HOPE Sermons

How often do we find ourselves amid something grand + important, but are unaware of it until we look in hindsight? This morning, Executive Pastor Wes Peterson shared with us the story of the Last Supper in Luke 22:21-24, 31-34. The disciples argued with each other about who was the greatest among them all the while sitting in the presence of Jesus Christ, the greatest of all time! It was there Jesus shared that Peter would betray Him, not once, but three times. Jesus was not shocked, was not surprised, and was not concerned because He had and still has a greater plan. Jesus would use the failures of Peter to redeem him + sanctify him. He would use Peter’s future faith-testing trials and pain to give him greater purpose. It is the same for us now. Jesus is Lord over all. He can redeem the pain of your struggles + failures for a greater purpose. He can give you a redemption story that could only point to the Father, and strengthen those around you.To listen to past sermons from this series, visit hopechurchrva.com/sermons__Connect with us at:www.hopechurchrva.comFacebook: @HopeChurchRVAInstagram: @hopechurchrva

In thin spaces, where the veil between heaven and earth is almost translucent, we’re able to see a vision of goodness + glory. Maybe it’s beholding an unending landscape of peaks and valleys or basking in the joy + warmth of laughter with your dearest friends. In God’s incredible kindness, He shows us these glimmers of glory. Yet, in all their beauty, they are not enough. They point to a vision more powerful and enduring. Jesus alone. As Peter stood atop the holy mountain witnessing Jesus’ face shining like the sun in Matthew 17:5, God says, “…’This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’” God told Peter, as He tells each of us today, to fix our eyes on Jesus. Jesus alone is the vision that will carry us through our mountaintops and valleys. Jesus alone is the better plan. Anything else is simply too small. Our plans, our careers, our lives, our bodies; they’re all too small. Fleeting. Look up, Jesus alone is the vision worth beholding.To listen to past sermons from this series, visit hopechurchrva.com/sermons__Connect with us at:www.hopechurchrva.comFacebook: @HopeChurchRVAInstagram: @hopechurchrva

HOPE Church celebrates the joy of the resurrection with services from the Altria Theatre in Richmond, Virginia. Senior Pastor David Dwight reminds us that the truth of Easter changed the lives of his disciples in Jesus’ time and it is no less radical for us today. This is the conclusion of our sermon series on the meaning of miracles. The resurrection is the ultimate miracle which gives us confidence that death has truly been defeated! He is risen indeed!To listen to past sermons from this series, visit hopechurchrva.com/sermons__Connect with us at:www.hopechurchrva.comFacebook: @HopeChurchRVAInstagram: @hopechurchrva

Spring brings warmer air, brighter days, fresh blooms, and a new sermon series! Today, we began Peter’s Story — a series about the making of an apostle.Jesus calls us, like He called Peter on the shores of Galilee, to come and follow Him. He asks us not just to follow at a distance, but to walk with Him, leaving our preoccupations behind, taking up our cross, and becoming His disciples.We invite you to join us on as we study the life of Peter, a man transformed by the goodness and glory of God. Join us on Sundays at 8am / 9:30am / 11am at West Creek, 9:30am + 11am at the Lodge! You can also watch via livestream at 9:30am + 11am at @hopechurchrva on YouTube.

This Palm Sunday morning, Senior Associate Pastor Pete Bowell, shared with us the story of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:39-48. When we hear “miracle” many of us may think of physical healing, but have we considered the miracle of praying “not my will, but Yours be done” amid sorrow and anguish? Jesus uttered this prayer We are thankful for a savior who, in His own pain, yielded to the will of the Father so that there would be an empty grave on the other side of the cross. So that His redemption plan would come to pass. So that it would be possible for us to be made alive when we were spiritually dead. As we enter into Holy Week, we pray that we will have the wisdom and humility to yield our will to God. To relinquish our grip on being the potter instead of the clay.To listen to past sermons from this series, visit hopechurchrva.com/sermons__Connect with us at:www.hopechurchrva.comFacebook: @HopeChurchRVAInstagram: @hopechurchrva

