Where Do I Find Real Hope?

Current Teaching Series How To Get Through What You're Going Through

Where Do I Find Real Hope? By Rick Warren — May 22, 2017 “May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in him. Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 GW). At the end of World War II, a U.S. submarine came back to dock at Newport News, Va. As it came into port, something terrible happened, and the submarine began to sink. The Coast Guard was immediately dispatched to save the crew, and divers swam down to the submarine. As they approached it, they heard a sailor using a hammer to tap Morse code on the hull. His question: “Is there hope?” That’s a fundamental question we ask in life: Is there hope? It’s asked every day by thousands of people in thousands of different ways: When someone is sitting in the doctor’s office awaiting test results. When a couple get nowhere despite months and months in counseling. When talking to an accountant before walking into a bankruptcy court. When a family hears their child is missing. You can go 40 days without food and three days without water. You can go eight minutes without air. But you can’t go a single second without hope. It’s an essential part of life. When hope is gone, life is over. Because hope is in such short supply in our society today, people fall for all kinds of scams. They trust in false hopes, like psychic hotlines, palm readings, astrology, fake healers, and quack cures. Inevitably, those false hopes disappoint. Nothing disappoints worse than false hope. So where do I turn to find real hope? The Bible says turn to God. In Romans 15:13, the Bible says, “May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in him. Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (GW). God is the only source of hope that’ll never disappoint. When we place our faith in him, he provides joy, peace, and hope that overflows. You need that kind of hope. At the end of the book of Ezekiel, God says, “I am Jehovah Shammah.” In Hebrew that means, “I am the God who is always there.” God is always there. He’s in your past, in your present, and in your future. He’s with you in the good places. He’s with you in the evil places. He is everywhere. And you are never, ever alone. Where God is, hope is. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over When do you have the most difficulty seeing God’s presence in your life? How does knowing about God’s constant presence give you hope in the midst of despair? How can you encourage another person with a reminder of God’s presence?

Our Gift: How To Get Through What You're Going Through Study Kit Find the strength you need to get though life’s toughest trials! Loss is a part of life. But it’s in your seasons of suffering that God wants to lavish his incredible grace and mercy on you – and give you the true and lasting peace that only come from him. Pastor Rick and Kay Warren experienced the loss of their son, Matthew, whose 27-year battle with mental illness led to the tragic loss of his life. They’ve taken the lessons they learned through their own personal experiences with loss and suffering and created a resource that will help anyone navigating through a difficult season. In this six session DVD study kit Rick and Kay will share: • How to move forward when your world collapses • What to do when suffering doesn’t seem to make sense • Where to begin your search for the path to peace • How God uses your trials to transform you • Why the Lord often hides his greatest treasure in the darkness LEARN MORE

Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes eight full length teaching CD's from Pastor Rick's series How To Get Through What You're Going Through. LEARN MORE

Series Summary Session 1: SHOCK — When Your World Collapses Session 2: SORROW — Getting Through Life’s Losses  Session 3: STRUGGLE — When Life Makes No Sense Session 4: SURRENDER — The Path To Peace Session 5: SANCTIFICATION — Transformed by Trouble Session 6: START SEEING — Finding Treasure in Darkness Session 7: SERVICE — Never Waste Your Pain PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe