HOPE BEYOND TODAY
The Bible is filled with stories of God going out of His way to use imperfect people for incredible things. In this 9-week series, we learn how we can apply the same lessons to our lives to achieve our own comeback stories!
Week 1
HOPE THAT CAN’T BE TAKEN AWAY
You’ll often hear about the power of hope, but that power depends on where your hope comes from. It’s very easy for us to put our hope in temporary things like finances, but do those hold up when life gets difficult? In Week 1 of “Hope Beyond Today,” we study the early persecution of the church in 1 Peter and learn how God often forges hope in the fire.
Week 2
DIFFERENT ON PURPOSE
What does it mean to be different? The Bible calls for Christians to stand out from the world and be holy, but that’s a word that can sometimes just be used with no explanation. In Week 2 of “Hope Beyond Today,” we wrap up 1 Peter Chapter 1 and head into Chapter 2 by weaving together two distinct ideas that Peter ties together. Christians are set apart to be different from the world, but it's living that out that ultimately creates a legacy of faith that outlives us.
Week 3
HOW HOPE RESPONDS TO FALSE ACCUSATIONS
Whenever we’re hurt, we all have instinctual responses. We may want to fight fire with fire, we may avoid the conflict entirely, or we may let it simmer until something eventually boils us over. In week 3 of “Hope Beyond Today,” we pick back up in Peter’s writings to the church facing false accusations from the Romans. Just like Jesus, Peter encourages the early Christians to live a life that gives no evidences towards the allegations and instead points to Christ.
Week 4
NERO AND THE SUFFERING OF CHRISTIANS
The Church has proven to be one of the most resilient things to ever exist. Despite persecution against early Christians, major wars, and culture shifts, the Church has persisted. But that didn't always seem like a sure thing. In Week 4 of "Hope Beyond Today," we dive into just how harshly the first Christians were treated by Roman Emperor Nero. Despite horrendous deaths, the faith kept growing, and the words of Peter tell us how we can apply that same perserverence to our lives today.
Week 5
HOW THE DEVIL ATTACKS YOUR HOPE
The devil does not like you. He’s doing everything in his power to sabotage your hope and your purpose, and these attacks come in different forms for every person. But here’s the good news: God’s already won the battle we keep trying to fight ourselves. In Week 5 of “Hope Beyond Today,” we study Peter’s warnings in 1 Peter 5 about the dangers of isolation. Satan knows that you are the most vulnerable when you’re alone, but Jesus is ready to carry your worry.
Week 6
HOW HOPE GROWS
Hope is like a child. It doesn’t just appear fully formed, but it takes time to grow and mature. And just like we do with children, it’s important to celebrate the milestones along the way. Otherwise, it’s easy to forget just how far we’ve come. In Week 6 of “Hope Beyond Today,” we begin reading 2 Peter to study this exact idea. Jesus loves us enough to meet us where we are, but He loves us too much to leave us there.
Week 7
THE PROBLEM WITH PODCASTS
Social media has given everyone a voice, but who gives them authority? The podcast era has made it easier than ever before to receive information on any topic, but there is a fine line between information and truth. In Week 7 of “Hope Beyond Today,” we read Peter’s warnings to the early church about “false teachers.” In doing so, Pastor Jason gives us five ways to test everything we hear before believing it as truth.
Week 8
YOU’RE GOING TO DIE
For all that divides us, there’s one thing we all have in common: we’re going to die. On the surface, that seems like a grim connection, but for Christians, it’s a reason to live with hope because Jesus Christ defeated death on the cross. In week 8 of “Hope Beyond Today,” we finish 2 Peter and learn what it means to live like we already know how the story ends.
Week 9
HOPE NEVER STOPS FIGHTING
Hope can be placed in anything. We place our hope in our friends, family, job, and status, but all of those have one thing in common: they will inevitably disappoint us. There is only one source of hope that outlasts all circumstances, and it comes from Jesus Christ alone. In the final week of “Hope Beyond Today,” we read Jude’s letter to learn how to hold steadfast to our hope in a world that pushes us to place it in everything but Christ.