Hope for the heart is found in Jesus

We often put our hope in people or things without much thought. We spend money hoping it will bring the happiness we long for. We take a job hoping it will provide the fulfillment we desire. We jump into a relationship hoping it will fill the emptiness inside. None of these are bad in and of themselves. We all want stability and identity. We want to be valued and loved. But we get into trouble when we put unrealistic expectations on those things to bring us lasting hope. We must be careful where we place our hope.

With God we can have a confident hope. Only Jesus can provide hope for our hearts. When we place our hope in Jesus, he provides a confident hope that nothing else in this world can. He steps into our hopeless situations with his power and strength.

Healing for the soul is found in Jesus

We have all made some good decisions and we have all made decisions that we regret. Some people feel that, in their sin, God has forgotten about them. Many feel God is angry and has rejected them. Some feel God can forgive others, but not them, and certainly not what they have done. They feel unworthy of his love. God loves us and he has not forgotten us or rejected us. God’s heart is for our healing.

His deepest desire is to heal our soul. Through his death and resurrection Jesus conquered death and sin and offers us forgiveness, healing for our soul, and a new life in Christ.

Peace of mind is found in Jesus

Our world is full of worry, stress, anxiety, and fear. People worry about the economy, stress over their finances, get anxious about their career, and fear for their future. Depression and loneliness are at an all-time high. No one wants to live this way, but it’s easy to get stressed and overwhelmed. The worries of this life can rob us of the joys of life. We are all searching for peace, joy, and contentment. It’s in Christ alone that we can find true lasting peace and confidence.

People somehow convince themselves that worrying is productive. But all worry does is raise their level of fear and stress. When they worry, they are living in a future that has not yet been written. We should never write the end of our story before it has been written. Instead of raising the level of worry, we must raise our level of faith and look to God who has the answers. Every life matters to him. Every person is valuable to him. He values us and he will never leave us or forsake us. It’s in him that we can find peace.

Purpose in this world is found in Jesus

The number one question people ask is, “What is the meaning of life? Why am I here?” So many people live their lives with no sense of purpose or meaning. Instead, they drift through life unfulfilled going from job to job and relationship to relationship looking for purpose, value, and worth. God has a purpose & plan for every person’s life.

Every person matters to God. They were created on purpose for a purpose. It’s in Jesus that we discover the life we were truly meant to live. We each have a primary purpose and a personal purpose. Our primary purpose is to take the hope, healing, peace, and purpose of Jesus into our world. But we also have a personal purpose. There’s a unique ministry role and area where God wants to use us to bring his restoration and redemption to the world around us.

Divine direction is found in daily devotions.

God wants to speak to each of us and the main way he does that is through his Word. Most of us are incredibly busy and finding the time is difficult. Daily devotions require daily discipline. Daily devotions are divine moments to walk with God, talk with God, sit with God, and worship with God like a friend. God wants to pour out dreams, visions, and direction for our lives.

We gather to experience God’s presence and be equipped for his purpose.

Sunday worship is not just about having an individual experience with God. We could do that at home. It’s about the people of God bringing the presence of God with them and joining their spirits together with the Holy Spirit. As we gather, we learn a shared vision and mission from the scriptures that equips us to move together as the body of Christ.

Continual surrender to God’s Spirit builds a confident spirit.

Salvation is found in no other name but Jesus. We trust in him for our salvation and daily surrender our lives to him. We live in a culture that says, “I answer to no one. I live my way and by my rules. I decide what’s best for me.” As a result, our world is filled with chaos, pain, depression, abuse, sexual confusion, hatred, and division. Following Jesus is about living counter cultural. We no longer live for ourselves. Instead, we humble ourselves in worship, devotion, and obedience to Christ alone.

Sharing Christ is sharing life.

We have been saved from the curse of sin and death and we desire for others to experience the freedom we have found. So, we share our faith to a world in need of God’s grace and mercy.

Persistent prayer reveals Gods sovereignty in the midst of uncertainty.

Peoples first instinct usually isn’t to pray. Instead, they exhaust all other means. Prayer shouldn’t be our last option. It must be our first option. It’s in prayer we remind ourselves that God is bigger than my crisis and we can fully trust in him.

Godly friendships help us get through life’s hardships.

People face difficulties and adversity in this life. In moments like these their tendency is to withdraw and go into isolation. Isolation is where the enemy traps them and preys upon their mind. The devil will try to convince them that no one understands, no one cares, and they’re the only one who has faced this problem. Everyone needs a small group that speak the truth of God into their lives. A small group who will encourage, support, and love them.

Generous giving is radical living.

Giving can be hard and doesn’t always come naturally. Giving isn’t an obligation it’s an opportunity to be a blessing. Every blessing we have in this life is a gift from God. It comes from God, it is Gods, and goes back to God. God blesses us to be a blessing to others. Generosity isn’t measured by the size of our pocketbook. Generosity is measured by the size of our heart. God wants us to give from the heart.

Sacrificial serving isn’t something we do, it’s who we are.

Sacrificial serving is a call to die to my plans and my desires and live for Christ’s plans and desires. It’s a call to serve people around me and people around the world and daily showing the love of Jesus to someone in a tangible way. Through sacrificial serving we model the life of Jesus and display the love of Christ to our broken world.