Blog

Do you ever feel like you can't come and worship God?

Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?

And who shall stand in his holy place

He who has clean hands and a pure heart

who does not lift up his soul to what is false

and does not swear deceitfully. -- Psalm 24:3 –4 (ESV)

Do you ever feel like you can't come and worship God? Maybe you had a bad week. Maybe a specific sin seems to be undefeatable this week. Maybe life seems so tiring and suffocating that worship feels like one more thing.

: Andy Wulff; 13 July 2018

Psalms - cries of longing, fear, and trouble

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. -- Psalm 22:1 –2 (ESV)

Have you ever felt like God was distant or unavailable to you? Like he forgot who you were or what you needed? Maybe it was in a moment that you needed his help the most. What did you do? What did you pray?

: Andy Wulff; 22 June 2018

Making the gospel the resounding message not any political side

Give the king your justice, O God

and your righteousness to the royal son!

May he judge your people with righteousness,

and your poor with justice!

Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,

and the hills, in righteousness! -- Psalm 72:1 –3 (ESV)

I'm not an overly political person. And we have purposely not made Hope a political organization. We want the gospel to be the resounding message not any political side. Ultimately, we are not looking to make a voting block but people that bow first and foremost to a king.

: Andy Wulff; 06 July 2018

What do you consider worshipful?

Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth. -- Psalm 47:1 –2 (ESV)

What do you consider worshipful? Maybe a quiet time of reflection. Maybe it's a loud excited melody. Maybe it's an old familiar hymn. Maybe it's a scripture read clearly. Often times our definitions are colored by the times and experiences where we felt close to God. We associate those times and the feelings we had with the truest expression of worship.

: Andy Wulff; 15 June 2018

How do you react to sin in your life?

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,

and in whose spirit there is no deceit. -- Psalm 32:1 –2 (ESV)

In the Christian world we tend to have two opposite reactions to our own sin and guilt. Sometimes we try to hide, cover, and dismiss it. We might just treat it as difficulties, mistakes, or personality quirks. We choose to cover it with politeness thinking that we shouldn't discuss such things. Ignore it and it will go away. Right?

: Andy Wulff; 29 June 2018

Our need to retreat to the safety of the love of God

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. -- Psalm 118:22 –24 (ESV)

The Psalms are a curious mix of tears and cries of vengeance and beauty and devastation and hope and failure and longing. This week we are going to take a look at in our series, Songs of A Savior. In it the Psalmist feels the press of his enemies and the need to retreat to the safety of the love of God. But will even this refuge fail him? Where can it be found? How do we get in?

: Andy Wulff; 08 June 2018

Hope In Madison