Blog https://www.hopechurchchandler.com Mon, 18 Mar 2024 22:24:23 -0600 http://churchplantmedia.com/ Weekend to Remember https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/weekend-to-remember https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/weekend-to-remember#comments Wed, 24 May 2017 20:00:00 -0600 https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/weekend-to-remember Scanned from a Xerox Multifunction Printer

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Scanned from a Xerox Multifunction Printer

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A Life of Power https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/a-life-of-power https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/a-life-of-power#comments Mon, 29 Feb 2016 10:00:00 -0700 https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/a-life-of-power 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.

As I leave for my first overseas mission trip to India this upcoming weekend, I cannot help but feel a sense of anxiety; I cannot help but itch that suppressed tingling emotion of fear. The unknown is ahead of me, and I don’t know the endgame. I don’t know if I will make it back safely or not. And that’s okay.

Dwelling on the unknown causes a cowardly response to God’s bold demand. This week before I leave I have been reciting the truth of 2 Timothy 1:7 that says, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Reading that passage for the first time makes it easy to believe that we are not to be fearful. And then, if you are like me, when fear comes in, you can feel weak. Something that has changed my perspective though has been shifting my focus to the latter part of the passage.

What would happen if we become consumed in by the fact that we have the POWER, LOVE, and SELF-CONTROL of God within us? I’ll tell you what happens because it’s exactly what happened inside of me: The strength of fear dwindles in the shadow of the Creator’s presence within me.

Whatever may be causing you to fear or doubt the goodness of God’s divine plan, I ask you to dwell on the positivity of His word. Dwell in Him, and all things that are good become possible.


God Bless,

anthony_th
Anthony Espindola

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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.

As I leave for my first overseas mission trip to India this upcoming weekend, I cannot help but feel a sense of anxiety; I cannot help but itch that suppressed tingling emotion of fear. The unknown is ahead of me, and I don’t know the endgame. I don’t know if I will make it back safely or not. And that’s okay.

Dwelling on the unknown causes a cowardly response to God’s bold demand. This week before I leave I have been reciting the truth of 2 Timothy 1:7 that says, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Reading that passage for the first time makes it easy to believe that we are not to be fearful. And then, if you are like me, when fear comes in, you can feel weak. Something that has changed my perspective though has been shifting my focus to the latter part of the passage.

What would happen if we become consumed in by the fact that we have the POWER, LOVE, and SELF-CONTROL of God within us? I’ll tell you what happens because it’s exactly what happened inside of me: The strength of fear dwindles in the shadow of the Creator’s presence within me.

Whatever may be causing you to fear or doubt the goodness of God’s divine plan, I ask you to dwell on the positivity of His word. Dwell in Him, and all things that are good become possible.


God Bless,

anthony_th
Anthony Espindola

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Faithless or Faithful https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/faithless-or-faithful https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/faithless-or-faithful#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2016 13:00:00 -0700 https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/faithless-or-faithful
Do you ever feel faithless? Like maybe your ability to trust God for the day, the week, or even forever, is slipping away?

Well, one of the great promises from God's word comes from another Christ-follower as he wrote to his young friend, Timothy. These three verses in 2 Timothy Chapter 2 might even have been an early Christian hymn or praise song, “but one thing is true… God is always faithful to his children.”

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. We’ll actually live in Christ’s kingdom and share and experience the many unbelievable things the Father has prepared for us.

So don’t turn away from God … because He promises you a wonderful future with Him. If you were here last Sunday, Scott shared this powerful verse:

“If we are faithless, He (God) remains faithful for he cannot deny who He is.” (2 Timothy 2:13 -NLT)

That’s what it’s all about. He remains faithful to us even when we are faithless. Let that promise take your faithlessness away and start today your journey of faith with Jesus.


timm_th01

Pastor Timm

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Do you ever feel faithless? Like maybe your ability to trust God for the day, the week, or even forever, is slipping away?

Well, one of the great promises from God's word comes from another Christ-follower as he wrote to his young friend, Timothy. These three verses in 2 Timothy Chapter 2 might even have been an early Christian hymn or praise song, “but one thing is true… God is always faithful to his children.”

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. We’ll actually live in Christ’s kingdom and share and experience the many unbelievable things the Father has prepared for us.

So don’t turn away from God … because He promises you a wonderful future with Him. If you were here last Sunday, Scott shared this powerful verse:

“If we are faithless, He (God) remains faithful for he cannot deny who He is.” (2 Timothy 2:13 -NLT)

That’s what it’s all about. He remains faithful to us even when we are faithless. Let that promise take your faithlessness away and start today your journey of faith with Jesus.


timm_th01

Pastor Timm

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Love Does https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/love-does https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/love-does#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2016 13:00:00 -0700 https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/love-does
Happy day after Valentine’s Day, Hope Family!

