Christ Church Columbia Station
"Hope in Our Growth" Colossians 1:9-14
1. Hope liberates: Hope release us from the past
2. Hope motivates: Hope helps us bounce back
3. Hope Initiates: Hope sets us free to dream
4. Hope Activates: Hope is the fuel that makes the world a better place
1 Corinthians 13: So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
We do these 5 things when we lose hope:
1. Start making unhealthy decisions
2. Run from responsibility
3. Blame other people
4. Completely lose perspective
5. Give up too soon
Discouragement destroys hope in our lives
“Discouragement is the anesthetic the devil uses on a person just before he reaches in and carves out his heart.”-Howard Hendricks
“When people lose hope, they lose their ability to dream for the future. Despair replaces joy. Fear replaces faith. Anxiety replaces prayer. Insecurity replaces confidence. Tomorrow’s dreams are replaced by nightmares. It’s a lousy way to live.”
Three sources of discouragement:
1. Circumstances
2. People
3. Ourselves
1. Paul offers a hope filled prayer expecting God to meet their every need and empower them to live a better life
2. Paul has incredibly high expectations for the transformation God will bring to this church
3. Paul’s hopeful prayer is grounded in what Jesus Christ has already done for them
We will always find hope for ourselves when we look beyond ourselves to Jesus Christ
Colossians 1:9-14 ESV