What Are You Hoping For?

Call to Worship:   Psalm 33:1-4 (ESV)

¹     Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
             Praise befits the upright.
²     Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
             make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
³     Sing to him a new song;
             play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

⁴     For the word of the Lord is upright,
             and all his work is done in faithfulness.

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 61 (Adapted ESV)

     The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
             because the Lord has anointed me
     to bring good news to the poor;
              he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
     to proclaim liberty to the captives,
             and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
     to proclaim the year of Lord’s favor,
             and the day of vengeance of our God;
                to comfort all who mourn;
     to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
             to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
     the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
             the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
     that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
             the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. 

Sermon Text: Isaiah 54:1-3 (ESV)

¹     “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
             break forth into singing and cry aloud,
             you who have not been in labor!
        For the children of the desolate one will be more
             than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.
²     “Enlarge the place of your tent,
             and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
        do not hold back; lengthen your cords
             and strengthen your stakes.
³     For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
             and your offspring will possess the nations
             and will people the desolate cities…”

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Questions to Think About

1. What role does hope play in your life? Do you ever allow yourself to dream? What do you really long for?
2. How have your longings changed or deepened over time?
3. What are the two promises God promised Abraham and fulfilled in Jesus?
   • The gift of:      
   • The gift of:       
4. Think of a time when you have experienced disappointment, loss, or a sense of abandonment? Does Israel’s complaint resonate with you?          
   But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” (Isa 49:14)
5. What areas of your life might the label “barren,” “unfulfilled,” or “desolate” apply to?
   • barren (infertile, unable to conceive life, efforts wasted) 
   • unfulfilled (never having had the opportunities I longed for) 
   • desolate (ravaged, overrun, shunned by others) 
6. Have you seen God work through any of these areas of weakness to produce fruit in your life and the lives of others? How? 
7. What are the four necessary steps to renewing hope (like kindling a fire)?
   • The only lasting foundation of hope is…  
   • The way to ignite hope is…
   • The way to nurture and fuel hope is…
   • I need to embrace hope by…
8. Of those four steps, which ones are you deficient in?
9. What practical steps can you take today to renew your hope? 
10. From Isaiah’s vision, what are the visible signs that someone is living with renewed hope?
11. Before retiring tonight, read Isaiah 49:14-23. What stirs you as you read this vision again?

PBCC Nov 12, 2023                  Great Expectations: Isaiah 54-55

Sermon Questions