Embracing Hope: Trusting God's Promises for Eternity

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing God's Grandeur

God's plans for us are far greater than our own desires. We are encouraged to expand our prayers and patiently wait for the magnificent things God has prepared for us, rather than settling for earthly possessions. [01:04:28]

Ephesians 3:20 - "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."
Reflection: What is one thing you've been praying for? How can you expand that prayer to align more with God's grandeur and less with earthly desires?

Day 2: Beneficiaries of Eternal Hope

We are the recipients of the hope of Christ's return and the promise of eternity with Him. Our adoption into God's family is not based on our own efforts or qualifications, but on what Jesus has done for us. [01:05:53]

Titus 3:7 - "So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."
Reflection: How does the promise of eternity with Christ shape your daily life? What changes can you make to live more in line with this eternal perspective?

Day 3: Anchoring Hope in Christ

Our hope should not be anchored in this world or in each other, but in Christ as our sooncoming King. We should prepare for the moment of the Rapture by guarding our lives and ensuring that we are under the blood of Jesus. [01:08:35]

Colossians 3:2 - "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
Reflection: What are some earthly things that you've placed your hope in? How can you shift your hope to Christ and His promises?

Day 4: Enduring Troubles with Eternal Perspective

Though our present troubles may seem significant, they are temporary and lead to an eternal glory that will last forever. We may question God's presence in difficult situations, but we will realize later on that God was always there. [01:09:55]

2 Corinthians 4:17 - "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."
Reflection: What current trouble can you view with an eternal perspective today? How does this shift in perspective change your approach to the situation?

Day 5: Generosity as Worship

Our church's efforts to support single parent households and families in need during the holidays is a testament to the importance of generosity and worship in funding ministry initiatives. We should contribute to these efforts and trust that our contributions will be used as intended. [49:07]

Proverbs 19:17 - "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done."
Reflection: How can you demonstrate generosity in your life today? What is one practical step you can take to support those in need in your community?

Sermon Summary

The sermon begins with the speaker discussing the concept of hope and its relation to faith. The speaker emphasizes that hope is a future tense word, and what God wants to give us is always far better than what we want Him to give us. The speaker encourages the audience to make their prayers bigger and to wait for the great things that God has in store for their lives, rather than settling for material goods on earth. The speaker then assures the audience that God is working behind the scenes, building mansions and preparing a place for them in eternity. The hope of Christ's return and the promise of eternity with Him is meant for the audience, and they are reminded that they are the beneficiaries of this hope.

The speaker introduces the fact that their church is an Assembly of God church and emphasizes that they are a Pentecostal church as well. They mention that the church has 16 fundamental truths, which they will be discussing in detail over the next several weeks. The first fundamental truth they focus on is the Blessed hope that believers have in Christ. The speaker then shares a unique definition of hope as the confident expectation of what God has promised, highlighting the importance of communication and managing expectations in relationships.

The speaker emphasizes that Jesus not only died for our sins and provided a way for us to be reunited with the Father, but he also sealed our eternity. The speaker mentions that Jesus promised to come back for us, and our hope should not be in this Earth or in one another, but in Christ as our sooncoming King. The speaker acknowledges that there are mysteries in scripture, but emphasizes the importance of being ready for the moment of the Rapture by guarding our lives and ensuring that we are under the blood of Jesus.

The speaker discusses the concept of enduring troubles and finding hope in the eternal glory that awaits believers. The speaker references a passage from 2 Corinthians chapter four, emphasizing that although present troubles may be small and temporary, they ultimately lead to a glory that will last forever. The speaker shares personal experiences of questioning God's presence in difficult situations but realizing later on that God was always there. The speaker acknowledges that the journey of faith may not always get easier, but assures the audience that they will never have to walk alone.

The speaker concludes the sermon by discussing the church's efforts to support single parent households and families in need during the holidays. They encourage the congregation to contribute gift cards, which will be packaged and delivered to these families before December. The speaker assures the congregation that they vet the recipients to ensure the gift cards are used as intended. After discussing the holiday assistance program, the speaker transitions to the topic of tithes and offerings, explaining the various ways the congregation can give. They emphasize the importance of generosity and worship in funding ministry initiatives like the recent outreach event called "Light the Night."

