Hope That Does Not Disappoint
When Hope Feels Lost: Finding Unshakeable Certainty in Christ
Hope is a universal human need. We all hope for something—good health, happiness, meaningful relationships, financial security, safety for our families. We hope for success in our careers, peace in our communities, and purpose in our daily lives. These desires reflect fundamental aspects of what it means to be human.
But what happens when hope slips through our fingers?
The answers are sobering: depression, despair, anxiety, isolation, paralysis. When hope fades, we may withdraw from the people we love, spiral into negative thinking, or feel overwhelmed by fear of the unknown. Some people stop taking care of themselves entirely. Others turn to destructive behaviors, feeling they have nothing left to lose.
We've all experienced seasons when hope felt distant. Perhaps you're in one right now.
A Different Kind of Hope
The hope that Christ offers stands apart from worldly hope in a profound way. While the world offers wishful thinking—"I hope things work out"—biblical hope is something far more solid. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
This isn't blind optimism. It's a deep-seated confidence in what God has promised, even when we cannot yet see or experience it. It's hope with certainty attached.
This distinction matters immensely when life falls apart.
When Darkness Closes In
Imagine receiving a phone call in the middle of the night—the kind every parent dreads. Your child has been in a terrible accident. As you rush to the hospital, you pass the scene: your car wrapped around a tree, looking unsurvivable. The doctors meet you with grave faces, uncertain whether your child will make it through the night.
In moments like these, blame often rushes in. Was it something you did? Something you failed to do? The mind races, searching for explanations, for someone to hold responsible.
But in that hospital waiting room, surrounded by a praying community, a different prayer emerges: "Lord, not like this." Not a demand that circumstances change, but a plea rooted in God's promises and His character.
When a spouse prays from hundreds of miles away, holding onto specific promises God had spoken about their child's future, declaring, "Lord, you told me he would become this and that. You fulfill your promises"—that's biblical hope in action.
The Authority We Forget
Romans 5:1-5 contains a remarkable progression: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
Notice what happens here: hope doesn't eliminate suffering. Instead, suffering becomes the very pathway through which hope is refined and strengthened. This seems counterintuitive, yet it's profoundly true.
We have been given the Holy Spirit—God's presence living within us. His love has been poured into our hearts. We possess spiritual authority through Christ. Yet how often do we forget this? Like a massive bear frightened by a tiny mouse, we cower before circumstances that have no ultimate power over us.
We need to walk in who we are. To believe that we have authority over the darkness that tries to overwhelm us. Nothing—absolutely nothing—is bigger than our God.
Holding Onto Promises
When medical equipment monitors the pressure building in your child's brain, when doctors drill holes to relieve swelling, when you stand beside an ICU bed holding your child's hand and sensing the spirit of death hovering close—what do you do?
You speak life. You command darkness to leave in Jesus' name. You hold onto God's promises like a lifeline.
And sometimes, you remember the ordinary moments—like how you used to wake your child for school each morning—and you use that familiar voice to call them back from the edge: "Get up, you've got to go to school."
God is faithful. His track record is immaculate. His word is living and active, and He keeps His promises.
Love: The Greatest Motivation
First Corinthians 13 reminds us that three things remain: faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
Love was God's motivation for everything. John 3:16 declares, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
If love was His motivation, shouldn't it be ours too?
Romans 15:13 offers this beautiful blessing: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
We don't just need hope—we need to overflow with it. To have so much that it spills onto everyone around us.
Hope for the Hopeless
This broken world desperately needs the hope that only Christ provides. Over 2,100 people recently responded to the gospel message in Utah, each one discovering that their deepest longings can only be satisfied in relationship with Jesus. But there are millions more who still need to hear.
Even believers sometimes need fresh infusions of hope. The holiday season can be particularly difficult for those dealing with loss, loneliness, or ongoing struggles. Mental health challenges are real and growing. Financial pressures weigh heavy. Relationships fracture. Health crises emerge.
But here's the truth you need to hear today: You are not alone. God is with you. He desires His best for your life. And most of all, He loves you deeply and completely.
Choosing Hope
Romans 12:12 gives us a practical command: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
This isn't passive waiting. It's active choosing. Choosing joy even when circumstances don't warrant it. Choosing patience when everything in you wants to force a resolution. Choosing to pray faithfully when you can't see any evidence that prayers are working.
Titus 3:7 reminds us why we can make these choices: "So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."
We are heirs. We have an inheritance. We possess eternal hope that transcends every earthly circumstance.
Your Next Step
Whatever you're facing today—whether it's a crisis that threatens to overwhelm you or a quiet desperation that's been building for months—know this: placing your trust in God's character, His faithfulness, His love, and His sovereignty is never misplaced.
He sees you. He knows your struggle. And He is working, even when you cannot see it.
The same God who brings people back from the edge of death, who restores broken families, who turns mourning into dancing—that God is with you right now.
Will you trust Him? Will you hold onto His promises? Will you allow suffering to produce perseverance, character, and ultimately, an unshakeable hope?
The God of hope is ready to fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.
