HOPE. I don’t know about you, but I could use a healthy dose of it right now. Everywhere I turn the headlines and words I hear can be so discouraging.
That’s why I am so thankful that not only does God hear the cries of my heart, but He has answered them in multiple ways!!
First, and ultimately, through my Savior Jesus Christ. He alone is THE source of my HOPE!!
Second, He answered my prayers by revealing the HOPE of Jesus through His Word, the sermons at my church recently, and through encouraging songs.
Finally, Thank you God for giving me the desire deep in my heart to seek You first, and to share encouragement, hope, and love through You, and the community of people you invite around me. 🙂
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Jesus is THE ultimate source of hope! And we, as a community of believers (the church), are called to not only share the Gospel but to spread the Hope of Jesus!
My church, SFC, last week began a series titled, Empowered to Hope. It is such a blessing and so timely to what my heart and soul needed at this season of my life.
I am thankful that God knows what I need even before I do, and that this message was put in place by Him, and delivered through my faithful, God-fearing Pastor, just when that seed of discouragement was beginning to take root in my spirit. Not anymore, though.
While listening to this teaching, I was reminded of who I want to be in Christ. An encourager. Someone that puts God first, and follows through with the will that He placed in my life and heart.
Years ago, when God planted the seed of writing in my heart, He was in the process of showing me, through the Holy Spirit, that He was ALWAYS there and He was ALWAYS at work.
Even through the deepest darkest pits of grief, despair, and discouragement, He was the flickering light of Hope, showing me the Way to Him. Oftentimes, it was the community of believers–the church–that spoke His Word, shared His love, and welcomed me into their arms while I cried and sought God.
That is who I want to strive to be every day. An encourager of Jesus, one that shares the hope of what Jesus is doing and changing in my life– ready to share everything God places in my heart to do and be!!
Our Pastor, Mr. Mike Price, shared this in his message, Empowered to Hope: Week 2:
“If we are going to make a difference in the world it is going to come through hope filled people. Hope filled people change the world…we can point to what Jesus has already done in us.”
That is who I want to be and I need your help. Please join me in being an encouragement to the community of people God invites us to share our lives with, to share the message of the Gospel with, and to share the Hope and Love of Jesus.
So I’m dedicating every Wednesday of this blog to sharing the hope and encouragement of Jesus.
How do we (I) do that?!
By sharing something from your day or week that Jesus has done, that encouraged you so strongly, that you can’t help but share it!
I’ll begin.  Jesus used my Pastor’s message last Sunday and this song, “Hope Can Change Everything” by Bart Millard and other artists, to move my discouragement to encouragement this week!! Amen!! God is so good and faithful!!
Here’s a snippet of the words:
A breath can give you life
A hand can turn the page
A word can give you strength
To face another day
Hope, yeah hope
Reaches in the heart of your darkest night
Lifts you off the ground when you’ve lost the fight
Keeps you hanging on through the disbelief
Every day, every step, every dream
Hope can change everything
Hope can change everything
Jesus–THE HOPE–that can change everything. What is He changing for you and in you?
All the glory to God,
Shanon
“Hope Can Change Everything” lyrics by www.lyricsondemand.com. Web. 21 August 2019.
Image of Andy Stanley quote: Jesus is the hope…” quotefancy.com. Web 20 August 2019.
Image of “let-the-light-of-Christ-shine” by southernspiritonline.org.
difficult times) to shine as a beautiful stained glass mosaic as a result of the glory of God with the light of Jesus shining from within me. To do that, especially during dark days, I have to add fuel to the flame. I do this by reading the Word of God, praying, singing along to worship music, and fellowshipping with other believers.
Heaven Sent Sentiments 