Quiet Hope

Call to Worship

Psalm 62:8 NIV

8 Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

KiDZ Message

Today starts Advent

Advent is our season of getting ready for Christmas

Do you know why we celebrate Christmas? Jesus was born!

Teach the kids about Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 2:1-5)

Jesus being born means that the future Isaiah saw is already starting to come true

But it’s not done yet.

Jesus offer us the gift of Hope

Do you know what hope is?

Hope is the belief that the future will be better than today

That’s why, today, we light the “Hope” candle.

While we wait, we need to stay focused on being as close to Jesus as we can

So, this Christmas, think about Jesus as often as possible, and he will give you hope when life feels dark or scary

Ask you grown-ups about Jesus, ask them to read you stories and tell you about him

Pray

Main Sermon

SLIDE - Title

I. On-Ramp – Meeting People Where They Are

"I LOVE Christmas lights. Did you know the tradition started with candles in the window to guide weary travelers and tell them there was a warm fire inside? That speaks to something deep in all of us—a longing for light in the dark."

"But I also HATE Christmas lights. Every year more of them are burned out, tangled, and it feels like just another chore on my already massive pre-Christmas to-do list."

Playfully list the pre-Christmas to-do list:

"Hang the lights (and find the dead strand in the middle)."

"Order gifts before shipping costs more than the gift itself."

"Make cookies for the school party, the office party, the church party…"

"Wrap the gifts, hide the gifts, remember where you hid the gifts."

"Try to take the perfect Christmas card photo without anyone crying."

"Send cards to relatives you haven’t seen in years."

"Buy batteries for the toys that never come with them."

"Plan the Christmas dinner menu, shop for it, and remember the one ingredient you forgot."

"Find matching Christmas pajamas before the sizes sell out."

"Figure out travel plans that avoid three snowstorms and two traffic jams."

"Attend the school pageant, the work party, the church cantata, and the neighbor’s open house."

"Set up the nativity scene without losing the shepherd again."

"Try to remember where the Advent candles are stored."

"And somewhere in there… actually enjoy Christmas?""

And in the middle of all that chaos, the other thoughts intrude...

What will mom say about my decorations this year?

I wish dad were still here, it’s just not the same without him

How the heck am I supposed to pay for all this, I can’t even afford groceries this month. Are we going to into debt again? I guess I’ll just figure it out in January

Do I really need to sit in the same room with THEM again, it makes me anxious just thinking about it.

I’m just looking forward to Christmas being over!

[Pause]

It’s a hopeless feeling to believe the only thing to look forward to is the end of a thing.

So let me ask you a serious question. What if Christmas was different this year?

What if the pressure and the lists, and the expectations and the burdens didn’t have to define your next month?

We say that Jesus is the reason for the season, but, we navigate the season as if everything except Jesus takes priority and we only bring him in IF we get everything else done.

Yet, here is truth that lands quietly and unwaveringly in the midst of it all.

Whether you remember it or not

Whether you slow down long enough to notice or not

Whether you experience it or not

Jesus is born.

Quiet Hope is here.

The question is… Will you see it?

II. Big Idea

If you keep listening today you will.

And the to-do list won’t need to go away, the grief, the pressure, and the tension won't need to go away.

In fact, the circumstances that surround you this year may not change at all,

but if you commit to encountering Jesus steadily this Advent, then you will also experience his quiet, unwavering hope.

because...

SLIDE - Big Idea

Quiet hope comes from the presence of Christ, not the absence of hardship.

"And that’s what Advent teaches us: not that Christ erases the chaos, but that He meets us in it and points our eyes toward something bigger than what we can see right now."

So, whatever you are bringing into today, I would like to invite your attention to the scriptures, so that we can look at Jesus together and see the quiet hope he has to offer.

III. Scripture Exposition

1. The Hope – Isaiah 2:1–5 + Micah 4:1–5

Paint the vision: swords into plowshares, war tools turned into farm tools, nations streaming to God’s presence.

"This is God’s promise: The world as it is right now isn’t the world as it will always be."