With Valentine’s day just behind us, I wanted to encourage you to try a new Bible Study. This one came to me in one of my morning devotional emails (Remember I was telling you about them last month, when Pastor Scott challenged us to take 15 minutes). Bob Goff is one of my favorite authors. If you haven’t read “Love Does”, you should.

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?

Love U,

barb_th01
Pastor Barb

Download a copy here.


Love Does Study with Bob Goff - FaithGateway_Page_1

Love Does Study with Bob Goff - FaithGateway_Page_2

Love Does Study with Bob Goff - FaithGateway_Page_3

Love Does Study with Bob Goff - FaithGateway_Page_4 

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Happy day after Valentine’s Day, Hope Family!

With Valentine’s day just behind us, I wanted to encourage you to try a new Bible Study. This one came to me in one of my morning devotional emails (Remember I was telling you about them last month, when Pastor Scott challenged us to take 15 minutes). Bob Goff is one of my favorite authors. If you haven’t read “Love Does”, you should.

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?

Love U,

barb_th01
Pastor Barb

Download a copy here.


Love Does Study with Bob Goff - FaithGateway_Page_1

Love Does Study with Bob Goff - FaithGateway_Page_2

Love Does Study with Bob Goff - FaithGateway_Page_3

Love Does Study with Bob Goff - FaithGateway_Page_4 

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Elite Athletes https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/elite-athletes https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/elite-athletes#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2016 13:00:00 -0700 https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/elite-athletes
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.

Over the past few weeks, Pastor Scott has been teaching us how to “get fit”—spiritually, physically, relationally, and financially. While listening to this series, it has become pretty clear that there are some common threads between the methods required to become fit in these different ways. In particular, there seems to be a lot of parallelism between physical and spiritual fitness.

Paul, used the analogy of athletics with spiritual growth on more than one occasion. In his letter to the Hebrews he wrote:

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12: 1-3)

A runner in a race must persevere so that he can win the prize. Jesus was the perfect example of discipline and perseverance as he was focused on the cross and withstood incredible hardship to win the prize.

bikes2-22-862

 

Hardship = Discipline

Right now I am training for a 225 mile bicycle ride to Mexico to raise money to support 1Mission (a mission organization Hope is involved with that builds home for those in need in Mexico and South America). Even though I ride pretty regularly throughout the year, it would be an extreme challenge to get on my bike one day and ride 125 miles without preparation. For the last two months I have steadily increased my riding distance from about 25 miles to about 70 miles. In a couple of weeks I will ride my maximum training distance of 80 miles.

One lesson I have learned is that every time I increase riding distance, I incur pain. Since every ride is longer than the previous one, each ride is painful—I never have a chance to get comfortable. At the same time, my body is becoming more disciplined. It is getting prepared to meet the challenge of a much longer ride. This is no different than our spiritual walk. We need to continue to push ourselves out of the comfort zone if we are going to survive the more difficult times.

Let’s face it, as Americans we don’t face the same trials that many people do in other places, and certainly not the challenges Paul’s audience was dealing with in his letters. He told them to “endure hardship as discipline (Hebrews 12:7)”. Maybe we need to create some “artificial spiritual hardship” in our lives to push us out of our comfort zone. What is it that makes your spiritual walk comfortable?

What do you need to change to push yourself out of the comfort zone and prepare you for bigger challenges in life? Isn’t this what training is all about?

Sometimes you have to train alone

The second thing I have learned with endurance training is that I have to be able to spend time training by myself. This means I have to set aside distractions and other activities that may be more pleasant (i.e. watching football on Sunday afternoon, taking a nap, work, or whatever else I can think of). Sometimes I just have to get on the bike and endure the pain by myself. The benefits are great because, I can’t always depend on someone else’s schedule to line up with my own.

My wife Joy is probably the most disciplined person I know. She runs, does Yoga, does work-out routines, and most importantly, she does them consistently. She has always been driven to stay physically fit. At the same time, she is extremely disciplined spiritually. She keeps up with quiet times, and prepares for multiple weekly bible studies. Can it be that she has built discipline into her character? What do you and I need to do to become more disciplined individuals? What do you need to sacrifice so that you can do more “individual spiritual training”?

Sometimes you need to train with others

Even with all your discipline, at times you will find that you need help. For me, riding more than 50 miles at one time is a chore. Physically I can do it, but mentally it is a struggle. I have found a fix for this by riding with other people who are in training. For some reason, it is easier for me to get on my bike when I know someone else is going through the exact same thing. I overlook the pain as I know there will be comradery and fellowship. I also know that other riders will help me out.

I am told that riders in a peloton (a group of cyclists) expend approximately 30% less energy than an individual rider due to the “drafting” effect of reduced wind resistance. For this reason, cyclists riding together rotate from the front of the “pace line” to the rear where they can recover and benefit from the strength of others. What a great analogy for the “spiritual ride”. While we do become disciplined by ourselves, sometimes we need to be able to both help others (provide the windbreak) and also benefit from the help others provide. What better reason to join a weekly small group? Think of how you can help someone else’s spiritual walk, and how someone else can help you in yours.

