
9. Take a regular day alone for silence and solitude.
10. Cook your own food…and eat in.

For more resources, click here or check out gethope.net/insideout.

To support the mission of Hope Community Church, visit gethope.net/give today.