"That vision doesn’t erase the darkness of today. It tells you the darkness won’t win."

“Isaiah saw a day when peace would cover the earth. When Jesus was born, He began fulfilling that promise—not just by teaching or healing, but by defeating sin and death through His cross and resurrection. And one day, when He returns, the peace Isaiah saw will fill the whole world.”

Key line: "Everything’s going to be alright — not because you can fix it, but because God’s already spoken a better word."

Pray: Spirit, thank you for this vision. continue to lift our heads to the future you promised so we can experience the present in light of the eternal.

2. The Challenge

You may feel the anxiety creep back in though. And you may be tempted to think that if you can predict or control and if you perform well enough then you’ll experience the hope, yet...

Matthew 24:36-44: No one knows the day or the hour → life keeps moving along, then Christ arrives.

Teach that this isn’t about a rapture. Yet it is about being ready for Christ’s return.

Being ready doesn’t mean being done with the checklist. It means being focused on the correct priority.

Jesus doesn't expect you to have your life in order to get to him. He invites you to come to him, and let him re-order your priorities. THEN you will experience his hope

When we stay close to Jesus, He doesn’t just help us survive the season—He forms us. The more we look to Him, the more we become like Him.

Romans 13:11-14

"Wake up… put on Christ."

"Reordering our lives isn’t about earning hope; it’s about centering our focus on Jesus Christ in the middle of everything."

The more steadily you encounter Jesus, the more you will come to know his hope, no matter what circumstances surround you

But, when you set Christ aside to “deal with” the circumstances, you also throw away his quiet hope.

This is an invitation to wake up.

SLIDE - Big Idea

Quiet hope comes from the presence of Christ, not the absence of hardship.

IV. Application – Encountering Jesus

Invite the band up.

Comfort: Receive Christ’s Presence

(Read Romans 8:18 slowly.)

Pause. “Close your eyes for a moment. Whatever thoughts are racing through your mind—lists, worries, frustrations—just set them down for now. They’ll still be there later.

For this moment, intentionally shift your focus away from all of that. Fix your eyes on Jesus instead.”

Pause for 15–20 seconds. “Picture Jesus standing with you. Not solving everything right now, not erasing the hard things, but steady and present—like a light shining in the dark.”

Pause again. “Take this moment to simply look at Him. Not your list. Not the noise. Just Him.”

Silent reflection for 20–30 seconds.

Conviction: Reorder Your Life for Quiet Hope

(Read Matthew 11:28–30 slowly.)

“Staying close to Jesus means learning to shift our focus again and again from the noise of life to His presence.

Ask Him these questions right now:

‘Jesus, what needs to change in my schedule so I can focus on You first?’

‘What needs to change in my finances so I’m trusting You more than my plans?’

‘What needs to change in my relationships so people see Your love through me?’

Pause after each one. Let your mind stay on Jesus as you listen.”

Pause for prayerful silence after each question.

If you heard an invitation to make a change, then don’t wait. Make the change now. Make it here. Fill out your connect card so we can help.

Invite Band Up

Vision: Carry Quiet Hope Into the World

“Quiet hope grows when we learn to keep our eyes on Jesus in the middle of everything else. And it spreads when we live that way in front of others.

May Christ give you His calm voice in tense conversations. May His generosity flow through you when others are anxious. May His encouragement shine through you when people feel overwhelmed.

As we have lit the candle of hope here, may His light go with you into every place you walk this week.”

V. Conclusion

SLIDE - Big Idea

“Quiet hope comes from the presence of Christ, not the absence of hardship.”

“This week, when the noise and pressure rise, remember: you can set it all aside for a moment and fix your eyes on Jesus. The chaos doesn’t get the final word. Christ does. He is here. And He is enough.”

VI. Prayer

Prayer:

Guide them into this setting down

"God of hope, we bring You our chaos, our stress, our questions, and our grief. Meet us in the noise with Your quiet presence. Give us peace not because the world gets easier, but because You are here. Send us out to carry Your hope into every place we go this week. Amen."

SONG - Light of the world (Lauren Daigle)

Benediction

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."