WHAT WE GET WRONG ABOUT GOD: WE NEED TO TRY HARDER

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it, for we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” – Ephesians 2:8-10.

“Just try harder.” Those words, or some variation of them, come up at school, at work, and at home. After all, this is how the world around us works. If you want to start on the varsity team, you had better make every practice condition throughout the summer and perform well on the field. If you want that flute solo, you’ll need to devote time to play each day, and if you want to get the promotion you seek, you need to try harder. But “trying harder” also comes up in spiritual circles. “I don’t read the Bible as much as I should, or I don’t pray enough, or I am stuck in some habitual sin that is robbing me of joy and intimacy with God: I guess I’ll just have to start trying harder.”

There is nothing wrong with working hard because following Jesus is hard work. But the Christian life should not be some miserable, teeth-clenching cycle of working harder to reach Heaven. Growing as a Christian is not about trying harder. It’s about surrendering and saying, “I can’t.”

Over and over in Scripture, Christ enables, heals, and changes people. Yet, we keep trying to fix ourselves. But the crippled don’t make themselves walk, and the blind don’t make themselves see, and addictions don’t go away by themselves. It’s God who does those things. Even Paul did not find strength within himself, as he stated in Philippians 4:13, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Success in this life is not about finding a better plan, a more sensible solution, or trying harder; it’s about seeking my Savior’s willing and available help. Isaiah 40:29–31 says, “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.”

”It’s not about your doing it; it’s about asking the Holy Spirit to do it within you. “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:26). It’s about Him: His power, His grace, and His love.

Trying harder suggests that we must do something to earn intimacy with God. The need to read more, pray more, fast more, evangelize more, and give more are all good things, but we must first understand and accept the gift that is God’s boundless, amazing grace.

We must stop trying harder and fall in love with the One who knows we can never try hard enough. We must understand that intimacy with God leads to good works, not vice versa. Do good works today not to earn God’s favor but as a response to God’s favor already given to you.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does trying harder mean to you?
  2. What should be done rather than trying harder in spiritual matters?

DO YOU CELEBRATE GOD EVERY DAY?

“Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!.” – Philippians 4:4 (MSG).

Small children can be human ping pong balls constantly in motion. They can be all over the place, playing non-stop and talking from sunup to sundown; they are often mini-comedians who say things that make you chuckle. They question everything. But the best thing about a small child is his or her ability to celebrate life’s smallest joys.

Do you ever pray and conclude that God is never celebrated enough? Have you ever thought we need to celebrate God more in the most minor and most profound aspects of our lives? We pray and ask God constantly for help, direction, wisdom, and guidance. In addition, we have a reasonably lengthy prayer list. And yes, we praise God, as well.  But if we thought about it, would we conclude that we do not celebrate God enough? Psalm 116:12 (ESV) says, “What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?”

Take a moment each day to celebrate all “His benefits to me.” Share what God has done and is doing in our lives, giving thanks for who He is. One of the best ways to celebrate is through worship. When the church is gathered together, shouting songs of praise, we can celebrate God together. There is power in community. We need to cultivate friendships and support in our lives that will celebrate along with us. These relationships are the ones that will pray for you, encourage you when you don’t think you can go on, rejoice with you, and mourn with you. And in the same way, we need to be people that celebrate with others.

Start with celebrating in our homes: we love to have any reason to celebrate, whether it be birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or other reasons. Consider how you can celebrate in your home in new and creative ways. Seek out those moments of joy each day and celebrate God’s faithfulness together. Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.”

It is hard to celebrate during the storms of life when we are focused on our circumstances. We can forget what God has done in our lives. Grief and lament have a real place in our journey, but celebration can also profoundly impact our lives and hearts. Celebration anchors us in a story that goes much deeper than heartache, loss, and the pain of our circumstances. It’s a story that tells the good news of Jesus and His truth through the storm. Celebration is not dependent on our circumstances but is entirely dependent on Him. It allows us to look back with gratefulness and forward with hope.

God is to be praised and celebrated every day. Moment by moment even. Our lives are busy, and we have schedules to keep, but taking the time to celebrate God brings glory and honor to Him. He is to be praised, worshipped, and celebrated.  Celebrating God’s goodness and faithfulness should be a daily part of our day.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some ways you continue learning today?
  2. What are some areas you’d like to learn more about? What plan will help you learn in those areas?

