Daily Hope with Pastor John S. Dickerson

In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson asks how you find hope and joy in the difficulty you are facing right now. The big idea of Acts chapter 16 is that you can have hope and joy in suffering if you are right with God through Jesus. Pastor John explains that this is part of being born again, but it must be chosen by directing our thoughts, setting our minds on things above as Paul writes in Colossians 3 and 2 Corinthians 4, instead of numbing ourselves with distractions. He shares four pieces of God's perspective: suffering is temporary, it has a purpose, it will be turned for good, and God is with us in it. Hope is not a feeling but knowing how things will end. Pastor John closes with a prayer asking God to help us love Him with all our minds and fix our eyes on what is unseen. Text "DAILY" to 71093 to receive Daily Hope videos sent to your phone every day. Download the CP+ Spiritual Fitness App for more. More resources: https://www.connectionpointe.org/revival/

In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson talks about the audience watching your life right now. Pastor John describes four: the great cloud of witnesses in heaven described in Hebrews chapter 11, the angels and demons in the unseen realm, and the people around you, such as your children, grandchildren, coworkers, and classmates. When you go through suffering, they are watching to see whether your faith holds up. Returning to Acts chapter 16, verse 25, he imagines the other prisoners listening as Paul and Silas pray and sing instead of complaining. He stresses that this is not about pleasing people but about choosing God at the deepest level so His joy and hope show up in us. Pastor John encourages parents and grandparents to let their kids hear them praying out loud, and shares how hearing his own parents pray for him stayed with him for ten years until God answered. Text "DAILY" to 71093 to receive Daily Hope videos sent to your phone every day. Download the CP+ Spiritual Fitness App for more. More resources: https://www.connectionpointe.org/revival/

In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson takes a second look at Acts chapter 16, verse 25, where Paul and Silas pray and sing hymns to God at midnight in prison. Pastor John connects this to Colossians chapter 3, where we are told to set our hearts and minds on things above. If you struggle with anxiety, negativity, or a lack of hope and joy, he suggests learning the practice of speaking Scripture and prayer out loud. Praying aloud helps your brain lock in, and as you keep praying, or sing a worship song, it lifts your heart and mind. He gives practical advice for doing this without it being for show: begin in your private time with God, in a prayer closet or in the car. Over time, praying out loud around others becomes natural. Paul and Silas did not begin this in a crisis. It was their normal way of life. Text "DAILY" to 71093 to receive Daily Hope videos sent to your phone every day. Download the CP+ Spiritual Fitness App for more. More resources: https://www.connectionpointe.org/revival/

In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson shares one of his two favorite verses in Acts chapter 16: verse 25, where about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. Beaten, falsely accused, and thrown into prison, they are in physical agony, yet they are praying out loud and singing. Pastor John asks listeners how many people have ever heard them pray out loud or sing a hymn, and admits that he is not a great singer but that the people he is close to need to hear his heart. He reminds us that God created the universe by speaking and that our words have power to bring life or death. He then prays for boldness to pray out loud, even around people who do not believe, and suggests a simple step: next time you have lunch with a friend, ask if you can pray, and if there is something you can pray for them. Text "DAILY" to 71093 to receive Daily Hope videos sent to your phone every day. Download the CP+ Spiritual Fitness App for more. More resources: https://www.connectionpointe.org/revival/

In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson continues the story of Paul and Silas in Acts chapter 16, verse 24, where they are placed in the inner cell of the prison with their feet fastened in stocks. Pastor John describes how hard it is to comprehend this physical suffering, and then invites listeners to identify the prison they are in right now. It may be chronic illness, cancer, divorce, aging, emotional pain, or the prison of depression. He then leads a prayer asking God for the kind of hope and joy Paul and Silas had. He prays for deliverance, as we may pray for our daily bread, and also that God would use us in our prison. Pastor John believes that if we are in a hard place for a reason, there may be other people nearby who need to meet Jesus or know Him more deeply. The prayer reminds us that our prisons are temporary and that God promises to work them for good. Text "DAILY" to 71093 to receive Daily Hope videos sent to your phone every day. Download the CP+ Spiritual Fitness App for more. More resources: https://www.connectionpointe.org/revival/