Sunday, September 25, 2016

Life’s Essentials…Faith and Hope

Psalm 42:5
Today we focus on two places in life where people can become hopeless.  Cancer is a deadly disease and depression can be a killer as well.  One of life’s most desperate times is when an individual finds themselves without hope.  How do we hold on to hope in times of crisis?
Change and loss of control are major factors in hopelessness. 
Hope for the spirit is like oxygen is to air.
The nature of hopelessness includes a sense of helplessness.
National Suicide Prevention Week
Suicide is not chosen; it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain.
Suicide will not condemn a person to hell with no hope of salvation.  Jesus paid for ALL our sin and failures.
Depression evokes anger which creates life problems that intensify the lie that you are a bad person and self-hate results.
Cancer Awareness Sunday – FAITH and HOPE
The strength of hope is the source of that hope.  
“I hope that”, “I hope it” or “I hope they…” show trust in circumstances or people.  But the Christian says, “I hope IN God!
Hope is the interpretive lens that brings us determination in the midst of despair, courage in the midst of crisis, power in the midst of peril.
Hope is strengthened by reviewing the past care of God in our lives.  Lamentations 3:19-24
That which activates hope in our daily experience is power.
Notice these things about faith and hope…
  • Faith originates in the understanding, while hope rises in the will.
  • Faith is effected in actions. Hope is affected by vision
  • Faith concentrates on the truth. Hope looks to the love of God. 
  • By faith we begin, with hope we continue.  
Hope is “desire accompanied by expectation.”
God’s Love Triangle - 1 Corinthians 13:13
Hope stands on love; and faith stands on hope; you need all three, working together, before your life will work. 

Having Faith in God will bring Hope which is born again in our hearts through His everlasting love.    

Devotional Archive