THE TIMES OF CHAOS IN OUR LIVES

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” – Isaiah 26:3 (ESV ).

Rembrandt’s painting of Jesus asleep in the boat with the disciples brilliantly depicts the chaos of the scene. The disciples appear to be hanging on for dear life, trying to hold the sails against the wind and the waves. One of the disciples is leaning over the boat with his head down, making you wonder if Rembrandt imagined him seasick due to the crazy waves. If you had the opportunity to see the painting at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston before its theft in 1990, you could probably visualize the chaos in that scene.

Times of chaos are all too common in our lives. That book report due in two days is not done; your two-year-old is a holy terror, and your carpal tunnel syndrome keeps you from your work. Or maybe you just had a knock-down drag-out fight with your next-door neighbor. When the storms of chaos begin to blow, we’re left feeling like we’re drowning. The disciples certainly felt that way and wondered how on earth Jesus could sleep during such a powerful storm (Mark 4:35-41).

In the chaos, they asked the age-old question that is so often asked when the storms of life swamp us: “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown” (Mark 4:38)?  Most Christians have asked that question or a variation of that question: “Lord don’t you care that I lost my job, or my health is failing or that my child has mental challenges.”   

The more chaotic we feel inside, the more we experience ourselves as “scattered.” Jesus said: “…whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Luke 11:23 ESV). Our enemy is the  “scatterer” who specializes in chaos, disorder, division, and in keeping us dispersed in any way possible. The good news is that God promises to gather us in from “every place ” where we (are) scattered: “ I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day” (Ezekiel 34:12). Amid chaos, God invites us to slow down, settle down and look up, praying with the psalmist: “I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety” (Psalm 15:8-9).

Searching for Jesus in chaos sometimes feels like a lost cause. But it’s at these lowest points when we need Him the most. He’s always near and trying to guide us. If you block out the chaos around you, you will hear Him. Remind yourself that God is just as present in the chaos as He is in the times of peace. He is just as eager to connect with you, transform you, and speak to you in the chaos as He is when you are on the mountaintop.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Discussion Questions:

  1. In stillness is how we know God in the chaos. Agree or disagree and why?
  2. Read Psalm 46:7 and 11. How do these verses teach us how to know God as the almighty? What does it mean that the Lord is almighty?
  3. How can we know that God is with us in the chaos, even though it might not feel that way?

LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WITH OTHERS

“And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.  They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.  They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.  And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” –   Acts 2:44-47.

Following Jesus means orienting our lives toward others, just as Jesus did. This consideration for others is at the heart of being a disciple. We set our sights on serving others for Christ’s sake, just as Christ came into the world not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

Consider for a second how Christianity began and grew: Christianity did not start with a massive publicity and marketing campaign produced by world-class marketing and publicity firms. There was no 24/7 media coverage by pundits calling their attention to Jesus’ travels and reporting on every miracle and encounter with people. It began with personal engagements among a small group of men over three years.

Yes, crowds often came to Jesus, and word of His miracles sometimes spread like wildfire. But within those large crowds was a smaller group of disciples whom Jesus called to Himself. He invested particularly in them. Mark’s Gospel tells us that Jesus “…called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach” (Mark 3:13–14).

Nothing makes you more like Jesus than the daily grind of interactions with others. God gives us community as a way to become more like Him. It’s within the context of community that we are given the opportunity to be refined as followers of Christ. There is something real about the concept of community. When surrounded by other believers, we feel empowered in our faith and may even be more sensitive to God’s presence in our lives. There’s something powerful about believers joining together, making each other accountable, and being active in contributing to one another’s lives. We need people asking the hard questions and challenging us in areas we need to be challenged.

A powerful passage on the body of Christ is I Corinthians 12. In that passage, two erroneous beliefs are addressed. First, “I am not needed.” Second, “I do not need you.” Paul argues that even if you are a part of the body that is not as prominent as you would like to be, and even if you think you are unnecessary, you are wrong. All body parts are needed, functioning in a healthy way, for the body to do well. The community needs you, and you need the community.

