Hope Commons Church Weekend Messages: Recent Episodes
Hope Commons Church
The Hope Commons Church (formerly East Ave Church) in Chico, CA, works though books of the Bible one story at at time. Each weekend the valiant teaching staff takes on the next story, considering the historical and cultural context and applying it to our everyday life.
This week we launch our new series from the book of Galatians. This week we discover how to follow Jesus in what feels like a binary world of ugly politics.
This week we launch our new series from the book of Galatians. This week we discover how to follow Jesus in what feels like a binary world of ugly politics.
This week we see how the whole book of Genesis is inviting us to see how God is moving us from Chaos to order.
Genesis calls Abraham and all his people to a higher calling. This week we are challenged to look critically at what has been forming and shaping us.
Abram and Sarai have their own plan. We discover what God does when we find ourselves in the wilderness
Abram has an idea to preserve his family and his resources but it has some unintended consequences.
Abram does what no one would ever think to do. This week we discover what makes Abram unique in the story of God.
Today we continue on into Genesis chapter 6. This is a common story told in the ancient world but the writer of Genesis puts a new spin on it!
Today we continue on into Genesis chapter 6. This is a common story told in the ancient world but the writer of Genesis puts a new spin on it!
Today we continue on into Genesis chapter 6. This is a common story told in the ancient world but the writer of Genesis puts a new spin on it!
Today we continue on into Genesis chapter 4 where we discover that Cain has taken his own path.
Today we celebrate the second week of Advent, sing some great Christmas songs and dive into the Genesis ch 4.
Today we talk about how bad theology actually drives people away from the God we learn about in Genesis ch 1.
John writes a short letter that has endured the test of time. this letter spoke to the people it was written to and still speaks to us today
This week we dive into Revelation chapter 13 as we discover the playbook of how God's kingdom comes about.
This week we continue our series in the book of Revelation as we look at the 7 churches John is pastoring.
This week we continue our series in the book of Revelation as we look at the 7 churches John is pastoring.
This week we continue our series in the book of Revelation as we look at the 7 churches John is pastoring.
This week we continue our series in the book of Revelation as we look at the 7 churches John is pastoring.
Revelation Ch 2 | This week we continue our series in the book of Revelation as we look at the 7 churches John is pastoring.
Revelation Ch 1 | This week we dive into the world in which the Revelation was written in. The book of Revelation is written to encourage 7 Churches who are tempted by a Knock-off hope.
JOHN 21 | Wait there is more! Jesus sets Peter on a mission that will change the world!
JOHN 18 | After Jesus is arrested he is brought to Pilate because the Jews want Jesus executed.
JOHN 18 | Jesus goes to a garden, a familiar place. In this text we discover how Jesus stands out compared to everyone else around him
Palm Sunday | Jesus enters into Jerusalem but he does it in a way that makes it clear to everyone that he is making an announcement of who he claims to be.
John 15 | Jesus tells his disciples there will be parts of this world that hate you. Who are we to be in a hostile world?
John 15 | Jesus invokes imagery of failure to point to what he is going to redeem. Jesus calls his disciples to follow after him because they will produce value into their world.
John 13-4 | Jesus is asked for the father to be revealed and then goes on to tell his disciples they will be participants in revealing the glory of God.
John 13-14 | Peter is told he will deny Jesus three times. Jesus tells his disciples not to be troubled by this because he has a contractors license.
This week Jesus tells his disciples what will make them distinct and how the world will know they are disciples of Jesus.
This week we talk about Judas and how God will use the Devil to accomplish his mission.... Oh and a surprise guest shows up at the dinner table!
John 12 | We are formed simply by the time and space we occupy in history. What does it mean to be formed in Christ right here and now?
Peace is more than just a feeling or a symbol we put on a sign. Peace is about wholeness. This week Sam shares about the peace that we can have through Christ!
What is justice? Who is it for? How do we get justice? Justice is a hot button topic in our day and age. Today we look at Isaiah Ch 11 as he looked forward to the coming messiah and the kind of justice the messiah would bring!
