Church Requel, Mansfield, Ohio

Video Sermon: My H.O.P.E. Is R.E.A.L.

This is the video sermon from this past Sunday evening.  If you are a Christ-follower then you have real hope. There's nothing you can do to make your hope any more real! However, you may not REALIZE your real hope all the time.  Join me in this video talk to learn 4 ways we can know our H.O.P.E. is R.E.A.L.

 

Here are the resources to support this week's sermon.  You may want to download the weekend program and follow along.  Or perhaps you'd like to have a copy of my notes.  If you are a pastor or ministry leader of another church, you are most welcome to use these resources in any way that could build the kingdom of Christ.  We're on the same team!  Download any of the following:

• Download 120129OUTSIDE (PDF - 66 KB), the outside of our weekly handout
• Download 120129INSIDE (PDF - 56 KB), the inside of our weekly handout
  
• Download 120129 Hope CHILDREN (PDF - 1.2 MB), children's sermon manuscript 
  
• Download 120129 Hope Real TEACHING NOTES (PDF - 106 KB), sermon manuscript
  
• Download 120129 Hope Real TEACHING NOTES (AZW - 15 KB), manuscript in Kindle format
  
• Download 120129 Hope Real NOTES SLIDES (PDF - 1.2 MB), sermon & slides - used by tech team
  
• Download 120129 Planning Sheet (PDF - 36 KB), for ideas to support Hope theme

All of the Church Requel sermons are available either in the CR Video Library or the CR Audio Library or you can listen on the Church Requel Audio Blog.  Would you like to subscribe to the weekly audio podcast and receive the sermon each week?  Subscribe here for iTunes or here for all other mp3 devices.  You can also subscribe to the weekly video podcast.

Sermon Notes: My H.O.P.E. Is R.E.A.L.

Every week I publish my sermon notes so that you may read them for yourselves.  For my parishioners, this could be a good review from the weekend before.  And it gives you a chance to see what I intended to say!  For other pastors and ministers, feel free to borrow and use any of this material.  I'd love for God to be glorified by you incorporating these notes into your own worship.

Listen to My Hope Is Real

I KNOW part 8: “My Hope Is Real” 01.29.12

Scripture:  Romans 8:24-25 ESV / Song: “My Hope Is In You”

Intro: What we have learned so far in Romans 8 (over these past 8 weeks) is that my hope and your hope in Christ is REAL!  IF it is based upon the solid foundation of Jesus and what he has done for you.
(1) We are not condemned by God. (2) We can live a life pleasing to God. (3) We can be lead by Spirit of God. (4) We are known as God’s children. (5) We know God as our Abba Father. (6)We will be resurrected with perfect bodies someday! That’s a LOT OF REAL HOPE!

 This REAL HOPE is based entirely on what Christ has already accomplished. You can’t add one thing to make your hope any more real than it already is.  However, here is a truth I’ve learned from decades as a Christ-follower: Even though our hope is REAL, we might not REALIZE our REAL HOPE! (Repeat) Saying our Hope is Real is one thing.  REALIZING OUR REAL HOPE is another thing!  

If my hope is real, how can I know? This is the basis of this sermon series.  That I CAN KNOW.  That I don’t have to FEEL my way through life as a Christ-follower, dependent on the ups and downs of my emotions. I CAN KNOW that my hope is real.  God has accomplished everything for this real hope. But for you and me to realize this real hope will take some work on our part.  Today I’d like to share with you 4 ways you can know that your H.O.P.E. is R.E.A.L.

4 Ways I Know My H.O.P.E. is R.E.A.L. 

#1.  I must H _HOLD_ on to my R _REDEMPTION_.

 

Paul begins this section of Scripture with the basis of our salvation.  For Christ-followers, it always goes back to the beginning of our eternal life, when Christ and His Spirit gave us new life - salvation!