Key Takeaways

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Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NIV) — > "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words."

2. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NIV)
> "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

3. Romans 8:23-25 (NIV)
> "Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

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Observation Questions

What does 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 say about the return of Christ and the hope it brings to believers?
According to 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, how should believers view their present troubles?
In Romans 8:23-25, what are believers eagerly waiting for, and how does this relate to the concept of hope?
What did the speaker mean by saying that hope is a "future tense word"? [01:04:28]

Interpretation Questions

How does the promise of Christ's return in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 provide encouragement to believers? [01:05:53]
What does it mean to have a "confident expectation" in God's promises, as described in the sermon? [01:05:53]
How can the understanding that present troubles are "small and temporary" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) change a believer's perspective on their current challenges? [01:09:55]
Why is it important for believers to focus on the unseen and eternal rather than the seen and temporary, according to 2 Corinthians 4:18? [01:09:55]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you felt disappointed because your expectations were not met. How can you shift your focus to the greater things God has in store for you? [01:04:28]
The speaker mentioned the importance of making our prayers bigger and waiting for God's great plans. What specific prayers can you start praying with greater faith and expectation? [01:04:28]
How can you remind yourself daily that your hope should be in Christ and not in earthly things or people? [01:08:35]
Think of a current trouble or challenge you are facing. How can you view this situation in light of the eternal glory that awaits you, as described in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18? [01:09:55]
The speaker shared personal experiences of questioning God's presence in difficult times. How can you cultivate a habit of recognizing God's presence even when it is not immediately apparent? [01:09:55]
The church is supporting single parent households and families in need during the holidays. How can you contribute to this effort, and what does this teach you about the importance of generosity and worship? [49:07]
Reflect on the concept of being "ready for the moment of the Rapture" by guarding your life and ensuring you are under the blood of Jesus. What steps can you take to live a life that reflects this readiness? [01:08:35]

Sermon Clips

"What God wants to give us is always far better than what we want God to give us... even in their bigness, it's still only scratching the surface of what God's real intentions are for our lives." #!!01:05:12!!#

"We have a hope in Jesus... we have a confident expectation in Jesus." #!!01:05:53!!#

"For our present troubles which we all deal with them are small and won't last very long... yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever." #!!01:10:31!!#

"We are the beneficiaries of Hope... Ephesians 2 says that we are God's Masterpiece created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Whether you acknowledge it or not, when God looks at you he sees a masterpiece." #!!01:18:54!!#

"The waiting game is the hard part right because it's easy to forget when we're waiting what's going on behind the scenes in preparation for what we're about to get all we get focused on is when is this going to happen we start checking the watch we start getting antsy we don't sit still well because we're like I just want it and all along Jesus is like look I'm coming back I'm coming again that's your blessed hope but I got to go prepare a place for you I got to build some stuff I got to get some things organized I got to I got to make what you're about to inherit the greatest thing that you've ever seen" (#!!01:15:39!!#)

"Our hope is not in this Earth in this world and in this culture and in this society and really even in one another because I can't get you in the door I can get you in audience with the guy who can but I can't get you in the door right our hope this morning is in Christ not just that he's our savior but he's also our sooncoming King." (#!!01:07:12!!#)

"This does not mean that he will put the elements of the body together again for Resurrection is not reconstruction... I just know that I need to be ready for when that moment whenever it is happens and that's my responsibility to guard my life and to make sure that my life is under the blood of Jesus and he's my Lord and Savior that I'm trying every day to look and reflect him the best of my abilities." (#!!01:08:35!!#)

"Hope biblically is The Confident expectation of what God is promised and its strength is in his faithfulness." #!!53:02!!#

"your generosity and your continuation of worship and your giving is what funds that type of ministry so again we just #!!50:39!!# like to say it as often as we can thank you so much for sewing into this campus and into the city of waren uh because this where God has put us amen" #!!50:39!!#

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