Embracing Hope: A Journey of Faith and Generosity
Summary
### Summary
Today, we gathered to reflect on the journey of our community and the path God is leading us on. We began by welcoming everyone, especially those new to our church, and emphasized our commitment to openly sharing where God is moving in our lives. I shared a personal story about the accessibility of pools in California compared to the Midwest, drawing a parallel to how we often take our faith stories for granted. Just as a private pool can go unused, our faith stories can become stagnant if we don't actively share them.
We explored the idea that our community at Menlo has always had a surplus of hope, a hope that overflows and extends to others. This hope is rooted in the understanding that our current circumstances are just a chapter in a much larger story that God is writing. I shared an anecdote about taking my sons to a Lego convention, illustrating how knowing the destination can make the journey more bearable, even enjoyable. This mirrors our faith journey, where trust in God's promises can help us endure present difficulties.
We delved into the history of God's people, the Jewish community, and their anticipation of a Messiah. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, emphasizes that Jesus is the fulfillment of that hope, bringing joy and peace to all who trust in Him. This joy and peace are not dependent on our circumstances but are gifts from the Holy Spirit, who lives within us. Paul encourages us to let this hope overflow, creating a surplus that we can share with others.
At Menlo, we are called to move from survival mode to revival mode, embracing a future filled with God's promises. We introduced our new strategy and vision, focusing on four kingdom qualities: being undivided followers, unhurried friends, sacrificial developers, and thoughtful witnesses. These qualities guide us in living out our identity in Christ every day, bringing hope to everyone we encounter.
We also highlighted the importance of financial generosity, not as a burden but as a blessing that God wants for us. As we look forward to the next decade, we are called to participate actively in God's mission, believing that the best is yet to come. Our journey together is a testament to God's faithfulness, and we are excited about the future He has in store for us.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Surplus of Hope: Our community at Menlo has always had a surplus of hope, a hope that overflows and extends to others. This hope is rooted in the understanding that our current circumstances are just a chapter in a much larger story that God is writing. Trusting in God's promises helps us endure present difficulties and share our hope with others. [33:44]
2. Joy and Peace from the Holy Spirit: Paul emphasizes that joy and peace are gifts from the Holy Spirit, not dependent on our circumstances. Joy is aligning our future hope with God beyond our present circumstances, and peace is the inner stability that exists even with outer volatility. Trusting in God more deeply allows these gifts to overflow in our lives. [37:06]
3. Living Out Our Identity in Christ: At Menlo, we are called to live out our identity in Christ every day, bringing hope to everyone we encounter. This involves being undivided followers, unhurried friends, sacrificial developers, and thoughtful witnesses. These kingdom qualities guide us in reflecting God's love and grace in our daily lives. [45:28]
4. The Blessing of Generosity: Financial generosity is not a burden but a blessing that God wants for us. When we give, we experience the joy of participating in God's mission and the blessing of seeing His work in our community. Generosity allows us to be part of something greater than ourselves, contributing to the growth and impact of our church. [54:27]
5. Moving from Survival to Revival: God is calling us to move from survival mode to revival mode, embracing a future filled with His promises. This shift requires active participation from all of us, stepping into community, serving, and giving. Believing that the best is yet to come, we are called to be part of a transformative movement in the Bay Area. [53:27]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[28:29] - Introduction and Prayer
[29:59] - The Legacy of Menlo
[30:59] - The Story of Pools
[32:43] - Sharing Our Faith Stories
[33:10] - Menlo's Surplus of Hope
[34:16] - The Source of Our Hope
[35:51] - The Anticipation of the Messiah
[37:06] - Joy and Peace from the Holy Spirit
[38:22] - Defining Joy and Peace
[39:00] - The Overflowing Hope
[40:23] - Tim Keller's Insight
[41:38] - Moving from Survival to Revival
[43:22] - Menlo's Mission and Strategy
[45:28] - Kingdom Qualities
[48:25] - The Growth Pathway
[49:55] - Celebrating God's Faithfulness
[51:55] - Financial Generosity
[53:27] - The Call to Participate
[55:30] - Closing Prayer and Reflection
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Romans 15:13 (NIV) - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
