All I Want For Christmas... HOPE

Summary: Hope today is at best "wishful thinking."  It's like a Christmas wish list for most people.  Maybe you'll get lucky.  Maybe something good will happen.  Maybe you'll receive what you asked for.  All you can do is hope.
Scripture shows a very different viewpoint of hope.  For Christians, what we hope FOR is always secondary to what we hope IN.  Because of the faithfulness and power and love of God, our hope is strong, steady, and stable.

Text: Hebrews 6:13-20


1.  Part of our Hope is built on what God has already done for us.  So many times He has proven Himself reliable, faithful, powerful, and true.
a. Read Hebrews 6:13-16 and Genesis 12:1-3.  What were the promises that God made Abraham?  Why would these things make Abraham so full of hope?

b. What has God done for you already that would reinforce the hope you have in Him moving forward?  How has God already shown his faithfulness to you that should make your future hope in Him easier?

c.  We don't always put our hope in God, though.  What are some of the other areas of our lives in which we rest our hope? (job, money, family, spouse, ourselves, government, others)


2.  Read Hebrews 6:17-18
God wants to show you the hope that He offers.  He wants you to see Him for who He really is through that hope.

a. What does scripture say that this hope will do for us?  (it will encourage us).  We often desire hope when times are hard, but why is hope important for us even when life is going well?  (the Christian life will be filled with risk and steps of faith. If you're ever going to be obedient in your relationship with God, then your hope in Jesus is essential).

b.  How do you "hold fast" to this hope?  (study it, wrestle with it, be familiar with it, remind yourself of it, embrace it, keep in on the forefront of your mind, live in a constant state of hope).


3.  Read Hebrews 6:19-20 and Hebrews 10:23
What we hope FOR is secondary to what (or who) we hope IN.

a.  How is the "hope" that Christians have significantly different from any other "hope" in the world today?  (Because our hope is in someone, not something.  And that someone is perfect, true, righteous, flawless, fully God, fully man, sacrificial, and loving).

b.  When scripture says that the hope of God is like "an anchor for the soul" what is God promising to us?  (steadiness, stability, firm foundation, provision).  What does this language NOT communicate?  (won't remove us from all storms, won't make the waves always go away, won't take us out of all tough situations, won't totally eliminate storms).