Beyond the Weekend: EPIC
Stories of Trust, Failure and Faith That Point to Jesus
What does it look like to believe God, not just believe in God? This fall, we're diving into the raw, unfiltered stories of biblical heroes who wrestled with doubt, took dangerous detours, and discovered that trusting God means following him even when you can't see the outcome. Their epic journeys of trust, failure and faith all point to the ultimate hero—Jesus.
Key Messaging Points:
- There's a difference between believing in God and believing God
- God speaks in life's detours and disruptions
- Wrestling with God transforms us
- Trusting God means obeying before you see the outcome
- Every story of human struggle points to Jesus
Question 44: Christian Hope
Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Listen: 1 Thessalonians 4
Question: What is the Christian hope for the future?
Answer: The Christian hope is in Christ’s return, our bodily resurrection and eternal life in God’s renewed creation.
And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18
Paul writes to believers who are grieving and confused about loved ones who have died. He wants them to understand their future with Christ so they won’t grieve like those without hope. Paul describes the future return when the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and the dead in Christ will rise, and then the living will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord. This is the Christian hope—not just souls floating in heaven, but bodily resurrection and eternal life with Christ. Paul emphasizes this isn’t wishful thinking but a certain reality.
This hope transforms how we live today. The Christian hope isn’t merely going to heaven when we die but Jesus returning to make all things new, including our bodies. When Jesus returns, he will finish his work of redemption, transforming believers’ bodies into immortal, glorified bodies like his own (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, Philippians 3:20-21). We will be resurrected like Jesus and live as God’s renewed creation. The new heaven and new earth will be a place where God dwells with his people, free from sin, death, pain and sorrow (Revelation 21:1-5). This hope means our present sufferings cannot compare with the glory that will be revealed (Romans 8:18), and that our labor in the Lord is never in vain because we’re investing in God’s eternal kingdom.
TODAY: Thank God for the certain hope of Christ’s return and your bodily resurrection. Let this hope encourage you—Jesus will make all things new. Ask God to help you live with an eternal perspective, investing your time and energy in things that build his kingdom. Learn more about what the Bible teaches on eternity in our We Believe document HERE.