### Observation Questions
1. What does Paul mean when he refers to God as the "God of hope" in Romans 15:13?
2. How does Paul describe the relationship between trust in God and the experience of joy and peace? [37:06]
3. What are the four kingdom qualities introduced in the sermon, and how do they guide us in living out our identity in Christ? [45:28]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of having a "surplus of hope" through the story of the Lego convention? [34:16]
### Interpretation Questions
1. In Romans 15:13, Paul speaks of joy and peace as gifts from the Holy Spirit. How might these gifts manifest in a believer's life, especially during difficult times? [37:06]
2. The sermon mentions that our current circumstances are just a chapter in a larger story God is writing. How does this perspective help in dealing with present difficulties? [33:44]
3. The sermon calls for moving from "survival mode to revival mode." What might this shift look like in practical terms for an individual or a community? [53:27]
4. How does financial generosity serve as a blessing rather than a burden, according to the sermon? [54:27]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced joy and peace despite challenging circumstances. How did your trust in God play a role in that experience? [37:06]
2. The sermon encourages sharing our faith stories to prevent them from becoming stagnant. Who is someone in your life with whom you can share your faith story this week? [32:43]
3. Consider the four kingdom qualities: undivided followers, unhurried friends, sacrificial developers, and thoughtful witnesses. Which of these qualities do you find most challenging to live out, and why? [45:28]
4. The sermon speaks about the importance of financial generosity. What steps can you take to view your giving as a blessing and participate more actively in God's mission? [54:27]
5. How can you contribute to moving your community from "survival mode to revival mode"? Identify one specific action you can take this week to support this shift. [53:27]
6. The sermon mentions that our hope should overflow to others. Think of someone who might need hope right now. How can you practically extend hope to them this week? [33:44]
7. Reflect on the idea that our current circumstances are just a chapter in a larger story God is writing. How does this perspective change the way you view your current challenges and opportunities? [33:44]
Devotional
Day 1: Overflowing Hope
Our community at Menlo has always had a surplus of hope, a hope that overflows and extends to others. This hope is rooted in the understanding that our current circumstances are just a chapter in a much larger story that God is writing. Trusting in God's promises helps us endure present difficulties and share our hope with others. This hope is not just for us to hold onto but to share with those around us, creating a ripple effect of encouragement and faith.
When we understand that our lives are part of a grand narrative authored by God, we can find peace and strength even in challenging times. This perspective allows us to see beyond our immediate struggles and trust in the ultimate good that God is working towards. By sharing our stories of hope, we can inspire others to trust in God's promises and find their own strength in Him. [33:44]
Romans 15:13 (ESV): "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."
Reflection: Think of a recent challenge you faced. How did your faith help you navigate it? How can you share this story to encourage someone else today?
Day 2: Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Paul emphasizes that joy and peace are gifts from the Holy Spirit, not dependent on our circumstances. Joy is aligning our future hope with God beyond our present circumstances, and peace is the inner stability that exists even with outer volatility. Trusting in God more deeply allows these gifts to overflow in our lives.
These gifts are not fleeting emotions but deep-seated states of being that come from a relationship with God. Joy and peace are signs of the Holy Spirit's work within us, transforming our hearts and minds to reflect God's love and grace. By cultivating a deeper trust in God, we can experience these gifts more fully and allow them to influence our interactions with others. [37:06]
Isaiah 26:3 (ESV): "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."
Reflection: Identify an area of your life where you lack peace. How can you invite the Holy Spirit to bring peace and joy into this area today?
Day 3: Living Out Our Identity in Christ
At Menlo, we are called to live out our identity in Christ every day, bringing hope to everyone we encounter. This involves being undivided followers, unhurried friends, sacrificial developers, and thoughtful witnesses. These kingdom qualities guide us in reflecting God's love and grace in our daily lives.
Living out our identity in Christ means embodying these qualities in all our interactions and decisions. It means prioritizing our relationship with God and others, being intentional in our friendships, investing in the growth of others, and sharing our faith thoughtfully. By doing so, we become living testimonies of God's transformative power and love. [45:28]
Colossians 3:12-14 (ESV): "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
Reflection: Which of the four kingdom qualities do you find most challenging to live out? What practical steps can you take to grow in this area today?
Day 4: The Blessing of Generosity
Financial generosity is not a burden but a blessing that God wants for us. When we give, we experience the joy of participating in God's mission and the blessing of seeing His work in our community. Generosity allows us to be part of something greater than ourselves, contributing to the growth and impact of our church.
Generosity is a reflection of God's own nature, and by giving, we align ourselves with His heart. It is an act of trust, believing that God will provide for our needs as we contribute to His work. This act of giving not only supports the church's mission but also transforms our own hearts, making us more like Christ. [54:27]
2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (ESV): "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
Reflection: Reflect on your current approach to financial giving. How can you shift your perspective to see it as a joyful participation in God's mission?