Senior Pastor David Dwight continues the sermon series, “The Meaning of Miracles” by examining Jesus’ healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda. Our current culture tells us that we can experience self-managed conversions, in pursuit of health, fitness, and the lives that we want to have. However, true transformation and healing can only take place through the intervening work of God. This conversion of the human heart is the most common miracle, experienced by every believer. Jesus’ healing of this invalid restores him to wholeness and full health. No less miraculous is the return to wholeness that Jesus offers each one of us in his redemptive offer of salvation. We will never be ready for the full transformation that life in Christ means, but when we say yes, we grow into this new reality and he walks with us in all that is to come.To listen to past sermons from this series, visit hopechurchrva.com/sermons__Connect with us at:www.hopechurchrva.comFacebook: @HopeChurchRVAInstagram: @hopechurchrva

This morning, Senior Pastor David Dwight continued our series on the meaning of miracles with a message on the bleeding woman in Luke 8:40-48.She had suffered from a deeply personal medical disorder for twelve years. She was outcast by her culture because she was deemed unclean. Then amongst the throngs of people, Jesus restored her. He healed her in public where she was not welcomed.Miracles demonstrate the kingdom of God and reveal His glory. Miracles are more about God, rather than they are about us. What does this miracle tell us about our God? It tells us that Jesus wanted the crowds to know she was made clean and whole. That she was a daughter of God. It tells us that He values our dignity, that He loves us, and that we are His children if we place our faith and trust in Him.If you want meaning, you want Jesus. If you want wholeness, you want Jesus. If you want life and dignity, you want Jesus. If you want to be a daughter or son of God, you want Jesus.To listen to past sermons from this series, visit hopechurchrva.com/sermons__Connect with us at:www.hopechurchrva.comFacebook: @HopeChurchRVAInstagram: @hopechurchrva

This morning, Worship + Family Ministries Pastor Kyle Freedman shared with us the story of the demon-possessed man in Mark 5:1-20. This man was tormented by a legion of demons, cast out by the Gentile society, living among the dead, and roaming the hills + caves throughout the night like an animal. Upon seeing Jesus’ boat approach shore, he ran to Him. There Jesus cast out the demons, setting the man free. He was commanded to stay in the Gentile society to share the story of his restoration. He was to share the good news. The good news is that no one is too far gone for the grace of Jesus. Even in our worst moments, there’s nothing we can do that would make Jesus leave us. He bore our sin and our shame on the cross. He paid the price we could never pay on our own so that we could enter into relationship with Him. We’re excited to share the good news, the story of redemption, with you as Easter approaches! On Sunday, March 31 at 9:30am + 11:30am we will have our Easter services at the Altria. Free, general admission tickets will be available to reserve at hopechurchrva.com/easter at 1pm TODAY. To find out about our other Easter events like Springle Jam and our Maundy Thursday service, head to hopechurchrva.com/easterDive deeper by listening to past sermons at:www.hopechurchrva.com/sermons__Connect with us at:www.hopechurchrva.comFacebook: @HopeChurchRVAInstagram: @hopechurchrva

Senior Pastor David Dwight continued our sermon series, The Meaning of Miracles, with a reading from Matthew 12. In this passage of scripture, Jesus heals a man with a crippled hand on the day of the Sabbath. It is no coincidence that Jesus healed on this day and did so six other Sabbath days. This day was for God’s people to rest from their labor, but also to connect with God more than the rest of the week. The Sabbath was and is an invitation to wholeness and oneness with God Himself. Jesus, restoring wholeness to the man with the crippled hand, was pointing to His Father. Jesus was displaying the character of God to the world. Our God is a god of wholeness, dignity, light, and love. He is a God of restoration and redemption. He desires to restore our wholeness. He is inviting us to connect with Him deeply and fully so that we would be restored, renewed, and fulfilled.Dive deeper by listening to past sermons at:www.hopechurchrva.com/sermons__Connect with us at:www.hopechurchrva.comFacebook: @HopeChurchRVAInstagram: @hopechurchrva

But soon a fierce storm came up…Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” Senior Pastor David Dwight continues our sermon series about miracles, focused on the reality that when we are praying for miracles, we are often in the most challenging circumstances of our lives. Like the disciples in Mark 4, we ask God, “Don’t you care….?” We cannot predict or understand when God will intervene in the natural order of things to work a miracle. Our faith rests in the knowledge that he can and the trust that his purposes will be realized, no matter the outcome of the situation we are in.Dive deeper by listening to past sermons at:www.hopechurchrva.com/sermons__Connect with us at:www.hopechurchrva.comFacebook: @HopeChurchRVAInstagram: @hopechurchrva