We have this hope that because Jesus has come to us that our lives can be made new. This week Sam gives his testimony of how God has renewed his life.
This week we celebrate 100 years of ministry. This week Ron shares about why we exist, where we are going.
People are looking for Jesus because he gave them something of value. Jesus makes this radical claim that will cause many of his disciples to abandon him. This week we are invited to evaluate what we believe sustains us.
James 5 | Money solves problems, right? Well, money is just a thing, but it has the ability to build huge walls between people. We begin to treat some people different than others, and elevate some. Turns out, these ideas are in opposition to the Kingdom of God.
James 4 | Condemning others is a national past time. Don't believe me? Turn on any 24/7 news channel -- it's all about the criticizing! James does not find that productive. In fact, James tells us what we don't want to hear.
James 4 | Could it be that the reason our hearts are never satisfied is because our heart is divided and has competing ideas? James indicates that the source of our discontent and fighting come from a heart not fully committed to the Kingdom. And that leads to horrifying disasters, even in the name of Jesus.
James continues to double down on what a life as a follower of Jesus looks like. Today James talks about what true wisdom is. It turns out those who are wise follow the humble path of Jesus. Those whose lives are filled with strive have not embraced the wisdom that comes from God.
James 3 | As we see James playing off the same themes around our visible faith, he continues the idea that the words we speak show our level of maturity. We must learn to think clearly, keep our inner monologue full of grace and accept the spiritual discipline of our minds.
James 2 | James addresses the fruit of our faith. What if we are full of faith, but there is no actual evidence of our faith in the way we live our lives?
James 1 | James writes to his fellow Jews who follow Jesus to be people represent the Kingdom of God. We should be recognized by who we are on the inside.
Today we introduce the Book of James, written to the fledgling church in the middle of great turmoil.
After 12 long years of leadership in setting up Jerusalem for success, Nehemiah goes back to Susa to retake his assignment with the Persian king. He comes back to Jerusalem 8 years later to discover that the city's moral compass is farther off now than 20 years ago!
As the people begin to be reminded of who they are and their purpose, they determine to make a strong agreement with God about how they will live. They say they will live by the book and they really mean it! Problem is, they really won't actually do that.
The walls are done the gates are hung in Jerusalem. Nehemiah sets a schedule for security and implements his plan to get Jerusalem functional again. But, it isn't just about a wall. Nehemiah gets everyone to together to actually get the folks trained in how to function as a people of God.
As the security for Jerusalem is reaching complete, those leaders outside the Jewish people change their tactics. They threaten to launch a smear campaign to discredit and shame Nehemiah. How will he handle this new threat from some of the same folks?
After the walls are completed Nehemiah discovers another glaring issue among the Jews. The wealthy Jews are lending money to other Jews that are defaulting on the loans. The lenders are foreclosing and selling off all the possessions, including the people into slavery. That's gonna leave a mark.
Nehemiah motivates the Jews to rebuild the walls as fast as they can. Families are assigned to different gaps in the wall.
Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem without fanfare and flies under the radar as to his mission. Now, it is time to get the scope and sequence of the project down before making any moves.
Nehemiah gets word that, even though Jews went back to Jerusalem more than 100 years ago after the exile ended to rebuild the Temple, the walls of Jerusalem are still broken and the gates are still burned out. It breaks his heart and motivates him to do something about it,.
The Persian king Xerxes not sends back 50,000 Jews to Jerusalem to start Temple worship again, he funds the reconstruction and the daily sacrifices. It is always easier to give away what isn't yours. The next king, Artaxerxes, stops funding the purchase of animals for the morning and evening sacrifices at the Temple. Now the folks have to step up. How will they adjust to actually giving themselves?
Ezra 7 - 8 | King Artaxerxes wants to get the Temple worship up and running again. He seeks wise counsel and finds Ezra. He has a plan to restore the culture of Temple worship. He just leaves out some details that will haunt him later!
God's people have the their priorities messed up. They are too focussed on their own homes and forgotten about God.
