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Hope Lutheran is a church in the Houston Heights area. Our members and families come together to build a community to worship and serve alongside our neighbors. Each week we will share our Sunday sermon and other devotionals. Learn more at: hopeintheheights.com
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What do you do when you have a promise from God, but all the circumstances in your life point toward that promise not coming true? What do you do when it seems like God is fighting against you, not for you? That's what we learn from the story of Jacob wrestling with God in Genesis 32. We learn, no matter what happens in life, to Hold On to God's Promises.
This week we began a new series called Cause & Effect. Today as we looked at the story of the ten lepers from Luke 17, we saw that God's generosity causes our gratitude.
When we do something good as Christians, who gets the credit? In this lesson from 2 Thessalonians 1, Paul says that God does. It's God who deserves the glory for these Thessalonian Christians, and it's God who deserves the credit for every good thing we do too.
It's easy to let our comfort distract us from the people around us who are suffering or in need. That's what was happening in the time of Amos. God sends the prophet Amos to his people to call them out of their complacency and to move them to have compassion on their neighbors. His message is one that has very timely lessons for us as well about comfort, complacency, and compassion.
This is one of the most confusing parables Jesus ever told. At first it seems like he is condoning dishonesty. But upon further examination, what we find is Jesus teaching us a valuable lesson about how to use wealth wisely. He teaches us to recognize the danger of wealth, the value of wealth, and what true riches are.
We all know the feeling of joy and relief that comes when you find something that was lost. That feeling is what Jesus is trying to stir up in us with these stories. He wants us to celebrate God's grace, when it's shown to us, and when it's shown to others.
At first glance the book of Philemon seems like an outdated book that would have nothing to teach us today. After all, it occurs within the context of slavery. But in this story, we learn how God's grace can work even in messy situations. Even in situations where there is not the kind of resolution we would like to see. In fact, it's there that the gospel shines all the more brightly.
It's an anxious feeling not to know where you stand. This can be true in any relationship, but it's especially true with God. If you don't know where you stand, it can be a terrible thing. The writer to the Hebrews warns us in this reading against false security in our relationship with God, but then he shows us that we can be confident and know where we stand with God.
Why is God letting this happen to me? In times of suffering, it's natural for us to ask questions like that. In Hebrews 12, the writer doesn't give us every answer we're looking for, but he does encourage us to fix our eyes on Jesus, who not only helps us understand the purpose of our suffering, but who suffered himself and promises to be with us in our suffering.
Why do we worry so much when we know it doesn't help? And is there anything we can do to help us stop worrying? Jesus teaches us about worry in Luke 12:22-34, and he helps us correct three misunderstandings that lead to worry: what our life is, who we are, and who God is.
So often as human beings we get focused on something that doesn't matter. That was the case with the request of the man in Luke 12:13-21. He was focused on his worldly wealth. Jesus refocused him like he refocuses us. He puts our undivided attention on what really matters. The inheritance we have waiting for us in heaven.
No matter what you're doing, it's important to know the why behind it. The same is true of prayer. In this lesson from 1 Timothy 2, Paul shows us the why behind our prayer. What he teaches us is that prayer accomplishes God's purposes.
If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. That's a relatively common saying among Christians. But what we see in this reading is God making Sarah laugh by telling her his plans. What's behind that laughter? And would we ever do the same? That's what we explore in this week's sermon from Genesis 18:1-14.
This week we continued our Undivided Attention sermon series as we focused on Luke 10, where Jesus tells us about the need for workers. From this account, we learn that ministry is a joy when we recognize its power, and when we remember its purpose.
There are three would-be disciples in this story, and there are three head-scratching responses from Jesus. But as far as what happens to these people, Luke leaves us in the dark. The effect of that is that we are forced to put ourselves in the shoes of these people and ask ourselves what we would do if Jesus said these things to us. What we learn through that exercise is that following Jesus has consequences, but it is undoubtedly worth whatever consequences it brings.
Paul wrote these words to Timothy as he was imprisoned and awaiting execution. What is his last message to Timothy? It's a message of encouragement and hope. It's a message we all need as well. Paul tells Timothy that the gospel is worth suffering for.
When suffering comes into your life, where do you turn? Suffering has a way of stripping things away from you and leaving only what matters. In this reading from Romans 5, Paul shows us where we can turn to find hope in suffering. He shows us three things suffering can't take away, and three things suffering produces in us.
This week we finished our Because He Lives series by looking at Jesus' promise to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples in John 14. In this text, we hear Jesus promise us peace through the Holy Spirit.
In this Ascension sermon based on Revelation 19, we see what we've seen throughout the book of Revelation. There is a lot of complexity and vivid imagery, yet underneath it all there's a very simple, straightforward message: Jesus wins. And today, we see that again. In this vision, John shows us that we have a Savior who is Faithful, True, and Triumphant.
As we continue our series looking at highlights of the book of Revelation, we come to John's vision in Revelation 7:9-17, where John tells us what to expect from our lives here on earth, and what to expect when we get to heaven. But in both the present and the future, he tells us to find shelter in God's presence.
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