The Thrill of Hope

Intro

Roller Coaster - Thrill Rides

Life is like a roller coaster

Christmas has a way of exaggerating what is going on in your life (ie. loneliness)

O Holy Night

The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices. For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Luke 2:8–14 NLT

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Good News

We all need to hear some good news

This is good news for everyone

It’s not good advice, it’s good news

Regardless of where you are at or what you have done.

Romans 3:23–26 NLT

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

What God did in the past is more important than what you have done in your past.

Great Joy

Difference between happiness and joy

Happiness is circumstantial but joy is everlasting.

1 Peter 1:3–5 The Message

3 What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, 4 including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! 5 God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.

Joy improves the quality of your life.

Good News + Great Joy = Hope for Tomorrow