This morning, Executive Pastor Wes Peterson kicked off our new sermon series, The Meaning of Miracles, with the story of the wedding at Cana. In one of the most recognizable miracles in the Bible, Jesus turned water into wine. Why? Not to simply fill the cups of the wedding guests for a single event, but to reveal His own glory for the first time. This supernatural act was a sign pointing to something else. Pointing to Him, His love, and His glory. It was pointing to the spiritual redemption Jesus would later accomplish at the cross. It was inviting those who witnessed it to see Him, know Him, trust Him, and have a relationship with Him.Dive deeper by listening to past sermons at:www.hopechurchrva.com/sermons__Connect with us at:www.hopechurchrva.comFacebook: @HopeChurchRVAInstagram: @hopechurchrva

Senior Pastor David Dwight continues our series, Wise & True, with a reminder that the fear of the Lord, our reverent devotion to Him, is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom is: To be carried and considered and wrestled with. Wisdom isn’t: A good luck charm, a fortune cookie, or superstition. Wisdom is: An important element of your relationship with God. Wisdom isn’t: Ever to become your God, or your heart’s focus and devotion. Wisdom is: Something that over time leads you to make better decisions based on what is true; decisions that are better than you would have otherwise made. Wisdom isn’t: Protection against pain, or a bargaining chip with God. Wisdom is: For the long haul of life, a long-term companion that plays the long game. Wisdom isn’t: A quick fix, an easy answer. Wisdom is: Invitation, consideration, mystery. Wisdom isn’t: A self-help, self-centered, fix-it tool. The way to wisdom is a growing intimate relationship with God himself. Not God + something. Not God for something.Stay connected to HOPE! Find us online at: hopechurchrva.comFollow us on Facebook + Instagram: @hopechurchrva

Senior Pastor David Dwight continues our series, Wise & True, with a reminder that the fear of the Lord, our reverent devotion to Him, is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom is: To be carried and considered and wrestled with. Wisdom isn’t: A good luck charm, a fortune cookie, or superstition. Wisdom is: An important element of your relationship with God. Wisdom isn’t: Ever to become your God, or your heart’s focus and devotion. Wisdom is: Something that over time leads you to make better decisions based on what is true; decisions that are better than you would have otherwise made. Wisdom isn’t: Protection against pain, or a bargaining chip with God. Wisdom is: For the long haul of life, a long-term companion that plays the long game. Wisdom isn’t: A quick fix, an easy answer. Wisdom is: Invitation, consideration, mystery. Wisdom isn’t: A self-help, self-centered, fix-it tool. The way to wisdom is a growing intimate relationship with God himself. Not God + something. Not God for something.Stay connected to HOPE! Find us online at: hopechurchrva.comFollow us on Facebook + Instagram: @hopechurchrva

We continued our sermon series this morning with Senior Pastor David Dwight. He painted a picture of the tree of life. Its roots, character; its trunk, wisdom; its four main branches, truth, trust, humility, and discipline. The book of Proverbs invites us to seek wisdom and to see ourselves in a true and accurate light. Acquiring the truth about who we are can be painful, but it is humbling, edifying, and it is wise. Proverbs tells us that the wise person seeks correction, insight, and shaping. This shaping, this transformation is not possible without love. A love that is so wide, long, high, and deep. How beautiful it is that our God is love.Stay connected to HOPE! Find us online at: hopechurchrva.comFollow us on Facebook + Instagram: @hopechurchrva

Senior Associate Pastor Pete Bowell continues our sermon series reminding us of these words in Proverbs 4:23. We guard our hearts because they are valuable to God, they are the source of our words and actions, and they are often under attack from the enemy. Pete reminds us that Christ is in us, and with us always. He will help us to guard our hearts and cultivate wisdom in us.Stay connected to HOPE! Find us online at: hopechurchrva.comFollow us on Facebook + Instagram: @hopechurchrva

There are thousands of voices telling us what to do to lead a better life. The Bible tells us that we need to get wisdom to live a better life. It tells us that if we are to pursue anything, we are to pursue wisdom. This morning, Senior Pastor David Dwight kicked off the new year + a new sermon series exploring the book of Proverbs. The invitation of this book is to trust God, yield to Him, and make Him the foundation of our life. We can do this with confidence because God has a pure and spotless character. He has all knowledge of all things throughout all time. His intentions are purely love. When we trust in Him and His word, not ourselves, we will get wisdom. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6Stay connected to HOPE! Find us online at: hopechurchrva.comFollow us on Facebook + Instagram: @hopechurchrva

