Hope Alliance Bethlehem
528 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 7 ratingsA sermon podcast of Hope Alliance Church
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
The Parable of the Rich Fool
July 07, 2024 15:00 - 33 minutes - 23.2 MBWealth can certainly be dangerous, but it is not wrong, nor does Jesus condemn it. Rather this parable is about greed, thinking only of self and hoarding. And while greed certainly pertains to money, it also pertains to every facet of our lives. Jesus shows us that greed actually comes from our inner soul talk about what we need to be satisfied. The gospel is its only antidote.
The Good Samaritan
June 30, 2024 14:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MBPastor Jim explores the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan, cautioning against the oversimplification of its message and stressing the importance of understanding its deeper meanings and context. He discusses how the parable intertwines the law, eternal life, and the notion of being a good neighbor, urging listeners to reflect on their relationship with God and their behavior towards others. Jim highlights that true eternal life is realized through understanding the heart of the Father...
The Parable of the Sower
June 23, 2024 04:00 - 39 minutes - 26.9 MBJesus tells the parable of the sower to show two important truths. First, God faithfully and generously sows the seed of the gospel for all of humanity, without precondition or prejudice. Second, the soil, or human heart, on which a seed lands is important for its growth. The faithfulness of the sower is a constant, but the human heart is not. What type of soil is your heart? And what are you doing to cultivate it?
A Prayer for Unity
June 16, 2024 04:00 - 36 minutes - 24.9 MBJesus concludes his prayer by praying for all who come to believe. He prays for unity - that the church would be one like he and the Father are one. In fact, he says that it is unity that will enable the world to know Jesus and the love of God. This reality of unity is only possible when believers collectively see the glory of Jesus above all else.
A Prayer for the Sent
June 09, 2024 15:00 - 44 minutes - 30.7 MBJesus sends his disciples into the world in the very same way the Father sent him. They are agents of the gospel for the glory of God. His prayer for them is for their protection from wandering and from the evil one who seeks to destroy. Moreover, he prays that they would have joy and be set apart.
Eternal Life
June 02, 2024 04:00 - 33 minutes - 23.4 MBJesus begins his prayer by asking to be glorified. He is praying for the reality of resurrection in the face of the cross. This resurrection will not only glorify Jesus, but also the Father. And it will bring eternal life to all who are in Jesus. Eternal life is knowing God - both then and now, in both quality and quantity.
Remain in Jesus
May 26, 2024 15:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MBWhen Jesus tells his disciples he is going away, he also urges them to abide or remain in him. Not only is this counterintuitive, but it seems impossible. Yet Jesus is talking about being so immersed in his love that they live his way and follow his commands in this world and in so doing glorify God. We glorify God by remaining in Jesus. And we remain in Jesus when we follow his commands. When we follow his commands we enact his love to each other.
The Testimony of the Spirit
May 19, 2024 04:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBJesus tells his disciples that the Spirit will come to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Spirit exposes the truth about sin and the emptiness of human effort or religion so that there might be repentance. The main modes of this testimony are the Scriptures which the Spirit will lead the disciples to write and ongoing witness of the church.
Testifying in a Hostile World
May 12, 2024 14:00 - 42 minutes - 29.5 MBJesus is careful to tell his disciples that the world will be resistant the gospel message. If the world hated Jesus, they will also hate those who follow him. This rub comes when his followers refuse to give full allegiance to anything other than Jesus. In the midst of this, Jesus reminds them that he has intentionally left them in the world to testify about him. While the world resists and even hates, Jesus calls his disciples to engage and even love.
Intimacy, Obedience, and the Spirit
May 05, 2024 14:00 - 39 minutes - 27.4 MBIntimacy with God and obedience to him are inextricably bound together. If we want the full life that comes from seeing and knowing God, then we have to follow his commands. And if we want to follow his commands, we must grow in our love for him. Thankfully, we have been given the Spirit as an advocate to help us grow in our love for God and thus pursue his ways. To continually form and direct us, the Spirit teaches us and reminds us of all that Jesus has said and done.
