This Month’s Theme:
Captivated by a Better Hope

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. . .

Titus 2:11-13

A man is rowing the boat towards the crown shape reef

Reflection

There are times when I hope according to my circumstances or plans. But it never takes long for me to realise that that kind of hope crumbles easily.

What we believe and hope for our future shapes our lives. And as hope-driven beings, we have been invited to receive a different kind of hope–a living hope in Jesus Christ. An unwavering certainty. A spiritual hope that is different from what the world gives.

When we look upon and receive the living hope by faith, trusting God more than ourselves and choosing to not follow the world, we can know that a glorious inheritance like a victor’s crown awaits us. (Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭18)

Hope by placing your faith in our conquering King.

– Chlo Hew

Join in the Conversation

Hope is what drives us to do what we do—we work hard because we hope to get a raise, or a promotion. We’re kind to someone because we hope this person will see how much we care, and will return our affections. 

But the book of Titus offers a specific purpose for hope—to make good choices that enable us to live a healthy and God-pleasing life. Which, if we’re honest . . . doesn’t sound as exciting as our personal goals.

Yet, for all the times we find ourselves so lacking in self-control, and all the times we just don’t have any strength left to be kind and love others—these are the times we really, really need hope. Otherwise, why bother with what is good and right? Will the way we live now even matter? 

Jesus gives us this hope. He came and died on the cross to save us from sin and death, and it doesn’t stop there! His salvation continues to be at work in us, teaching us and giving us the grace to say “No” to what is not from Him, so we can wholeheartedly say “Yes” to Him and the good things He has in store for us. 

Our hope is, whatever good we do now will matter, because He will come again; He will take everything into account and give us the reward that will never fade.

Q: What have you placed your hope in right now? Is your hope helping you choose what is good?

  • That time God gave me grace to face an impossibly hard situation
  • I feel addicted to/enslaved by ___ – here’s how God is reaching out to me where I am
  • When worldly passions are more attractive than Jesus (how to stand strong in our convictions)
  • X ways we can look to Jesus to give us hope when life gets hard
  • How to love parents/family/people who don’t understand me
  • How to deal with difficult personalities at work/in church/among friends
  • How to move on from unrequited love 



Need encouragement? Here are a few articles to help you reflect:

What I Got Wrong About Grace
What I Got Wrong About Grace
Some time in my early 20s, I sat across the table from my mentor and pleaded with her to explain how grace worked. Life wasn’t quite going the way I wanted and I’d subconsciously been trying to “live right” in the hope that I could wrangle some blessings out of God. I’d exhausted myself, and still my attempts weren’t working.

ASK YMI: How Do We Live in the Tension Between Rules and Grace?
ASK YMI: How Do We Live in the Tension Between Rules and Grace?
What’s the difference between comfort and casual? Imagine you had the chance to meet one of your heroes—maybe your favorite actor, or an author you’ve read, or a musician you love. And instead of being an aloof celebrity-type who’s hard to talk to, this hero of yours is actually friendly, warm, and approachable. He goes out of his way to make you feel comfortable.

When I Got Tired of Hiding My Sins
When I Got Tired of Hiding My Sins
The truth will find you out.” When I was a small child, these words struck fear in my heart, because when my mother quoted them to me, it meant that even though she lacked sufficient proof to discipline me for my disobedience, she knew that I had sinned and was leaving my conscience to God.

How to Come Out as a Christian at Work
How to Come Out as a Christian at Work
It’s scary to be a Christian in today’s workplace. If anyone finds out that we’re a Christian, there’s a good chance they will automatically assume we are haters, bigots, and racists. We will have awkward conversations defending our views on religion. So it’s natural that we want to  stay quiet, never let anyone know that we’re a Christian, and avoid any talk about Jesus.

Can We be Rich and Godly at the Same Time?
Can We be Rich and Godly at the Same Time?
My youth group had just begun a study on the Beatitudes. As we were trying to make sense of the first beatitude in Luke 6:20, one youth asked, “Does it mean that Christians can’t be rich?” The question was to be expected, since Jesus’ statement seemed to suggest this line of thinking.

Don’t Just Have Godly Friends
Don’t Just Have Godly Friends
At every stage of my student life, friends were an important part of my life. The majority of friends I was close to were not Christians. When I entered university, heard the gospel and believed in Jesus, I came to know fellow sisters and brothers in the church and became friends with them.

Join in the Fun

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June 2023 colour palette