Do you ever wonder what is happening in our present day? How should we make sense of the ideologies, the political instability, and the wars (and rumors of wars) that dominate our world? Daniel's original audience was likely wondering similar things. During such times of difficulty, God often uses apocalyptic writing to communicate to His people throughout His Word. This ...

Dear Hope Fellowship, It's one of the most familiar stories in the Bible. Kids and adults alike know it well. Daniel and the lion's den. The leaders of Babylon are jealous of Daniel, so they plot to bring him down. The only potential area of vulnerability is in relation to his God. But Daniel fears God, not man. He will not compromise, no matter the cost. This famous st...

In its modern usage, understanding the "writing on the wall" means to perceive danger or bad news ahead. For example, when a college football coach endures a losing season, the "writing on the wall" is often that his job is in jeopardy. This common phrase originated from Daniel chapter 5, which is Sunday's preaching passage. In the story, King Belshazzar sees a human hand...

Do you know people whose pride has blinded them to God's work in their lives? King Nebuchadnezzar was such a man. He seemingly had it all, and he mistakenly thought his vast prosperity was due to his own effort. In Daniel 4, God used another bad dream and a humbling experience to open his eyes. This example helps us to see that God can reach anyone, no matter how far away...

Have you ever wondered how you would respond if you were forced to make the choice between your life and your obedience to God? That's the choice that three Jewish exiles, named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, have to make in Daniel 3. It's a well-known story about these three men choosing to face the fire of a furnace that was designed to smelt gold, rather than bow to a ...

When was the last time you were awakened by a troubling dream? It's not a good feeling. If you think that's bad, now imagine being a ruler during a time where dreams give insight into your reign. In that scenario, troubling dreams become even more troublesome. That's where Nebuchadnezzar finds himself as we pick up the story in Daniel chapter 2. The most powerful man on t...

When life feels out of control, we must never forget that God is in control. Be encouraged today that if you love Him and are called according to His purpose, He always works all things together for good (Rom. 8:28). No matter how impossible that may seem at the moment. Viewing our life under the control of God changes the way we process our deepest trials, and it even ch...

Over the next few days we get the opportunity to reflect upon the Gospel and recalibrate our lives accordingly. There are many important truths to believe in this life, but only one is of foremost importance. That is the truth of the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul summarizes this life-changing message in succinct form:"that Christ died for our sins in accordance wit...

Have you ever tried to keeptrack of how many times you think about yourself in a day? If you haven't, trykeeping count today. It won't be a pretty result. Our text for Palm Sunday will be Philippians 2:1-11. In it, Paul instructs us to do nothing (NOTHING!) from selfish ambition or conceit, but instead, count others' interests as more significant than our own. It's a chal...

On Sunday we have the privilege of celebrating Pastor Jared's ordination to gospel ministry. You may be wondering, "What is ordination and why is it important?" Let me briefly explain. Ordination is the church's way of testing and approving those who are called by God to serve in pastoral ministry (2 Tim. 2:15). Essentially, through ordination the church is saying, "We wh...