Hopegateway

God promise Abram is outlandish--unbelievable! Sometimes we are like Abram and imagine that our current reality is the only reality possible. God can change our circumstances. God promises to bless us not just for our own blessing, but so that we can change our world.

We begin the story of Sarai and Abram, as they were first named. We explore their journey of faith and the obstacles to trusting God. Particularly this week, we begin with the obstacle of fear. Abram pretended Sarai was his wife out of fear. What blessings do we miss because of our own fears. God wants to bless us so that we might bless others. Let go of your fear and embrace trust.

The greatest is the one who serves. Is the goal of the Christian Life to be the greatest? Should we be trying to achieve something with our lives? Or should we just serve. Service brings us to a place of contentment and compassion, that is the way of Jesus.

Jesus' final words to his followers: "Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations..." We call it the Great Commission.Brian McLaren says, "“Good evangelists... are people who engage others in good conversation about important and profound topics such as faith, values, hope, meaning, purpose, goodness, beauty, truth, life after death, life before death, and God. They do this, not because they like to be experts and impose their views on others, but because they feel they are, in fact, sent by God to do so. They live with a sense of mission that their God-given calling in life is not just to live selfishly, or even just to live well, but to live unselfishly and well and to help others live unselfishly and well, too. Evangelists are people with a mission from God and a passion to love."You've been sent. So go. Be a disciple. Share. Listen. Love. Serve.

A Pharisee comes to Jesus and - testing him - asks, "Teacher, which commandment in the Law is the greatest?" There are 613 commandments in the Torah – 613 commandments which faithful people were expected to keep. Jesus says the greatest is to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul... and the second greatest is to love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the prophets are summed up in these words, he says.Love God. Love your neighbor. The Great Commandment. A faith built on the foundation of love.

What does the Lord Require of you? To do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God. This is a whole life experience. This is worship with your whole life. This is the way we follow Christ, and become Christ-like. Jesus did justice. Jesus loved kindness. Jesus walked humbly with God. We can change ourselves and we can change the world.

We are going to sing this song in worship.

Scripture reminds us, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1). How we care for the earth – God’s Creation – matters to God, and it should matter to people of faith, too. Today, on this 42nd annual Earth Day, we celebrate the beauty of God’s Creation and think about ways we can practice more faithful stewardship of the resources of earth, water, and air.

Jesus said, "Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal." So often we hold onto life just as it is. Maybe, though, real life -- real change -- requires us to let go of some things so that we can embrace the new life God has for us.

We all have a choice as to how we want to live our lives. We are all invited to God's Kingdom Party. God has an invitation for each one of us. We are like small paper lanterns. If we accept the invitation to be lit we can all share light beyond ourselves to light the world. We have a choice as to how we want to live our lives.

As we continue this Lenten worship series, "Ready for A Change," we hear Jesus' words: "Courage! Don't be afraid!" and we explore three words: Courage, Discourage, and Encourage. In Matthew 14: 22-33, we encounter Jesus walking on water. Peter, too -- at least for a short time. What does that story mean for us?Bonus: Monique Barrett sings "Ready for a Change."

What are the ways of thinking that get your way of living fully? What do you need to change about your internal life that would change your external life? What ruts are holding you back? This Lenten journey provides us the opportunity.Bonus: Courtney Tabor-Abbott sings "Ready for a Change."

On this first Sunday of the Season of Lent, we walk with Jesus into the wilderness -- a little 40-day retreat -- where he faced temptation, which led him to deeper self-reflection. As we begin this worship series, "Ready for A Change," we begin with self-reflection, self-discovery, which invites us to be open to the change God wants to work within us.

What would the world be like if we all pursued love instead of success? Frank Deford's story of Elena Delle Donne, which aired on NPR's Morning Edition begins this week's message. It seems many times that love is not winning. There is so much wrong with the world. We all long for it to change. Maybe Love can change the world. Maybe Love can end all the hatred. Maybe God will bring a new day, a new world.

Today we join faith communities around the nation in a project to raise awareness about hunger and to care for hungry people in thousands of communities in all 50 states. Since Souper Bowl of Caring began with one church in 1990, more than $50 million has been raised, and more than 22 million pounds of food has been given. 100% stays in local communities.

Allen reads Matthew 22:34-40, and then five different people share wonderful stories of their faith and reasons why they are covenanting at Hope.Gate.Way. These are amazing people who have been changed by community and in the process changed the community through their presence.

Jesus said, “You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine!” So, how are you doing with that?

The day before Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Sara focuses on the radical way of following Jesus. Dr. King followed this way, and we should too. When we center our lives and our spirits in Jesus Way, we can be world changers too.

Allen shares the first message in a series called "First Things First." The new year is a good time to think about priorities. So… what would it take to really stay grounded – focused – with God at the center in this year ahead? What changes would you need to make in your life? What new commitments? These are some of the questions we explore in this series as we seek to keep first things first.