Jesus is the Way to the Father
April 28, 2024 15:00 - 35 minutes - 24.4 MBTrue and full life only comes from intimacy with God. And the only way to access this kind of relationship is through Jesus. In him, we discover new creation truth and life that makes the original relationship of God and humanity possible again. Though we await this experience in it fullness, we have it now through Jesus. It is the only way to have full life in this broken world.
Jesus, Peter, and Restoration
April 21, 2024 04:00 - 44 minutes - 30.7 MBThe gospel of John winds down with the beautiful story of Peter's restoration by Jesus. Peter is led to feel the weight of his sin so he can feel the even greater weight of God's grace. The forgiveness offered through Jesus overcomes our shame, sets us back on course, and transforms us to live in light of the gospel.
Jesus, Thomas, and Doubt
April 14, 2024 15:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBThomas is famously and wrongly demeaned for doubt. In fact, what Jesus warns Thomas about is how to process doubt. We are all constantly moving either toward belief or unbelief. So it matters profoundly where we intentionally place ourselves to engage our questions. The church is meant to be a place where we can ask honest questions and pursue the resurrected Jesus together.
Jesus, Mary, and Identity
April 08, 2024 00:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBAs Mary stands outside the tomb, twice she is asked, "Why are you crying?" Of course she is upset about Jesus, but also about what she has lost - a new life and a new identity. But with the sound of her name from the lips of Jesus, everything changes. Mary's identity is settled, her eyes are opened to see a bigger pictures and she is given a renewed vocation as a witness to the resurrection and victory of Jesus.
Jesus, Mary and Identity
April 08, 2024 00:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBAs Mary stands outside the tomb, twice she is asked, "Why are you crying?" Of course she is upset about Jesus, but also about what she has lost - a new life and a new identity. But with the sound of her name from the lips of Jesus, everything changes. Mary's identity is settled, her eyes are opened to see a bigger pictures and she is given a renewed vocation as a witness to the resurrection and victory of Jesus.
The Resurrection Means New Creation
March 31, 2024 04:00 - 33 minutes - 23.1 MBThe resurrection of Jesus is not just a Christian doctrine or even simply a fact. It is the central truth to a whole new reality of life. The resurrection of Jesus means new creation. Ever the master storyteller, John makes poignant connections between the original creation and the implications of Jesus resurrection. Sin and death are defeated. Shame is gone and God is near again.
Washing Feet, Cleansing Hearts
March 29, 2024 04:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBAs Jesus welcomed the disciples to the table, he also bowed low to humbly wash their feet. But it wasn't feet he was actually offering to wash. It was hearts. Jesus has invited everyone to his table, but in order to be with him we have to be washed clean. This would ultimately happen on the cross for anyone who would confess him as Savior. Do you understand what he was done for you?
Jesus, the Rightful King
March 24, 2024 04:00 - 37 minutes - 26.1 MBUpon his entry into Jerusalem, Jesus embraces the hoped fo- posture of an incoming Messianic king of Israel. However, as John has reminded us form the beginning, Jesus follows God's plans not those of men. And so, Jesus comes on a donkey announcing peace not judgment and spreads his arms open wide to the whole world, not just the Jewish nation. He accomplishes this mission of peace for the whole world by laying his life down as a sacrifice to overthrow the great oppressor of sin and defeat t...
The Resurrecting Power of Jesus
March 17, 2024 04:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MBAs much as Jesus loved Lazarus, he also hates death and all the chaos it brings to our lives and world. Yet, he cares for Martha and Mary in very specific ways to meet their personal needs. In raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus is engaging a direct battle with death (and sin) which will cost him his very life. Ultimately, Jesus raises Lazarus so he can take his place in the tomb and conquer death once and for all.
I Am the Resurrection
March 10, 2024 05:00 - 42 minutes - 28.9 MBJesus is moved by his love for Lazarus and his sisters to help him. However, if that is true, then why did he make the strange choice to wait a few days before going to them? He wants people to believe. Not just in the future or the abstract, but believe in him. When Jesus says that he is the resurrection, he is boldly declaring that he is God and he is pulling the future final kingdom right into the present.
