Hope Alliance Bethlehem

Jesus Came to be Light in the Darkness

In this talk we kick off our 2016 Advent Series. We cover the first part of a four-part statement: "Jesus came to be light in the darkness, to those waiting, as a man and as a king."

More Healing

The atoning work of Jesus on the cross for us covers our sins and offers us a whole new way of life. A big part of this is the availability of healing through Jesus work of atonement. Just as he took up our sin, so too he took up our pain and sickness. Jesus moves for healing according to his will and for his glory. We cannot manipulate him, nor make demands of him. However, we should pursue him with expectation, just never with assumption.

More Generosity

More Listening

How do we respond to the aftermath of a crazy election cycle? We need to learn to listen. Listen to God when he reminds us he is sovereign and therefore our only hope for the salvation and security we all so long to feel. And listen to each other has people given to gentleness which seeks fairness and justice for each other.

More Vision

On November 6th, our church became an accredited church with the Christian & Missionary Alliance. One this important day, we considered Jesus' caution against trading mission for comfort and were reminded that we are a family on mission.

More Life

Jesus promises abundant life to those who follow him. This life comes not on the basis of how good we are, but on the basis of his unfailing love for us. It is not a promise of an easy life, rather a promise of his constant presence with us. And when we learn to hear the voice of God, we lean more into the life he promises us.

More Freedom

Jesus said you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. The truth is Jesus and when we know him intimately we find the freedom we so desire. Freedom from sin and freedom from religion. Freedom from the pursuit of building our own value and worth and instead finding our true value in God's love for us announced in Jesus.

More Hope

At the root of hope is a desire for an identity - to be loved, to have meaning and to have a destiny. This human desire was always intended to find its fulfillment in God himself. And when we do this, we lead lives characterized by confidence in God and a willingness to take faith-filled risks.

Together - Serving Our Neighbors

As followers of Jesus we are sent people. We are sent not only to proclaim the gospel, but also to embody the gospel while loving our neighbors as ourselves. But how do we do this? Jesus answer is somewhat surprising. He says we cannot do this unless we have been radically loved ourselves. To simply try harder to love others is a religious dead end. However, when we are so moved by Jesus' love for us we cannot help but begin to love those around us.

Together - Growing in the Gospel

In order for us to live the kinds of lives God has created us for, we are called to the intersection of a shared gospel and shared lives. Shared lives give credibility to and embolden our gospel commitments. We need each other in order to grow in our embrace of the gospel and a life oriented around it.

Together - Caring for One Another

Care is not a Christian obligation. It is a way of life for those who have been changed by the gospel. We have been formed into a family where we give and receive care in the way of Jesus.

Together - Building Something Together

Community is not just an interesting idea. It is an absolute necessity. The beauty of community is that we are able to build something together. This imagery is so beautifully seen in the story of Nehemiah and the reconstruction of the wall around Jerusalem. Just like in this story, as we seek to build our lives in light of the gospel we do it side by side with those around us, experience mutual investment in our lives and protect from the enemy. And in doing doing, see a seemingly overwhelming ...

Disciples Multiply

Multiplication is at the core of what it means to be a disciple. It defined the existence of the early church in the book of Acts. Likewise, we want it to define us as not only a value, but our vision. This is why we are beginning the process now to be able to plant another church in the next few years. And our ultimate goal is a regional network of churches partnering together to advance God's kingdom!

Disciples Proclaim

As followers of Jesus, we are called to let people know that God has won the ultimate victory for humanity in and through Jesus. We do this through our actions, choices and conduct. But we also do it through our words. We're to be ready to share about our hope and always seeking opportunities that God gives us. However, this is never about being pushy, obnoxious or religious. Its about speaking about hope in kindness, respect and love.

Disciples Point to Jesus

John the Baptist had a singular calling. He was preparing people for the kingdom of God. Martin Luther said that John was famous for his finger which was always pointing to Jesus. The truth is that this is also what every disciple is called to do. We have the opportunity to point to Jesus with every choice and action we make. Unfortunately, more often than not our finger is point at ourselves rather than Jesus.

Disciples Love

Jesus said that people would know we follow him if we love like he loved. Love is to be a singular definer of the church. For this to be so, our love must be real and consistent. It cannot be shallow or contingent on what we receive in return. This kind of self-sacrifice demands that we be totally committed to love as our way of life.

