Keeping Hope Alive

Proverbs 13:12 – Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. (New King James Version)

What Are Poor Substitutes for Biblical Hope?

__________________________________________________

The Definition of Hope

Hope is the confident __________________________ that God is willing and able to fulfill the promises that He has made.

1 Peter 1:3-4 – 3 . . . In God’s great mercy he has caused us to be born again into a living hope, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. 4 Now we hope for the blessings God has for his children. These blessings, which cannot be destroyed or be spoiled or lose their beauty, are kept in heaven for you. (New Century Version)

Hebrews 6:19 – We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. (New International Version)

Why Do Christians Have Hope?

Because they are __________________________ of their past

Lamentations 3:21-23 – 21 Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing: 22 The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, 23 Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. (Good News Translation)

1 John 1:9 – But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done. (New Century Version)

1 Timothy 6:17 – Command those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud, but to place their hope, not in such an uncertain thing as riches, but in God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment. (Good News Translation)

Because they are ________________________ of their future

Titus 3:5-7 – . . . He saved us in His mercy – not by virtue of any moral achievement of ours, but by the cleansing power of a new birth and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, which He poured upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. The result is that we are acquitted by his grace, and can look forward in hope to inheriting life eternal. (The Phillips Paraphrase)