Tour de Spirit

I mentioned at the start that I am not an elite athlete. I am OK with that. I am not going to race in the Tour de France. I probably won’t end up with the faith that Paul had. However, God gave me the ability to be the best that I can be, and I must train both physically and spiritually to get there. It requires discipline, hardship, sacrifice, and dependence on others. As Pastor Scott has noted, we need to be both spiritually and physically fit. Seems like the same qualities are required for both. It all comes down to discipline, and discipline requires enduring hardship.

 

Gary B 1Mission

Gary Boydston

]]>

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.

Over the past few weeks, Pastor Scott has been teaching us how to “get fit”—spiritually, physically, relationally, and financially. While listening to this series, it has become pretty clear that there are some common threads between the methods required to become fit in these different ways. In particular, there seems to be a lot of parallelism between physical and spiritual fitness.

Paul, used the analogy of athletics with spiritual growth on more than one occasion. In his letter to the Hebrews he wrote:

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12: 1-3)

A runner in a race must persevere so that he can win the prize. Jesus was the perfect example of discipline and perseverance as he was focused on the cross and withstood incredible hardship to win the prize.

bikes2-22-862

 

Hardship = Discipline

Right now I am training for a 225 mile bicycle ride to Mexico to raise money to support 1Mission (a mission organization Hope is involved with that builds home for those in need in Mexico and South America). Even though I ride pretty regularly throughout the year, it would be an extreme challenge to get on my bike one day and ride 125 miles without preparation. For the last two months I have steadily increased my riding distance from about 25 miles to about 70 miles. In a couple of weeks I will ride my maximum training distance of 80 miles.

One lesson I have learned is that every time I increase riding distance, I incur pain. Since every ride is longer than the previous one, each ride is painful—I never have a chance to get comfortable. At the same time, my body is becoming more disciplined. It is getting prepared to meet the challenge of a much longer ride. This is no different than our spiritual walk. We need to continue to push ourselves out of the comfort zone if we are going to survive the more difficult times.

Let’s face it, as Americans we don’t face the same trials that many people do in other places, and certainly not the challenges Paul’s audience was dealing with in his letters. He told them to “endure hardship as discipline (Hebrews 12:7)”. Maybe we need to create some “artificial spiritual hardship” in our lives to push us out of our comfort zone. What is it that makes your spiritual walk comfortable?

What do you need to change to push yourself out of the comfort zone and prepare you for bigger challenges in life? Isn’t this what training is all about?

Sometimes you have to train alone

The second thing I have learned with endurance training is that I have to be able to spend time training by myself. This means I have to set aside distractions and other activities that may be more pleasant (i.e. watching football on Sunday afternoon, taking a nap, work, or whatever else I can think of). Sometimes I just have to get on the bike and endure the pain by myself. The benefits are great because, I can’t always depend on someone else’s schedule to line up with my own.

My wife Joy is probably the most disciplined person I know. She runs, does Yoga, does work-out routines, and most importantly, she does them consistently. She has always been driven to stay physically fit. At the same time, she is extremely disciplined spiritually. She keeps up with quiet times, and prepares for multiple weekly bible studies. Can it be that she has built discipline into her character? What do you and I need to do to become more disciplined individuals? What do you need to sacrifice so that you can do more “individual spiritual training”?

Sometimes you need to train with others

Even with all your discipline, at times you will find that you need help. For me, riding more than 50 miles at one time is a chore. Physically I can do it, but mentally it is a struggle. I have found a fix for this by riding with other people who are in training. For some reason, it is easier for me to get on my bike when I know someone else is going through the exact same thing. I overlook the pain as I know there will be comradery and fellowship. I also know that other riders will help me out.

I am told that riders in a peloton (a group of cyclists) expend approximately 30% less energy than an individual rider due to the “drafting” effect of reduced wind resistance. For this reason, cyclists riding together rotate from the front of the “pace line” to the rear where they can recover and benefit from the strength of others. What a great analogy for the “spiritual ride”. While we do become disciplined by ourselves, sometimes we need to be able to both help others (provide the windbreak) and also benefit from the help others provide. What better reason to join a weekly small group? Think of how you can help someone else’s spiritual walk, and how someone else can help you in yours.

Tour de Spirit

I mentioned at the start that I am not an elite athlete. I am OK with that. I am not going to race in the Tour de France. I probably won’t end up with the faith that Paul had. However, God gave me the ability to be the best that I can be, and I must train both physically and spiritually to get there. It requires discipline, hardship, sacrifice, and dependence on others. As Pastor Scott has noted, we need to be both spiritually and physically fit. Seems like the same qualities are required for both. It all comes down to discipline, and discipline requires enduring hardship.

 

Gary B 1Mission

Gary Boydston

]]>
Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/jesus-wants-me-for-a-sunbeam https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/jesus-wants-me-for-a-sunbeam#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2016 21:00:00 -0700 https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/jesus-wants-me-for-a-sunbeam
Serving upon a farm in Oklahoma, I went with my mom to one little church in a nearby town. Of course part of our Sunday regimen was attending Sunday school. Often we sang cute little songs to begin our class. 

