Hope Daily

We've probably all sang the words "I'll Follow You Anywhere..." But will we? Pastor Mark takes us to Matthew 8 and John 13 to see two instances of people who said they would follow Jesus anywhere and then their unconscious stipulations were exposed as they did not follow through on that promise. What stipulations are you putting on your following Jesus? 

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Today we head to the familiar, oft ignored, words of Jesus. "Do not worry..." Easier said than done. But perhaps we need to take Jesus' words seriously and avert our attention from the things that cause us worry toward the things that can teach us contentment.

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Easter is a prime example of God doing a work we wouldn't believe. But it's hardly the only example. Scripture and history is riddled with examples of God doing things and working in ways the baffle humanity. Your life probably has a few examples too. Pastor Dave takes us to Habakkuk chapter 1 and shares that God knows this about himself and we are probably living in one of those surprising moments right now.

Further Reading:

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We pray for a myriad of different things. Have you ever prayed for God to teach you contentment? Probably not, but Pastor Mark takes us to Philippians 4 and shows us why maybe this prayer should be at the top of our list.

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The struggle to find God's will for your life is a common one amongst those who call themselves Christians. We often struggle with what God is asking or requiring of us. Pastor Mark takes us to Micah 6:8 and shows us that perhaps it's not as complicated as we are prone to make it.

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We return to Lamentations and this time chapter 3.  Even in the midst of personal pain and anguish the author returns to deep seeded roots of hope. Like Mark shared on Monday, we can bring our past to our present struggles. This doesn't have to just be our personal history with God, but in our shared experience we can know that God's steadfast love never ceases and his mercies are continually new.

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Pastor Dave invites you into the biblical tradition of lament. Lamenting is inherently an act of hope. When you bring your frustrations, complaints, and even accusations to God you are, at some level, hopeful that he will hear. Lamentations 1:1-4 are the beginning of a long list of laments and they sound like they could apply to our lives today. What are you mourning? Bring those laments to God.

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Pastor Mark brings us to Psalm 143:1-6 to shine a light on how David uses his past with God to help him during present struggles.

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Christianity is a social religion, but gathering together must look different during our #stayathome advisories. How can we continue to build our Christian community? And how can we love our neighbor as ourselves during this unprecedented time? Pastor Dave shares a few of his thoughts and a few of your stories!

Scripture:

Hebrews 10:19-25

Mark 12:30-31

Dig Deeper:

Practice Hospitality. Especially During a Pandemic. (Article)

The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World by Rosaria Butterfield

The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Out Your Front Door by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon

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We didn't need an global pandemic to be bent toward fear, but that certainly doesn't help either. We are all prone to look for help from things other than God. Pastor Dave shares some thoughts from Psalm 121 and how we can use this time to turn from our idols and look to God for our present and ultimate salvation.

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