Bible Reading - 1 Samuel 26, 1 Corinthians 7, Ezekiel 5, John 6

This weekend at Urban we are starting our new series "Hope". I am very excited about this series because I believe it is hope that keeps us dreaming and moving forward. Without hope life becomes a mundane meaningless repetition of tasks leading us to know where but hope on the other hand keeps us dreaming big dreams and believing for something more and something better.

The things that I have been believing for, the dreams that I have in my heart materialize as my hope collides with His love. Look here at Romans 5:5, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us". If we have hope not just faith and that hope connects with the love that is being poured out by hour heavenly father than the thing we are believing for begins to come to fruition. The very definition of hope even raises my level of hope,"the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best"

In John chapter 6 we see that hope is one of the big themes. John 6:2 it says, "And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick". The hope in these people was raised because of what they saw Jesus do. They began to believe that they too could have what they are longing for if Jesus was able to do that for someone else. This story is so fascinating because it was not just a few people but it was a whole crowd of people. Later on we see that it was 5,000 plus people! Again we see the crowds searching for Jesus in John 6:24. "So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus". Hope was driving them on beleiving that they could have more if they connected with Jesus.

I believe more than every that right now in our society the one thing that people need is HOPE. Our society is much like the crowds in John 6. They need answers to their questions and someone to meet there needs. People are looking for someone or something to inspire hope in them. You and I need to be that someone that brings the hope that people are looking for just like Jesus was in John 6. 1 Peter 3:15, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have".

People are looking, are you ready to be the channel in which God's love collides with their hope? Are you ready to be the channel in which someone receives their healing, gets the answer to their question or obtains their financial breakthrough?

Join us starting this weekend at at Urban as we journey through different portions of scripture to inspire hope in people and to get them to believe that the best is yet to come.

Tomorrows Bible Reading -1 Samuel 27, 1 Corinthians 8, Ezekiel 6, John 7

Dream Big - Ben Brinkman