God's people have the their priorities messed up. They are too focussed on their own homes and forgotten about God.
Matthew 26 | On His way to Jerusalem for the Passover with His disciples, Jesus stops by a friend's house for the Sabbath. It is there that a woman takes Jesus at His word, and prepares His body for burial while He was still with them.
Matthew 24 | Now that Jesus has come to Jerusalem for the Passover, His teachings get darker because the world as we know it will change forever on that Good Friday. Jesus is trying to prepare His followers for what is to come. And was is around the corner? Some dark days are ahead, but we will get through them together!
After Jesus spends 3 days in Jerusalem at the Temple loudly speaking against the folks the run the Temple, Jesus begins to lay out the hardships that will be coming for everyone. For that first audience, it was closer to them than you might think.
This week, Jesus is teaching in the Temple during that famous Passover week. He tells the folks there that the people that run the Temple are people they need to listen to, but don't follow their example! Then Jesus turns right at those fellas and opens up a can on them!
In the middle of a lot of tension between Jesus and the folks that run the Temple, one of the experts in the Law asks Jesus a question. Frankly, it is a good question! In typical fashion, Jesus answers that question and one more!
Jesus has been teaching in the Temple during Passover Week. He has been pretty hard on the folks that run the Temple and they are getting impatient with it all! So, the Sadducees (the sect of the priest) try to stump Jesus. Turns out they won't get very far.
Jesus is teaching in the Temple and making life miserable for those that run it. This week, the Pharisees take a run at Jesus with a question designed to trap Jesus into taking sides.
This is Easter | In most of the world Easter is celebrated in one form or another, even if it is just a backyard scavenger hunt for candy. For the past 2000 years those that follow Jesus have been talking about when He came back to life from the door-knob-dead. As we should! What an event that has changed history!
But, what exactly has changed? And what does that mean for us? The answers lay in our understanding of what the purpose of Church is. So, why does the modern day church exist? The answer might surprise you!
Matthew 21 | Palm Sunday | Jesus and His crew walk into Jerusalem for the Passover like they own the place. Literally! The whole scene is orchestrated by Jesus to send a message to everyone in Jerusalem and they heard that message loud and clear. In fact, the folks in charge heard it so well that it made them murderous.
Matthew 20 | On the road to Jerusalem for the Passover, Jesus and His hoard encounter two blind beggars. Are they an interruption to Jesus' agenda, or are they on the agenda?
Matthew 20 | This week we are closing out a section on relationships in the Gospel of Matthew. We end with a mother that comes to advocate for her boys. It really isn't going to go well for them!
Matthew 19 | While Jesus is teaching, a rich young man asks about the entrance requirements to the Kingdom of God. Jesus gives a standard answers that rabbis would give, but the man thought he still might be missing something. Jesus seems to drill down to this man's roadblocks for the Kingdom.
Matthew 19 | Yes, we didn't plan it this way, but we get to talk about Jesus' teaching on divorce on Valentines Day! We take a look at the words Jesus says, the culture of marriage in ancient Israel, and the Law of Moses background. There's a whole lot more behind Jesus' words than just His words!
Matthew 18 | This week Jesus continues His teaching on interpersonal relationship with the them of forgiveness. Fact is people will bring you harm in one way or another. The question is what you do with it. Jesus has a solution that works for everyone!
Matthew 18 | Jesus has been teaching us about the grace of reconciliation. Today, Jesus gives us some steps to take that offer a path back for those who are in conflict.
Matthew 18 | Last week we saw that Jesus was quite upset with the disciples wanted to be ranked as if their movement was an ordinary part of society. After all, knowing where you ranked was important to everyone, except Jesus. As the ultimate iconoclast, Jesus tells us that we need to be all about the folks that find themselves on the outside looking in. Jesus backs that up with a parable about sheep and shepherds. Seems important to get this one right.
Matthew 17 | it is tax season and Capernaum! Peters asked if Jesus will be paying his Temple Tax. Peter says that He will, but Peter is only guessing.