The early church is an example of the power of the Christian community. But that power exists today. During Hurricane Michael and many times since, we have seen the power of the Christian community to serve and help people when the storms of life strike.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does our pursuit of community show us our need for the Spirit? What do you currently need from Him in order to grow in your devotion to Christ’s people?

LIVING A RICH AND SATISFYING LIFE

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10 (ESV).

In John 10:10,  Jesus gives us the purpose of His coming to earth. He said it plainly. It wasn’t to judge. It wasn’t to condemn. It wasn’t to remind people of the rules or tell us we were sinning. It was to give us a rich and satisfying life. He says, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” The New Living Translation translates the word abundantly as a “rich and satisfying life.” The Message Bible says, “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” Jesus came so you and I can have eternal “life” and a life that is greater and better than we could imagine.

If God created us to live fulfilling lives, why do so many of us feel we are running on empty? Did we miss something in what He said because sometimes our life seems less than satisfying? And why does it seem like most of the time, religion hurts rather than helps the cause of a life fully lived? Though God created us to live rich and satisfying lives, they can only be completed by an intimate love relationship with Him. The Bible says that “…God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

God gave us many things to enjoy, but their ultimate purpose was never straightforward enjoyment or pleasure. The purpose was to point us towards Him. Without this relationship, every experience is limited to itself and will never satisfy its original purpose – to point us toward the Creator who imagined it. When we expect to live completely fulfilling lives without God, we expect something of life that it was never designed to give.

Living a rich and satisfying life is found only by putting your total trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior – every day. We can live, move, and have an abundant life in Him. It is not enough to know about Jesus, but we need to know Him personally.

There will be detours. It’s unrealistic to think that any journey will be perfect without detours. If you think you will only live “A Rich and Satisfying Life” if you don’t face detours, the journey is over before it begins. Detours are a part of life and often some of the most memorable parts of any journey. Life’s detours will bring discoveries and growth. Those who reach their goals and destinations are those willing to navigate the unforeseen detours of life, difficulties, and problems. Living in pure joy regardless of circumstances, knowing God has a perfect plan for your life.

Persistence is key to enjoying and living the journey of “A Rich and Satisfying Life.” There may be days when you feel you have made giant leaps forward and days when you have taken a few steps backward. The journey isn’t over until you quit trying.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Jesus says he Has come to bring us a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10). Where are you seeing Jesus’ goodness in your life? Where are you struggling to see God’s goodness?

WHAT WE GET WRONG ABOUT GOD: WE CAN BE GOOD WITHOUT GOD.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your way. and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9.

Atheists and agnostics like to claim that religion or belief in God isn’t necessary for living a moral life. “I can be a good person without God,” they say. In a certain sense, it’s correct to say that one can be a good person without God. There are people far from the heart of God who live very good, compassionate, and, in some cases, outstanding lives. They feed the hungry, aid the poor, and contribute to worthy causes. They know some things like cheating or bullying are bad and that things like generosity and kindness are good. By any definition, they are good people.

Being a Christian isn’t about being good—or “better” than our non-Christian friends and neighbors. And it’s not about lecturing non-Christians on how their good is not good enough. We have no right to be self-righteous. Our good in and of itself is no better than anyone else’s good.

The question is, can we be good without God? The short answer is yes and no. Biblically, morality comes from God. There would be no such thing as right or wrong without God. Where do the moral values that we all admire and aspire to actually come from? We all agree that justice is better than injustice and generosity is better than greed, and courage is better than cowardice. We all agree that love is better than hate. But where do these moral standards actually come from? In short, they come from God.

The Bible consistently describes God as good. God made everything good. God is the source of moral strength and resolve and is the absolute standard for what is good. Christians have a basis for understanding goodness through what God reveals about Himself in His Word: “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good” (Mark 10:18).

God not only sets out the moral law and tells us to obey it but gives us the power to obey it. We can transcend being naturally good, and go beyond all that we have to live by our power because God gives us His power. This enables us to be better people than we could have hoped to be because God is the source of all goodness.

