"Are we too heavenly-minded to be useful on earth or too earthly-minded to be useful in heaven?" In the first sermon of Anticipation: Just Beyond the Door, Senior Associate Pastor Pete Bowell leads us to ponder whether our heart posture focused on present earthly concerns instead of our heavenly future. In John 14, Jesus tells us, " Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepar...
Mar 13, 2023•26 min•Ep. 110
What is your vision for the pain in your life? David Dwight asks this provocative question as we closes out the sermon series with a focus on lament. Through our hard seasons, God invites us into lament, where we can co-operate with him to turn our pain into healing, our ashes into beauty, and our despair into praise. In Habakkuk 3, we are reminded of the power of "YET": "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no ...
Mar 06, 2023•33 min•Ep. 109
When we experience suffering and anguish, we are tempted to wonder "what's the point of living a "good life" if hardship comes to us anyway?" David Dwight reminds us that many of us experience this kind of frustration. In Psalm 73, the psalmist writes, "Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments." So what is the invitation in our suffering? If we are willing to take our suffering to ...
Mar 01, 2023•34 min•Ep. 108
Pete Bowell continues "The Way Through," a sermon series about grief, with the reminder that we are blessed in hardship. The Lord meets us in our lament and does not waste our seasons of suffering. He uses these challenges to deepen our faith and draw into closer relationship with him. Preaching from 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Pete reminds us that God comforts us in our troubles so that we may in turn comfort and encourage one another. We can be good listeners, good question askers, and provide help a...
Feb 22, 2023•33 min•Ep. 107
David Dwight begins "The Way Through," a sermon series about grief, with the encouragement that our hardships are normal. Jesus is acquainted with us in suffering and he walks with us in the valleys of life. Centering on Isaiah 61:1-3, David spoke about three things to take with us in our grief: perspective, faith, and support. As we walk by faith with the Lord in our trials and cling to his promises, we will become, "oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor....
Feb 22, 2023•36 min•Ep. 106
Matt Hartman shares reflections on the power and beauty of praying for one another from Colossians 1:9-13. God posts us as watchmen on a city's wall to pray the gospel into each other, so that the gospel comes out in our lives. In this way, we grow in our faith as we grow together in community. Find all sermons from this series at hopechurchrva.com/sermons
Feb 06, 2023•30 min•Ep. 105
Pete Bowell shares reflections on the holy ground of forgiveness from Psalm 51:1-12; 17. The cost of seeking and giving forgiveness is vulnerability. God’s unfailing love and great compassion is strong enough to blot out our sins. Seeking God’s forgiveness through prayer requires us to be vulnerable but draws us closer to him in authentic relationship. Pete reminded us that “ours is the forgiveness religion.” Forgiveness is part of the work we are called to as growing believers. Find all sermons...
Feb 05, 2023•29 min•Ep. 104
In the third teaching for our series, Senior Pastor Dr. David Dwight explores prayer in three different dimensions. All our prayers are valued and received by God, but he most desires immersive prayer in which we are fully present and vulnerable before him, when we can grow in intimacy with him. Intimacy with God creates a deep desire for unity, which leads us to God’s glory. Scriptures referenced: John 17:20-26; Luke 3:21-22; Romans 8:38; Colossians 1:27
Jan 23, 2023•29 min•Ep. 103
In the second teaching for our series, Senior Pastor Dr. David Dwight explores the concept of Lordship, starting in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. In Lordship, we align our lives in submission to the things that are most important to us. Through prayer, we align our hearts to God's Lordship, which leads to life and pursuit of our highest calling.
Jan 17, 2023•38 min•Ep. 102
Start the new year with a deep breath. Senior Pastor Dr. David Dwight kicks off a new sermon series, Breathe, with an invitation to explore prayer as described in Ephesians 1:15 -20. Prayer is an invitation to an intimate relationship with the creator of the universe who offers us his hope, his inheritance, and his power. Through prayer, God offers us deeper relationship and greater intimacy with him. We have an opportunity to grow, leaving our greatest concerns with God in prayer and trusting h...
Jan 09, 2023•37 min•Ep. 101
Today, Senior Pastor David Dwight continued our Advent sermon series The Surprise of Christmas with a message called "Big in the Small." He reminded us that though Christ's birth was humble and small in relation to all that was going on in the world, Jesus' birth harkened back to the promise made back in Genesis that God would defeat the powers of evil and death. The Creator had entered his creation and will redeem it all. This amazing and baffling plan of God is his love at work among us. May w...
Dec 19, 2022•32 min•Ep. 100
It's week three of our Advent sermon series, and today's sermon from Senior Pastor David Dwight focuses on the humble shepherds - the disregarded ones whom God chose to tell first about the birth of Jesus. In the Christmas story, it becomes apparent very early on that God is doing something big in unexpected ways - His kingdom is unfolding and it is not how we expected at all. May we have willing and humble hearts to respond to His invitation to "come and see" what the Lord is doing and the surp...
Dec 12, 2022•35 min•Ep. 99
In week two of our Advent sermon series The Surprise of Christmas, Senior Pastor David Dwight teaches on the manger — the feed trough where our newborn Savior was laid in place of a crib or cradle. There's something significant about this, though... the modest being used for the most majestic, this space where food was placed being used for Jesus, who we know as the Bread of Life, the Passover Lamb, the Giver and Sustainer of Life in ways not even Mary could have known or understood when she lai...