Disciples Follow

Disciples Learn

The Bible is not a rule book. And its not an owner's manual. It is the beautiful story of God meant to envelope each of us. We read it to be taught the truth of the gospel and trained to live in response to the gospel. In the midst of a broken world and our broken lives, the Bible constantly pulls us back to the person and work of Jesus and the eternal love story of Creator God for the world.

Disciples Pray

For many Christians prayer is a hard reality. The truth is we aren't sure we know how to do it. That unfortunate reality has more to do with how we have seen people pray in church then what prayer truly is. When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, he taught them a memorable means of prayer which can serve as a wonderful paradigm to launch us into meaningful prayer.

Disciples Do Justice

How should followers of Jesus respond to the racial tension in our world? First, we must lament that this world is not the way God intended it to be. Second, we must have a vision of God's intention for humanity - unity through diversity. This reality is only possible through the gospel. Finally, we must act. We are called to embody God's future in the now so that everyone might know the the truth of who God is and what he has done through Jesus. So, we do justice, love mercy and walk with God i...

Disciples Worship

True worship is way more than the songs we sing on a Sunday. It comes knows God and values him above all other things. From this comes not only our songs of praise, but an entire way of life - a posture of submission, adoration and service to God. In this way, worship is holistic. Its any every moment reality that includes every part of us.

Disciples Go

Central to our identity as followers of Jesus is our call to go and make disciples. Contrary to the regular practice of the church, going is not just for some - it is for everyone. Going is not an option and it is also not geographically bound. Most of us will not be called to foreign lands, but we are still very much sent to the neighborhoods, workplaces and spheres of influence in which we find ourselves. As we share in the mission, the kingdom of God goes forward.

1 Corinthians - Final Instructions

In closing his letter to the Corinthians, Paul hits on some really important points for the church. As God's people, we must think beyond ourselves. We must learn to follow God and not simply our heart. We must value character over charisma. We must hold tightly to the gospel. And above all, we must love pervasively.

1 Corinthians - The Lord's Supper

The Lord's Supper is meant to be a unifying reality for the church and yet the Corinthians were using it to be divisive - honoring some above others. Paul reminds them that this is the very meal which symbolizes Jesus being shamed so that we might be honored as children of God. The only proper way to approach the communion table is as one unworthy and yet one graciously welcomed!

1 Corinthians - Head Coverings

In this often confusing passage about head coverings and hair length, Paul is emphasizing three centrally important realities for the Jesus follower. First, our cultural context matters and we should do our best to offer the gospel in context. Second, God created men and women not only for each other, but more importantly to better bear his image to the world. Finally, we must constantly ask ourselves in life, "Is this about my glory or God's glory?"

1 Corinthians - The Wilderness

As the Israelites moved from the Exodus to the Promised Land, they found significant struggle in the wilderness. Paul relates the Christian life in many ways to the wilderness - a place where our heart is divided in its allegiance to God and our former life. And his urgent plea to the Corinthians and to all Christians is to not look back to where we've come from so as not to be tempted into our previous way of life.

1 Corinthians - The Race

Paul loves to use the metaphor of a race to describe life. And for him the race well run is the gospel-centered life. How do you live this kind of life? You have to prepare now for the future and learn from the past. Knowing that not everyone makes it to the finish line, it is imperative that we put in the hard work of discipleship now.

1 Corinthians - A Gospel Centered Life

Paul is a truly remarkable testimony. His heart is centered on pursuing the glory of God and as a result he engages in ministry by embracing his sent-ness and sacrificing his rights and preferences to make the gospel known. Why does he do this? He has a deep love for God and a deep love for those who don't know God's love. How might are lives be different if we shared the passions of Paul?

1 Corinthians - For the Glory of God

The Bible gives us plenty of direction, but what about the ares it doesn't speak directly to - places where we don't have a right and wrong? In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul is helping them deal with this reality. His urge is to say "no" to license and "no" to legalism, while embracing liberty. Liberty won't acquiesce to legalism, but it values the glory of God above all things.

1 Corinthians - Singleness, Marriage and the Gospel

The Corinthian church had lots of questions for Paul. Is sex bad? Should we get divorced? Should we not bother with marriage at all? Paul uses his experience and the teaching of Jesus to effectively answer these questions. But his greater purpose is to show them that true identity comes from the gospel, not a marital status or lack thereof. In fact, it is our identity defined by the gospel that should inform us in how we engage life as married and single people.