HOPE Church's 2023 NYE special Sunday Service.Stay connected to HOPE! Find us online at: hopechurchrva.comFollow us on Facebook + Instagram: @hopechurchrva

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord. Isaiah 60:1-6 Merry Christmas Eve from the Altria Theater in Richmond, VirginiaStay connected to HOPE! Find us online at: hopechurchrva.comFollow us on Facebook + Instagram: @hopechurchrva

God is inviting us to behold and to pay attention to Him. But His ways are not our own. While we may be looking for God to move in extravagant ways, His handiwork can often be found in the modest and small. The Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, bringing justice, peace, and reconciliation, was born a baby in a humble dwelling. The birth of a baby, an everyday miracle, was how God chose to bring heaven to earth. Senior Pastor David Dwight continued our sermon series, Behold, sharing that when we earnestly seek God, we will find Him. If we seek Him in our every day, we will see more clearly how He is weaving His story. If we behold Him, we can discover how we can love God with our lives.Stay connected to HOPE! Find us online at: hopechurchrva.comFollow us on Facebook + Instagram: @hopechurchrva

Executive Pastor Wes Peterson continues our sermon series, Behold, reminding us that the event of Jesus’ birth, the good news, is not just something that happened long ago. It is a personal invitation from God into His story. The good news is for ALL people, right where they are and in all the challenges they are facing. Behold the joy that this news brings the world and share that joy with someone this Christmas season. “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’” Luke 2:10-11Stay connected to HOPE! Find us online at: hopechurchrva.comFollow us on Facebook + Instagram: @hopechurchrva

It can be hard to behold God in all His glory when we are consumed by ourselves and our circumstances as we live in the darkness of this world. Yet, we can find God’s glory all around us when we stop for a moment and behold His kindness, His mercy, His grace, His peace, and His love. Senior Associate Pastor Pete Bowell invites us to behold God’s glory throughout Advent, even if only for the amount of time it takes to sing the doxology below. Praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise Him, all creatures here below Praise Him above, ye heavenly host Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost Luke 2:8-9Stay connected to HOPE! Find us online at: hopechurchrva.comFollow us on Facebook + Instagram: @hopechurchrva

Our Advent sermon series, Behold, commences with a message from Senior Pastor David Dwight. God invites us to behold – not merely look, but to pay attention, to notice, and to take in the beauty + magnitude of the birth of Jesus Christ. Everything changed when He entered into the world fully man and fully God. Religion turned into a relationship with the person of Christ. Together, as a community of beholders, we can bring our distractions and our wounds to Jesus this Christmas, so that nothing would stand in the way of our beholding and entering into relationship with the Son of God. “Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name “Jesus.’” - Luke 1:31

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39Senior Pastor David Dwight concludes our sermon series reminding us that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. We all can think of something - a past sin, shame, or regret that makes us wonder if God can love us. But in Christ, we can introduce our “something” to God’s “NOTHING” and invite him to bring reunion of our hearts to his intimate and complete love.

How do we know God is for us? He gave us Christ! Christ who suffered for us and entered into our own suffering so that we may have a deeper union with God. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:38-39

As believers we know that God works for the good of those who love Him, but is “the good” the apostle Paul speaks of the same as what we define “good” to be? Is it only happy, victorious endings to the strife and hardships in our lives? Missional Pastor Matt Hartman reminds us that we may not see resolution to life’s interruptions, closed doors, and heartaches. But when the spirit of Christ lives in us, God is using those messy, difficult situations to draw us closer to Him, conform us to His image, and grow in us a more Christlike compassion, boldness, and hope. Romans 8:28-32

This morning Worship + Family Ministries Pastor Kyle Freedman explores the relationship between suffering and glory as we continue our series on Romans 8. God’s Word tells us that we are called to wait patiently, eagerly, and with hope for the future glory promised to us through Christ Jesus. This hope builds in us an ability to endure the suffering we experience here on earth. We can be assured that our present sufferings, while painful, are temporary and small in comparison to the glory of eternity with God.Scripture referenced: Romans 8:18-27

