And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:2-5
Mark Batterson said, “Hope is never losing faith until the end of the story.”
Suffering is the pathway to perseverance, which leads to character, and lands on Hope!
Hope is our anchor we throw out in front of us so it latches on to something that we can start pulling ourselves towards. That something is the cross and the finished work of Jesus.
An anchor not only helps us pull toward a destination but will help us never drift too far from it.
Hebrews 6:19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.
I am so blessed to see so many of you living out this Hope in your lives! I see you fighting and contending for your families. I see the perseverance producing character in you. I see the Anchor you have thrown out in front of you that is strong and helping pull you closer to the cross.
One more thing Mark Batterson said, “Contending for what you believe in is harder than conceding to what you are afraid of.”
I know and see how hard the trials you are fighting through are. The good news is when you throw that anchor out, God contends and fights for you!
When you show up at Encounter you find Hope and you give Hope away!
Be Blessed and Encouraged
Bill Rieser
Encounter Pastor