Hope Community-Church

Colossians 1:15-19 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

John 1:14 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

The One Who Hears When you pray, remember the name of the One who hears. Jesus. Jesus has unimpeachable authority. He sustains everything by the mighty power of his command (Heb. 1:3 NLT). God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name (Phil. 2:9 NIV). The Roman government tried to intimidate him. False religion tried to silence him. The devil tried to kill him. All failed. Even death was no match for him (Acts 2:24 MSG). Jesus disa...rmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross (Col. 2:15 NLT). He was not kidding when he declared, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Matt. 28:18 NIV). Jesus is the command center of the galaxies. Two sparrows cost only a penny, but not even one of them can die without your Father’s knowing it (Matt. 10:29 NCV). He occupies the Oval Office. He called a coin out of the mouth of a fish. He stopped the waves with a word. He spoke, and a tree withered. He spoke again, and a basket became a banquet. Economy. Meteorology. Botany. Food supply. All things have been handed over to me by my Father (Matt. 11:27 NRSV). When we pray in the name of Jesus, we come to God on the basis of Jesus’ accomplishment. Since we have a great high priest [Jesus] over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith (Heb. 10:2122 HCSB). As our high priest, Jesus offers our prayers to God. His prayers are always heard. So pray! Since God works, prayer works. Since God is good, prayer is good. Since you matter to God, your prayers matter in heaven. You’re never without hope, because you’re never without prayer. And on the occasions you can’t find the words to say, pull these out of your pocket: Father, you are good. I need help. Heal me and forgive me. They need help. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, amen. See more

1 Chronicles 16:8-9 8 Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!... 9 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! See more

Luke 10:21 21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Thanks Thanks. Just the word lifts the spirit. To say thanks is to celebrate a gift. Something. Anything. Animals. Bald spots. Chocolate. Dictionaries. To say thanks is to cross the tracks from have-not to have-much, from the excluded to the recruited. Thanks proclaims, I’m not disadvantaged, disabled, victimized, scandalized, forgotten, or ignored. I am blessed. Gratitude is a dialysis of sorts. It flushes the self-pity out of our systems. In Scripture the idea of giving t...hanks is not a suggestion or recommendation; it is a command. It carries the same weight as love your neighbor and give to the poor. More than a hundred times, either by imperative or example, the Bible commands us to be thankful. If quantity implies gravity, God takes thanksgiving seriously. Jesus was robustly thankful. He was thankful when Mary interrupted the party with perfume. When he hugged children and blessed babies and watched blind people look at their first sunsets, Jesus was thankful. When the disciples returned from their first mission trip, he rejoiced: I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth (Luke 10:21). Thank you, . . . Don’t be too quick in your assessment of God’s gifts to you. Thank him. Moment by moment. Day by day. See more

1 Peter 1:18-19 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Isaiah 55:7 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord,... And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. See more

Isaiah 1:18 18 Come now, and let us reason together, Says the Lord, Though your sins are like scarlet,... They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. See more