The Good Shepherd
March 03, 2024 20:00 - 42 minutes - 29.3 MBSheep are at their core incredible helpless and incredibly valuable. That's why they need a shepherd. As humans, we inherently know that we are sheep in need of a sheered. The question is which shepherd will we give ourselves to? As the Good Shepherd, Jesus reminds us that we already belong to him. He has named us and leads us because he loves us, even to the point of laying down his life for us.
Spiritual Blindness
February 27, 2024 01:00 - 43 minutes - 29.9 MBJohn sets Jesus' miraculous healing of a blind man right in the midst of the continuing unbelief of the religious leaders. Their pride left them unable to see the scope of the human problem and unable to see Jesus for who he is. This is spiritual blindness, a far more crippling disability than that of the man. Jesus was offering healing to both, but it is only experienced through genuine faith.
True Freedom
February 18, 2024 05:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MBWhen Jesus tells his Jewish audience that they can experience freedom, they are quick to dismiss him. As children of Abraham, they are already free. However, Jesus tells that that they are enslaved to sin. This is the human condition. But true freedom can be found when we remain in Jesus' teaching. He shows us who we are and how we are meant to live.
Sent to Glorify God
February 11, 2024 05:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBJesus' brother encourage him to go to Jerusalem during the feast and gather a crowd and further his ministry. John tells us they say this because they don't believe in him. They want Jesus to prove himself. On the other hand, Jesus is seeking the glory of the Father, not his own. He speaks the words and follows the timing of the Father. For this reason, he is eminently trustworthy. As sent disciples, we are sent by Jesus just like he was sent by the Father. So we seek only his glory, not ou...
The Bread Maker is Here
February 05, 2024 03:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MBThough 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 past people ate miraculous bread in the wilderness, but now the bread maker is with the people. And he offers bread that will satisfy our true hunger and bring the full life.
A Better Well
January 21, 2024 05:00 - 40 minutes - 27.8 MBJesus 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 full access to God who no longer is restricted to a holy mountain. Jesus is the better well that meets the deeper thirsts of our soul. His offer of living water is available to all who would believe.
New Birth, New Life
January 14, 2024 05:00 - 41 minutes - 28.8 MBJohn 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 unless he is born again. While Nicodemus, like many religious people, spent his time building a resume fr morality and external performance, his true problem was internal. Jesus shows us all that our only hope for new and full life is a rebirth from above that brings a new heart.
New Covenant, New Creation
December 31, 2023 05:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBJesus' 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 wine, this story sets forth all that Jesus intends to do. Namely, he is here to launch a new covenant that will enable new creation allowing broken, unclean people like us to be in relationship with God.
The Compelling Word
December 24, 2023 05:00 - 38 minutes - 26.6 MBThe 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 to come and be with him. This invitation is for those who believe and those who are skeptical. And it comes with a promise to enlighten and transform us.
The Greater Word
December 17, 2023 05:00 - 38 minutes - 26.8 MBThe 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 Jesus.
The Word Made Flesh
December 10, 2023 05:00 - 39 minutes - 27.1 MBThe 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 the offer of forgiveness from God to humanity. Moreover, it announces his intent to dwell with his people forever. The questions John asks us are do we recognize him and will we receive him?
The Eternal Word
December 03, 2023 05:00 - 38 minutes - 26.4 MBJohn 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 revelation, creation, and salvation of God. And it is exactly who Jesus needs to be if he is going to be able to bring restoration to the problem of our world.
Disciple Makers
November 27, 2023 15:00 - 40 minutes - 27.8 MBAmong 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 seeing our lives multiplied in others. This should inform everything we do in life.
Witnesses
November 19, 2023 05:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBOne 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, we are eyewitnesses to the new creation in our lives. So, we reclaim this identity as God's people sharing and living our stories of transformation in our spheres of influence and in so doing bearing witness to his power and salvation.
A Priesthood
November 12, 2023 18:00 - 39 minutes - 27.5 MBUsing 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 and foremost to worship God. But in lives of worship, we are also bring God near to others and bring them near to him while we live differently as an example of what God's kingdom ought to look like. This is not a individual call, but a corporate one - we do it together.