One teacher, by the name of Eva, had her favorite song "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam." Do you remember that song? Did you like it? Not me. I hated that actually. It made no sense to me at all. I didn't want to be a sunbeam! I wanted to be a farmer, or a reindeer, but a sunbeam.

One day I asked my mom what a sunbeam was. She took a sofa pillow and held it up near a window when sunshine was coming in through the venetian blinds, popped it with her hand and all those stuff started floating into the air. Then she said, "Those are sunbeams."

Well! Then I was sure I didn't want to be a sunbeam. Floating aimlessly through the air? Forget it!

But to that Sunday school teacher, being a sunbeam for Jesus was sitting quietly in our chairs, both feet on the floor, hands in our laps, watching intently with both eyes as she taught us her flannel-graph lesson. I was so confused!

But you know, God doesn't want sunbeams. Not you - not me. He doesn't need docete, children or adults floating through life. He wants life-changers -- people who not only have discovered that He's got a plan for their life, but are eager to share that discovery to somebody else.

So as we get off to a new year, are you ready to meet a new person, build a relationship with them, love them 'til they want to know why, and lead them to your friend Jesus?

Let's do it together!


timm_th01

Pastor Timm

]]>

Serving upon a farm in Oklahoma, I went with my mom to one little church in a nearby town. Of course part of our Sunday regimen was attending Sunday school. Often we sang cute little songs to begin our class. 

One teacher, by the name of Eva, had her favorite song "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam." Do you remember that song? Did you like it? Not me. I hated that actually. It made no sense to me at all. I didn't want to be a sunbeam! I wanted to be a farmer, or a reindeer, but a sunbeam.

One day I asked my mom what a sunbeam was. She took a sofa pillow and held it up near a window when sunshine was coming in through the venetian blinds, popped it with her hand and all those stuff started floating into the air. Then she said, "Those are sunbeams."

Well! Then I was sure I didn't want to be a sunbeam. Floating aimlessly through the air? Forget it!

But to that Sunday school teacher, being a sunbeam for Jesus was sitting quietly in our chairs, both feet on the floor, hands in our laps, watching intently with both eyes as she taught us her flannel-graph lesson. I was so confused!

But you know, God doesn't want sunbeams. Not you - not me. He doesn't need docete, children or adults floating through life. He wants life-changers -- people who not only have discovered that He's got a plan for their life, but are eager to share that discovery to somebody else.

So as we get off to a new year, are you ready to meet a new person, build a relationship with them, love them 'til they want to know why, and lead them to your friend Jesus?

Let's do it together!


timm_th01

Pastor Timm

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Hot or Cold https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/hot-or-cold https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/hot-or-cold#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2016 12:00:00 -0700 https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/hot-or-cold Hi Hope Family,

Praying your New year is off to a great start. As I shared in church the other day, I love getting short devotions from Faith Gateway in my email in box each morning. It’s the perfect thing to start my day with.

I’m sharing this one today because I feel like I know so many people who walk around says they are Christians but I’m not sure I see them walking around with God (no passion or mission). They seem to think of themselves 1st rather than others. I know we are not all called to teach children about Jesus (I’m not sure why we are not all called to, but that’s something for God and I to talk about). Anyway, if you're a believer you are ALL called to do whatever you are called to. People say "Oh, I just don’t have time" or "Oh, I could never.”

I pray for Hope and all the other churches I have had the privilege of serving, that we would glow RED HOT with Christ's love. That the world might know just by looking we are about our Father’s work. I pray no one will ever wonder if I really believe in the work and the relationship God has called me to. Do you feel the same? Can the people around you feel the fire in your heart? If you need a spark to get you started, Pray and Call me!


Love U,

barb_th01

Pastor Barb


Resurrender: The Way Back

by Patrick Morley, from Devotions for the Man in the Mirror


Here I Am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. — Revelation 3:20

When I speak at an evangelistic outreach meeting (like a prayer breakfast or luncheon), I always mention that Revelation 3:20 is my favorite verse in the Bible. Let me tell you why.

In the past I closed evangelistic meetings by offering the audience the opportunity to express faith and receive Christ by silently praying a sinner’s prayer. In recent times, though, I close with two prayers — one for those God is calling that day (see John 6:44), and another for those who have not been walking with the Lord and long to find their way back.

For the second prayer, I make it very clear and very precise that I am referring specifically to those men and women who have once known the joy of receiving Christ but are not in fellowship with Him. They have taken control of their lives. They have pursued the God they wanted instead of the God who is. They are not walking with Christ. They are cultural Christians and not Biblical Christians.

Why would I approach Christians with the Gospel in this way? In my experience, nearly everyone has “prayed a prayer,” especially in the South. America has been saturated with the Gospel, and countless millions have leaped at the chance to receive Christ without knowing or counting the cost.