Matthew 15 | Jesus takes the boys way out of Jewish territory. Even here He is recognized. A woman comes to Jesus with a need, yet Jesus doesn't even respond. What's up with that?!
Matthew 13 | Jesus continues teaching through parables -- Jesus says that there are only two categories of folks -- righteous or evil. You fall into one of these two categories! How comfortable are you with that?! Don't you want more choices than that?! This week we will explore what that all means for us!
Matthew 13 | Jesus continues teaching through parables -- talking about the Kingdom of God. Today, the Kingdom is a treasure worth everything else you have ever found!
Matthew 13 | Jesus continues teaching through parables -- talking about wheat fields and weeds maliciously planted!
Matthew 12 | As Jesus is calling the Pharisees to account, they start to try to get Jesus off topic by distracting Him. Jesus won't be distracted!
The disciples of John had a lot of expectation of what Jesus would do when they believed that he was the Messiah. The problem was Jesus was not meeting their expectations. He had other plans for what it meant to be the Messiah.
Jesus is sending out the 12 apostles. They are to take the message of hope to those that are near -- to their Jewish neighbors. The thing is, they are to take their "shalom" (the peace that is perfectly complete, lacking nothing) to their neighbors, but not everyone will welcome it. Weird, right?
This week Jesus commissions his apostles (the sent ones) into ministry. They are given their instructions and sent out to share the message of the kingdom of God to the people of Israel. He is also send us, the Church, out today! We are called to share the message of the kingdom of God with our neighbors and our communities. We join in this mission that is as important today as it was in Jesus' day!
After Jesus Heals two blind men and a demon possessed man, he was overrun with people in need of help. As Jesus looks at the crowds he is overcome with Compassion. He then invites his followers in joining him to reach out in love.
This week Jesus heals a women who is suffering on his way to raise the dead. It seem that where ever Jesus goes the broken find wholeness. He meets people at their greatest need and transforms their life.
Join us for our live webcast during our 11AM service in Chico, CA.
More information at www.EastAve.Church
Disciples of John show up and ask Jesus why his disciples do not fast. Taking the opportunity He starts to detail how this Jesus movement is going to be different.
Join us for our live webcast during our 11AM service in Chico, CA.
More information at www.EastAve.Church
Jesus drafts the tax collector Matthew and then has dinner with him and his associates. This causes the Pharisees to question the motives and practices of Jesus! Why does Jesus associate and eat with sinners? Find out more this week!
Join us for our live webcast during our 11AM service in Chico, CA.
More information at www.EastAve.Church
After an uneventful return trip across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, Jesus encounters a paralyzed man. He surprises the crowd when he address a much deeper need than physical healing. He address the affliction common to all humanity.
Join us for our live webcast during our 11AM service in Chico, CA.
More information at www.EastAve.Church
Jesus took his disciples and set sail across the Sea of Galilee. As they reaches the other side, He is met with two men possessed by demons. Jesus soon makes his presence know but not everyone is happy about it.
Join us for our live webcast during our 11AM service in Chico, CA.
More information at www.EastAve.Church
As Jesus and his disciples cross the Sea of Galilee they encounter a huge storm. As fear grips them all they run to Jesus who is sound asleep. Jesus saves the ship and encourages them to find a deeper level of their faith.
Join us for our live webcast during our 11AM service in Chico, CA.
More information at www.EastAve.Church
As Jesus and his disciples are about to cross the Sea of Galilee disciples Jesus has a conversation with two volunteers for his disciples. He offers has some advice and reveals truth about his true nature as the Messiah for whom Israel has been waiting.
Join us for our live webcast during our 11AM service in Chico, CA.
More information at www.EastAve.Church
Mathew 8 | After Matthew records Jesus' mega-sermon (chapters 5 through 7) Jesus comes down the mountain and encounters a man with a skin disease. Immediately after he finds himself face to face with a representation of Israel's enemy the Roman Centurion. Then he heal's many from their home base of Capernaum. Those that Jesus heals also find hope.
Join us for Online Live Worship any Sunday at 11AM PST.
