A Living Hope for Right Now
Today we talked about living hope—how Peter, once filled with fear and failure, became a bold voice of resurrection confidence. We looked at 1 Peter 1:3–5 and Romans 5:1–5, and we were reminded that hope isn’t just a concept—it’s alive because Jesus is alive.
But here’s what didn’t get said:
So many Christians today are living in fear—not hope.
We say we believe in the resurrection. We sing the hymns. We decorate our lives with crosses and icons. But deep down, many of us are afraid.
Afraid of the world changing.
Afraid of losing control.
Afraid of people who think differently than we do.
Afraid that maybe—just maybe—God isn’t really in charge.
And because we’re afraid, we start trusting in what we can see: comfort, control, wealth, routine, platforms, personalities. But the truth is, none of those things are our hope. They’re not our security. They’re not resurrection.
Hope Isn’t Just for Heaven
We often treat hope like it’s only about what happens after we die.
Heaven. Eternity. Some future day.
But Peter wasn’t just writing to help people die well—he was writing to help them live well, right in the middle of their trials.
Living hope isn’t about escape. It’s about endurance. It’s power for the present. It’s confidence in God right now.
“He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 1:3)
This isn’t a spiritual band-aid. It’s faith with grit.
We Confuse Inconvenience with Persecution
The other struggle many Christians have, is that we’ve gotten bad at telling the difference between inconvenience and persecution.
If someone says “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas,” that’s not persecution.
If a store doesn’t reflect our values, that’s not persecution.
If life is hard, schedules are stressful, and the world feels overwhelming—that’s not an attack on your faith. That’s life.
The early church that Peter wrote to? They were losing their homes, their jobs, and their lives.
And still, Peter writes about hope. Not outrage. Not entitlement. Not self-protection.
Hope.
Hope That the World Needs to See
To be honest: many people today aren’t walking away from Jesus because they’ve stopped believing in Him.
They’re walking away because they can’t see Him in us.
We are often more known for our fear than our hope.
More for our anger than our peace.
More for our judgment than our grace.
The early church had no power, no buildings, no cultural status. And yet, they changed the world—because they had hope that endured, and it was visible.
Let’s recover that kind of hope.
What Living Hope Looks Like
It looks like showing up, even when life feels heavy.
It looks like holding onto joy, even when the world is hard.
It looks like forgiving when it would be easier to resent.
It looks like trusting that God is still good—even when nothing else feels stable.
Living hope changes how we live—at home, in traffic, on social media, in conversations, in the way we spend our time and our money.
The Bottom Line
If your hope is only for the next life, and not this one—it’s too small.
If your faith is more shaped by fear than by resurrection—it’s time to take a second look at the empty tomb.
Jesus didn’t rise just to get you into heaven. He rose to bring heaven into you.
Right now.
Right here.
A Short Prayer
Lord,
We confess that we often live with fear instead of hope.
We’ve trusted in things that fade instead of holding fast to You.
Remind us that You are not only the God of eternity—but the God of today.
Give us courage to live like You are alive.
Give us hope that holds when life is hard.
And help us to be people who don’t just talk about resurrection—but live like it’s true.
Amen.
The Rest of the Sermon 