Day 5: From Survival to Revival
God is calling us to move from survival mode to revival mode, embracing a future filled with His promises. This shift requires active participation from all of us, stepping into community, serving, and giving. Believing that the best is yet to come, we are called to be part of a transformative movement in the Bay Area.
Moving from survival to revival means shifting our mindset from merely getting by to actively pursuing God's vision for our lives and community. It involves stepping out in faith, engaging with others, and contributing to the collective mission of the church. By doing so, we become catalysts for change, bringing God's hope and love to those around us. [53:27]
Habakkuk 1:5 (ESV): "Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told."
Reflection: What is one specific way you can move from survival mode to revival mode in your spiritual life? How can you actively participate in God's transformative work in your community today?
Quotes
1. "If you're a person of faith, you have a story that you also can take for granted over time if you're not careful. We may feel like we've already told our story to the people in our life or maybe that our story doesn't compare to the story of other people who have a better pool, I mean story, than we do, right? But what we've been learning together over the course of this series is that all of us have a story worth sharing and that God is actually still writing our story today and that's really good news." [32:43] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Here at Menlo, our story has always had a surplus of hope. In a community where sometimes hope can be hard to find, in places where it can sometimes feel elusive, this has always been a community of people that leads with hope. From stories like the ones we've been watching together each week of this series to the amazing impact we'll talk about in just a few minutes to thousands of people who gather every weekend because they believe that God is still writing stories today." [33:44] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We have a surplus of hope that is bigger than the chapter we are in. We understand, if you're a follower of Jesus, that even if right now what you're facing is difficult, right now is not forever. Recently, I took our two youngest boys to a Lego convention. And none of us had been there before, but I had a sense of what we would come to expect. And because we hadn't been there before, and I have a five-year-old, he was constantly asking how much longer the drive would be, if he was going to get Legos that he would be able to keep." [34:16] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Joy, as defined by Paul, is a choice to align my hope, my hope for the future, my anticipated next, with God beyond my circumstances. I'm going to connect what I believe God's going to do, even if I don't see it. And peace is the inner stability that can exist even with outer volatility, because I have the Holy Spirit living inside of me. Paul is making the case, that when God is the source of our joy and peace, the more that we trust him, the greater that he supplies us with hope by the power of God living inside of us as Jesus followers." [38:22] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "It doesn't matter how difficult your life is presently. If you're a follower of Jesus, it's not forever. And it doesn't matter how good your life is if you're a follower of Jesus, because as good as it is now, it will only be better into eternity. Think about that pivot in your life, if you could believe that, if you could live that way. Can you live that kind of hope that outlasts the heartache that you might be living through today?" [40:23] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "The shift that God is calling us to make as a church is that we must move from survival mode to revival mode. I understand why we've been where we've been, and I also understand that now it is time to turn the page. My hope is to give you a few pieces of information to re-instill hope that God is not done with us, that God is not done with you. And this story of where God is taking us, when we think about it, the best is yet to come." [40:58] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "We need to show them the generosity of God practically in the way we live our lives. We need to become hope bringers in the way this shows up right here. Now for a lot of us, you know, the truest thing about us might be our job, or it might feel like our family, or it might feel like some other aspect of our life. But what we see over and over again in the pages of Scripture is that if you're a follower of Jesus, the truest thing about you is who you are in Jesus, your identity in Him." [44:28] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "We are consistent people trying to follow Jesus. The second of our kingdom qualities is that we're unhurried friends. That while we run at a pace that feels so frenetic and unsustainable, honestly, that instead we are glad and eager to make ourselves increasingly present with Jesus and others. Our third kingdom quality is that we are sacrificial developers. And I know this is very counter-cultural that for the most part we are incentivized in our culture to try to find the places where we can give the least to get the most." [46:26] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "We need to become hope bringers in the way this shows up right here. Now for a lot of us, you know, the truest thing about us might be our job, or it might feel like our family, or it might feel like some other aspect of our life. But what we see over and over again in the pages of Scripture is that if you're a follower of Jesus, the truest thing about you is who you are in Jesus, your identity in Him. And it's about how we show up as a son or a daughter of the King in every place that we live, work, learn, and play." [44:57] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "We need to show them the generosity of God practically in the way we live our lives. We need to become hope bringers in the way this shows up right here. Now for a lot of us, you know, the truest thing about us might be our job, or it might feel like our family, or it might feel like some other aspect of our life. But what we see over and over again in the pages of Scripture is that if you're a follower of Jesus, the truest thing about you is who you are in Jesus, your identity in Him." [44:28] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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