Hope Alliance Bethlehem

God loves the world and is patiently pursuing its rescue and restoration.  Humanity's only response to this is what the Bible calls repentance - a turning away from our rebellion and toward God.  In …

Sometimes our present circumstances aren't always the easiest.  How can we be grateful people, even in the belly of a fish?  We have to believe that our past circumstances were as dire as they truly …

How does a prophet run from the God he serves?  When his heart is just as hard as those God has called him to.  As the book of Jonah opens, we see that it is less about a prophet sent to a foreign pe…

Jesus outrageous command to love our enemies is not simply a moralistic call to a different way of living.  It is a gospel-centered call to a different way of viewing humanity.  Those who have been s…

Because of the grace and mercy God has given us, we love our neighbors by being people of justice.  That means we have compassion for and take action on behalf of our weak, less fortunate, and oppres…

For many if not most Christians, sharing our faith is a scary reality.  But the apostle Paul tells us we don't have to be afraid or ashamed to do it.  He reminds us that the gospel is powerfully good…

Peter urges his readers to offer hospitality without grumbling.  What he means is that radical hospitality is not just and open house, but open hands and an open heart.  This kind of love for our nei…

In many ways, genuinely listening to someone is a great demonstration of love for them.  If that's true, then why do we often struggle to do it well?  The Bible shows us that we are prone towards pri…

As part of God's family, we have a unique identity and mission - to love God and others.  And we have been providentially placed where we are as scattered people to live into this reality.  So, we sh…

One of the biggest barriers to loving our neighbors is time.  We live busy lives and the thought of adding more to it can be overwhelming.  The Bible gives us a paradigm for how to order our lives.  …

The parable of the Good Samaritan is a constant reminder that neighboring is not something you do, but a neighbor is someone you are.  And our only hope for being a good neighbor is to have truly exp…

The book of 2 Samuel is constantly pointing us to a greater king to come - Jesus.  He is the one who ultimately fulfills all of God's promises and brings the blessings of God's kingdom.  For those wh…

David's psalm of praise to God reflects on his personal care and constant faithfulness.  What a glorious reality to know God not only as the God of the Exodus, but as "my" God of deliverance.  Throug…

With the end of David's reign in sight, we see that God himself is the one showing mercy, championing the covenant and defeating the enemies - all things the king should be doing.     And we are agai…

Even upon David's triumphant return, we see a kingdom in shambles and the repeating storyline of rebellion.  What kind of king will it take to once again gather the people as one and lead with righte…

When the battle between David and Absalom's armies finally occurs, it is a resounding victory for David's men.  Absalom's pride and David's loyal friends in Jerusalem had set the stage for this great…

Jesus first words to his disciples after his resurrection are "Peace be with you."  Much more than an ordinary greeting, Jesus is speaking about the new reality of things.  His resurrection (in a gar…

As David leaves Jerusalem into temporary exile, he encounters manipulation, accusation, beating and betrayal.  And yet he places his hope in a God who might look upon his misery (iniquity) and restor…

When Absalom's scheming toward the throne gains momentum, David finds himself on the run and toward exile.  And in the midst of the consequence of his sin, we see a renewed David trusting God's goodn…

The story of Amnon's rape of Tamar is chilling.  And yet, not overly surprising in light of his father David's story in the preceding chapter.  The Bible tells us through assertion and story that the…