Word of Hope Sermon Series Podcast

What Do We Live For?

Reading: John 12:20-33 - What is the goal of our life? What is that we actually live for? If we live our life to find pleasure and comfort in this world, we will be sorely disappointed. But if we are willing to give up our lives, to stop serving ourselves and our pleasures and turn to Christ, then we will find out what true living is really all about. Our life will acquire meaning and purpose. 

Lifted Up That We May Not Perish

Reading: John 3:14-21 - You are in the wilderness and you were just bitten by a deadly snake. You are surely to die, and there is nothing you can do about it. Suddenly, you hear someone telling you to look up and gaze at something Moses was told by God to lift up on a standard. Inexplicably, when you look at it your body reacts differently and you are healed. The symbolism is deep and profound. But what does it have to do with us?

Not a Place of Business

Reading: John 2:13-22 : It is supposed to be a sacred time, a time for prayer and worship, a time for communion with God. All too often, however, it is turned into something different: a time for personal contacts, for networking, for socializing, and for self-interest. Jesus confronted this problem directly, leaving a vital teaching for all of us.

Are We Ashamed of Him?

Reading: Mark 8:31-38 - Do we have our own views of what it means to be Christians? Do we look for the Lord to meet our expectations? Or are we willing to surrender to the Lord's perfect plan? Are we just closet Christians, ashamed of being labeled as His followers, or are we committed to being openly disciples of Jesus Christ in a way that truly makes a difference in our lives as well as in the lives of others? Peter's problem as he confronted Jesus helps us to understand and gives us comfort, showing us a God who accepts our humanity and is willing to work with it.

The Power of Humility

Reading: Mark 1:4-15 - In a world in which strength and power are admired, the greatest battle ever won, the most important victory was accomplished with humility, a servant's heart, and personal sacrifice. The One and only God, the Creator, the great King chose to seek us out to serve us, to bear our sins, experience death and rise from the dead for us.

Love, Lust and Power

Reading: 2 Samuel 12:1-13 
It was a story of sex, intrigue, conspiracy, and the interplay of lust with power that would seem to be made for modern movies. But it was life, real life, and not too different from what we witness today. The biblical narrative is a didactic narrative, written, as the apostle Paul pointed out, "for our instruction." It is important, then, for us to understand how the events in king David's life apply to us all, and how they illustrate how love, lust and power played a role, then and now, in the fall of otherwise godly leaders.

The Importance of the Gospel

Reading: Mark 1:29-39 
What is most important in our lives? Is it serving and helping, acquiring knowledge, becoming famous? Is it family, health, possessions, prestige? Looking at Mark 1, this message helps us address this question from Jesus' perspective, looking at what was most important for Him, and how He called us to participate in it as well.

Not Just Another Teaching!

Reading: Mark 1:21-28 
We live in a confusing and scary world. Where do we turn to find meaning and make sense of it all? How do we process what we see around us, and what we feel inside? It is in times like this that the Lord's words echo in our ears as He invites us to come to Him to find the needed rest. But how? Where? This message will point you in the right direction, as it invites us to consider what happened in Capernaum. 

Fishers of Men

Reading: Mark 1:14-20
Why would Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, choose mere fishermen to be His disciples, and later His ambassadors to the world? Why would He choose us, the little ones of the world, to be "fishers of men"? The answer is important, and it makes a radical difference in the way we respond to His calling: personally and as His church.

The Five Great Triggers of Temptation

Proverbs 7:1-27 - It's like sweet honey, glittering, inviting, promising, and appealing, but as soon as you welcome it in, it will kill you! That is the nature of temptation, a nature that Scripture does not ignore but warns us about, giving us important clues to come out of temptation's deadly grip and resist it. Embedded in the ageless wisdom of Proverbs we can find exposed the five great triggers of temptation, as well as tips to effectively defuse them.

Restoring Broken Relationships

Romans 12:9-21 - We are created for relationships: yet, since the very beginning of human history we find that our relationships are broken or altered by sin. It is sin, ultimately, that is the enemy of every relationship. But what happens when a relationship is disturbed or broken by our sinful nature? Where do we go from there? Although the entire Bible can be said to be a book about relationships, this passage gives us important clues into what it takes to restore relationships that have been distorted or altered.

Motives of the Heart

Matthew 4:1-11 - Why do we do the things we do? What are our deepest motives? These questions are just as important as they are difficult to answer, because we tend to have a distorted view of ourselves. A look at Jesus' temptations will reveal much about His motives and His heart, and through Him we can learn a great deal about our own hearts and our deepest motives. Are we willing to take a look?

Nothing But the Truth

Reading: Proverbs 6:16-19
An urgent issue must be addressed. It is a problem that is causing much damage and is very dangerous, yet many Christians have fallen prey of it. Most importantly, it is a sin that God defines as an abomination, yet it is all too common in conversations as well as on social media. This message brings clarity and shares with us what the Lord has to say about this vital topic.

Jan 6 2021: A Day That Brought Us to Tears

Reading: John 1 
An important message of hope from the pastor of Grace Family Church of Rhode Island in the aftermath of the riots at our national Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Immanuel: God With Us

Reading: Matthew 1:18-23
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we often remember the words God gave to the prophet Isaiah, which foretold that a virgin would bear a son and that His name would be Immanuel, which means God with us. It is a single word, a name, but it carries a profound meaning that is of vital importance to all of us.