When we look around us we don't always feel hopeful. But one of the beautiful things about hope is that it thrives in places of darkness- when those who sit in the darkness look up and see the light of Christ.

Are you one of those who has been taught to hope because you have seen the light of Christ while you were sitting in darkness?

"There's a land that is fairer than day".....these are words of a much beloved hymn that we often sing. The chorus says, "In the sweet bye and bye, we shall rest on that beautiful shore." As Believers we do look forward to that day when we will be with Jesus in glory, but what about now? Is this sin cursed globe just a place for us to hang on until Jesus rescues us and takes us home? Can we walk in the intersection of the pain and suffering here and the light of eternity, there?

When it comes to marriage and relationships, the picture of loving each other as Christ loves the Church is an invitation to equip each other for success. Equipping each other for success in our relationships includes learning to not see each other as the enemy and praying together. Have you believed the Enemy's lie that some person in relationship with you is the enemy?

When the Apostle Paul tells husbands to love their wives as 'Christ loved the Church' he is invoking a picture as an illustration to help us understand the marriage relationship. When God puts these pictures in Scripture, how important are they? What happens if we break one of His pictures?

What does it mean to compare a human relationship to the relationship between Christ, the King of Kings, and His Bride? Before trying to figure out how the earthly relationship should work, lets consider what the heavenly relationship is like. As part of the Body of Christ, how close are you to the Head?

Most of us can recall a moment when someone spoke kind words to us, the warmth, the sense of security, the hope for the future. Most of us can also remember unkind words that were spoken to us, the pain, the disbelief, the sense of rejection. Many times we can remember exactly where we were, what we were doing. Sometimes a sound or a smell can take us back to that moment.

Words are like tools, how are you using them in the lives of the people around you?

As Believers we sometimes daydream about what it would be like to be in the early church with the Apostle Paul teaching us directly. Somehow it seems that it would be easier if we could hear the words directly from and Apostle. But in reality, when we take a moment to read between the lines we discover that the church then faced many of the same things we face today, and on top of that, the Apostle Paul wasn't always there in every local fellowship.

How is it possible that the church could grow in places where the Apostle Paul was never present?

In some industries and organizations there are those who are in charge, those who actively perform or participate, and those who are the audience. Is this the way Christianity works?

If we can bring sorrow to God's heart, can we cause joy and rejoicing? Throughout Scripture there are many detailed instructions given. If these are approached as things to be accomplished to win favor with God they become heavy burdens indeed. But what if everything in Scripture- even the detailed lists of instructions- are part of an eternal invitation from the Father heart of God? What if His real desire is for you to know Him? What if He is offering you secrets and insights on how to hear His voice singing over you?

When you hear of mass shootings and tragedies around the world, what is your heart response? Do you secretly delight because it makes a political point? Do you quickly try to plug it into the framework of your end times doctrines? This message encourages us to consider a Kingdom response to the brokenness of the world. If you are a loyal citizen in the Kingdom that Jesus announced, what will your response be to the pain in the world?