Dictionary: Hope
Synonyms: aspiration, desire, wish, expectation, ambition, aim, plan, dream, daydream, pipe dream, hopefulness, optimism, expectancy, grounds for hope, promise, light at the end of the tunnel, expect, anticipate, look for, wait for, be hopeful of, pin one's hopes on, want, intend, be looking, have the/every intention, have in mind, aspire
Antonyms: pessimism, despair, disbelief, distrust, doubt, fear, hopelessness, discouragement, abandon, depression, reality, fact, mistrust, despond, despondence, anguish
Showing 4726 to 4750 of 4973 results
4726. Rise Above It
John 21:15-19
Sermon
James W. Moore
... disillusionment. In the Easter story, Cleopas and Simon on the Emmaus Road are dramatic symbols of that victory… the triumph over disillusionment. Disillusionment is the problem that occurs when people try something…and it doesn’t quite live up to their expectations. They feel let down and then turn with a real sense of disappointment, a real sense of betrayal, a real sense sometimes of even bitterness. They accepted the promises. They tried… and yet somehow… they feel it didn’t come through ...
Sermon
James W. Moore
... , and a cold cloth on his face. The friend then turned to me and said: “I’m so sorry. I had hoped this would not happen on the plane. He has these seizures once or twice a month and he had one just a few days ago. We did not expect another one this soon. “It’s O.K.,” I said to him. “I just wish I could have been more helpful. And I have to tell you, I was touched by the tender way you helped him. Are you brothers?” “Well,” he said with a smile. “We are not blood ...
Sermon
James W. Moore
... of life. There is no wall high enough to shut out trouble. There is no life (no matter how much it may be sheltered) that can escape from it. There is no trick (however clever) by which we can evade it. Some time, some where, maybe when we least expect it,… trouble will rear its head and confront and challenge every one of us. The Psalmist did not say, “I will meet no evil.” He said, “I will fear no evil!” So, the question is not, “Will trouble come to me?” It will! Rather, the question is ...
Sermon
James W. Moore
... caused several sections of the levee system in New Orleans to collapse. Subsequent flooding over most of the city resulted in horrendous damage, destruction and death. Estimates are placing the death toll in the hundreds, maybe even the thousands and it is expected that the damage will surpass Hurricane Andrew as the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Over a million people were displaced creating a humanitarian crisis on a scale unseen in the U.S. since the Great Depression. The disaster blanketed ...
Sermon
James W. Moore
... … and he comes to them. He comes to help them. He comes to save them. Through the wind, the storm, the danger, the chaos, the disorder, the disruption… He comes to them! That’s the way He comes to us, isn’t it? He comes sometimes when we least expect Him… and most need Him. He comes in the dead of the night… in the thick of the storm. When it’s darkest and most tumultuous… that’s when He comes most vividly. Now, look at the remarkable courage of Simon Peter here: “Lord, if it’s You, he ...
Sermon
James W. Moore
... get owner Drayton McLane to play first base and announcer Milo Hamilton to play shortstop! Some of the players shout encouragement: “Go Get ‘Em Coach!” “Put it on ‘em, Coach!” “You can do it, Coach!”… but none of the players go out on the playing field. They expect the coaches to do it all! If you saw that at a World Series Game, what would you think? You would think this is the most bizarre thing I have ever seen! And yet… that is precisely the way some people relate to the church. They ...
Sermon
James W. Moore
... theologians were sleeping and the elite were dreaming and the successful were snoring… the meek were kneeling. They were kneeling before the One only the meek will see. They were kneeling in front of Jesus.” So, now in the spirit of humility and in the spirit of expectancy, let us go over to Bethlehem… and see this thing that has happened. Let me suggest three things that I’m sure we will find there… three of the best Christmas gifts of all. I. FIRST OF ALL, LET US GO TO BETHLHEM AND SEE THE FAITH ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... years. In today’s gospel text John wrote about the very moment that the conception took place. The risen Jesus appears in that closed up, fear-filled room, where his disciples have all but entombed themselves. Not unreasonably Jesus’ followers were expecting that the Jewish authorities would be looking for them, hoping to dispatch them in some unpleasant way. Suddenly, Jesus is with them. No locked doors can keep Jesus out. To his frightened flock Jesus first issues a comforting word of “peace ...