Many of these people leave the revival meetings and go about the business of life as usual. They don’t obey Christ, meditate on the Word, talk with God, or manifest the changed life of those who had surrendered their will to Almighty God.

When one prayer to receive Christ and a second to resurrender to Him are both offered, those who surrender always outnumber the first-time decisions. I think it’s great! Dwight L. Moody once said, “I would rather wake up a slumbering church than a slumbering world.”

I offer the Revelation 3:20 passage as a way back for broken Christians. In the verse Christ speaks to the church at Laodicea. They were a lot like us. They became prosperous and selfreliant. The Lord addressed them this way:

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ — Revelation 3:17

Jesus sternly warned the Laodiceans.

‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.’ — Revelation 3:15-16

We live in a profoundly religious country, and we are a prosperous people. But, we are also a broken people — a people who have pursued the God of our own imaginations, believing we can re-create His character to suit our own practical problems. The result? We are the most religious nation in the world, but, like the Laodiceans, many are lukewarm.

Prosperous Christians become lukewarm. Lukewarm Christians rely upon themselves and forget the terms of their surrender to Christ. Instead of living by the will of God, they live according to the self-will and break fellowship with God. We live in a broken generation.

In Revelation 3:20 Jesus offers to reestablish fellowship with broken, lukewarm, cultural Christians. He cries out His warning and His offer to the church. Long before the idea struck Moody, Jesus spoke to wake up a slumbering church. He said,

Those whom I love, I rebuke and disciple. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. — Revelation 3:19-20

He is the way back.

When we become complacent, when we stop walking with Him, he still loves us. He despises our behavior, but He wants to restore fellowship with us.

Have you been lukewarm?
If so, Jesus is standing at the door, knocking. Jesus is gentle and quiet, and He never forces Himself into our lives. Instead, He knocks and softly whispers His offer. Do you hear it? It is my favorite. For those who are not walking with Him, it is the back way.

Here I am! I stand at the door [of your life] and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in… — Revelation 3:20

If you have not been walking with the Lord and long to find the way back, invite Him in.

If the following prayer expresses the desire of your heart, then pray it, and dine with the living Christ.

I Surrender Prayer
Lord Jesus, though I haven’t thought much about it, I have acted as though I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. I have become lukewarm, and I have not been walking with You as I should. I long to restore fellowship with You, the living Lord. I confess that I have been more of a cultural Christian than a Biblical Christian. I repent of my self-seeking, selfreliant ways. I open the door of my life and resurrender my will to You. Take control of my life and make me into the kind of person You want me to be. Thank You for coming in. Amen.


Excerpted with permission from Devotions for the Man in the Mirror by Patrick Morley (Zondervan).

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Hi Hope Family,

Praying your New year is off to a great start. As I shared in church the other day, I love getting short devotions from Faith Gateway in my email in box each morning. It’s the perfect thing to start my day with.

I’m sharing this one today because I feel like I know so many people who walk around says they are Christians but I’m not sure I see them walking around with God (no passion or mission). They seem to think of themselves 1st rather than others. I know we are not all called to teach children about Jesus (I’m not sure why we are not all called to, but that’s something for God and I to talk about). Anyway, if you're a believer you are ALL called to do whatever you are called to. People say "Oh, I just don’t have time" or "Oh, I could never.”

I pray for Hope and all the other churches I have had the privilege of serving, that we would glow RED HOT with Christ's love. That the world might know just by looking we are about our Father’s work. I pray no one will ever wonder if I really believe in the work and the relationship God has called me to. Do you feel the same? Can the people around you feel the fire in your heart? If you need a spark to get you started, Pray and Call me!


Love U,

barb_th01

Pastor Barb


Resurrender: The Way Back

by Patrick Morley, from Devotions for the Man in the Mirror


Here I Am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. — Revelation 3:20

When I speak at an evangelistic outreach meeting (like a prayer breakfast or luncheon), I always mention that Revelation 3:20 is my favorite verse in the Bible. Let me tell you why.

In the past I closed evangelistic meetings by offering the audience the opportunity to express faith and receive Christ by silently praying a sinner’s prayer. In recent times, though, I close with two prayers — one for those God is calling that day (see John 6:44), and another for those who have not been walking with the Lord and long to find their way back.

For the second prayer, I make it very clear and very precise that I am referring specifically to those men and women who have once known the joy of receiving Christ but are not in fellowship with Him. They have taken control of their lives. They have pursued the God they wanted instead of the God who is. They are not walking with Christ. They are cultural Christians and not Biblical Christians.

Why would I approach Christians with the Gospel in this way? In my experience, nearly everyone has “prayed a prayer,” especially in the South. America has been saturated with the Gospel, and countless millions have leaped at the chance to receive Christ without knowing or counting the cost.

Many of these people leave the revival meetings and go about the business of life as usual. They don’t obey Christ, meditate on the Word, talk with God, or manifest the changed life of those who had surrendered their will to Almighty God.

