Pastor Duane's 2014 Annual Report
For the past 14 years, Pastor Duane Cross has been faithfully leading Hope Covenant Church. His report highlights many of the exciting things God has been doing over this past year. ...
Keep ReadingThe Pacific Southwest Conference is offering a discount for couples who register for "Weekend to Remember." Please use the discount code PSWC when registering and receive $100 off. The marriage retreat will be in Phoenix June 16-18....
Of all the emotions that a human can feel, fear is possibly the most impactful. Fear can seamlessly compel a person to act in ways that are not beneficial to their well-being. Fear is of the enemy......
It‘s true we often suffer some great disappointments, some expectations or plans we might have not always materialized. We may even feel like God’s left us hanging and that an illness or injury has taken him away from us. But remember, He is faithful. And the real upside of this is if we remain faithful we will live eternally with Him someday. ...
Love isn’t just for Valentines Day -- it’s what gets me up everyday. Love isn’t just for that one special someone -- it’s for everyone. The chance to care for and encourage those around me is an honor. Measure all things in your life by the “Rule of Love”. What would God have you do? What does love require? What breaks your heart, and what one thing can you do to help?...
Truth be told, I am not an elite athlete. When I was in kindergarten, I flunked “skip” (not sure how my self-esteem survived that report card, but that is another story). While early on, I was too uncoordinated to skip, I did play baseball, soccer, real football, and basketball when I was growing up. However, I was never endowed with the physical gifts to become what I call an elite athlete. What I do know though, is that God equipped me with the gifts to enjoy those sports and become the best athlete I could ever be....
There are many differences between God, as the Bible describes Him, and the Force of Star Wars but there’s a line from Han Solo in the new movie that sums it up. One of the new characters talks about how he’s going to do something that seems impossible and Han asks him how. The young man says, “I’ll use the Force,” and runs off. Han yells after him, “That’s not how the Force works, kid!” That’s not how a personal, caring God works either....
The plans of man will always fail, but the plan of God has already won its battle. If Christians are to actually make an impact in the world then they must collectively turn to the truths found in scripture alone. They must become engulfed in the transformative power of God through His word provided in the bible......
I hunger for simplicity. I want to approach God in childlike faith, wonder, and awe. I long for more than just spiritual life but spiritual health ...
For the past 14 years, Pastor Duane Cross has been faithfully leading Hope Covenant Church. His report highlights many of the exciting things God has been doing over this past year. ...
Keep ReadingIn this week's Hope Weekly article Pastor Brandon considers the missing link in many Christians' spiritual lives -mentoring relationships. These varied forms of spiritual friendships are absolutely vital to our development as followers of Christ. They offer us a way share our life with others and receive the coaching, advice, listening, and perspective that we need in our ...
Keep ReadingChristmas is here, the King has come... but what about the Kingdom? In the last couple weeks we have celebrated Christmas, the coming of Christ. In His coming we recognize as stated in Matthew 10:7 and Luke 10:9 that "The kingdom of heaven has come near." Why then, in Matthew 6:10, does Jesus instruct his disciples to pray that his kingdom come?Follow the link below to gl...
Keep ReadingMerry Christmas Hope Family! This is an old favorite story I came across many years ago but the message is timeless. Please be ready, He sent His Son to make the way. Get on the list early so you can enjoy the wait until He returns. I'm praying you all have a wonderful Christmas, filled with Christ's love. Love U, Pastor Barb --------------- 'Twas the night before Jesus ...
Keep ReadingThe ease with which one can conduct their business tends to make one less disciplined in their schedule. There is really nothing here you can do at 10 in the morning that you can not do at 10 at night. We even have a do it yourself all-night Post office. There is no line at midnight. And if the box you’re mailing is too big to fit in the bin, FedEx-Kinko's is right ...
Keep ReadingAs we have come through the season of Thanksgiving and now head into the Advent, I would like to encourage us to think about our worship. Is our love misguided, or are we appropriately directing our worship to God? Have you ever wondered why singing worship songs is part of our Sunday morning worship time? Is it just an old corporate tradition that has carried on?...
Keep ReadingHere's a question you're probably tired of hearing -- what is the meaning of Christmas? Everybody wants to tell us what Christmas is all about. There are all kinds of answers. Christmas is about people, presents, time with family, giving, children, shopping, memories, and much more. For many people the Christmas season is about people making the world a better place. Ye...
Keep ReadingWorry is associated with stress which is associated with elevated adrenaline levels in our body. In God’s design, adrenaline is for emergencies; for crisis situations that demand a “fight or flight†response. But in our western culture we’ve made “emergencies†out of many routine situations. So much so that many of us live each day as ...
Keep ReadingAs we prepare for Thanksgiving, let's prepare our hearts too. Are you truly thankful? Are you even thankful for the bad? If you're like me it's easy to be thankful for at the good but harder for the tough stuff. ...
Keep ReadingChurches and demographics are constantly changing. This article in Leadership Magazine gives some interesting insights into cultural dynamics. Enjoy....
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