Being a Christian is not just about being a good person. It’s about being in a relationship with a good person. Perfectly good. Fortunately, we do not have to be perfectly good. Through Jesus, God invites us, as good or as bad as we are, into a relationship with Him and promises to help us do what is good, even when it’s not easy, but to love what is good as we grow in our love for Him.

In other words, if God is the source of all that is good in the world He made, why would anyone want to try to be good without Him?

Discussion Questions:

  1. Can you be good without God? Why or why not?

NEVER STOP LEARNING ABOUT JESUS

“If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge.” – Proverbs 19:27.

Proverbs 19:27 reminds us that the key to wisdom is lifelong learning. Graduation from high school or college or even retirement from a career is not a time to stop learning and growing. It is healthy for people to exercise their minds continually. Reading meaningful and informative books and articles is an excellent way to continue learning. That is true of your secular life, and it is true of your spiritual life.

We are lifelong students of Jesus Christ. Without a doubt, Jesus was the greatest teacher of all time. His teachings and His sacrifice were and are unsurpassed. He was indeed the Master Teacher. As a teacher, He was kind and compassionate yet firm and exacting. This great teacher invites all who will to come and learn of me (Matthew 11:29.). We are told to continually “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18). To fulfill the goal of continually “learning to know God better and better” (Colossians 1:10), we must continually read and study God’s Word, learn from what we read, and practice what we learn.

During His earthly walk, the disciples were encouraged to learn about Jesus. They were to watch His walk, witness His character, and observe His attitude. His followers were challenged to learn about Jesus: not just know about Him but know Him – not just learn about Him but learn Him.  There was so much to learn because Jesus’ life modeled His words; He lived what He preached.

Being a Christian is learning to know and live for Jesus Christ: learning who He is and what He has done for us and learning to have everything about our lives shaped around Him. This involves learning truths, and it involves learning to live. We do this together as we learn Christ and teach Him to one another.

It is like being an apprentice who spends time with his teacher/mentor, observing him and learning to do what he is doing. As disciples of Jesus, we are also called to disciple one another. Learning Christ is something we need to do together. That’s why gathering together as God’s people in church and small groups is so important. In church and small groups, we grow and learn together in Christ.

Learning to live like Jesus is a lesson in being with Jesus, both in solitude and in community. Before we go out to represent Jesus, we must be molded by Jesus. We can be assured God is with us, and He grows even more apparent in the presence of other Jesus followers. We learn to live like Jesus by being with Jesus and His people.

“Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God” (Ephesians 4:1).

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some ways you continue learning today?
  2. What are some areas you’d like to learn more about? What plan will help you learn in those areas?

THERE IS POWER IN YOUR STORY

     “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” – Matthew 5:14-16.

Each of us has a story. Our story is a look back on our life-filled triumphs and disappointments and many things in between. Sharing our story can be difficult when there are more disappointments than triumphs. When we share our stories, they become an invitation to allow others to know us more intimately and to understand us better.

In the book of Acts, the apostles share Jesus with other people using scriptural references and things like that, but they usually tell their stories. They share their history and talk about what they’ve been through and seen, and that’s enough to make people around them stop and wonder about Jesus.

There is power in our stories. We can use our stories to reach out to the people around us. Not only do stories have power today, but they pass on faith from one generation to the next.  Psalm 102:18 instructs: “Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.”

We are some of the generations for whom the story has been recorded. How is it we have the opportunity to know the God who created us? Because someone lived the story, and someone else told the story, and someone wrote down the story, others chose to repeat the story, and many were willing to die for the story. And so, generation after generation after generation, the story of God’s love for His children has been told — and we are the beneficiaries.

Your story is as unique as you are. No believer has the same story. But even though your story may differ from that of your fellow believers, a common theme and hero should always emerge. The hero and author of your story is Jesus.  You didn’t come to Christ on your own. Christ came to you.  You don’t have to have a miraculous story or even be an excellent communicator.

Paul believed it best to speak plainly, allowing the Holy Spirit to shine through his words and speak to the hearts of those whom God wanted to hear his story. He writes, “…my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).

