Hope Alliance Bethlehem

Though the miracle of feeding 5,000 is a blessing to the crowds, its intent is largely for Jesus' disciples. It is an invitation to join him in the new and ultimate  exodus he is launching. In the pa…

Jesus intentionally crosses paths with a Samaritan woman at a well and offers her living water that would quench her thirst. Is he really capable of digging a better well than Jacob? Jesus offers ful…

John lets us eavesdrop on a private conversation between Jesus and a religious leader named Nicodemus who wants to know if Jesus is the promised Messiah. Jesus confounds him by saying he cannot know …

Jesus' miraculous turning of water into wine at the wedding in Cana serves as the perfect opening to the ministry of Jesus in the gospel of John. Far more than simply meeting a temporary need for win…

The incarnation is a grand invitation to come and see Jesus for who he really is and what he intends to do. He does not fore himself on us, instead he asks us what it is that we want and invites us t…

The whole ministry of John the Baptist was about pointing people to Jesus. He was a voice, but Jesus was the Word. In the same way, the church functions today as a forerunner of the second advent of …

The incarnation is the stunning truth that God himself came to the mess of this earth in order to set it to rights. The Word became flesh and moved into our neighborhood. Inherent in this truth is th…

John identities Jesus as the Word. In the Old Testament, the word of God  was the active power of God in revelation, creation and salvation. This is exactly who Jesus is - the embodiment of the revel…

Among the last things Jesus called his followers to do was to make disciples. A disciple is someone who is following Jesus with all of their life. Making disciples means being intentional about seein…

One of the last things Jesus called his disciples was "witnesses." This identity has it roots all the way back into the Old Testament and God's intent for his people. Though the resurrection of Jesus…

Using imagery from the Old Testament, Peter tells the scattered church that we are a priesthood. As priests we are a worshiping, mediating, exemplary collective. In other words, our purpose is first …

As adopted children of God, we are heirs of the full bounty of his kingdom. We have been given the Spirit of God as a guarantee of this full inheritance. This means we experience it now in part, but …

In his loving grace and joy, God chose to redeem us, forgive us, and adopt us into his family through Christ!  Our identity and purpose are no longer slaves to sin and fear but instead are alive agai…

How did the harmony and idealism of creation descend into chaos? Humanity rejected its God-given identity in pursuit of another one. Rather than be content as image bearers, we want to be like God. A…

In creating humanity, God has given us a clear purpose. We are called to fill the earth by displaying his character and glory in our lives. We are called to subdue creation by ruling and cultivating …

We are created by God as his intentional, distinctive craftsmanship. This through and through reality is truly miraculous. Moreover, we are created in the image of God. Unlike any other part of creat…

Just like healthy trees, we thrive when we are firmly planted. The Bible's call is for us to rooted and built up in Jesus. It is both a below ground and above ground reality that produces and is spur…

The Bible is clear that it is God who causes us to thrive. This is not a false health and wealth, name it and claim it proposition. Instead, true thriving looks like reconnecting to what it means to …

It is the way of God that leads to thriving. How do we live God's way? At the core, we have to desire God himself. When we are deeply aware of what God has done and is doing, our affection for him gr…

Jesus tells us that eternal life is the full experience of knowing God - being in an intimate, life giving relationship with him. This is the blessed life. The path toward this blessing starts with a…