Today, Senior Pastor David Dwight continues our sermon series and explores what Romans 8 says about the Holy Spirit.The Holy Spirit is a real person and the third member of the trinity. When we’ve accepted Jesus into our hearts, He is in us and with us always. He is the midwife of our birth, the companion in our growth, and the resurrector at our death. "To live in the Spirit is to have a heart yielded to God. Our hearts desire to love, serve, and honor Him because of the power of His spirit. To live in the flesh is to say we belong to ourselves, but when we live in the Spirit we are declaring that we are God’s alone." - Romans 8:9-17

Our new sermon series, 8, kicks off with a message from Senior Pastor David Dwight. When we are in true relationship with Jesus, we will be judged “not guilty” before the throne of God. We did not earn this verdict, Jesus did. He paid it all, so we can live joyfully and in gratitude for this incredible gift. This is grace. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." - Romans 8:1-4

To be human is to be made in the image of God, for our identity to be found in Jesus alone, to be separated from God because of sin, but reconciled through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and to have eternity planted in our hearts.Senior Associate Pastor Pete Bowell wraps up our sermon series, Being Human, with the poignant reminder that this vast, beautiful world and the things of it will never satisfy us. We will always be yearning for more because God placed eternity in our hearts. Eternity does not just await us after our physical lives end, but it is here right now through Jesus, our living hope. We may not fully understand the scope here on earth, but we can see a glimpse when we turn our eyes towards Jesus."Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." - John 17:3

We all face problems and challenges in our lives. The secular view says that our problems are caused by external factors. A biblical view of our problems tells us that our problems are caused by our internal sin. Senior Pastor David Dwight reminds us that God is offering us redemption from our brokenness and he offers us another way. God invites us to live in our present, imperfect circumstances with hope for eternal glory when we will not experience pain and suffering and brokenness, but joy and unity and love. "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." - Revelation 21:4

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it." Psalm 139:13-14 The human body is extraordinarily complex. We contain 35 trillion cells, each with its own specialized functions that contribute to keeping us alive. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Senior Pastor David Dwight continues our sermon series considering the great intentionality of the God who made us, designed us, and has purpose for our lives.

We are made in the image of God. He calls us to display his characters and personhood. When we reveal the goodness of his nature, we are bringing him glory. Senior Pastor David Dwight begins our series "Being Human" reminding us that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Senior Pastor David Dwight concludes our series "The Sermon." The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus Christ teaching us how to live a simple human life: how to focus on what matters; how to live with God and people; and how to arrange our priorities to yield a life of wholeness, meaning, and influence; and leave a legacy of love and grace. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus, the author of life, teaches us how to truly live.

When we hear the word "sin," we may think of a list of bad behaviors. We'll compare our behavior to others and be left feeling puffed up or deflated. These "sins," wherever we rank them are really the symptom of a greater problem - separation from God. We've all fallen short and the good news is that Christ has closed the gap. The deep heart problem, the barrier, the separation has been taken care of through Christ's work on the cross. Will we open our eyes? Will we say yes to this offer of complete forgiveness? Will we, through Jesus, believe in our new identity?No longer condemned, no longer separated, but free. This belonging will help us extend forgiveness and love to ourselves and our neighbors.

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’...But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.Senior Associate Pastor Pete Bowell continues our study of the Sermon on the Mount by reminding us that God cares about the things that we worry about. We are not wrong to be concerned about the things of this world, but Jesus invites us to rest in him and seek first the kingdom of God.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."Executive Pastor Wes Peterson continues our study of the Sermon on the Mount with an exploration of how we are called to think about money. Money is useful here on earth, but will have no value in eternity. In his teaching, Jesus encourages us to fix our eyes on the eternal and use our resources here on earth to invest in things that will pay dividends beyond our earthly life.

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."In the Greek, the word "hypocrite" is most accurately translated to mean "the pretender" - someone who plays the part of a religious person to perfection, but internally does not have sincere faith. Missional Pastor Matt Hartman reminds us that a sincere heart posture before the Lord is the first step to intimacy with him. As we continue to explore The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, Matt helps illuminate how the Lord's prayer is an expression of what it means to live in God's kingdom.

Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven...when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.Senior Pastor David Dwight continues our study on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:1-4. What does it look like to live life once we have a heart for God? Jesus is teaching us how to be set free from the law and free from the trappings of religion. Can we do the heart of it without the show of it?

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you... Loving our enemies doesn't come easy, but it is the path Jesus calls us to. Executive Pastor Wes Peterson encourages us to the radical reconciliation that can only come from Jesus. When we treat our enemies as well as we treat our friends, we recognize their humanity and offer dignity to them and to ourselves. It is a hard and worthy pursuit.

