Know the Reason for Your Hope.
Sometimes you need clarity.
That’s the thought that stuck with me as I walked down the street after taking the photo of the Soul Saving Station.
If you were new to Wilmington and wanted a church, you could drive up and down the streets reading the names. You might see…
- Port City Community Church
- Lifepoint Church
- Life Community Church
- The Bridge Church
- First Christ Church1
After looking at those names, you would likely still be uncertain about the church’s mission. You might have an idea of their location, the sense of purpose, or even where they fall in order of establishment in an area. Yet, you may wonder what they stand for.
Know the Reason for Your Hope. #hope #joy #writingcommunity Share on XIt doesn’t take much imagination to understand the “priority reason-for-being of the Soul Saving Station for Every Nation is to be an agency of God for evangelizing the world… .”2 The church’s Statement of Belief is much larger than that, but their Home Page says, “Our area of expertise is Soul Winning.”3
Peter, the outspoken disciple tells us in his letter known as 1 Peter in the Bible the following.
“But in your heart, revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV)
You may do this through your actions or your words. The key is to be clear about the reason for the hope you have. As Christians, we have hope because of Jesus Christ. We have hope from the past, present, and future of Jesus. He died for our sins (past). He lives in us (present). We will one day be with him in heaven (future).
Do people know your mission? Can you give the reason for the hope you have?
Today’s feature photo comes from a “photo-a-day” challenge I pursued several years ago. The photo inspires the topic. For me, the posts challenge my creativity, writing discipline, and dependence on God for His message. My prayer is that you find hope in God’s Word, and that you’ll share your hope with others.
1 I googled Wilmington, NC churches and one of the first listings was “The Best 10 Churches in Wilmington, NC”. I then listed the first five. My using the churches in the post is not meant as a reflection or opinion about the churches.
That’s a cool name for a church. Thanks for sharing. My author mission is to inspire readers through hope-filled fiction.
It is a cool name. It really stopped me in my tracks as I walked by. I’m impressed with your clarity around your mission. Prayers for God’s work through it.
You are so right! Jesus is our hope. It’s interesting to see what a group of people who come together as a church, choose to name that church.
Thank you Jane. I love the idea of “planning our work and working out plan”. This church appears to have decided what the plan should be based on Scripture and are working to make that happen. I need to do more of the same for my life.
Thanks for posting. The name is to the point – no mistake about their mission. And a good reminder to remember to get God’s guidance about what I’m supposed to do each moment.
Thank you Joni.
Just as far back as 2018 I could not state what my mission was. I could give my reason for hope in Jesus but not my mission. In 2019 God opened my eyes to my mission but only because I allowed God to do more healing in my life. Only because I was able to surrender more to God. Then by 2020 I clearly knew what my mission is and as time continues on that mission is getting clearer everyday as i loosen control to give more and more to God.
Thank you for this Teresa, and also praying God continues to use you in a mighty way.