ADVENT: Rebuilding Hope
Advent
REBUILDING HOPE
DECEMBER 3, 2023
Main Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-23
Additional Scriptures: Galatians 6:9, Hebrews 6:19-20, 13:8 1 Corinthians 4:3-5, 2 Corinthians 1:20,
POINTS:
Compounded grief creates a feeling of overwhelming anxiety.
Advent: The expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas.
Expectant: To believe something good is about to happen.
Hope: The confident expectation of what God has promised and hope finds its strength in His faithfulness.
Where we place our hope directly relates to how much joy we have.
Idols: Something that we consider of equal or greater value than God.
According to Timothy Keller, there are four source idols: Comfort, Approval, Control, and Power.
Comfort idol indicators are blame, stress, and boredom.
Real joy can’t be found in the pursuit of self-seeking pleasure. It can only be found in self-sacrificing service.
Approval idol indicators are anxiety and discouragement.
Gaslighting: Manipulating someone by using psychological methods to cause them to question their own sanity or powers of reasoning.
Control idol indicators are gaslighting, anxiety, and loneliness.
Power idol indicators are striving, exhaustion, and loneliness.
To place your hope in Christ…
You must believe that you are completely known by God and welcomed in His presence.
And God is Faithful!
We must place our hope in the Lord of the Harvest and not the harvest itself.