Living Hope
Dear Church Family,
This past Sunday, we wrapped up our Living Hope series by looking at 1 Peter chapter 5 and Peter’s final encouragement to believers facing pressure, suffering, and uncertainty.
Using the story of Desmond Doss from Hacksaw Ridge, we were reminded what it looks like to stand firm when everything around you feels unstable. Doss repeatedly went back into danger with one simple prayer: “Lord, help me get one more.” In the same way, Peter reminds followers of Jesus, not to retreat when life gets difficult, but to remain faithful and hopeful because our living hope in Jesus never fails.
Peter leaves us with three powerful reminders:
• Stay humble
• Stand firm
• Remember God is still in control
One of the key reminders from this week was this:
Living hope begins with surrender.
Humility is not weakness, it is trust. Peter encourages us to cast all our anxieties on Jesus because He cares for us. We were never created to carry the weight of the world on our own.
We were also reminded that standing firm does not mean never struggling. It means refusing to let go of Jesus in the middle of the struggle. Suffering is real, but suffering is not ultimate. God is still writing the story.
A few key reminders from the message:
• Pride says, “I can carry it myself.” Humility says, “God, I need You.”
• Standing firm means continuing to trust, obey, and follow Jesus even when life hurts
• Pain has a timeline, but God’s goodness does not
• Our hope is not built on our ability to hold onto Jesus, but on His ability to hold onto us
So, when life feels chaotic:
• Stay humble
• Stand firm
• Remember He is in control
Jesus gives us a living hope because His love never fails.
-Pastor Aaron Perry