There are so many pressures in this life to become someone who you are not. You can pretend for a bit to be somebody else, but there is a desire within all of us to just be ourselves. Here at Hope, we believe that everyone finds their true self not by looking outside of themselves or even searching deep within themselves. We find our true self within God. Our original design was to be an imprint of His nature. This does not mean that we all look the same. Rather we each have been uniquely and beautifully stamped with the nature of God - His love, compassion, and justice.

- Genesis 1:26-28 -                                 - The Greatest Artist of All Time by Jefferson Bethke -

The abuse and neglect, the infidelity and immorality, the hatred and injustice, are all symptoms of something God has diagnosed as sin. It is like a cancer that has taken over the entire world. Everyone has been infected. All aspects of our lives have been affected. Everyone's hearts are polluted with mixed motives; everyone's minds are corrupted with false worldviews; everyone's lives are consumed with self-serving ambitions.

- Romans 1:16-2:4 -                                                         - The Fall by Preston and Jackie Perry -

Since sin is slowly poisoning us, we are in need of a cure. There is no system of morality nor large dose of good intentions that will cure us. We are terminally ill. Jesus is the only remedy. He did not give us a vaccination from sin nor give us a regime of sin purging treatments. The only cure was for Him to take the deadly virus upon Himself and give us a transfusion of His pure blood. We now have a clean bill of health. Sure, we still have moments of sin, but we are in remission because of Jesus. We have been cured of this deadly virus and have a new lease on life. There is nothing we have done; He has done it all for us.

- Ephesians 2:1-10 -                       - Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus by Jefferson Bethke -

God is not a mysterious supernatural being or distant deity. We actually know Him. We not only know facts about Him, but we know Him like a Father - a Daddy. We believe that He's got us; nothing catches Him by surprise. He planned it all. Every detail and aspect of our lives are being shaped by Him to work together for our good. He really is for us, not against us. He will never fail us. He made His heart for us undeniably clear through His Son Jesus.

 - Romans 8:15-39 -                                                - The Father's Song by Steffany Gretzinger -

Jesus did not make a grand entrance. He entered quietly. He lived simply. He walked humbly. Jesus was and is ordinarily human, yet also extraordinarily divine. He healed the sick, gave hope to the destitute, and befriended ordinary people. He preferred having outcasts and no names in His circle of friends. But this hero did something unexplainable; something that has never been done before or ever since. He died for those considered His enemies so that He could make them His friends and members of His Father's family. Yet our hero is not dead. He came back to life three days later proving that death couldn't stop Him. Today, He sits next to His Father cheering us on and advocating on our behalf. And there will be a day just around the corner when He leaves His throne to come gather His family. Jesus is really coming back, not as an unnoticed servant, but as an indisputable King.

- Philippians 2:1-11 -                                                        - Hallelujah (What a King) by Vicksburg -

The Father chased after us. Jesus came to live with us. Now, the Holy Spirit lives inside of us and through us. Jesus told His disciples that life would be better after He left. That is hard to believe. Could you imagine spending a day with Jesus? However, Jesus said life in the Spirit would be better than physically walking with Him here on earth. The reason He said this is because we now have God Himself living inside of us. He has re-identified us as a child of God and is imprinting our lives with the character of our Father. He has empowered us to live like Jesus. There is nothing more thrilling and fulfilling than living our life with and for God.

- Galatians 2:20-3:3, 5:16-26 -                                                          - Holy Spirit by Shai Linne -

The path of maturity in this world is growing from dependence as a child into great independence into adulthood. The journey as a child of God is the complete opposite. As we mature into our identity in Christ, it is a path towards greater dependence upon our Father. We learn to need Him more. We are convinced we cannot go a day without Him much like a helpless newborn baby. Once God brings us into His family, we are His. This journey towards embracing our identity and living in greater dependence is not easy. There are some days harder than others. In fact, we will never perfectly and entirely eradicate sin from our life. Despite our ongoing battle against sin, we should never question our new identity in Christ. He never disowns us. This is why we strive each day to live more and more like who we already are - a child of God. Our motivation comes from a deep gratitude and love for all that our Father has done for us. We have been given everything we need to fight these battles with God's help.

- Romans 8:1-39 -                                                                   - Everything Drama by Lifehouse -

• As we embrace God's love for us, we should see more of Him and less of us as we walk with Him.
  

The church is not merely a building or a Sunday service, but the name given to God's people. As a local church, we are designed to be a billboard for God. Our love for Him and for others paints an accurate picture of God for our friends in our community. We are all vital members of the body of Christ who work together to represent Him to the world.

- 1 John 4:7-12 -                                                                                - We are by David Bowden -

We believe the Bible is God's very words. God used over forty authors from various cultures, every social class, and different time periods to accurately write His words. Since He is the author, we believe that the Bible in their original writings (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic) are without error (inerrant) and will not mislead in their instruction (infallible). This is fantastically exciting. God actually speaks to us! Whether we need some encouragement, direction, or wisdom to navigate a difficult circumstance, God has something to say to us. Everyday we are looking to hear from Him and then live with Him.

- Psalm 19:7-14 -                                                         - I Believe in Scripture by David Bowden -