Heirs
November 05, 2023 21:00 - 40 minutes - 28.1 MBAs 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 ultimately we will have it in its fullness. At the core, our inheritance is a vital, sustaining relationship with God himself and all the glory that comes from it. Our certainty in this full inheritance allows us to go without and even suffer in this present life.
Adopted in Christ
October 29, 2023 15:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBIn 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 again because of Jesus.
Identity Apart from God
October 22, 2023 04:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBHow 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. At the core of this reach is a lack of belief in the trustworthiness and goodness of God. And the result is damaging to every single relationship within creation. Our only hope of restoration is in a good and trustworthy God.
Created for a Purpose
October 15, 2023 19:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBIn 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 it like God intends. A major way we do this is through our vocations. And we are called to enjoy the creation along with our Creator. This is what it means to be human.
Created by God
October 08, 2023 04:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBWe 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 creation, we mirror him to our world. This means that each person is incredibly valuable and should be treated accordingly.
Firmly Planted
October 01, 2023 04:00 - 36 minutes - 25.5 MBJust 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 spurred on by gratitude. Moreover, where we choose to plant ourselves in community matters profoundly.
Caused to Thrive
September 25, 2023 00:00 - 35 minutes - 24.8 MBThe 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 be truly human. When we lean into God's way, he causes our spiritual life and our mission to thrive - no matter the season or circumstances of life.
Desiring God
September 17, 2023 04:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBIt 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 grows. That's why the psalmist tells us to meditate on it day and night. God has brought us out of sin and slavery and into a new family and blessing. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of this reality.
The Way Away from Blessing
September 10, 2023 04:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBJesus 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 an awareness of the seriousness of sin. In all its forms, sin creates separation between God and us. It is only through Jesus that this gap is closed. And that gospel embrace is not just a one time reality, but an ongoing reality in the life of believers. Thus, before we can pray the prayer to thr...
Self-control
September 03, 2023 14:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MBSelf-control implies a power exerted over yourself. Its not so much self effort as it is self-submission to the Spirit. It submits our personal desires to the Spirit of God. Self-control is exhibited in an internal tending to our soul, not simply an external act of behavior modification. It is nowhere more beautifully seen than on the cross where Jesus lived out his earlier prayer to the Father - not my will, but yours be done.
Gentleness
August 27, 2023 16:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBGentleness is not weakness or timidity. Rather it passion and volition in submission to a greater reality. Biblical gentleness, then, is passion fully submitted to God and the forward move of his kingdom. It is our arrogance in the view or ourselves and our desired path forward that keeps us from being gentle. Jesus is the epitome of gentleness. As his followers, we too are called to be gentle.
Faithfulness
August 20, 2023 22:00 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBFaithfulness is the restful of active trust in God. It is consistency and persistence in faith to the benefit of those around us. God shows us what faithfulness is like through his commitment to keep his promises and his ongoing compassion. In the same way, we should avoid the tendency to disengage with God or his church and instead lean into his mission in our world.
Goodness
August 13, 2023 04:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBGoodness is the internal integrity of a gospel transformed person that results in the blessing of others. Hypocritical livings keeps us from being people of genuine goodness. However, when we cooperate with the Spirit, we find goodness manifesting itself in acts of generosity and encouragement.
Kindness
August 06, 2023 13:00 - 44 minutes - 30.5 MBBiblical kindness is goodness made useful to others. It moves toward people to meet their needs. Kindness looks like acts of mercy, even to those we might consider enemies. And it sounds like using our words to build others up. This is exactly what God has done for us. When we fully embrace the kindness of God, we see the fruit of kindness grow in us.
Peace
July 23, 2023 04:00 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MBPeace is not a feeling. It is a fruit. It is the offering of new creation only found through Jesus to the broken world around us. Where the fruit of peace is growing, injustice is decreasing, harmony within creation is rising and unity in the church is championed. This kind of peacemaking is only possible when we have truly embraced the peace that only God can offer.