When one prayer to receive Christ and a second to resurrender to Him are both offered, those who surrender always outnumber the first-time decisions. I think it’s great! Dwight L. Moody once said, “I would rather wake up a slumbering church than a slumbering world.”

I offer the Revelation 3:20 passage as a way back for broken Christians. In the verse Christ speaks to the church at Laodicea. They were a lot like us. They became prosperous and selfreliant. The Lord addressed them this way:

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ — Revelation 3:17

Jesus sternly warned the Laodiceans.

‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.’ — Revelation 3:15-16

We live in a profoundly religious country, and we are a prosperous people. But, we are also a broken people — a people who have pursued the God of our own imaginations, believing we can re-create His character to suit our own practical problems. The result? We are the most religious nation in the world, but, like the Laodiceans, many are lukewarm.

Prosperous Christians become lukewarm. Lukewarm Christians rely upon themselves and forget the terms of their surrender to Christ. Instead of living by the will of God, they live according to the self-will and break fellowship with God. We live in a broken generation.

In Revelation 3:20 Jesus offers to reestablish fellowship with broken, lukewarm, cultural Christians. He cries out His warning and His offer to the church. Long before the idea struck Moody, Jesus spoke to wake up a slumbering church. He said,

Those whom I love, I rebuke and disciple. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. — Revelation 3:19-20

He is the way back.

When we become complacent, when we stop walking with Him, he still loves us. He despises our behavior, but He wants to restore fellowship with us.

Have you been lukewarm?
If so, Jesus is standing at the door, knocking. Jesus is gentle and quiet, and He never forces Himself into our lives. Instead, He knocks and softly whispers His offer. Do you hear it? It is my favorite. For those who are not walking with Him, it is the back way.

Here I am! I stand at the door [of your life] and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in… — Revelation 3:20

If you have not been walking with the Lord and long to find the way back, invite Him in.

If the following prayer expresses the desire of your heart, then pray it, and dine with the living Christ.

I Surrender Prayer
Lord Jesus, though I haven’t thought much about it, I have acted as though I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. I have become lukewarm, and I have not been walking with You as I should. I long to restore fellowship with You, the living Lord. I confess that I have been more of a cultural Christian than a Biblical Christian. I repent of my self-seeking, selfreliant ways. I open the door of my life and resurrender my will to You. Take control of my life and make me into the kind of person You want me to be. Thank You for coming in. Amen.


Excerpted with permission from Devotions for the Man in the Mirror by Patrick Morley (Zondervan).

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May The Force... https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/may-the-force https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/may-the-force#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2016 13:00:00 -0700 https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/may-the-force
Happy New Year!

Last month, fans have literally gone delirious with anticipation for the premier of Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie. It has been about 10 years since the last one was shown and the new Star Wars movie promised to take us to its roots.

I would like to share with you an article written by Pastor Jeff Chaves of the Las Vegas Rescue Mission. Some would think that there are themes incorporated in the movie that reflect the gospel. Though it may be right to say that like Star Wars, we are all part of something bigger, if we look closely into God's word, the Bible teaches us that unlike the Force, we have a God that is caring and personal, never distant.
 

ryan_th01

Pastor Ryan


01-03-16 May The Force


MAY THE FORCE…

by Jeff Chaves


The Force is the religion of that "galaxy far, far away." If we study God’s Word, we find that God is nothing like a distant and impersonal force.

 

The latest edition of the Star Wars epic has been released. "The Force Awakens" opened to record breaking attendances all over the world. It would seem to be on track as one of the highest grossing films of all time. And it's impossible not to notice all of the Star Wars related products in the stores. (Do we really need Star Wars non-dairy creamer?) What is it about the adventures of the Skywalker family that has us so enthralled?

Of course, the movies are always known for the action and ground breaking special effects but the bottom line is that the entire saga is a great, epic story with realistic characters. Luke, Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca were our heroes growing up and the newest film brings them all back after a nearly 30 year absence. I've seen the movie, and I won't give away anything if you haven't, but I will tell you that this is the one we've been waiting for since "Return of the Jedi" ended. For me, it did not disappoint.

This installment is filled with all that you expect; starship battles, robots, strange alien creatures, encounters with evil villains, and the Force. In this movie, we find people who use the Force and some who are just discovering what the Force is. If you don't know, the Force is said to be “an energy field that flows though all living things.” That was the line from the original 1977 movie. This is the religion in this galaxy “far, far away.” It’s mysterious and a person has to spend many years to learn the ways of the Force. The villains have learned the “dark side” and the heroes the “light side”.

