Hope: Finding/Living/Giving

Fill out an Evaluation of the HOPE Series

2009-11-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

The Mini-Church Experience

2009-11-02T09:11:00.001-08:00

Check out some of the comments from Mini-Church Hosts and Mini-Church Members.

I just want to say thank you for taking on this group. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed it and look forward to it each week. It's a good mix of women and yet I feel as if there's no judging and we're all "in this together".

So looking forward to this Sunday it's is such an excellent and meaningful series.

It’s been amazing, in so many ways. One example of many - Last night our daughter was very impacted by the teaching in Crossroads, and it has begun a transformation in one of her friends which is an answer to prayer

I was encouraged when one person in the group who's been in the group since 40 Days of Purpose said something like, "I just realized the other day that you guys know a lot more about me than some other people that have known me for years... I feel comfortable sharing things here."

When we first met with our HOPE mini church we weren't quite sure how things would go. We had a few single people , a young engaged couple and a few married couples.We were a little concerned we would not have much in common. We were concerned at first that it was not going to be a good "fit". We decided to be optimistic about it and leave the group "as is". In our first meeting I started sharing something about my life that had been a struggle for our family for ten years. Low and behold another member of our group has also been struggling with the same thing for about the same amount of time. He was very glad that he had someone who understood. We felt the same way. The second meeting we had one of our members open up about an ongoing struggle he is experiencing. Wouldn't you know that in the past another member had struggled with the same thing, has been delivered by God and is now able to be of help to this young man! Our group has really been seeing the glory of God the past 2 weeks. We have seen more evidence that God does not make mistakes. He put our group together for a reason. We are all eager to meet each week to see what the Lord will reveal to us during our time together. We have also been very blessed by our time of song and worship. God is good. I would like to share one of my favorite Bible verses. Ecclesiastes 4: 9 and 10a “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down,his friend can help him up.”

Last night was so exciting...we could see the momentum grow! We have such a diversified group; we have ages from 15yrs to 87yrs! It has been so exciting to see our group grow with one another and support each other in words, prayers and actions.

I am praising God for answers to some of my prayers: This group of women has been put together by the Lord. This group has bonded during this series. The women really loved this series. We all recognize the work that went into this series by Faith's staff & appreciate it! We are looking forward to new ones in the future! We voted and wouldn't mind Kevin doing "cameo appearances" in future series.... LOL We all love him so! :( & :D (mixed emotions, of course! lol) We laid hands on one of the gals tonight in urgent need of prayer. Women prayed tonight that have never prayed out loud before. (Oh, the power of the Holy Spirit!) We are meeting in two weeks to discuss some books we are excited about because no one wants to lose our momentum. The gals are 'thanking me' for leading; whereas, I am so grateful for their coming and participating. I am blessed by them. Funny how that happens. :) I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but that's most of my heart full of praise and thanks to our Lord! I just want to give back to Him for all the teachings I have been under throughout the years and to reach women's hearts so they can serve Him and further His kingdom.

Neil's Story

2009-11-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

Follow-Up Challenge from Pastor Bob

2009-10-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

In our mini-church last night we had a good discussion about Martha and Mary. The pace of life often requires us to be like Martha - busy, running from one thing to the next, and – admittedly, sometimes frustrated with those around us who don’t seem willing to help. But it is the pace of our life that should make us more like Mary – at the feet of Jesus, seeking his peace and direction for our very lives.

All of us in our mini-church have our own personal devotional habits. We use the daily Bible reading schedule and the Daily Med. But we admitted that really spending time at Jesus’ feet, like Mary did, might not be so easy. So for the next 14 days, we challenged each other to spend 15 minutes a day at His feet - in prayer, worship, reading, or in whatever activity draws us close to Him.

I challenge you to join us for the next 14 days. Let’s see what God can do.

In His Hope,
Pastor Bob

Dan's Story

2009-10-26T07:24:00.001-07:00

Crossroads Teaching Part 1

2009-10-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

One really cool part of this series has been that all ages at Faith Church are part of it. Check out this video teaching from our High School ministry. Cool stuff!

Crossroads Teaching Part 2

2009-10-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

A Word from Pastor Kevin

2009-10-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

Not one of us travels far on the road of life without doing things we regret, saying things we wish we could take back, or thinking things that shock even us! These terrible things are labeled with one short and simple word: Sin!

The good news we are discovering and embracing through this week is that there is hope when we do terrible things. The grace of Jesus is always enough. The price He paid on the cross covers all of our sins. We are made new and cleansed when we embrace the free gift of salvation found in Jesus alone.