4734. Luke 24:13-35
Luke 24:13-35
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... how “our chief priests and leaders” handed over Jesus to be crucified. The disciples and others in Jerusalem had hoped Jesus the prophet was also the one who would “redeem Israel.” Jesus’ death on the cross had crushed all the messianic expectations these disciples had entertained. Coupled with this great disappointment is the confusion that the women’s report of the empty tomb had brought to all. Still focused on a prophetic Jesus who was “mighty in deed and word,” the disciple-community ...
Sermon
James McCormick
... reaching out to us. He keeps calling us home, inviting us into that loving relationship with Himself for which we were created. And Jesus has been His last, best effort finally to get through to us. The Bible says that Jesus is the promised one, the long expected one. The Jews called Him the Messiah. Christians call Him the Christ. He is the one sent from God to save us and to give us life abundant. What we Christians affirm is that God accomplished two things in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus ...
Sermon
James McCormick
... to get it, but it doesn’t come. We all know the disappointment of that, don’t we? The disappointment of dreams unfulfilled…of prayers unanswered. Perhaps we hoped for a promotion and it was given to someone else. We wanted to pass a test and we failed. We expected a happy marriage and it ended in divorce. We asked for health and we became ill. We prayed for a loved one to recover from an illness and they died. It’s true. Some prayers are not answered, at least not in the way we hoped. And that harsh ...
4737. Lewis on Uniqueness of Christianity
John 14:1-14
Illustration
C. S. Lewis
A Christian who understands his own religion laughs when unbelievers expect to trouble him by the assertion that Jesus uttered no command which had not been anticipated by the Rabbis—few, indeed, which cannot be paralleled in classical ancient Egyptian, Ninevite, Babylonian, or Chinese texts. We have long recognized that truth with rejoicing.
Sermon
King Duncan
... money for that purpose now. (3) You can’t keep a good woman down. The Christian faith is growing by leaps and bounds in China today because of committed witnesses like Su. You and I don’t face the same challenges as these witnesses, but Christ does expect the same level of commitment. So, how good a witness are you? It’s really a simple assignment if you choose to accept it: Live credibly as a disciple of Christ. And be a person who cares. Be pro-active about it. Live boldly, confidently, creatively ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... said to the officer. “What do they usually do, ma’am,” he asked, “shoot the tires out?” (1) Judith Viorst once wrote an essay based on interviews she had with children. The subject was “What’s a good mother like?” Viorst reports that the children expected their mother to get angry from time to time. “She has to,” said Ted, “or she’ll faint from holding it in.” “But it’s best to remember,” said Randy, “that when your mother starts to act real weird, you have to look scared ...
4740. We Need Help
John 14:15-31
Illustration
Brett Blair
... to remember Richard Daly who was mayor of Chicago for 21 years (1955-1976). Mayor Daly was known as a rather forbidding guy to work for. One story goes like this. One of Mayor Daly's speech writers came in and demanded a raise. Mayor Daly responded as could be expected. He said "I'm not going to give you a raise. You are getting paid more than enough already. It should be enough for you that you are working for a great American hero like myself." And that was the end of it...or so the mayor thought. Two ...
4741. What’s a Good Mother Like?
2 Timothy 1:5
Illustration
King Duncan
Judith Viorst once wrote an essay based on interviews she had with children. The subject was "What's a good mother like?" Viorst reports that the children expected their mother to get angry from time to time. "She has to," said Ted, "or she'll faint from holding it in." "But it's best to remember," said Randy, "that when your mother starts to act real weird, you have to look scared and serious. Don't giggle. When ...