“For in this hope we were saved.” Romans 8:24 ESV

Quite literally we did not have any real hope before our salvation.  Hope begins and ends with Christ - and what he has accomplished for us!  We should never think we had anything to do with it.  Not dependent on us.  Wholly Christ’s work.  Dependent on him!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope.”
1 Peter 1:3a ES 

Paul: “My aim is to raise hopes by pointing the way to life without end. This is the life God promised long ago—and he doesn’t break promises!”
Titus 1:2 MSG

If you haven’t had this experience then you have no hope outside of God’s mercy.  Ask Him for real life, for forgiveness for sins, for His leadership in your life. Commit to follow Him. If you have already done this, don’t forget it. Tie a knot in Heb. 10:23 and HOLD ON!

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23 NIV

New Photo Album Highlights CR Kids Sermon

 

These are just two of the great photos in the new photo album on the Church Requel website.  Thanks so much Diana Devolder for your great photography.  I love telling the story of Church Requel with pictures!  And I love these two pictures especially well.  I don't know who is more delighted... the children or me! After all, I'm just a big kid at heart! (Click on either picture to see the full size.)

PFKBC Adds 9 New Books; Starts Sicily Kindle Fund

Every week or so I update our family members on their Kindle books.  We each keep our own Kindle, but we share an Amazon account together.  I keep track of who buys what.  The cool part is that we can share the books with one another.  Not only does it save us money, but it gives us something to enjoywith one another.  Here is this week's email.

Sicily reading Mom's Kindle

Dear Dad, Jillian, Tim, Jessica, Dave, Jennifer, Mike, Nancy, Patty, Cheryl, Grayden, Mary Kay, Kimberly and Riley:

It's been a fast two weeks since I last wrote to you.  As always, there's been lots happening within our PFKBC - the Pierce Family Kindle Book Club.  Five different members of our club purchased 9 new books.  This brings our total archives to 932 ebook titles.  Everybody should be able to find something they enjoy reading!  I've included a description of all the new books at the bottom.

Sicily Reading! I've mentioned to you before how exciting it is to see my grandchildren developing a love for reading.  Sicily has now read 4 different chapter books on her mom's Kindle.  This has happened at about the same time that Jennifer has been reading a lot more herself.  So they constantly vie for their time with THE Kindle. 

Sicily's Kindle Collection Can

Sicily's Kindle Collection Can. Following Grayden's lead, Sicily has come up with her own collection can for money she can earn to buy her own Kindle. However, Sicily has added her own fancy approach and applied some artwork to her "Kindle Can."  Check out the photo at the left to see what Sicily's Kindle Collection Can looks like.  Or... if you're feeling particularly generous... you can slip her a little money toward her own new Kindle!  Let's fill that can!

Grayden - Top of His Class! Saturday morning I ate breakfast with Jonathan, Grayden and Cohen.  Grayden was sporting a brand new T-shirt he had received at school the day before.  I asked him about it. Grayden is a participant in his school's reading program.  Every couple of weeks he takes comprehension tests to see how much of what he's reading he remembers. When the student has earned 150 points, he receives a brand new yellow T-shirt.  Grayden was the first in his class to receive his T-shirt!  Yay Grayden! Keep on reading!

Subscribe To Kindle Daily Deal Email. Two weeks ago I mentioned several different sources for where you could find great prices on Kindle books.  You took notice! Three of our new books came from the Kindle Daily Deal.  If you're like me, though, sometimes you will forget to go check every day.  If you will click here, you will be given the opportunity to subscribe to a daily email sent to you telling you about each day's great deal.  Make sure to check the email address on the top right hand side of the page - so it is your email and not mine.

Kindle Owners Lending Library. Because of my Prime membership we have access to thousands of books which we can borrow FOR FREE  with no due dates! However, we are limited to one free loan per month.  I am so far behind in my own reading that I won't be using this benefit in February personally.  So far, I haven't received any requests from any of you.  That means the first one of you to tell me you want to borrow a book - it's yours! No waiting!  No cost!  Here's the details.  Please let me know if you want to do this so I can keep track and be fair the next time someone wants to use this benefit.

New Books.  Here are the books you have purchased over the last two weeks.  Check out the list of what your fellow book clubbers have purchased.  You might find something you would like to read too!

Audio Sermon: My H.O.P.E. Is R.E.A.L.

If you are a Christ-follower then you have real hope. There's nothing you can do to make your hope any more real! However, you may not REALIZE your real hope all the time.  Join me in this audio sermon to learn 4 ways we can know our H.O.P.E. is R.E.A.L.

