Hope Alliance Bethlehem

Paul wanted the Galatians to know that his life journey was sovereignly enabled by God to lead him to bring the gospel to them.  Certainly his apostolic authority but also both his testimony of salva…

Paul confronts the Galatians' problem head on - any addition (or subtraction) from the gospel is no gospel at all.  Paul's warning to them is just as imperative to us as we seek to not only believe a…

Paul opens his letter to the Galatians by reminding them of his commission by Jesus and the beauty of a gracious gospel that brings true peace. 

When Jesus is brought to the temple as an infant, he has a surprising encounter with two older people - Simeon and Anna.  Their excitement at the presence of Jesus is the result of being people who a…

The arrival of the magi proclaiming Jesus as king in the face of King Herod sets up a perfect question for gospel readers.  Who gets to be king?  The reign of Jesus is a threat to all who want power …

In contrast to Caesar, the humble arrival of Jesus shows a very different kingdom with a very different gospel.  Peace is not attained through power and conquest, but through a God who willingly set …

Amidst all kinds of people laboring to enable the restoration of Israel, God comes to a common, insignificant person like Mary and speaks a whole new identity over her.  And her faith in him leads he…

In Advent, we celebrate an unexpected baby who brought with him an unexpected salvation.  Jesus was a miracle baby like Moses with a name like Joshua who was the ultimate fulfillment of God's graciou…

When we are radically generous people, we are responding to God, rooting ourselves in the gospel and reaching out to extend the kingdom of God.  We give not out of obligation or to prove ourselves, b…

The church celebrates communion because it unites us to Christ and the ultimate fulfillment of the Exodus that is found in him alone.  And when we do this, it unites us together as believers as we ar…

What is the purpose of a sermon?  We preach in order to awaken our minds and hearts to God and what he has and is doing in the world, so we can grow and remember.  To do this well, we preach messages…

Christians have sung when they gather since the inception of the church.  We do it because we have been created by a God who sings in his image.  In our singing we passionately respond to who God is …

What the purpose of a regular church gathering? It is not about demonstrating your holiness and spirituality, nor is it about earning God's favor.  Rather, the church worship gathering is an importan…

For many, if not most, in our world, work is the place we look to for our identity.  This is the natural outcome of sin.  What was once meant to glorify God is now used to grab glory for ourselves.  …

One of the reasons our work is so tiring is that we don't place the same value on it that God does.  As humanity, we are created for work.  And work is one of the primary ways that we bring glory to …

Pursuing isolation from or identity in relationships is a dangerous and tiring path!  Instead, Paul shows us the life-giving reality of meaningful relationships.  An identity found in Jesus through t…

One of the major reasons we are feeling so tired in this life is the unending pursuit of self esteem.  The world tells us this pursuit is central to our existence.  But the gospel shows us that true …

In our tiredness, pursuing a relationship with God can feel overwhelming.  For some, the experience of pursuing God is tiring.  Our posture toward God is the key to unlocking a life-giving, dynamic r…

Our world is obsessed with performance.  And when we buy into the lie that our value comes from our performance it leads to exhaustion.  The gospel tells us that God loves us even though we have noth…

As the story of Jonah comes to a close, we find a disgruntled, self-righteous prophet throwing a tantrum.  His anger has overcome him and his entitlement complex has paralyzed him.  And remarkably, w…