Living Hope

Matthew 15:21-28

What do you do when you feel like you’re on the outside looking in? Maybe you’ve wondered whether you’ve failed too much, wandered too far, or simply don’t deserve a place at God’s table. In Matthew 15, a Canaanite woman comes to Jesus with nothing to offer except a desperate faith that clings to his mercy. She is willing to take even the scraps. But Jesus gives her

far more. And Jesus does the same for us. When our sin and failures leave us feeling like outsiders, Christ doesn’t leave us begging beneath the table. He brings us all the way in, not because we deserve a seat, but because his grace is greater than our failures. And we now get to be a church that shares that grace with all.

Matthew 9:35-38

Here’s another truth that will still be true until the end of time: The harvest of souls is plentiful but the workers are few. Today we get the privilege of installing a vicar here at Living Hope, an answer to prayer for more workers in the field. We have the additional privilege of having Pastor Nathan Strutz here to share the sermon with us today. Pastor Strutz was Pastor Eric’s supervising pastor when he was a vicar. Pastor Strutz will be sharing with us what a vicar is and the work of proclaiming the gospel that he’ll get to join us with here in Chattanooga.

Matthew 14:13-21

Jesus is still our Great Provider today like he was for that great crowd of 5,000.

Matthew 13:44-46, 51-52

Everyone is chasing something they believe will make life better - a bigger paycheck, greater security, the perfect family, the next adventure, or the dream they've always wanted. But what if we've been settling for far too little? In today's Gospel, Jesus points us to a treasure so valuable that it's worth giving up everything else to possess. Better yet, it's a treasure he has already won and freely placed into your hands. Discover where true wealth is really found.

Sorry for some technical difficulties during the recording.

Isaiah 44:6-11

The world can feel overrun with weeds. Evil seems to spread quickly, injustice often goes unanswered, and it's easy to wonder if wickedness is winning. At the same time, our own hearts are tempted to cling to false "rocks" that promise security but can never save. In Isaiah 44, God reminds his people that there is no rival to him. He alone is the King, the Redeemer, and the

Almighty. While we wait for the day he will finally uproot every evil and make all things new, we live with confidence, trusting the only Rock who never fails. Join us as we hear God's reassuring promise: "There is no other Rock; I know not one."

Anxiety, grief sin, and hardship can leave us feeling isolated, as though we're drowning with no one to pull us out. Yet God's promise has not changed: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). Our Savior never abandons his people, and he has also gathered us into a church family where we don't have to carry our burdens alone. this week we'll be reminded that Christ is always present to lift us up. And he also calls us to be a community that lifts one another up with his gospel of grace.

Matthew 10:34-42

The opposition may seem bigger, stronger, and louder than ever. Fear can make us wonder whether following Christ is worth the cost. But Jesus gives his disciples a different message: “Do not be afraid.” In Matthew 10, we discover why Christians can face opposition, uncertainty, and even death with confidence. Our heavenly Father knows us, values us, and preserves us through it all. Because Christ acknowledges us before the Father, we have nothing to fear.

1 Corinthians 4:1-7

We live in a world overflowing with opinions. Every day we are evaluated, rated, criticized, and compared. We worry about what others think of us, and sometimes we become our own harshest critics. But whose opinion truly matters? In this message from 1 Corinthians 4, Paul points us away from the ever-changing judgments of people, and even our own consciences, to the verdict of Christ. Discover the freedom that comes from knowing that the Judge of all has become your Savior, declaring you forgiven, faithful, and his own. When Christ's verdict is the one that defines you, you can stop living for approval and start living in the confidence of his grace.

1 Timothy 1:12-17

We all carry things from our past that we'd rather forget—regrets, failures, sins, and moments we wish we could undo. Sometimes those memories still have a way of accusing us years later. In 1 Timothy 1, the apostle Paul looked honestly at his own past as a blasphemer, persecutor, and violent man. Yet instead of despair, Paul marveled at the mercy of Christ. His story reminds us of a life-changing truth: no sinner is beyond God's grace, and no past is bigger than Christ's mercy. Today we'll hear again the trustworthy saying that stands at the heart of the Christian faith: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." That promise was true for Paul, and it is still true for us.

Matthew 28:16-20

As Jesus prepares to leave his disciples in Matthew 28, he gives ordinary, imperfect, sometimes doubting followers a purpose that is bigger than themselves: "Go and make disciples of all nations." And then he gives them something even better than purpose—his promise. The mission is great, but the Savior who sends us is greater. Today we'll see that Jesus still gives his people both a purpose and a promise.