This document contains excerpts from various sources discussing the concept of hope. It begins with an opening prayer asking God to shape people's spirits through Christ's power so they can live with compassion and justice. Several passages then define hope and discuss what the ultimate hope of Christians is (Jesus and his promises). The document encourages people to not waste time, do their job of loving God and others, and to not give up hope or let go of Jesus. It concludes with a benediction praying that people stand in awe of God's deeds and yearn for the coming day of the Lord.

1. Opening Prayer
Creator of the world,
you are the potter, we are the clay,
and you form us in your image.
Shape our spirits
by Christ's transforming power,
that as one people
we may live out your compassion and justice,
whole and sound in the realm of your peace.
Amen.

2. theCHURCH
CALENDAR

4. Hope as a Noun
a feeling of expectation and desire
for a certain thing to happen

5. Hope deferred
makes the heart sick…
Proverbs 13:12a

6. You’re supposed to feel the wait,
the anticipated arrival of something
you want so badly, and by feeling
the wait deeply, you’ll be even
more satisfied by the celebration
of the arrival on Christmas Day.
At least that’s the hope.

7. a feeling of expectation and desire
for a certain thing to happen
Hope as a Noun
to want something
to happen or be the case
and to work towards
seeing it become reality
Hope as a Verb

8. The ultimate restoration of all
things,
and all people, in line with the
historic Christian tradition that
acknowledges the loving, non-
coercive will of God, perfectly
revealed by the life, death,
burial, resurrection, and ascension
of Jesus, and further revealed to us
by the Spirit, in the Scriptures,
What Is My Ultimate
Hope?

9. The short version:
My hope is in Jesus.
That he is who he says he is.
That he did what scripture said he did.
And he will do what he said he would do.
What Is My Ultimate
Hope?

10. I can only imagine how disappointed
Jesus is watching the world today. All the
same issues are occurring just in different
settings.
The Christian faith has increased, but so have all
the negative aspects of the world. Honestly, if I
were him, I’d be tired of humanity. But that’s the
great thing about Jesus. He’s the type of person
to appreciate those who have decided to follow
him and have patience with those who
Kayla Smocks

11. 1. DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME with
predictions, clues, or hidden secrets…
Watching and
Waiting With Hope

12. 1. DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME .
2. DO YOUR JOB, by loving God,
and loving people; yes, even them…
Watching and
Waiting With Hope

13. 1. DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME .
2. DO YOUR JOB.
3. DON’T GIVE UP HOPE,
and know that doesn’t equal
pretending, living in denial,
or embracing toxic positivity…
Watching and
Waiting With Hope

14. 1. DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME .
2. DO YOUR JOB.
3. DON’T GIVE UP HOPE.
4. REFUSE TO LET GO OF JESUS,
even when it’s a challenge
(and we know it can be…)
Watching and
Waiting With Hope

15. Hope deferred
makes the heart sick
But a longing fulfilled
is a tree of life
Proverbs 13:12

16. C.S. Lewis
If we find ourselves with a desire
that nothing in this world can satisfy,
the most probably explanation is that
we were made for another world.

17. Richard Rohr
Our...”Come, Lord Jesus!”
(the very last words of the Bible)
is not a cry of desperation,
but an assured shout
of cosmic hope.

18. To each and all we bring this
announcement: God will come,
and God’s justice will prevail, and God
will destroy evil and pain in all its forms, once
and forever. To be a Christian is to live in
expectation
of that fulfillment. The life of the church, lived in
solidarity with those in darkness, carries with it
the embodiment of a certainty: when God
comes again, it will be the God of Mercy and no
Fleming Rutledge

19. Look for a way to leverage
your hope on behalf of someone
who is feeling hopeless…
-OR-
Ask someone to leverage
their hope on your behalf…
Soul Training
Exercise

20. Benediction
God of justice and peace,
from the heavens you rain down mercy and kindness,
that all on earth may stand in awe and wonder
before your marvelous deeds. Raise our heads
in expectation, that we may yearn for the
coming day of the Lord and stand without blame
before your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you, One God, for ever and ever.
Amen.