To watch the full sermon "Hope That Does Not Disappoint" click here
But what happens when hope slips through our fingers?
The answers are sobering: depression, despair, anxiety, isolation, paralysis. When hope fades, we may withdraw from the people we love, spiral into negative thinking, or feel overwhelmed by fear of the unknown. Some people stop taking care of themselves entirely. Others turn to destructive behaviors, feeling they have nothing left to lose.
We've all experienced seasons when hope felt distant. Perhaps you're in one right now.
A Different Kind of Hope
The hope that Christ offers stands apart from worldly hope in a profound way. While the world offers wishful thinking—"I hope things work out"—biblical hope is something far more solid. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
This isn't blind optimism. It's a deep-seated confidence in what God has promised, even when we cannot yet see or experience it. It's hope with certainty attached.
This distinction matters immensely when life falls apart.
When Darkness Closes In
Imagine receiving a phone call in the middle of the night—the kind every parent dreads. Your child has been in a terrible accident. As you rush to the hospital, you pass the scene: your car wrapped around a tree, looking unsurvivable. The doctors meet you with grave faces, uncertain whether your child will make it through the night.
In moments like these, blame often rushes in. Was it something you did? Something you failed to do? The mind races, searching for explanations, for someone to hold responsible.
But in that hospital waiting room, surrounded by a praying community, a different prayer emerges: "Lord, not like this." Not a demand that circumstances change, but a plea rooted in God's promises and His character.
When a spouse prays from hundreds of miles away, holding onto specific promises God had spoken about their child's future, declaring, "Lord, you told me he would become this and that. You fulfill your promises"—that's biblical hope in action.
The Authority We Forget
Romans 5:1-5 contains a remarkable progression: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
Notice what happens here: hope doesn't eliminate suffering. Instead, suffering becomes the very pathway through which hope is refined and strengthened. This seems counterintuitive, yet it's profoundly true.
We have been given the Holy Spirit—God's presence living within us. His love has been poured into our hearts. We possess spiritual authority through Christ. Yet how often do we forget this? Like a massive bear frightened by a tiny mouse, we cower before circumstances that have no ultimate power over us.
We need to walk in who we are. To believe that we have authority over the darkness that tries to overwhelm us. Nothing—absolutely nothing—is bigger than our God.
Holding Onto Promises
When medical equipment monitors the pressure building in your child's brain, when doctors drill holes to relieve swelling, when you stand beside an ICU bed holding your child's hand and sensing the spirit of death hovering close—what do you do?
You speak life. You command darkness to leave in Jesus' name. You hold onto God's promises like a lifeline.
And sometimes, you remember the ordinary moments—like how you used to wake your child for school each morning—and you use that familiar voice to call them back from the edge: "Get up, you've got to go to school."
God is faithful. His track record is immaculate. His word is living and active, and He keeps His promises.
Love: The Greatest Motivation
First Corinthians 13 reminds us that three things remain: faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
Love was God's motivation for everything. John 3:16 declares, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
If love was His motivation, shouldn't it be ours too?
Romans 15:13 offers this beautiful blessing: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
We don't just need hope—we need to overflow with it. To have so much that it spills onto everyone around us.
Hope for the Hopeless
This broken world desperately needs the hope that only Christ provides. Over 2,100 people recently responded to the gospel message in Utah, each one discovering that their deepest longings can only be satisfied in relationship with Jesus. But there are millions more who still need to hear.
Even believers sometimes need fresh infusions of hope. The holiday season can be particularly difficult for those dealing with loss, loneliness, or ongoing struggles. Mental health challenges are real and growing. Financial pressures weigh heavy. Relationships fracture. Health crises emerge.
But here's the truth you need to hear today: You are not alone. God is with you. He desires His best for your life. And most of all, He loves you deeply and completely.
Choosing Hope
Romans 12:12 gives us a practical command: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
This isn't passive waiting. It's active choosing. Choosing joy even when circumstances don't warrant it. Choosing patience when everything in you wants to force a resolution. Choosing to pray faithfully when you can't see any evidence that prayers are working.
Titus 3:7 reminds us why we can make these choices: "So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."
We are heirs. We have an inheritance. We possess eternal hope that transcends every earthly circumstance.
Your Next Step
Whatever you're facing today—whether it's a crisis that threatens to overwhelm you or a quiet desperation that's been building for months—know this: placing your trust in God's character, His faithfulness, His love, and His sovereignty is never misplaced.
He sees you. He knows your struggle. And He is working, even when you cannot see it.
The same God who brings people back from the edge of death, who restores broken families, who turns mourning into dancing—that God is with you right now.
Will you trust Him? Will you hold onto His promises? Will you allow suffering to produce perseverance, character, and ultimately, an unshakeable hope?
The God of hope is ready to fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.
To watch the full sermon "Hope That Does Not Disappoint" click here
Posted in Hope, Disappointment, Hebrews 11:1, Faith, Peace with God, Suffering, Speak Life, love, 1 Corinthians 13, John 3:16, Romans 15:13, Romans 12:12, Choose Joy
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