Senior Pastor David Dwight continues our journey through The Sermon on the Mount with a teaching from Matthew 5: 21-37, exploring Jesus' teaching on the value of human life, the dignity of the human person, the sanctity of marriage, and the integrity of our promises. These four topics interact and hold each other up like the four legs of a table. They speak to our integrity as people and we bring glory to God when we offer this integrity to each other. Find all sermons from this series at hopechurchrva.com/sermons

The Beatitudes are first for people in bad situations, not for people with good attitudes. Jesus is on our side. Jesus blesses people not because of their virtues but because of their inadequacies. This is the first part of our Summer series on the Sermon on the Mount.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. These words in Galatians 5 remind us that our salvation is in Christ alone.Senior Pastor David Dwight concludes our sermon series with the reflection that we remain yoked in slavery when we try to portray a certain image to the world that our internal lives do not reflect, but this is not part of freedom in Christ. When we receive liberation in Christ, our hearts are set free to worship him.

Children who are set to receive an extraordinary inheritance cannot prove themselves worthy to receive it by their own actions. Their best posture is to live humbly, gratefully, generously. In the forth sermon of "Freedom People," Senior Pastor David Dwight reminds us that through adoption as children of God, we can claim the extraordinary inheritance of salvation in Jesus and eternal life to come. In the knowledge of this gift, we can live free.Find all sermons from this series at hopechurchrva.com/sermons.

"Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ." In the third sermon in our series, Family Ministries Pastor Kyle Freedman reminds us of Paul's words to the Galatians.In our faith journey, we can start to believe that our faith is based on an "if I...., then you will..." exchange, but this is patently false. We remind ourselves that the gospel is complete and our salvation is through Christ alone. We have been credited as righteous by Jesus's death on the cross and we can rest there.Find all sermons from this series at hopechurchrva.com/sermons.

“We...know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified." Senior Associate Pastor Pete Bowell continues the sermon series in Galatians 2, reminding us that we are set free from the law and are justified by Christ alone. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Let us live in this power and dwell in the freedom Christ offers us. Find all sermons from this series at hopechurchrva.com/sermons

What is the gospel and what does it mean for us? Romans 1 tells us, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." Senior Pastor David Dwight kicks off a new sermon series examining the full reality of what the gospel of Jesus offers us and what it means for our lives. Over the next five weeks, "Freedom People" will explore what the gospel means for those of us who have been set free in Jesus. Find all sermons from this series at hopechurchrva.com/sermons

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit." Missional Pastor Matt Hartman reminds us that as Christ-followers, we are called to go and share the gospel with others.Rounding out our series, Anchors: Seven truths about the God who made us and loves us and intends for our flourishing, Matt speaks on the seventh essential of our faith, inviting us to consider the commandment that we go and share the good news of Jesus with the whole world.Find a copy of the Apostle's Creed: https://tinyurl.com/2ht9z6e4Find all sermons from this series at hopechurchrva.com/sermons

The second coming of Christ matters in the everyday matters of life. In the midst of our day to day lives, we don't always stop to reflect on the return of Christ. We can become so preoccupied with the urgency of our to-do list, that we forget to have a heart fixed on eternity. As we wait for the second coming of Christ, Senior Associate Pastor Pete Bowell invites us to watch, wait, work, forgive and hope.Continuing in our series, Anchors: Seven truths about the God who made us and loves us and intends for our flourishing, Pete speaks on the sixth essential of our faith, inviting us to consider the reality that "Jesus is coming and it might be today."Find a copy of the Apostle's Creed: https://tinyurl.com/2ht9z6e4Find all sermons from this series at hopechurchrva.com/sermons

"God does not have a mission for his church; God has a church for his mission." The church is a body with many parts and it exists to accomplish the work of God here on earth. We may have complex feelings about the church as an institution, but if we align with God's work here on earth, we have the chance to cooperate in the work God has here on earth through the church.Continuing in our series, Anchors: Seven truths about the God who made us and loves us and intends for our flourishing, Senior Pastor David Dwight speaks on the fifth essential of our faith, inviting us to ponder the complexity and mystery of the church and God's calling to us to be a part of it.Find a copy of the Apostle's Creed: https://tinyurl.com/2ht9z6e4Find all sermons from this series at hopechurchrva.com/sermons