Hope Community Church

We’re kicking off a brand-new series through 1 John this Sunday! 🙌

We’ll be diving into what it looks like to know Jesus, walk in truth, love one another, and live with confidence in our faith.

What’s one thing you’d love to learn or grow in through this series? 👇

We’ll see you Sunday at Hope! ❤️

Some people are hard to love. When we’re hurt, frustrated, or in conflict, our human nature is to defend ourselves, place blame, retaliate, or say something we’ll regret.

But Jesus calls us to respond differently.

Pray before you react.
Before you respond, pause and ask God for wisdom, patience, and self-control.

Respect rather than retaliate.
You don’t have to agree with someone to treat them with dignity. “Repay no one evil for evil.” Romans 12:17

Manage conflict rather than escalate it.
Not every disagreement needs to become a battle. “A soft answer turns away wrath.” Proverbs 15:1

Control your tongue rather than wound with words.
Our words can either bring grace or cause more hurt. Choose words that reflect Jesus.

This week, think about one difficult relationship in your life. Pray for that person before you interact with them, and ask God to help you respond like Jesus rather than being unprepared and reacting.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me love people who are difficult to love. Give me wisdom, patience, and self-control. Help my words and actions reflect You. Give me the peace and strength to let go of what I cannot control and trust You with the situation. Help me release my anger, hurt, and desire to fix it myself, knowing that You are in control. Amen.

Enemies & Toxic Relationships: How Do We Respond? 🤍

Yesterday, Pastor Bo reminded us that we may not be able to control how others treat us, but we can choose how we respond.

When conflict, hurt, or toxic relationships come our way:

🙏 Pray before you react.
Choose faith over fear and trust that God is good, faithful, and in control.

🤍 Respect rather than retaliate.
We don’t have to repay hurt with hurt.

🕊️ Manage conflict rather than escalate it.
Sometimes protecting peace means choosing restraint.

👄 Manage your tongue rather than wound with words.
Our hurt doesn’t give us permission to hurt others.

David had opportunities to retaliate against Saul, yet he chose to honor God and keep his integrity intact.

We may not control their response, but we can surrender ours to God. 🙏

🎶 Behind the Lyrics: Because of Jesus

There’s a reason we can have hope, freedom, forgiveness, and a relationship with God, and it isn’t because of what we’ve done.

It’s because of Jesus.

One line in the song says:

“I am a testimony of the goodness of the Lord.”

What a powerful reminder that our lives are meant to point back to Him. His grace, His faithfulness, His mercy, and His goodness are what make our stories possible.

Because of Jesus, we are forgiven.
Because of Jesus, we are made new.
Because of Jesus, we have hope.

Your story may look different from someone else’s, but if you belong to Jesus, your life is a testimony of His goodness.

What has God done in your life that you can thank Him for today? ❤️

Please continue to keep our Missions Team in your prayers as they serve in Texas and Mexico this week. 🌍

Pray for safe travels, strength, meaningful opportunities to serve, and open doors to share the hope of Jesus. Pray for the people they’re meeting and serving, and that God would use every conversation, act of kindness, and opportunity to make an eternal impact.

We’re so thankful for a team willing to go and love like Jesus. Let’s keep covering them in prayer as they serve!