More information at www.EastAve.Church
Mathew 8 | After Matthew records Jesus' mega-sermon (chapters 5 through 7) Jesus comes down the mountain and encounters a man with a skin disease. Immediately after he finds himself face to face with a representation of Israel's enemy the Roman Centurion. How will Jesus handle the request of an outsider in the presence of his followers.
Join us for Online Live Worship any Sunday at 11AM PST.
Mathew 8 | After Matthew records Jesus' mega-sermon (chapters 5 through 7) Jesus comes down the mountain and encounters a man with a skin disease. Complicated. People with skin disease were excluded from polite society, living alone out in the wilderness.This guy was desperate enough to break protocol and sought out Jesus to change his life.
Join us for Online Live Worship any Sunday at 11AM PST.
Matthew 7 | As Jesus finishes up the 3 chapter Sermon on the Mount, it becomes clear that this is the entire Message of Hope that tilted the world on its head! Jesus is teaching on the entire 613 Laws of Moses! And it sounded like nothing those folks had ever heard before from their leaders.
Matthew 7 | As Jesus begins to wrap up the Sermon on the Mount, we see three snippets to give us a glimpse into the Kingdom of God. The whole message of this sermon is pushing us to understand that the Kingdom of God is a place where we are transformed, not simple confined by its standards.
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Matthew 7 | Jesus teaches us that all we have to do to have whatever we want or need, we just have to ask! Well, that is if you ignore the context of the Sermon on the Mount. Yet, it is a huge promise! We miss so much of the Kingdom of God because we simply aren't curious enough to go asking, seeking and knocking!
Matthew 7 | As Jesus is concluding the Sermon on the Mount, he doubles down on the the theme of giving grace and mercy. He also gives us another ultimatum: we will be judged by the measuring stick we use to judge other people. This may or may not work out for you!
Matthew 6 | Jesus wraps up this section of the Sermon on the Mount with some philosophy and advice. Although He is not finished yet, we see what Jesus is building on this foundation of the law of love. He seems to have a pretty good idea about what is important and what just doesn't matter!
Matthew 6 | Jesus has been turning the Jewish teachings of the Law of Moses and the Prophets on its' collective ear. He has been raising the stakes, from what behaviors are simply unacceptable, to teaching that we should actually love on each other. It seems simple enough, but it is a huge change! Now Jesus is going to give us a sample prayer to follow. Hint: it may also turn us on our ear 2000 years later!
John 3 | The Bible says that God sent His only Son into the world because of love. That makes sense in light of the meaning of Easter. Because of Love, God had mercy on humanity. He provided a way to the Kingdom of God because humanity could not make it there by effort. God did all the work because of love. And yet, the followers of Jesus seem to be really good at being critical of the world, others and even each other. We seem to want to express our love for God through social critique. What if there was a better way to express God's love to the world?
Palm Sunday | Everyone wants to be in Jerusalem for Passover. Jerusalem swells to 4 times it regular population. Nothing else is happening other than the festivities, so everyone has time to focus on the guy that just enters the city making a clear claim to be the king! Epic!
Matthew 6 | Remember us talking about all of those Hebrew Pillars of Piety?! We talk about them at Lent every year. It turns out that those pillars can be used for the wrong reasons. But, they still bring you stuff even when you do them wrong!
Matthew 5 | Jesus has been turning the world upside down for us. Even today we are used to the way the Pharisees thought and taught. We are more comfortable with questions like, "What will get me kicked out of the Kingdom of God?" Jesus wants us to start asking better questions, like "What can I do to act MORE like the Kingdom of God?" Turns out, that is pretty much the point of everything Jesus came to earth to teach!
Matthew 5 | Jesus is teaching people 2000 years ago about the Kingdom of God. And what He says is as revolutionary today as it was then! Jesus says we should be like salt and light. What did that mean 2000 years ago?
Matthew 5 | The author begins to write down a bunch of the teachings of Jesus. It isn't so much a single event, but a compilation of His teachings. Jesus starts off by telling us about the Kingdom of God using an old Hebrew form of poetry painting a beautiful portrait of the Kingdom life.