4742. The Value of the Job - Motherhood
2 Timothy 1:5
Illustration
... dedicated to researching average salaries for various jobs and industries, reports stay-at-home moms would earn an average of $162,581 annually, including overtime, if they received a paycheck. Women who work a full-time 40 hour a week job could expect an additional $85,939 for the work done at home. Among the jobs the stay-at-home moms reported to Salary.com were day-care center teacher, van driver, housekeeper, cook, chief executive officer, computer operator, nurse and general maintenance worker. These ...
4743. Parenting
2 Timothy 1:5
Illustration
Brett Blair
... just how powerful such a belief can be upon behavior and ability. He got off to a bad start in arithmetic and his teacher became convinced that he was "dumb in mathematics." The teacher then advised the parents of this "fact" and told them not to expect too much of him. They too were convinced. Alder passively accepted the evaluation they had placed upon him. And his grades in arithmetic proved they had been correct. One day, however, he had a sudden flash of insight and thought he saw how to work a ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... May was trouble . . . I was obliged in some way to address the subject of Mother’s Day. It could not be avoided . . .The congregation was quite open-minded and gave me free reign in the pulpit. But when it came to the second Sunday in May the expectation was summarized in the words of one of the more outspoken women in the church: “I’m bringing my mother to church on Mother’s Day, Reverend, and you can talk about anything you want, But it had better include MOTHER, and it had better be good!” (It ...
4745. It’s a Mystery, and Always Will Be
Matt 28:16-20; John 16:12-16
Illustration
James C. Leach
... one neat analogy that will make it all clear, one concise statement on the Trinity that will settle it for us and allow us to move on to the next problem. Well, I hate to disappoint you so early in my sermon today, but if that is what you are expecting I suggest that you join those of your friends who are already daydreaming this time away. You see, it's just not all that easy. It's not so simple to describe the Trinity in any meaningful way. The Trinity just isn't one of things we can settle in ...
4746. Matthew 6: 25-34
Matthew 6:25-34
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... fed by “your heavenly Father” and then the example of the lilies (a less specific “flowers” would be more accurate here) who are “clothed” more gloriously than Solomon. The “if, then” construction Jesus sets up here (an a fortiori argument) again expects his listeners to follow the clear logical development. If God provides for birds and flowers then how much more will God provide for that which crowned God’s creative energies -- humans created “in his image” (Gen.1:27). To worry in ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... your heart, your immune system and your overall vitality.” The article told about some work that was being done at the University of Michigan’s Research Center. A study there found that, more than any other activity, doing regular volunteer work dramatically increases life expectancy. The mortality rate for men who do no volunteer work was two and one‑half times as high during the study as men who volunteered at least once a week. In other studies, scientists found that doing good may be good for your ...
4748. What Do You Want to Know?
Matthew 9:9-13
Illustration
Brett Blair
... . One day, Homer learned that weird John knew a lot about rockets. More than anything else, Homer Hickam wanted to learn rocketry, and now he was faced with a dilemma - would he follow his interest and publicly talk to John? Or would he do what all the others expected, and avoid John like a plague? The scene is the lunchroom with Homer is walking over to see John at another table. His friends are saying, "No, no, don't do it - don't talk to him -- no one will ever talk to you again!" But Homer went anyway ...
4749. Learning Mercy
Illustration
J. Scott Miller
... story is told in the book Dead Man Walking, which recently came out in film. Sister Helen hears one day of a correspondence program with prisoners on death row. She decides to participate and begins writing, even though she's been told not to expect to hear anything in return. Much to her surprise, though, one of the prisoners does respond and catches her completely off guard by asking her to be his spiritual guide. Apparently his execution date was fast approaching, and he wanted some representative of God ...
4750. How We View Our Fathers
Ephesians 6:1-4
Illustration
... anything. 7 years: My dad knows a lot, a whole lot. 8 years: My father doesn't quite know everything. 12 years: Oh well, naturally Father doesn't know everything. 14 years: Father? Hopelessly old-fashioned. 21 years: Oh, that man is out-of-date. What did you expect? 25 years: He knows a little bit about it but not much. 30 years: Must find out what Dad thinks about it. 35 years: A little patience, let's get Dad's meaning first. 40 years: What would Dad have thought about it? 50 years: My Dad knew literally ...
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