Interestingly, a recent Pew Research Study finds that 26% of Americans surveyed think of God as more like the Force and not as an individual. That includes 22% of people who identified themselves as Christians, think of God as distant and impersonal. That means that as many as one in five people sitting in our church don’t think that God is knowable like a person. For more details go to the Pew Forum’s website. (visit link)

Certainly, the Bible teaches that God is omnipresent and omnipotent and He cannot be fully understood but His is not a force. He is real and personal. Just by looking at a few of Jesus’ teachings, we can gain a much better view of God. Like Jesus said as He was sending out His disciples:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” - Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV)

In this we see that God is so big that He sees even the smallest birds but He is also caring and close. He knows how many hairs we have! I don’t even know that about myself. This gives us an image that is very different from a mysterious force.

Or how about that phrase we often hear in church, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” - Matthew 18:19-20 (NIV) This also speaks of that omnipresence of God but also His closeness. He hears us. He acts. He is with us. We don’t need to train for years to tap into His essence.

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.

Spend a little time today searching the Bible for God’s personal qualities. A good place to start is Psalm 23 and John 1. Both passages might be very familiar but look at them like you’re seeing an old friend. What does He look like? What gives you joy?


Jeff Chaves is the chief creative officer of Grace Pictures Inc., which he co-owns with his wife, Peggy. He got his start in video production as an Army Broadcaster in the 1980s. Full-time he serves as the pastor of the Las Vegas Rescue Mission.

]]>

Happy New Year!

Last month, fans have literally gone delirious with anticipation for the premier of Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie. It has been about 10 years since the last one was shown and the new Star Wars movie promised to take us to its roots.

I would like to share with you an article written by Pastor Jeff Chaves of the Las Vegas Rescue Mission. Some would think that there are themes incorporated in the movie that reflect the gospel. Though it may be right to say that like Star Wars, we are all part of something bigger, if we look closely into God's word, the Bible teaches us that unlike the Force, we have a God that is caring and personal, never distant.
 

ryan_th01

Pastor Ryan


01-03-16 May The Force


MAY THE FORCE…

by Jeff Chaves


The Force is the religion of that "galaxy far, far away." If we study God’s Word, we find that God is nothing like a distant and impersonal force.

 

The latest edition of the Star Wars epic has been released. "The Force Awakens" opened to record breaking attendances all over the world. It would seem to be on track as one of the highest grossing films of all time. And it's impossible not to notice all of the Star Wars related products in the stores. (Do we really need Star Wars non-dairy creamer?) What is it about the adventures of the Skywalker family that has us so enthralled?

Of course, the movies are always known for the action and ground breaking special effects but the bottom line is that the entire saga is a great, epic story with realistic characters. Luke, Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca were our heroes growing up and the newest film brings them all back after a nearly 30 year absence. I've seen the movie, and I won't give away anything if you haven't, but I will tell you that this is the one we've been waiting for since "Return of the Jedi" ended. For me, it did not disappoint.

This installment is filled with all that you expect; starship battles, robots, strange alien creatures, encounters with evil villains, and the Force. In this movie, we find people who use the Force and some who are just discovering what the Force is. If you don't know, the Force is said to be “an energy field that flows though all living things.” That was the line from the original 1977 movie. This is the religion in this galaxy “far, far away.” It’s mysterious and a person has to spend many years to learn the ways of the Force. The villains have learned the “dark side” and the heroes the “light side”.

Interestingly, a recent Pew Research Study finds that 26% of Americans surveyed think of God as more like the Force and not as an individual. That includes 22% of people who identified themselves as Christians, think of God as distant and impersonal. That means that as many as one in five people sitting in our church don’t think that God is knowable like a person. For more details go to the Pew Forum’s website. (visit link)

Certainly, the Bible teaches that God is omnipresent and omnipotent and He cannot be fully understood but His is not a force. He is real and personal. Just by looking at a few of Jesus’ teachings, we can gain a much better view of God. Like Jesus said as He was sending out His disciples:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” - Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV)

In this we see that God is so big that He sees even the smallest birds but He is also caring and close. He knows how many hairs we have! I don’t even know that about myself. This gives us an image that is very different from a mysterious force.

Or how about that phrase we often hear in church, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” - Matthew 18:19-20 (NIV) This also speaks of that omnipresence of God but also His closeness. He hears us. He acts. He is with us. We don’t need to train for years to tap into His essence.

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.

Spend a little time today searching the Bible for God’s personal qualities. A good place to start is Psalm 23 and John 1. Both passages might be very familiar but look at them like you’re seeing an old friend. What does He look like? What gives you joy?


Jeff Chaves is the chief creative officer of Grace Pictures Inc., which he co-owns with his wife, Peggy. He got his start in video production as an Army Broadcaster in the 1980s. Full-time he serves as the pastor of the Las Vegas Rescue Mission.

]]>
John the Baptist: The Forerunner https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/john-the-baptist:-the-forerunner https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/john-the-baptist:-the-forerunner#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2015 13:00:00 -0700 https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/john-the-baptist:-the-forerunner Merry Christmas Hope Family! As Christmas approaches and our "to do" list gets overwhelming, I wanted to share one of my devotions this month.

