Exodus 12:1-14 One meal in the Old Testament defined the people of Israel as God’s own. This meal was the Passover. By the blood of a lamb covering their doorposts, the people of Israel had the wrath of God pass over them and strike the Egyptians so that they could finally be free from slavery. That first Passover is a shadow of the true Passover Lamb who sets us free from slavery to sin and death. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and causes God’s wrath against sin to pass us by. This was the defining moment of salvation for you and me.

Living Hope

Lamb to Lamb: The Price for the Passover

Mark 9:2-9 Life is a roller coaster. There's ups and downs. High points and low points. Twists and turns. But Jesus' transfiguration teaches us that he is with us through it all. Encouraging us with his glorious power and his tender mercy. With Jesus, there's encouragement to walk any road.

Mountain to Mountain: Encouragement for the Highs, Lows, and Everything in Between

1 Peter 1:3-9 People are wired to be hopeful. We’ll cling to even the most irrational kinds of hope sometimes. If our sports team is down by 30 points we’ll still hold out hope that they can make a comeback. We’re wired to be hopeful. But sometimes when the struggle is sustained and the sufferings have no end in sight we feel our “hope-tanks” run dry. We need something concrete to put our hope in, something that won’t let us down. God gives us a living hope that’s built on someone who won’t ever let us down. Our living hope is Jesus, our resurrected Savior. He gives us hope for eternal life and hope for our everyday life.

Hope for Your Everyday

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 The vision for the culture here at Living Hope is that we’re all about real people giving real hope to real people. The hope and comfort that God gives to us equips us to give comfort and hope to our neighbor. Since we’ve been given such great comfort from the God of all comfort, we let that comfort overflow to others. We direct people to the source of our comfort, the gospel of Jesus, so that they too can share in the comfort we’ve received.

Comforted to Be a Comforter

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 To reach people with the gospel message we put ourselves into their shoes and meet them where they’re at. Outreach, in the end, is pretty simple. It’s all about putting the gospel of Jesus first and putting others first.

Try On Other People's Shoes

2 Thessalonians 1:1-5,11-12 The dream at Living Hope is that we will be a church where a person grows into whatever unique callings God gives them to do. Everyone is different and everyone has a unique role to play in the body of Christ. We always want to be on the lookout for ways we can serve others in love, whether that’s here at church or out in the world. The usual obstacles of laziness or spiritual apathy will call on us to stray from the unique callings God has for our lives. But God has called us to faith by his grace. His calling to faith is what will empower us to serve in love and grow into our personal, unique callings in his kingdom.

Grow in Your Calling

Acts 16:25-34 I think we can all agree that our world could use some hope right now. We’ve been living in dark times. The list of problems gets longer every day. And so many are looking for hope in the wrong places. They end up only with more disappointment and depression. Bringing real hope can only happen when we use the right tool; a tool God has given us. God’s Means of Grace—his Word and Sacraments—are the tools we get to use as we take on the work of bringing hope to people. The Means of Grace are the tool we need to use every day on ourselves too. In this new year let’s refocus on God’s Means of Grace as the tools God has given to his Church, and to Living Hope, for carrying out our hope-bringing mission.

Bringing Hope Means Using the Right Tool

Ephesians 3:2-12 God's mystery of grace is unraveled in his Son Jesus. This grace is for all people, Jews and Gentiles alike. And this grace is good news we share with all people.

God's Mystery of Grace Has Been Revealed

Lessons and Carols Service The lessons in this service bring us on a tour through the whole Bible. We trace God's promise of the greatest Christmas gift all the way from the fall into sin to the baby in the manger.

The Greatest Gift - 7 Lessons

Romans 8:32 On Christmas we hear about the greatest gift that has ever been given.  That may seem like a rather bold claim.  But it just happens to be true.  It’s not beneath a tree but lying in a manger! It’s not wrapped in pretty paper but swaddled in strips of cloth. It is the Savior born to you and for all—he is Christ the Lord. Revisit the manger with a renewed sense of wonder at The Greatest Gift – for the worst year.

The Greatest Gift for the Worst Year

Luke 1:26-38 The month of December has become a month of mandatory “busyness” it seems. There’s too much to do and not enough time. So here’s an idea—don’t “do” Christmas this year. The thought of not doing Christmas this year is kind of a shocking suggestion. But all the “doing” won’t get us anywhere or bring us any peace. This year, simply “receive” Christmas instead of “doing” Christmas. That’s what Christmas is all about—receiving God’s gifts!

Don't "Do" Christmas This Year

Isaiah 61:1-3, 10-11 A gift exchange usually involves setting a price limit. That way you can expect everyone will be getting gifts of equal value. But God has way overdone his gift exchange with us. He gives his one and only Son in exchange for us. He exchanges our spirit of despair with a garment of praise. He performs a prisoner exchange so that we can go free. You get to enjoy the greatest gift exchange every single year and every single day. The Savior born in the manger brings joy and freedom that lasts.

The Greatest Gift Exchange

Isaiah 40:1-11 Some hurts go too deep to ever find lasting comfort. We all carry different burdens and griefs that rise to the surface some days. 2020 has only added to the list of afflictions and sorrows. In the midst of our pain a tender voice speaks to our hearts, “Comfort, comfort my people.” And these words are more than empty platitudes. They are words of promise from a merciful God who shares in our affliction and our pain. They are words of promise from a God who has already delivered the comfort of sins forgiven and peace for our souls.

Expect Double Comfort

Isaiah 64:1-9 Setting realistic expectations doesn’t seem to fit with the series we’re looking at which says to “expect more out of Christmas.” Are we supposed to set high expectations or just realistic expectations? Which is it? Well, we’re about to find out that, with God, setting realistic expectations means getting far more than we could ever expect.

Set Realistic Expectations

Matthew 27:27-31 The objects of mockery the Romans soldiers give to Jesus don’t match what he gives to us. He takes on a scarlet robe to give us a robe of righteousness. He takes on a crown of thorns to give us the crown of life. The criminal on the cross is our king who gives victory over our enemies and glory out of shame. Just one more paradox of grace.

The Criminal is the King

Living Hope Lutheran is a church in Chattanooga, TN seeking to center the listener on the living hope for everyday life we have in Jesus. Hope forever in Jesus brings hope for every day in life.

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Living Hope

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