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We are in December and the celebrations begin! Don’t know how it will all plan out, but let’s put on our celebrative spirit, abundant decorations, and enjoy the season of our Savior’s birth! Glory in the Highest!!!

How will you celebrate Jesus’ birthday this year? Now I know that some have a difficult time because of past years when hard things occurred or someone died or an event was hurtful. But let’s transform our past into the present and rejoice over the Eternal God become man and born as a Child to save the world from its sin and sorrow. Nothing and no one is perfect save God, so let’s not demand it from others. Your father and mother and siblings were all imperfect, just like you. Only God demands perfection because He is Perfect. He pays for our imperfections, faults, sins, and failures with love and grace… we ought to show the same type of grace and love. Remember… Luke 2:1-7 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. (2) This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. (3) So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. (4) Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, (5) to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. (6) So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. (7) And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

When Jesus was born it was not a perfect setting, situation, and circumstance, but He was born to save. So let’s rejoice and celebrate that He is King and we are His children.

This bulletin is late because of me. Sorry. My family came in 2 days ago, and then more came as a surprise for Thanksgiving. What a great time we have had enjoying the joys of family. Thanks for your patience.

Sunday we will be hearing from Spread Truth Africa, Jerry McCorkle, and the literal spread of God’s gospel in undenied access to thousands of individuals with great opportunity. God is doing mighty things in Kenya and using Spread Truth in amazing ways to show His glory for the future of an entire nation. No other ministry has such open access to spread truth among those in need. We will hear all of it during the service. Also, we will have a time of prayer for the ministry and other concerns that Hope needs to have time to plead with God concerning our own. So please come ready to pray and approach the throne of grace with boldness and intent. We will enjoy both Communion together and Baptism as the Body of Christ. Please prepare your own hearts for both of these ordinances of the Church. Pick one Name of God to speak out during the baptism of Zach Sigmon as he is baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. You will have the chance to speak out one of several Names given to us in the Scripture during baptism. Ask God to give you a Name of God specifically for a blessing during this proclamation of salvation and obedience. What Name of God, the Father, or the Son, or the Spirit means much to you right now and would be a delight to speak over this major event in Zach’s life? This will hopefully become a mark of our baptismal services in the future: Speaking out the Names of God (El Shaddai, The great, the mighty, and the awesome God, Lord God Almighty, Everlasting Father… I AM, Jesus, Redeemer, Prince of Peace Savior… Wonderful Counselor, Spirit of Truth, Light of the World, Yahweh, Yah-Nissa, Spirit of Grace…)

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are getting ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior all month with glorious joy. Let’s Celebrate! He is Coming Back so let His Bride be glad!!!

We will have a baptism on the last Sunday of November and would like to open that up to anyone in the church who is interested in participating in this act of obedience to the Lord before the Church of God. Baptism is a public declaration of God’s work in the heart which displays itself in the life of the participant as a witness of God’s transforming power. No one is perfect, but the presence of God in the life is sure and shown as it can be no other way. If interested, please make contact with me on Sunday.

There are many needs in our church presently, please refer to the prayer request email sent out for you. This is a joy and delight for all of us to enter into the trials, struggles, and difficulties of our brothers and sisters.

Sunday, Lord willing, we will return to John 18 to finish the Gospel of John by beginning the last section of the book. Take some time to read John 18-21 and see what your Savior has done displaying His divinity and delight in doing His Father’s will. The following week we will have Communion and hopefully enjoy some testimonies of God’s work in our lives, coupled with prayer and pleading with our God for His will and guidance to accompany us as we walk the path He has placed before us. I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined to me. And heard my cry… (Ps.40:1) and Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done: (40:5). The Lord is good and faithful; we are told to feed on His faithfulness (Ps.37:3) so we are never alone but have the Faithful God guiding us.

Because of the joy and witness of the testimonies on Sunday, I did not get to share, but I was good with that as I saw God through the words, lives, and display of each one who spoke. Hope is not a perfect church, but it is honest and open. What I wanted to say was that we are no longer a church plant and have become a church development. In church planting, just breathing and surviving is the focus until stability, strength, and security arrives; then the church begins to develop, edify, and deliver grace from God to each other. The focus then becomes maturing through dealing with problems and developing relationships. For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry (deacon service) for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph.4:12,13).  Equip>Minister>Edify>Mature  This is how the church develops. It does not walk away from problems but deals with them and in so doing develops relationships with one another for the glory of God and the good of the Church. 

This Sunday Hope Chapel will celebrate our 10-year anniversary at Pleasant Grove that will soon celebrate 200 years. Now there is a contrast! We started in 2012 and Pleasant Grove in 1833. God has brought us to worship Him at this location so we can give more to Missions and Ministry, a good decision that will have eternal results and rewards. We will listen to testimonies of those who have been here for 10 years and those who have been here less than a year, but all of them telling God’s story in their lives. This is good and right. Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith… (Acts 14:27). And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church, and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them (Acts 15:4). Now this is possible with a small church because we know each other, mingle our lives together, and are developing relationships to glorify God and be sanctified by His grace. THIS IS CHURCH. Redeemed people meeting to worship God, be equipped to minister, and telling the story of God in their lives. What has God done in your life? Consider that. How has He shown up to you? What lessons from God are you seeing in your family, marriage, friendships, relationships? Take some time to ask your family and get their view of God’s work in their lives. Come on Sunday ready to share with others what God has done in your life. Come ready to fellowship in the grace and goodness of God. Come ready to praise God for His work and will in your life. Come ready to meet God with love and gratitude for His work in you and others.