Please be encouraged to take a minute and look within. These are crazy times that we are living in, and like John, I want to be prepared and ready to help prepare others for what God’s word says is next. What can we do to spread the word? “He’s coming. Prepare the way!"

Merry Christmas and all God's best in 2016 and beyond!


Love U,

barb_th01
Pastor Barb 


John the Baptist: The Forerunner
by Kenneth D. Boa, from Once-a-Day 25 Days of Advent !

john-the-baptist-the-forerunner-400x400-v2Luke 1:57-66, Luke 1:80


When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son... On the eighth day [her neighbors and relatives] came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him. And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. - Luke 3:3-6

He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’ - John 1:6-9, John 1:15

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’ ”)


Meditation

A King was on His way. And they might have missed Him, the King who would fulfill Old Testament prophecy and become the main subject of the New Testament. So John was sent as a herald. John is the bridge, the threshold between what had been and what was about to be. He is the precursor, the forerunner, the opening act, the appointed messenger, carrying the promise that the centuries of waiting and preparing and anticipating were about to come to a great and glorious fulfillment. In John, the prophecies began to be fulfilled. And a few people understood it — the early adopters, those quick to catch on. But even to these, his own disciples, he pointed to Jesus, the One whose sandal he was unfit to tie.

As great as the teaching of John the Baptist was, it was nothing compared to Jesus’ teaching. And how well John the Baptist understood his role and stuck to it.

What amazing clarity of purpose. Yet we can learn from him too. We can learn that preparation for the Messiah (then as now) requires a conversion and a transformation of the heart and mind. We can learn that the focus is not on us or on anything that we have done or hope to do, not even if it is for God. We can learn that our job, like John’s, is to spread the Good News, to point all people to behold Jesus and to seek His message of salvation.


Your Turn

Isn't it astonishing that we are invited to join John in pointing people to Jesus? This Advent season, with whom are you sharing the Good News and your personal story of what Jesus has done for you?

]]>
Merry Christmas Hope Family! As Christmas approaches and our "to do" list gets overwhelming, I wanted to share one of my devotions this month.

Please be encouraged to take a minute and look within. These are crazy times that we are living in, and like John, I want to be prepared and ready to help prepare others for what God’s word says is next. What can we do to spread the word? “He’s coming. Prepare the way!"

Merry Christmas and all God's best in 2016 and beyond!


Love U,

barb_th01
Pastor Barb 


John the Baptist: The Forerunner
by Kenneth D. Boa, from Once-a-Day 25 Days of Advent !

john-the-baptist-the-forerunner-400x400-v2Luke 1:57-66, Luke 1:80


When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son... On the eighth day [her neighbors and relatives] came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him. And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. - Luke 3:3-6

He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’ - John 1:6-9, John 1:15

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’ ”)


Meditation

A King was on His way. And they might have missed Him, the King who would fulfill Old Testament prophecy and become the main subject of the New Testament. So John was sent as a herald. John is the bridge, the threshold between what had been and what was about to be. He is the precursor, the forerunner, the opening act, the appointed messenger, carrying the promise that the centuries of waiting and preparing and anticipating were about to come to a great and glorious fulfillment. In John, the prophecies began to be fulfilled. And a few people understood it — the early adopters, those quick to catch on. But even to these, his own disciples, he pointed to Jesus, the One whose sandal he was unfit to tie.

As great as the teaching of John the Baptist was, it was nothing compared to Jesus’ teaching. And how well John the Baptist understood his role and stuck to it.

What amazing clarity of purpose. Yet we can learn from him too. We can learn that preparation for the Messiah (then as now) requires a conversion and a transformation of the heart and mind. We can learn that the focus is not on us or on anything that we have done or hope to do, not even if it is for God. We can learn that our job, like John’s, is to spread the Good News, to point all people to behold Jesus and to seek His message of salvation.


Your Turn

Isn't it astonishing that we are invited to join John in pointing people to Jesus? This Advent season, with whom are you sharing the Good News and your personal story of what Jesus has done for you?

]]>
Prepare Him Room https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/prepare-him-room https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/prepare-him-room#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2015 11:00:00 -0700 https://www.hopechurchchandler.com/articles/post/prepare-him-room
As we kick off this Advent season, let us remember that "The real Christmas was nothing like the Christmas we’ve come to know, with its traditions, memories, and legends. It was a desperate moment that occurred for a desperate reason."

In the midst of this bustling season, I invite you to take a look at this short article, to examine your calendar and your heart to "Prepare Him Room".


Blessings,

ryan_th01
Pastor Ryan


Read the article here: Prepare Him Room

]]>

As we kick off this Advent season, let us remember that "The real Christmas was nothing like the Christmas we’ve come to know, with its traditions, memories, and legends. It was a desperate moment that occurred for a desperate reason."

In the midst of this bustling season, I invite you to take a look at this short article, to examine your calendar and your heart to "Prepare Him Room".


Blessings,

ryan_th01
Pastor Ryan


Read the article here: Prepare Him Room

]]>