Faith Refresher for 2023. Part Two: What is Hope?

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Hebrews 11:6, Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

Colossians 1:26-27 (J.B. PHILLIPS)

They are those to whom God has planned to give a vision of the full wonder and splendor of his secret plan for the sons of men. And the secret is simply this: Christ in you! Yes, Christ in you bringing with him the hope of all glorious things to come.

 

We all benefit from the faith, hope, and actions of others. But we tend not to notice especially when our lives have become “normal.”

The key is to remember that there are people, perhaps people you know, whose lives are not “normal.”

Dr. King wrote in his letter from the Birmingham jail:

“We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with America's destiny. Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson etched the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence across the pages of history, we were here.”

WHAT IS HOPE?

1. A picture of something good that can happen 
2. Confident expectation 
3. Anticipation of good
4. “Framing” or re-framing yourself and your circumstances

In the social sciences, framing is comprised of concepts and perspectives on how individuals, and groups organize, perceive, and communicate their view of reality.

Perception is often not reality.

• Present yourself to God / in your frame, you belong to God
• Do not be conformed / don’t accept a frame that does not belong to you 
• Think soberly / you don't let everything into the frame of your mind
• Walk in faith  / you trust what God can do more than anything else