28 DAYS OF HOPE | DAYS
Access each day's video and written content by clicking on the numbers below.
INTRO | 1 | 2 | 3| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | END
SERMONS | 1 - The Treasure Chest | 2 - The Two Jars | 3 - The Compass | 4 - The Oar
28 Days Of Hope
WEEK TWO – HOPE SHIFTS
The first week is now complete and provides a foundation of hope that is based on who God is and what God has done. We have infinite hope because God is with us and gives us promises and blessings daily and eternally. Hope is not arbitrary, random, vague, or unavailable. Hope is directly linked to our relationship with God, who is overflowing with hope. If this is true, how do we lose or misplace hope? Week two is going to take a deeper look at our hearts and why hope leaks.
Get ready to make some significant shifts that will change your relationship with God and how you abide with Jesus.
When you are taking an exciting journey and have a clear destination, the trajectory of travel is very significant. In nautical terms, if the directional settings of your boat are one degree off, this will have major implications. One degree sounds minimal until you journey a few days and realize you need to make adjustments. Over an extended time, one degree off can lead us to a state, country, or location that is not ideal or even desirable. It is at that point we need to admit that one degree is a big deal. The winds and the waves of this world can also knock us off course. There are lies, false teaching, people who intentionally and unintentionally influence us, trials, temptations, and evil forces that we need to navigate through and stay on course. Honest assessment precedes restoration.
As we walk with the God of hope, sometimes our hearts are one degree off. We do not recognize the lack of alignment when we start the day, but by the evening, we notice that we are not where we want to be. Our attitude, reactions, conversations, relationships, work, and future outlook are lacking the fullness of God’s hope. Our homes can be places of stress, strife, and separation or places of peace, laughter, and inspiration. Church is designed to be the most hopeful place in our city, but people go to the movies, bars, gym, stores, and casinos to look for hope. If our hearts and homes are not full of hope, our churches will be one or more degrees off. As a result, we are not bringing the light and love of Jesus into our communities. Instead of every man, woman, and child hearing about and experiencing the good news of God’s hope, our cities are wandering in darkness.
God’s plan is that every follower of Jesus be an ambassador for Christ where they live, work, learn, and play.
God has called every Christian to be a priest and a minister (1 Peter 2:9). Lies and hope thieves have undermined our purpose as followers of Jesus. Our nation needs healing on many levels, and it is time to return to the God of infinite hope. You cannot force or manipulate other people to follow Jesus. You can, however, humble yourself, turn from your sins, learn to abide with Jesus, and inspire more people than you will ever realize. It all starts with your heart. Let’s go there.
God calls His people to make shifts and U-turns of 180 degrees when we are off course. Repentance brings renewal. Throughout the Bible, God asks powerful questions to shepherd our hearts. This week will include more conviction, but it is always coming from a place of love and support. There is a healthy refining as we will listen to God’s voice in a noisy world and receive more of His hope as we meditate on one question each day. Make shifts that align with heaven and glorify God.
Hope is rugged and never trivializes our suffering.
You can grieve with tears and carry a profound hope. You cannot have all the answers this side of heaven, but you can still have hope. You can be on the receiving side of the worst crimes and injustice, but no one can take away your eternal hope.
As we wrap up this first week, do you sense that God is pursuing and filling you with His hope? I am excited for us as we dive into week two and examine our hearts and make room for the new things that God wants to do. I need this week just as much as you. This is the week where truth heals and repentance leads to the life that is truly life. Let’s walk by faith together and become more like Jesus.
WEEK TWO – HOPE SHIFTS
DAY 8
Where To Start
Read Adam’s and Eve’s Hope story in Genesis 3:1-24 and then watch the DAY EIGHT video.
God asks: Where are you?
DEVOTIONAL
WEEK 2 – HOPE SHIFTS
DAY EIGHT
Adam and Eve walked with God and lived in a garden full of blessings and a world without sin. There was temptation and the potential for rebellion, but it was their decision. The devil showed up and planted seeds of doubt. Nothing is new under the sun. The same misleading schemes are still working today: “God is not good,” “His word is not reliable,” and “Life will be better if you do things your way which is better than God’s plan”. When those three seeds become planted in our hearts and minds, we take a bite of the forbidden fruit. Pride leads to confusion instead of clarity, doubts instead of trust, isolation instead of communion, enmity instead of unity, and shame instead of hope.
Nothing is new under the sun.
The first round of hide and seek with God, the introduction of the blame game in our relationships, and the walls of personal denial were not necessary. What begins in Genesis is multiplied billions of times today. Adam and Eve can point fingers at each other or say, “The devil made me do it.” Neither excuse will bring restoration with God or each other. God doesn’t ask them, “Where are you?” because His GPS is broken, his Wi-Fi is slow, or His Life360 App is still downloading. This is not a question about location; it’s a question about the condition of their hearts.
God wants to remove your guilt and clothe you with His grace.
There is no healing for Adam and Eve until the revealing of sin. God still has hope for them even though their lives will not be the same. The Lord provided garments for Adam and Eve. Their new clothes were made from the skin of animals which was a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Jesus who provides the ultimate covering for our sins. God wants to remove your guilt and clothe you with His grace. Turn from sin and make room for God. Surrender every part of your life to Jesus. Partial access only results in partial hope. You can shift from distance to closeness with God right now. Take a few minutes and ask God to search your heart and see if there is anything that does not honor Him. We need to drop our pride, get rid of excuses, confess sin, receive mercy and hope, and return to God. Shift from rebellion to reconciliation.
Just Choose Hope
HOPE POINT
We can be completely forgiven because God’s grace is greater than our sin.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
In what ways do you need to repent and return to God?
Are there areas of your past that still produce shame? If so, without writing them down, pray for God’s forgiveness and give the shame to God.
Are you held back at all in sharing your faith because of your past mistakes and current shortcomings? If so, let God’s hope change this now.
Are there attitudes, conversations, or activities in your life that you try to hide from God? If you’re unsure, pray for God to reveal them to you and repent.
PRAYER
Father God, thank You for pursuing me even after I have made bad decisions. I want to make some changes in my life, so that You are honored. I return to You today with all of my heart. I turn from all of my hidden and repeated sins. I choose to fully follow you, Jesus. Amen.
