What does cultivating hope look like in your life?

In Luke 21:1-4, we get a glimpse of what it looks like for one widow to give all she has to God. God’s priority, in her life and in ours, is not about finances; rather, he is looking for people that are willing to empty themselves in worship, holding nothing back from him. God will always provide all that we need; our part is to agree with him and surrender our lives to him in faith.

God gives us his grace so that we can live a holy life. This isn’t just a life where we follow all the rules, the “dos” and “do nots.” Rather, holy living is a life fully surrendered to God, where we allow him to speak into any area of our lives so that he can call us into greater freedom and life in Christ.

In Luke 24, we read about two disciples who were disappointed after Jesus’ death, because they thought God’s plans had fallen short. In our lives, we often face challenges to the hope we have in Christ, and hard circumstances can lead to despair. In order to live an abundant life in God, we must learn to come to God in humility, yield our disappointment to him, and receive hope instead.

Romans 13 says that all authority on earth is authorized by God. This doesn’t mean that all political leaders are God’s first choice, but it does mean that we should submit to them and pray for God to work in their lives. Our call, in politics and in the world, is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and to participate in the amazing things he is doing here and now.

What does it mean to be fully surrendered and obedient to to the Lord? (James 5:13-18)

In Revelation 5, we get a glimpse of the worship of heaven: both angels and saints worship with their whole being, and they celebrate the victorious Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God. In this season, we are learning how to “give our all” in worship, pouring out our whole being to honor God. Heavenly worship comes not from a place of need but from a place of being captivated by his glory.

Is your life completely yielded to the Lord where you will move through HIs prompting in complex circumstances? (1 Kings 19)

Every great hero of the faith is marked by a relationship with God in which they consistently said yes to the leading of the Holy Spirit, even when their circumstances didn’t seem to align with God’s plan. It is not our own abilities or achievements that qualify us for a spiritual life; rather, our humility and submission to God’s plan are what bring us into all that God has for us.

Deut. 7:6-9 How do you live your life knowing that you are chosen by God.