WORD OF HOPE

Pastor Mark Warda

Woodland Church

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Hope means to expect with confidence.

Biblical Hope comes from trusting Christ.

Mark 5:21-43

(Mark 5:22-23, NLT) “When [Jairus] saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”

(Mark 5:25-28, NLT) “A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”

(Mark 5:34, NLT) “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

(Mark 5:35-36, NLT) “While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

Hope: expects something good will happen

Worry: expects something bad will happen

The real problem with worry is that we take our eyes off of Jesus.

(Hebrews 12:2, NLT) “Fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”

(Hebrews 11:1, CEV) “Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.”

(Hebrews 11:1, NCV) “Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.”

Hope expectantly looks to the future, but it comes from remembering the past. 

Memorizing scripture is the best way to build your hope and confidence.

Ask yourself, “In time of need, does one or more Bible verses come to mind?”

__ Yes  __ No

Our relationship with Jesus is not a one-and-done.

Our relationship with Jesus is a continuity, it’s called sanctification.

Sanctification is the ongoing work of God to make us more like Jesus and empower us to do good works.

Unlike a movie which has a start to finish, our relationship with Jesus has a start through eternity.

Ask yourself, “Do I think of reading the Bible with as little interest as re-reading a mystery novel after already knowing ‘who done it?’”

__ Yes  __ No

God created us to be His imagers in the earth showing people the love of God by living in obedience to the will of God.

Aside from casual interaction with coworkers or family members, (and whether I intentionally choose to or not), do I live much of my life in isolation from others?

__ Yes  __ No

If so, is that mirrored by how much time I spend in prayer and reading my bible?

__ Yes  __ No

If you love God, you will love people.

When you want to spend time with God, you’ll want to spend time with people.

When you come to church, you’ll want to bring people with you.

My Impact List

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My Word of Hope:

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