Scripture to Read: Hebrews 11:1, 1 Peter 1:13, Habakkuk 3:17-18, Matthew 5:16
In the midst of spiritual warfare it is imperative that we find the light in the darkness. Even when things are chaotic and crazy, God's beauty can be seen. Many times, it is just a matter of placing our focus on hope!
The hope that comes from faith in God is different than the "hope" our world might talk about. Hope in God is not simply crossing our fingers and wishing that His Kingdom and a future in paradise is real. The hope written about in the pages of scripture is a confidence in the legitimate reality of the salvation found in Jesus Christ.
It is easy for us to make jokes about optimistic people. Even as Christians, we view people that seem happy all the time as unnatural or weird. That's because it doesn't make sense to our fleshly nature. Apart from God, humanity is drowning in spiritual darkness. There is no reason to be positive or joyful, especially when we are face to face with a crisis or trial.
With God, we can be joyful, no matter what life's circumstances look like. In fact, we are called to live "outside the box" and be different. It is a strategic move on God's part to fill us with great hope. That hope leads us to be the light in a dark world, leading the lost to Him.
In The Chaser, many of the characters face some tough and chaotic times. Dex gets into a life-altering accident. David goes off to war and sees some of his close friends die. Jennifer was abused and her own family didn't believe her. Julius wrestles with a haunted past and loses somebody very close to him. Naturally, all of these characters struggle to remain hopeful and optimistic. However, one character in the story, despite being on his death bed, remains shockingly upbeat.
Todd pens a letter before he dies that describes how beauty exists in life, even in the midst of darkness. Todd's hope was undoubtedly given to him by his close relationship with God. The closer we are to God, the brighter our light will shine with the confident hope we have in our salvation. Not only is this healthy for our minds and soul, but it is how we show an unbelieving world the beautiful truth of the gospel!
Discussion Questions: Near the end of The Chaser, Julius meets an older lady on a plane who has lost hope. Her husband is dying. Julius ends up giving the lady the letter Todd wrote before he died. Have you ever had an opportunity to offer someone the hope of Christ? How were you the light? How could you have been the light?
What are some exquisite things God shows us every day?
As the story progresses, Julius loses sight of the hope he has in Christ. What causes us to lose sight of our hope? How can we keep ourselves from losing hope?
The hope that comes from faith in God is different than the "hope" our world might talk about. Hope in God is not simply crossing our fingers and wishing that His Kingdom and a future in paradise is real. The hope written about in the pages of scripture is a confidence in the legitimate reality of the salvation found in Jesus Christ.
It is easy for us to make jokes about optimistic people. Even as Christians, we view people that seem happy all the time as unnatural or weird. That's because it doesn't make sense to our fleshly nature. Apart from God, humanity is drowning in spiritual darkness. There is no reason to be positive or joyful, especially when we are face to face with a crisis or trial.
With God, we can be joyful, no matter what life's circumstances look like. In fact, we are called to live "outside the box" and be different. It is a strategic move on God's part to fill us with great hope. That hope leads us to be the light in a dark world, leading the lost to Him.
In The Chaser, many of the characters face some tough and chaotic times. Dex gets into a life-altering accident. David goes off to war and sees some of his close friends die. Jennifer was abused and her own family didn't believe her. Julius wrestles with a haunted past and loses somebody very close to him. Naturally, all of these characters struggle to remain hopeful and optimistic. However, one character in the story, despite being on his death bed, remains shockingly upbeat.
Todd pens a letter before he dies that describes how beauty exists in life, even in the midst of darkness. Todd's hope was undoubtedly given to him by his close relationship with God. The closer we are to God, the brighter our light will shine with the confident hope we have in our salvation. Not only is this healthy for our minds and soul, but it is how we show an unbelieving world the beautiful truth of the gospel!
Discussion Questions: Near the end of The Chaser, Julius meets an older lady on a plane who has lost hope. Her husband is dying. Julius ends up giving the lady the letter Todd wrote before he died. Have you ever had an opportunity to offer someone the hope of Christ? How were you the light? How could you have been the light?
What are some exquisite things God shows us every day?
As the story progresses, Julius loses sight of the hope he has in Christ. What causes us to lose sight of our hope? How can we keep ourselves from losing hope?
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