As you reflect on Peter's journey from confidence...to denying...to brokenness...to HOPE, I pray you can see yourself on a journey to a place of greater hope. As you look at Aaron's story at the Harvest Life service or in your mini-church, may God give you fresh perspective on grace, love, and the hope that are found in the heart of God.

Blessings,

Pastor Kevin

Terry's Story

2009-10-19T09:26:00.001-07:00

Faith at Home- Video for Parents

2009-10-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

Mark's Story

2009-10-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

Growing and Connecting in a Mini-Church

2009-10-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

We have been getting lots of great feedback from people participating in the Mini-Churches for this series. Here are some of their comments...

"We had an amazing time at mini-church last night. It was such a blessing to have new faces along with the eight of us who have been meeting all year. You could truly tell that God put this group together in the way only he can orchestrate! People were really willing to open up and share their fears and how God is their hope. It was so powerful!"

"My first meeting went great. I have to admit I was a bit nervous. The first time I was a "host" for a Mini-Church. But I am such a strong advocate for "HOPE" that I knew I could do this. The feedback that I got from the people in my group the next day was very positive. They all said they went home that night uplifted (with "hope" in their hearts)."

"It went really well. For it to have been the first time we all met, everyone opened up and really shared their thoughts. I feel we are off to a good start."

"It has been amazing to see how God brought the people in this Mini-Church together. Everyone has been very open and willing to share. The coolest part is seeing how God has people who have already gone through a hard time in their lives being able to encourage others in the group who are in the tough stuff right now."

"People are growing in new ways through this series. People are opening up and we have been able to pray with people who are sharing their hurts and struggles."

Hope for the Home

2009-10-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

What one thing did I take away from the message this weekend? For me, it was getting rid of the edict of fear that makes talking about Jesus in my home difficult. Will I say the wrong thing? Will I pray the wrong thing? Yes, I will get it wrong sometimes. Yes, instead of seeing God’s love shine through me, my faults and sinful nature will reveal something entirely different to my home. But, the edict of fear has to go in my life and my home. I’m convinced that I need to move forward in joy and hope as I talk about Jesus in my home. If I desire my children to embrace Jesus Christ and become fully devoted followers, then my actions need to verify that in my home. How about you?

We were intentional at providing resources for the home in this Hope Series. Fumble your way through them, make mistakes like the rest of us if you need to, but bring conversations of Jesus into your home. It will get easier the more you do it. Be encouraged with hope and joy as you talk about Jesus. Let our children see the hope we have in Jesus through our everyday conversations and actions in the home.

If you have children that worship in Treasureland, we provide online resources for ages 1 all the way through 5th grade. Faith Church ministries have a Parents of Faith fan group on Facebook. Join us. Every weekend during this series, there is a Take-it-Home section in the insert of the program with more suggestions to bring hope into our homes. This blog was meant for interaction, so share your stories of how you are moving forward in joy and hope at your home with us. Your story of hope may give someone else the encouragement they need to break through the edict of fear in their home.

Julia's Story

2009-10-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

Julia's story from this weekend - "Hope for the Home"

This Is My Hope

2009-10-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Host Information

2009-10-01T13:46:00.001-07:00

The HOPE Series kicks off this weekend! If you are a Host be sure to stop at the HOPE CENTRAL station at the campus you normally attend for...

a DVD (unless you Host at the Dyer Campus on Wednesday nights, then you do not need one)
the revised Mini-Church Questions with Host Tips
the half sheet for each member of your Mini-Church

You can also download the questions and member sheet at the right side of this blog. Check this blog for the weekly handouts and to stay informed about what is happening during this series.

My Friend

2009-09-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who loves the word hope. She has is displayed in different unique ways in her home. She has a shirt and a hat with the word hope on them. She has lots of great verses about hope highlighted in her Bible. She even memorized her favorite definition of hope, "the confident expectation that God will fulfill his promises". If you would meet her you could sense the joy and peace she has, and she speaks words of hope to many hurting people that God brings into her life.

This word became really meaningful to her when she had an infant son who was born with severe heart defects. At that time she says she held onto the hope that God could do a miracle and heal her son. God had a different plan, and what is so amazing, is that even after her infant son passed away, hope is still her favorite word. Now she holds onto the hope that she will see him again one day in heaven. She believes God's promises in His word, and that He will fulfill them.

HOPE: the confident expectation that God will fulfill his promises

Do you have hope?