Dec 05, 2022•36 min•Ep. 98
Advent is here — the season of anticipating the coming of our Savior, Christ the King. There’s much that is surprising about Christmas, and we’ll be exploring that throughout our new sermon series, The Surprise of Christmas! Pastor Pete Bowell kicks off the series with "Bethlehem" focusing on Matthew 2:-12. A key thought from this message: Don't despise the day of small beginnings.
Nov 30, 2022•26 min•Ep. 97
“Come here, angel! Good boy! Who wants his tummy rubbed?” said no one ever. Angels might sound cute but they’re actually zealous, protective messengers from God. Senior Pastor David Dwight shares the purpose God gives to angels, and the passion they have for serving God. Spoiler alert: we don’t get wings when we die. Scripture referenced: Matthew 4:6-7, Psalm 34:7 Happy Thanksgiving from all of us to all of you. We’ll be back next week to begin our advent sermon series. Want to join us at the Al...
Nov 21, 2022•37 min•Ep. 96
Ever seen a “swing angel?” You know, the times when your (or someone else’s) kids just barely got out of an obstacle headed right at them? Family Ministries Pastor Kyle Freedman tells us about the times he’s seen swing angels and where we might see angels caring for us in our lives. Scripture referenced: Psalm 91:11-12, Hebrews 1:14, Matthew 13:39-42, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 For more information or ways to get involved, visit hopechurchrva.com...
Nov 14, 2022•32 min•Ep. 95
Hollywood and pop culture have depicted angels as supernatural, always-present beings, but what do angels actually do? Executive Pastor Wes Peterson walks through the workings of angels in both the Old and New Testament, and how they bridge the gap between holy and human. Scripture referenced: Luke 1:26-28, 38, Psalm 91:11-12 For more information or ways to get involved, visit hopechurchrva.com
Nov 07, 2022•29 min•Ep. 94
Nov 02, 2022•37 min•Ep. 93
Hope Church began in 1997 in an elementary school cafeteria; 25 years later, Pete and David reflect on two and a half decades of making a great place to find life. We're making a book of letters for the Dwights and Bowells. Letters can be submitted here .
Oct 24, 2022•21 min•Ep. 92
Scripture referenced: Hebrews 4:1-3, Psalm 1:1-3
Oct 17, 2022•29 min•Ep. 91
This week, Pastor Pete talks about the hope we have in Christ, our anchor. He is the only true anchor and he holds – no matter the storm we may face. May today’s message provide comfort and steadfastness for those feeling weary and burdened. Scripture referenced: Hebrews 6:17-20
Oct 11, 2022•30 min•Ep. 90
This week, Pastor David reads and teaches from Psalm 42. He talks about how our souls were made by God to be tethered to, integrated with, and fulfilled by him and him alone.
Oct 03, 2022•33 min•Ep. 89
Pastor David continues our sermon series, Flourishing Soul, as he teaches about what it means to have a contented soul. He reads from the book of Philippians and uses Paul’s words and teaching to reorient us to our only source of true contentment – regardless of our circumstances. Scripture referenced: Philippians 4:4-13 / Matthew 6:7 / Psalm 42:5 / Luke 10:40-42
Sep 26, 2022•35 min•Ep. 88
This week, Pastor David begins our new sermon series: Flourishing Soul. He comes alongside us in the difficult task of defining what a soul is and how we take care of it or how we often don’t take care of it well. He invites us into a space of communion with God and to the truth of God’s love as the way to a nourished soul. Scripture referenced: Psalm 103:1-5
Sep 19, 2022•38 min•Ep. 87
This week, we heard from our new West Creek Campus pastor, Matt Hartman, for the first time. He brings a powerful and authentic word on the hope we have in Christ. He talks about how this hope can be misunderstood and mistakenly defined by our culture. Instead, we’re offered a real hope that brings life in Christ alone and it is only through Christ that we have this hope at all. Scripture references: Acts 26:1– 23 / Acts 1:8 / Acts 20:21-24 / 1 Timothy 1:12-16
Sep 12, 2022•29 min•Ep. 86
This week, Pastor Pete teaches from Acts chapter 17, reminding us that in God, we live and move and have our very being. God is not far from us. God is always present with us, even when God isn’t apparent. Scripture referenced: Acts 17:16-28a
Sep 06, 2022•35 min•Ep. 85
This week, Pastor Wes teaches from Acts chapter 15, when the early Church experiences division among themselves. He talks about the problem of disunity in the Church today and helps bring us back to the Cornerstone of our faith: salvation that is found in Christ alone. Scripture referenced: Acts 15:22-31
Sep 06, 2022•24 min•Ep. 84
This week, Pastor Dan teaches about the story of Peter’s miraculous escape from prison in Acts chapter 12. He talks about the power of Christ compared to the power of man, the power of our prayer, and the freedom available to us in Jesus. Scripture referenced: Acts 12:1-19
Aug 22, 2022•27 min•Ep. 83
This week, Pastor David talks about how the persecution of the early church caused Christians to scatter out from Jerusalem. Ultimately, this began the spread of the gospel to unreached places. This sermon helps us to see the importance and the beauty of moving outward into the world instead of staying put. Scripture referenced: Acts 8:1-8
Aug 08, 2022•33 min•Ep. 82
Pastor Dan Yoon continues our sermon series teaching from Acts chapter 5, when the disciples of Jesus declare their position to witness to the world about all that Christ had done and is doing. He invites us to consider what it would look like for us to be witnesses of these things too. Scripture referenced: Acts 5:17-42
Aug 01, 2022•33 min•Ep. 81
