Just yesterday, while filming our Advent Sermon Series video, it struck me just how important hope is as a Christian virtue. And not just the kind of starry-eyed hope of childhood, but rather something different, something that exists between the poles of naïveté and cynicism.

Hope must be able to survive our darkest moments, fully cognizant that life doesn’t always hand us what we want. Nevertheless our hope must believe that God is still able to take those disappointments and make them something significant.

An authentic hope sees the world for what it is, filled with joy and pain, beauty and darkness, and recognizes that God will ultimately have the last word, just as he once had the first word.

Hope is not, as Eugene Peterson once said, a “fatalistic resignation,” nor a form of dreaming in which we are protected “from our boredom or our pain.” Rather, it is “a confident, alert expectation that God will do what he said he will do.” (A Long Obedience in the Same Direction)

What has God promised to us in this season of Advent? What alert expectations should we have as we continue on the paths set out before us? Of course, the answer is found in God  Himself: whose incarnation signals the great depth of His love and compassion for us. May we never lose sight of this promise.

Stu

Find more Advent Resources

Don’t Miss

The Latest From Our Blog

Check out articles, featured illustrations, and book reviews on all different topics related to ministry.

Planning a Sermon Series

Planning a Sermon Series

How do you choose what to preach on any given Sunday?  Are you a… Lectionary Preacher? Occasional use of the lectionary, select seasonal use of the lectionary, or full-throttle every Sunday and any mid-week service in-between lectionary?  Walk-Through-The-Bible...

A Soul Thirsty for God

A Soul Thirsty for God

It’s summertime, and here in Southern California it begins to get rather hot. And I find myself thirsty a lot. I’ll get out and cycle 20 miles and come back parched. It makes me think of these psalm lines:  Like a deer that longs for springs of water, so my soul longs...

The Pastor’s Worskhop Library at a Glance

Sermon Illustration Pages

Sermon Quote Pages

Liturgy Pages

total pages of content

Illustrations

A collection of powerful stories and up-to-date research to enhance your sermon

Quotes

Find that perfect quote to bolster a sermon, blog post, etc.

Liturgy

Easy to copy liturgy organized by topic to fit perfectly into your weekly worship services
l

Blog

Thoughtful and practical articles on a wide variety of subjects all ministry leaders face