Thursday, August 28, 2008

Our series on hope

Well, having ruminated on big words, here's an outline for our forthcoming series on hope. The titles are suitably vague, allowing us to respond to issues as they arise in the minds of those listening and interacting with the teaching.

Having begun by asking what aspects of hope Peter expects us to be talking about both to each other and the wider, watching world - taking 1 Peter 2:14-16 as our spring board - we will tackle the subject under eight broad headings:

hope and creation (Isaiah 65:17-25 - just what did Israel's prophets expect of the future?)
hope and new creation (1 Corinthians 2:9 - how did the coming of Jesus affect that?)
hope and grief (1 Thessalonians 4 - where is hope in a world of pain and loss?)
hope and my future (1 Corinthians 15 - what's my destiny in Christ?)
hope and our future (Hebrews 13:14 - God's plans are for his people, not just individuals)
hope and my present (1 John 3:3 - the future affects my lifestyle here and now)
hope and our present (Colossians 1:24-29 - the church is a community modelled on the future)
hope and my journey (Philippians 3:20 - hope calls us on to the future God has for us)

Hopefully (sorry!), this outline is flexible enough for us to be responsive to people's concerns and questions as we make our way through the series. I have high hopes (sorry again!!) that God has a lot to say to us as we take this journey together. That's my prayer.

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