Being part of a local church means that you are part of something big. You are part of a movement that began 2,000 years ago when Jesus rose from death. It’s up to you to determine if the movement will flourish or flounder in our generation. It will to the degree we become an aligned, united, family of God, that welcomes the sinners home. And there’s never been a more important time for you to engage at Hope Church that right now.

Celebrations matter. What people celebrate reveal what matters to them. So what does God celebrate? Jesus’ answer to the question surprised the people in his generation. But if we don’t absorb the lesson of what God celebrates, we’re going to miss out on what matters most to God.

We all want to be known for something. People want to be known for everything from great parenting to great success. But according to decades of research, if we’re going to lead happy and fulfilling lives, the goal isn’t to be known for something, but be known by someone, or by a group of someones. IN this message, we’ll understand why Jesus designed his church to be a team sport.  

If the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll keep you busy. Busyness keeps the activities that matter the most off of our schedules. This week we’re going to learn that if we weren’t to make the world a better place, and if you want to make your world a better place, it will require something from you. It’s going to require some of your time. And once you give it, you won’t want to live any other way.  

This Winter, we’re embarking on our most ambitious, faith-growing, world-changing project since the church was built. We’re opening a new church. This is an “all hands on deck” kind of project. If you’re grateful for hope Church. NOW is the time to engage or to re-engage. You’re invited to participate in something bigger than yourself. And investing in the church returns the best return on your volunteering investment. 

The local church is the best financial you can make. Most charities exist to solve downstream problems. They want you to practice intervention giving (and you should). But church is the place where we do prevention giving.  Generosity towards the church keeps bad things from ever happening in people’s lives because we help them follow the way of Jesus.