We have talked about how important it is to develop friendships with people, become people-focused, and discover their stories as we build these friendships. I’ve discovered that after you’ve listened to someone else’s story, they will typically ask you about your story. Therefore, it is essential to be ready to tell your story of what Jesus has done for you.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you told your story to other Christians? To non-Christians?
  2. Is there something that keeps you from sharing your story with others? If so, what can you do this week to remove that hurdle? 
  3. What can you do this week to be more ready to share your story when opportunities arise?

LIVING THE HOPE OF JESUS CHRIST

“You and I are unavoidably and irreducibly hope-based creatures. We are controlled not by how we live now, but by what we think will happen later. Christian hope has to do with the ultimate future, not the immediate.” – Tim Keller.

Hope is an elusive concept in today’s world. People have hope in all things, from winning the lottery to achieving real peace in their lives. Unfortunately, the chances of the former are very slim. It is a wish or longing for something better, something that is not guaranteed or will most likely never come to fruition. It is a wish, a wish for something better, something more.

Living hope is different. Living hope is a hope that is alive and present in our lives. It is a real hope that we can have faith in and trust in as we navigate life’s unknowns. The apostle Peter talks about a living hope ( 1 Peter 1:3). He’s talking about something much different than what we hope for today. He’s talking about a hope that is certain and secure, a hope that is based not on our actions or efforts but on the promises of God.

Peter dictated a letter to Christians in various regions of the Roman Empire. Christians who, like himself and his friends in Jerusalem, suffered because of their faith. By the time he’s writing this letter, he’s been arrested multiple times; he’s been living as a fugitive for years. Yet, even though he’s living on the run, he says, ” All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see” (1 Peter 1:4-5). Peter says that our hope is anchored to an event that rekindled his hope, the resurrection of Jesus.

Christian hope is a person, Jesus Christ. “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek…” (Hebrews 6:19-20 ESV).

Jesus is our “forerunner.” In the contemporary usage of the day, a “forerunner” was a scout, sometimes an advance guard of an army. When used as an adjective, it meant to rush forward with great speed. In effect, He became the path to God. Our faith is anchored in heaven because of Christ. Our hope lies in Christ; we are grounded in Christ. Edward Mote said it best when he wrote the following lyrics in 1834: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does living hope mean to you?   
  2. What do people see in you that is a reflection of the hope you have in Jesus?

THE HOPE WITHIN US

  “You and I are unavoidably and irreducibly hope-based creatures. We are controlled not by how we live now but what we think will happen later. Christian hope has to do with the ultimate future, not the immediate.” – Tim Keller.

The poet Emily Dickinson wrote,

“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all.”

In four simple lines, Emily captured what motivates us to turn off the morning alarm and tackle the day. It is the quality that enables us to slog through when walking in the valley.  We hope for good things today and a better tomorrow. But in many cases hope is wishful thinking that is often temporary. Several thousand years before Emily Dickinson, the apostle Paul described a different source of hope:“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Every day, we have a choice where to look for hope. The world tells us to hope in money, determination, relationships, skills, abilities, and a little luck. God tells us to look to Him.  So many people are looking for hope but in all the wrong places. If we are not looking for hope in Jesus, we are simply looking in the wrong place, and true hope will not, and cannot be, found. Paul describes Jesus Christ as one “who gives us hope.” (1 Timothy 1:1) and “our blessed hope” (Titus 2:13 ESV). Jesus not only came to bring hope. He is our hope. Nothing can destroy this hope because it’s stored in heaven where no earthly power can touch it.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5

We have received new birth into a living hope that’s real daily. It’s living because Jesus is alive and offers to transform our hearts, minds, and actions daily.  It is a hope that we can share with others. The world lacks hope. Human beings are clamoring to fill their empty lives with stuff. Abuse, addiction, illness, and broken relationships surround us. People need to know that Jesus came to bring hope, that He is our hope, and that our hope is alive.

Sharing the Gospel isn’t always easy. But every person you meet is searching for hope that can only be found in the love of Jesus. Opportunities are everywhere. Isn’t it worth that awkward moment to tell them about the God who loves them and who can change their lives?

Discussion Questions:

  1. Are you tempted to place your hope in anything outside of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ?
  2. What do you currently think will bring you joy and satisfaction?
  3. How have things in your life shown to disappoint you when you’ve placed your hope in them?
  4. How has Christ shown Himself to be an object of hope?