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In today’s blog, we share why it’s important to remain hopeful as followers of God, and five verses on hope that you can teach on to empower the congregation.
The world can often feel overwhelming, but something we gain from following Jesus is a sense of hope.
While we can never be certain of what tomorrow brings, be in control of those around us, or dictate the state of the world –– there’s peace in knowing that we can always turn to God and His Word to show us how to overcome the stressors of life. In following God, we not only put our trust in Him and learn to find joy in the face of adversity, but we also learn how to be a light in the darkness. Through being the light of the world, we have the opportunity to bring positive change to those around us, ultimately glorifying God in the way we exemplify His Kingdom on earth.
In today’s blog, I will be going over why it’s important to remain hopeful as followers of God, and five verses on hope that you can teach on to empower the congregation.
Hope is a common thread that drives our faith and has been a throughline of the Bible, from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Hope has allowed God’s people to endure hardships from the rule of Pharaoh's enslavement, the dominion of Babylon, and the persecution of Nero. It’s our trust in God that drives our hope; trusting that God is ultimately in control, that He has a purpose for us, that we’ll join Him in heaven.
Although, while having hope is a principle of our faith, we can easily lose sight of this.
The other day I listened to my mom and my brother’s father-in-law discuss politics in the aftermath of Super Tuesday and the president’s State of the Union address. The conversation consisted of a lot of hearsay, hypotheticals, and what-ifs about candidates, policies, and forecasts of the future. When it comes to my family, these conversations tend to have the same, gloomy conclusion: America’s done for.
We as people have a natural habit of putting our hope into things of the world, leaning on our own understanding that these things will bring us a sense of peace. In eulogizing America and lamenting over the state of politics, it’s easy to feel like the world is spinning out of control –– leaving us with a sense of cynicism and defeat. Of course this loss of hope isn’t specific to politics, but a mere example of the many things (outside of God) that we put our hope into; finding ourselves falling into pessimism and despair when things don’t pan out the way we want them to.
When we feel this way, Alicia Bruxvorrt of the organization Proverbs 31 Ministries says:
“God’s Word reminds us that even when our circumstances sway, Christ’s love remains the same. (Romans 8:38-39) Though our faith may waver, His faithfulness won’t. Hope flourishes when we shift our gaze from the darkness that surrounds us to the Love that encircles us. And there, in the certainty of His love, we find peace for the present and strength for the days to come.”
It’s important to recognize that it’s okay to have optimism, to believe that things will/can work out for the better. However it’s also important to remember that even when things aren’t looking great, not to lose hope in what God is doing.
Marianella Arias, of career coaching source RethinkWork, puts this in the perspective of what the disciples went through after the crucifixion of Jesus:
“Everyone thought that this was the end. They thought that Jesus had lost and that God had forsaken [H]im. But in the darkest hour, God accomplished [H]is greatest work. Jesus returned from the grave, and [H]e brought us salvation. From the darkest hour, God delivered us from death. Even when it seemed like all hope was lost, God had a plan.”
At the end of the day, it’s important for us as believers to put our hope into God and believe that He knows what’s best. It’s important to reflect on the great point that Arias makes, asserting that:
“Jesus told us that "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33). Even followers of Christ will face suffering and hardship. [...] Having faith doesn't mean we won't lose things. But it does mean that we don't have to despair. No matter how bad the trouble gets, we can still go to sleep at night with the knowledge that Jesus has not forsaken us.”
As we can see, it’s important to be reminded of God’s hope when the days seem dark. Pastors have the opportunity to remind the congregation of this hope, empowering them through God’s Word.
Here are five verses on hope that pastors can teach on:
These verses serve as powerful reminders of the enduring hope found in God and His promises, providing comfort, encouragement, and strength to believers in every season of life.
Of course the Bible has plenty of other verses, even stories, and characters that we can learn an important message of God’s hope from. While there’s plenty to choose from, there are also helpful online tools available to make the most of conveying a message on hope.
With the assistance of sermon preparation tools, pastors now have an easy way of generating effective sermon outlines, prompting verses and Bible stories on the topic of hope, creating character studies and even coming up with modern-day examples of Biblical stories.
The world may often seem dark, feeling as though it’s in a constant state of chaos. As the world has always been imperfect, it might seem unpredictable as technology, society, and even politics evolve over time. No matter what, we serve a God who remains the same. We can turn to Him for strength, peace, and of course hope. No matter what troubles we face, it’s important for pastors to remind the congregation of the hope we have in God.
From God’s Word, we can have peace in remembering what Psalm 30:5 tells us: “[...] weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
