January 28, 2024
Included | Romans 4:18-25
Against All Hope
What does it mean, and what does it look like to ’trust God’? It’s one thing to talk about theories or doctrine; it’s another to actually do it! Enter Abraham and Sarah, two people staring down the barrel of a hopeless situation. Faith may not look like what you think.
Songs for this week: Spotify
- Recall a situation in your life that felt hopeless. How did that turn out? Tell that story.
- Verse 19 claims that Abraham faced his hopeless situation “without weakening in his faith”? If you’ve read the account in Genesis, you might not evaluate Abraham that way. How do you reconcile those two versions of the same story?
- The upshot of Abraham’s story is that God credited righteousness to him. What does that mean? What did it mean for Abraham? What does it mean for you?
- God requires faith from you, except for you - it's faith about God raising Jesus from the dead. Why must Christians believe that?
- Is there a hopeless situation in your life right now? Share that and pray with each other over those issues.
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Recent Sermons
Colossians 4:2-9 - Prayer isn’t meant to be an afterthought—it’s an invitation to stay connected to God. Paul’s final words challenge us to pray with purpose, keep our eyes open for what God is doing, and look for opportunities to share Jesus. A great way to wrap up a letter—and launch us into the world God loves.
Colossians 3:18-4:1 -Paul closes his letter by showing how following Jesus transforms our everyday relationships—with spouses, children, parents, employees, and employers—and calls us to care for one another with kindness.
Colossians 3:12-17-Sometimes Christianity gets known for what we don’t do. But Paul points us toward something better: how we live, love, and treat one another. What marks a genuine Christian community? It all starts with who God is and how deeply He loves us.
Colossians 3:5-11-Paul points to two areas that reveal who we are at the deepest level: sex and speech. The path to health and freedom isn’t harsh rules or self-focus, but staying close to Jesus, knowing him and growing in him. Christianity isn’t harsh rules; it’s a vibrant friendship.
Colossians 2:20-3:4 - Religious baggage can pull us in all kinds of directions—from expecting God to fit our preferences to trying to earn His approval. Paul’s message to the Colossians was simple: stop guessing what God wants and get back to the core of Christianity—Jesus.
Colossians 2:13-19 - Humans have a problem that we can’t save ourselves from—not through secular programs or religious systems. The good news of Jesus is that on the cross, Jesus dealt with it all. In him we are alive, forgiven, and free!