Host Training

2009-09-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Today was our second Host training, and both trainings went really well. We are very excited about the people that God has prompted to Host Mini-Churches for this series. Please pray that lots of people sign up to join a Mini-Church in upcoming 2 weeks. We believe God will use this series to touch people in amazing ways and also help people experience the community and belonging of a Mini-Church.

A Monday Morning Look at Hope

2009-09-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

It is Monday morning. I have to admit that Mondays are usually hard for me. This Monday is no exception.

Hard Mondays are products of great weekends.

This last weekend was so full of life: hanging out with my wife and kids, being with friends, and being a part of Faith Church’s grand opening weekend—a new church campus opening in Valparaiso, the Cedar Lake campus moving venues ,and our Dyer campus changing its service times.

The weekend was full of life, laughter, and Kingdom movement, then came Monday morning. My back hurts, I need to get an oil change, the dogs are crazy, and the day seems too beautiful to be inside at work.

Mondays can be hard.

But I do have a remedy for hard Mondays: HOPE.

Dallas Willard writes, “Hope is anticipation of good not yet here, or as yet ‘unseen.’” Let's take a look at what Willard is saying:

Anticipation….Anticipation’s synonym is expectation. It is happy waiting. When my wife was pregnant, we were full of anticipation. We were so excited to have a new little boy in our house. What is interesting about anticipation is its surety. We knew that we were going to have a little boy. Apart from some kind of disaster, we were confident that our little boy was coming. Tied to this sure expectation is imagination. As we waited for our new little boy to be born, we imagined our lives when he finally would come home—holding him, watching him grow, and wondering what his personality would be like. It was happy imagining. It brought smiles to our faces and joy to our hearts. Thus, we can define biblical anticipation as: Happy waiting that is full of joyous imagination and sure expectation.

Good… Good’s synonym is love. Biblical good is God’s very best. When good happens in my life it is God’s very best being realized in my actual life. I have much good: a beautiful wife, great kids, an awesome job, real sobriety, and an amazing savior. This is all God’s best for me. It is good because it is from God. More than that, it is good because it reveals God’s glory. His good reveals how good He is. Thus, we can define biblical good as: God’s glorious action in my life.

Not yet here/yet ‘unseen’… Hope is what is going to happen. No one hopes for what happened yesterday (I sure hope my wedding yesterday goes well). Consequently, as Willard writes, “hope also is closely related to faith.” To have hope we must have faith. Willard continues, “Faith sees the reality of the unseen or invisible, and it includes a readiness to act as if the good anticipated in hope were already in hand because of the reality of God.” To have Christian hope we must believe (have faith) that God is good in our lives. Thus, we can define the ‘not yet’ of hope as: the reality that we are waiting (hoping) for what good God is going to do.

This Monday morning we are close to a definition of Hope: Hope is happy waiting that is full of joyous imagination and sure expectation of God’s glorious action in my life that will happen.

This morning, such hope brings a smile to my face.

I hope it makes you smile as well.

Hosting a Mini-Church

2009-09-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

Please consider Hosting a Mini-Church for this series. This is a great opportunity for you to build friendships with neighbors, co-workers, and those people you share life with. Invite them into your home (or the Dyer campus) to hang out and talk about life. This 5 week Mini-Church adventure will remind us that Jesus is the greatest hope in every situation we face, and challenge us to consider if we live like that is true.

What will the Mini-Churches be like?
The Adult Mini-Churches will be facilitated by Hosts using a DVD pack that has material for five Mini-Church sessions. The DVD pack will include a teaching by a Faith Church pastor, a testimony from an individual in the Faith Church family, and 3 Worship songs with graphics for each week.

How do I sign up to Host a Mini-Church?
Sign up here to attend a mandatory training on either Wednesday, September 16 from 6-8 pm or Saturday, September 19 from 9-11am.

Hope :) to see you there!

the HOPE series

2009-09-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

In a despairing world, Jesus gives us hope. The promise of hope can transform our homes. The promise of hope comforts us when we have messed up, refreshes us when we are burned out, and encourages us when we are doubtful. The promise of hope cradles us today when tomorrow seems unthinkable. This October, hook into the unswerving, steadfast Hope that changes EVERYTHING.

For five consecutive weeks, starting October 3, we will uncover and rediscover Hope during Weekend Worship complemented by Mini-Church gatherings. This is an opportunity for all ages to connect into Mini-Church life. Sign-ups begin September 19/20.

Hope is Coming Promo

2009-09-01T11:40:00.000-07:00