Finding Hope in Our Stories Through Jesus' Love

 

Summary

Hope is the central theme that weaves through the narrative of our lives and the grand story of Jesus and His love. This world is a story, and at its heart is Jesus, whose love and glory are the ultimate hope. Each of us has a story, and while we may not always get the story we want, our hope lies in incorporating our broken stories into the greater story of God's love. The Bible itself is a story of God's self-giving love, beginning with creation and continuing through the trials and tribulations of humanity. God, the protagonist, desires to be with us, His people, despite the conflicts and rejections He faces.

Throughout history, God has repeatedly begun anew, from Noah to Abraham, and ultimately through Jesus. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are the climax of this divine narrative, where love endures the worst of hatred and evil. The resolution of this story is ongoing, as the Holy Spirit empowers the church to incorporate our stories into His. We are called to seek first the kingdom of God, moving towards love, joy, and peace in every moment.

Our lives are filled with moments that can have cosmic significance if we trust in Jesus and His love. Each scene in our lives can be a part of the great story, as we respond to challenges with gratitude, courage, and generosity. A powerful example of this is a story shared about a family who, despite being cursed at in a restaurant, chose to bless their persecutor by paying for her meal. This act of self-giving love reflects the cruciform life Jesus calls us to live, where dying to ourselves leads to true life and joy.

Our stories matter because they are part of the larger narrative of hope and love. By asking Jesus to help make our stories matter, we can find purpose and significance in every moment. This is why the Bible is a story, and why we have hope. Your story matters, and it is a part of the story of Jesus and His love.

Key Takeaways:

- Hope is found in the grand narrative of Jesus and His love, where our broken stories can be woven into the greater story of God's self-giving love. This hope is not about getting the story we want, but about finding our place in His story. [02:03]

- God's desire to be with us is the driving force of the biblical narrative, despite the conflicts and rejections He faces. This Emmanuel principle is a testament to God's relentless pursuit of relationship with humanity. [02:35]

- Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are the climax of God's story, where love triumphs over hatred and evil. This victory is not just historical but ongoing, as we are invited to participate in the resolution through the Holy Spirit. [05:47]

- Every moment in our lives can have cosmic significance if we seek first the kingdom of God. By responding to life's challenges with love, joy, and peace, we incorporate our stories into the greater narrative of hope. [07:32]

- Acts of self-giving love, like blessing those who persecute us, reflect the cruciform life Jesus calls us to live. This life of love and sacrifice leads to true joy and peace, making our stories part of the great story of Jesus and His love. [10:00]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:40] - The Reality of Hope
[00:57] - Personal Stories and Their Significance
[01:12] - Pasadena Memories
[01:37] - The Importance of Every Story
[02:20] - God's Self-Giving Love
[02:35] - The Emmanuel Principle
[03:06] - Conflict and Brokenness
[03:48] - God's New Beginnings
[04:32] - Jesus' Ministry and Conflict
[05:14] - The Climax of the Gospel
[06:00] - Incorporating Our Stories
[07:32] - Seeking the Kingdom of God
[08:03] - Cosmic Significance of Moments
[09:15] - A Story of Self-Giving Love
[10:34] - The Hope in Our Stories

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Genesis 3:1-19 - The Fall and the introduction of conflict and brokenness.
2. Matthew 5:44 - "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
3. Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

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Observation Questions:

1. How does the sermon describe the role of God as the protagonist in the biblical narrative? [02:35]
2. What examples from the sermon illustrate the concept of self-giving love? [09:15]
3. According to the sermon, what is the significance of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection in the grand narrative of hope? [05:47]
4. How does the story of the family in the restaurant reflect the teachings of Jesus about loving one's enemies? [09:15]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our personal stories can be woven into the greater story of God's love? [06:00]
2. How does the concept of the "Emmanuel principle" illustrate God's desire to be with humanity despite rejection? [02:35]
3. What does the sermon imply about the ongoing resolution of God's story through the Holy Spirit and the church? [06:00]
4. How does the sermon interpret the significance of moments in our lives having "cosmic significance"? [08:03]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a moment in your life that seemed insignificant at the time. How might it have had "cosmic significance" if viewed through the lens of God's story? [08:03]
2. Think of a time when you faced conflict or rejection. How can you incorporate that experience into the greater narrative of hope and love? [02:49]
3. The sermon highlights the importance of self-giving love. What is one practical way you can show self-giving love to someone who has wronged you? [09:15]
4. How can you actively seek first the kingdom of God in your daily life, especially in challenging situations? [07:32]
5. Consider a personal story of yours that you feel is broken. How can you invite Jesus to help make that story matter in the context of His love? [10:34]
6. Identify a person in your life who might be considered an "enemy" or someone difficult to love. What steps can you take to bless them this week, following Jesus' teaching? [10:00]
7. How can you cultivate gratitude, courage, and generosity in your responses to life's challenges, as suggested in the sermon? [07:49]

Devotional

Day 1: Hope in the Greater Story of God's Love
In the tapestry of life, hope is the thread that connects our individual stories to the grand narrative of God's love. Our personal stories, though sometimes marked by brokenness, find their true significance when woven into the greater story of Jesus and His love. This hope is not about achieving the life we envision but about discovering our place in His divine narrative. By embracing this perspective, we can find meaning and purpose even in the midst of life's challenges. [02:03]

"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a part of your life story that feels broken or incomplete. How can you invite God to weave this part into His greater story of love and redemption today?