Matthew 4 | When it is time for Jesus to start His public ministry He gets strategic. He goes to a small fishing village out of the way of the watchful eyes of Jerusalem and finds some unlikely students.
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We are so close on getting our solar project paid for by donations above tithes and offerings! We have raised $76,000 and still need another $18,000. Please be praying! We will get this done!
Matthew 3 | Jesus comes to his cousin, John the Baptizer. Jesus comes to be baptized as he begins his public ministry. But what happens next? How does Jesus use this event to launch His campaign as Messiah?
Matthew 3 | Jesus goes out to see His cousin, John the Baptizer out in the wilderness while he was doing his thing at the Jordan River. With a bit of prompting John baptizes Jesus in front of God and everyone. Literally!
Matthew 2 | Herod the Great has done some incredible things in his life. But here at the end Herod is miserable, vindictive and paranoid. When he hears that a new King of the Jews is born Herod tries to protect his job by killing kids.
Matthew 2 | Some two years after Jesus was born, the Magi show up. Who are these guys, where are the from and why are they showing up now?! All good questions. But, perhaps the real head scratcher is why did Herod respond so murderously? This is a good one!
Matthew 1 | Christmas Remix! The story of Joseph and Mary is an interesting one. Essentially, God hijacks their marriage and plans for their family. That just seems wrong, doesn't it? Yet, God is using this engaged couple to fulfill a promise that goes all the way back to events in Genesis!
Matthew 1 | I think everyone who has picked up the book The Gospel According to Matthew has skipped through most of the first chapter. That is because it is a long list of people. Unless you are really serous about Bible trivia games, most of the list is a mystery. Really, it is an awful way to start a book! Yet, Matthew probably had a good reason for including this long list of names.
Esther #2 | The exiled Jews in Persia are under assault. On a certain day, all good Persians are given the charge to kill all the Jews in the empire and take their stuff. What to do? Queen Esther calls all Jews in the capital city before she risks her life to get the attention of the king.
Esther 1 | It was a dangerous time. What was left of the Israelite had been removed from the land that God promised because of their persistent disobedience. Now in exile the leadership has changed to the new Persian regime, and yet things are still crazy.
Esther is a beautiful young land with a secret. She is brought to the palace in Susa and she has been selected as queen above all the other young ladies. Now, her cousin is asking her to risk it all to save her people!
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1 John 4 | During Advent we are bombarded by the obligations of the season. What if we were able to simply focus on the important things of Christmas? Like, you know, love! But, love is not a simple idea, is it?
Matthew 2 | We all are hopers. It is just built into us. We need hope. How does our faith bring hope? What is it we mean by hope?
Daniel 5 | There's 30 years between the stories in chapter 4 and chapter 5 in the book of Daniel. Babylon now has a new king, Belshazzar has been the king for a decade or so, but times are now uncertain. The one thing the king has to get right is which of his gods to promote and how to best motivate them to help with their upcoming battle against Persia. Turns out, he chooses unwisely.
Daniel 3 | The Kingdom of Israel has been defeated and exiled from the land that God had promised them. They are now living in Babylon learning to follow Yahweh, the God of Israel, in ways they never did back home. This week, Daniel's three amigos, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, find themselves in mishaps and adventure leading to an execution order from Babylon's king. All they have to do to get out of it is violate the Law of Moses.
Daniel 2 | While Daniel and his wacky friends are still in training to be good Babylonian court advisors the king has a disturbing dream. Because no one could tell him what the dream was, let alone what it meant, all the advisors were scheduled for execution -- including the merry band of friends still in training! Daniel decides it is time to pray!
Daniel 1 | The Exile has begun! In the first wave of Jews that are marched 4 months east from Jerusalem to Babylon are four valiant friends. They are led by Daniel, who has a whole book named after him listing his exploits in the new land. In the first story, Daniel and his friends face a dilemma: eat the best food that Babylon has to offer, or eat on Daniel's new diet.