Listen to My Hope Is Real

Subscribe to this audio podcast!  It's available every week on iTunes or for any other mp3 player.

An Inside Look at Tech Team Mindset

Mark Strong's notes on last night's planning sheet.

Have you ever wondered what kind of organization it takes for a Church Requel style worship service to take place?  This morning as I was digging out all the gear from my blue "church in a box," I found the planning sheet (to the right) on top of my clipboard.  The planning sheet is something I work up each week so all the tech team is literally on the same page as I am.  

What I want you to notice are all the red marks on the sheet.  Those were all made last night by Mark Strong, who ran our CG (computer graphics.)  These are notes he made for himself on top of the planning sheet I gave to him.  (You may click on the image to make it double the size.)

I am especially humbled by the note he wrote to himself in the left-hand margin about a third of the way down. "Don't let Pastor down!"

Wow!  When I see something like this I am amazed that God allows me to work with such a dedicated and serve-oriented crew.  

This Weekend at CR: Real Hope!

Hey everyone! Pastor Mark here with your weekly "What's Happening at CR" message.  Hope this weekend finds you well and prosperous.  We're suffering through the flu season at the Pierce household.  Mary Kay has been really under the weather this week.  So far I've been fortunate and missed whatever bug has hit her.  Thanks for your prayers on Mary Kay's behalf.

HOPEful Worship at CR. This weekend's theme at Church Requel will be all about the real hope that we have in Christ.  We have some real special things lined up for Sunday night.  We'll sing three songs together, all that deal with our great hope: "So Good," "Everlasting God," and "Our God Saves."

I've planned a special children's lesson for Sunday night.  All the elementary children will join me on the platform up front.  I plan on teaching them about how our real hope never sinks - even when our problems tend to drag us down.  I don't want to give it away, but let me just say that the object lesson involves a wrapped present, water, cork, nails, and chocolate bars!!!  Kind of makes you wish you were back in school, doesn't it?  Make sure to bring all the kiddies this weekend!

In addition - and oh wow will this be special! - Brandi Walker has agreed to sing a brand new song written by Aaron Shust called, "My Hope Is In You."  Perhaps you've heard it on the radio recently.  It's been popular.  Trust me though when I tell you that you haven't heard Brandi sing it yet.  One word: "Wow!"

Steve Thoman will lead our prayer time.  Nancy Roop will read our Scripture. And I'll bring our message from Romans 8:24-25.  We'll be learning from an acrostic that will teach us how to know that our H.O.P.E. is R.E.A.L.  It's been fun creating this sermon - I'm HOPING it will help you in your faith during tough times.

Men's Breakfast Tomorrow Morning! There are plenty of other things happening at Church Requel.  Tomorrow morning the men and boys of CR will gather in the back room of Paul Revere's Family Restaurant in Lexington.  We enjoy casual company with an authentic, down-home breakfast. The cost for breakfast with coffee is pretty reasonable, usually between $5 and $8.  We'll swap some stories of how God has been faithful over the past month.

Profile Pics This Weekend. Many of you had your pictures taken by Diana last weekend.  She'll be taking pictures again this Sunday night.  We hope to put up the photos online (with your permission) so that we can get to know one another better.  Diana will come a half hour early and will stay a half hour late Sunday evening.  By the way, if you haven't stopped by the Church Requel website lately, you should definitely check out the new photo album Diana put up from last weekend - featuring the testimony of Rachel Barr.  Thanks Diana!

Next Weekend Super Sunday at 4pm! Don't forget that on February 5th, we'll conduct our Super Sunday Pre-Game Service two hours earlier than normal, at 4pm!  This is a special opportunity for you to invite your Super Bowl friends to a Super Worship Service.  Tell them they can pray for either team! After the pre-game service, go enjoy the party with your friends. Watch the commercials!  Root for your favorite team!  But start it out at CR! We'll have some special "football plays" of our own, including the "instant replay" of the blooper reel of Pastor Mark from our football sermon series earlier this fall.

I'm always amazed at all the great things going on for our little church.  I'm so looking forward to seeing each of you this weekend!  With much affection, Pastor Mark