Day 2: God's Relentless Pursuit of Relationship
The biblical narrative is driven by God's unwavering desire to be with His people, despite the conflicts and rejections He faces. This Emmanuel principle, meaning "God with us," is a testament to His relentless pursuit of a relationship with humanity. Throughout history, God has shown His commitment to being present with us, inviting us to experience His love and grace. This divine pursuit is a source of hope and assurance, reminding us that we are never alone. [02:35]

"And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people." (Leviticus 26:12, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. How can you open your heart to His presence and embrace His desire to walk with you today?


Day 3: The Ongoing Victory of Love
Jesus' life, death, and resurrection represent the climax of God's story, where love triumphs over hatred and evil. This victory is not confined to the past but is an ongoing reality that invites us to participate in its resolution through the Holy Spirit. As followers of Christ, we are called to live in the light of this victory, allowing His love to transform our lives and the world around us. By embracing this call, we become active participants in the unfolding story of redemption. [05:47]

"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere." (2 Corinthians 2:14, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you actively participate in spreading the fragrance of Christ's love and victory in your daily interactions?


Day 4: The Cosmic Significance of Our Moments
Every moment in our lives holds the potential for cosmic significance when we seek first the kingdom of God. By responding to life's challenges with love, joy, and peace, we incorporate our stories into the greater narrative of hope. This perspective encourages us to view each scene in our lives as an opportunity to reflect God's love and grace, transforming ordinary moments into extraordinary ones. [07:32]

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a routine or mundane task in your day. How can you approach it with a kingdom mindset, infusing it with love and purpose?


Day 5: Living a Cruciform Life of Love
Acts of self-giving love, such as blessing those who persecute us, reflect the cruciform life Jesus calls us to live. This life of love and sacrifice leads to true joy and peace, making our stories part of the great story of Jesus and His love. By choosing to respond to adversity with grace and generosity, we embody the transformative power of the gospel and invite others to experience the hope found in Christ. [10:00]

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone who has wronged you or whom you find difficult to love. How can you extend an act of self-giving love to them today, reflecting the cruciform life of Jesus?

Quotes


Everybody has a story everybody's story matters nobody gets the story they want our one hope is to incorporate our broken stories into this great story I love to tell the story we used to sing about this this is my story this is my song praising My Savior we have a story to tell to the Nations the Bible is a story of God and his love. [00:01:55]

Creation is an act of self-giving love of generosity for God to make his space for us but then in a story there's a protagonist in The Bible That's God and he has an object of desire and that's to be with people that's the Emmanuel principle that runs all the way through the Bible. [00:02:20]

This is the story over and over again of our hero God and the object of his desire to be with us and so finally he begins again with the person of Jesus and there is the inciting incident um his baptism the beginning of his ministry but then he's LED out into the Wilderness and there's Conflict for Jesus. [00:04:16]

In all of the Gospel you'll notice this about their structure it's a story I love to tell the story of Jesus and his love first half of the Gospel covers lots of ground years of his life and his ministry until we get to the last couple days of his life that occupies the entire back half of those books it slows way down why because this is the crisis. [00:04:55]

Love endures the worst that hatred and evil and death can throw at it it just keeps loving and that is Vindicated in the resurrection uh I love to tell the story of Jesus and his love and then the resolution we're still a part of that the Holy Spirit comes the church begins now we get to incorporate our story Into His Story. [00:05:41]

What matters most is not what happens to a character from the outside it's how does that character respond you read the story of Louis zerini and unbroken horrible things happen he's stranded on a raft in the Pacific for weeks and yet uh his resilience and uh his attitude just makes you admire him so deeply. [00:06:29]

Jesus word for this is seek first the kingdom of God the way I incorporate my story into that great story from one moment to the next is I look for how is God present here and how can I in this moment move towards um gratitude for all the amazing things that God has created or rest or courage or telling the truth. [00:07:26]

This moment can have Cosmic significance for you if I trust this man Jesus and his love and tell the story and put my story into it this last week I was at a spiritual formation conference and a friend John was telling me about uh years ago he and they had a young family they were not spending any money but somebody had given them a little bit of money. [00:08:05]

My friend decided he would use that to pay for their meal and then use the money that somebody had else had given them to go to the restaurant to pay for the meal of the woman that had cursed him in front of everybody and he told the server that was what he was going to do in the server why would you do that that's the right thing to do. [00:09:02]

He said that's the right thing to do his family go and they get in the car woman comes running out of the restaurant and she's in tears the manager of the restaurant she feels so bad about what happened and she said and I heard that you paid for the meal of the woman that yeah why would you do that finally he names the name of Jesus. [00:09:30]

The cruciform life the life of self-giving love ends up being the life that fills us with life the life which when we die to ourselves and our need for revenge and uh the triumphs of our little ego ends up making us come alive to love and joy and peace and then our stories become a part of that great story. [00:10:09]

This is my story I love to tell the story of Jesus and his love it's why the Bible is a story and that's why we have hope and that's why your story matters ask Jesus to help make your story matter today I love you. [00:10:32]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?