There are a lot of things competing for our attention during the Christmas season. But the next four Sundays are meant to slow us down and help us remember what is truly important. Through the birth of Jesus, we are given access to Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. And this week, we begin with Hope. So what is hope? Webster’s defines it as “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” But the biblical definition goes deeper: hope is “confident expectation.” It’s not wishful thinking—it’s trust in a God who keeps His promises. Romans 8:24–25 says: “For in this hope we were saved… we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” The tension we face during this season is the same struggle that follows us all year long: we are in the habit of putting our hope in other things. We may never say that out loud, but our hearts often drift there. Advent re-centers us. It reminds us that true hope is not found in circumstances, accomplishments, or holiday expectations. It is found in Christ alone.

Reach Community Church

Last week, we talked about the better covenant God made with us through our faith in Jesus. This week, we focus on the sacrifice that made that covenant possible. There was a payment in blood that had to be made. Hebrews 9:22 reminds us, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Sin is not just the problem of “those people”—it’s our problem. Romans tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Jesus came to fix that problem once and for all.

So the question this morning is: What sacrifice are you trusting in?

Everyone has some kind of agreement with God—spoken or unspoken. We think: “If I do better, God will bless me.” That’s covenant thinking. But Hebrews 8 reminds us: there’s a difference between the Old Covenant, which depended on our performance, and the New Covenant, which depends on God’s promise. Warren Wiersbe says“A covenant is not a contract we negotiate with God; it is a relationship established by His grace and guaranteed by His Son.” So the question becomes personal: Which covenant are you living under—your promises to God, or His promises to you?

If you’ve ever felt small — like your life barely registers against the size of this world — you’re not alone. David felt the same way when he looked up at the stars and asked, “What is man that You are mindful of him?” Hebrews 2 answers that question. It reminds us that the God who made the stars didn’t just notice us — He became one of us. He stepped into our weakness to rescue, restore, and reign on our behalf. This is the story of a Savior who dove into our brokenness so we could share His glory. So the writer says: “Don’t drift.” Don’t let distraction steal your attention or fear rob your confidence. Because the One who made you is also the One who came for you — and He’s not ashamed to call you family.

We live in a world that loves to hear from God—but not always to listen to Him. We want His comfort more than His correction, His blessing more than His direction. But when God speaks, it isn’t for our curiosity—it’s for our obedience. Every time God’s Word comes, it confronts a choice: Will I trust what I feel or obey what He says? Will I chase safety, or surrender to His will? Two stories—separated by centuries—reveal that difference. One ends in captivity. The other fuels the gospel. Because when God speaks, the outcome always depends on how we respond.

Every one of us has moments we wish we could erase—words we’ve said, choices we’ve made, people we’ve hurt. And yet, when we come face to face with those memories, there’s something incredible about realizing that Jesus already knew all of it—and still came for us. That’s the heart of the gospel: Jesus didn’t come to recruit the righteous; He came to rescue the rebellious. He didn’t wait for the world to clean itself up before stepping in—He entered it, fully, with mercy that overflows and patience that never runs out. For many, it’s easy to believe Jesus saves “sinners in general.” But it’s harder to believe He came for me—with all my pride, my failures, my hidden struggles. Yet that’s exactly what He did. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners… and He hasn’t stopped doing it.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to start strong in your faith but lose focus along the way? Life gets noisy. Culture pulls hard. And before long, Jesus can move from the center of our lives to just another part of it—something we “add” rather than the One we build everything around.

That’s exactly what was happening in the early church Paul writes to. So before giving any corrections, Paul begins with something powerful—a prayer. Not a prayer for comfort or blessing, but a prayer that they would grow deeper, stronger, and more fruitful in their walk with Christ. Because when the gospel takes root, it changes everything about how we live, think, and endure.

Reach Community Church

Reach Community Church