06/16/2026
This Sunday, Rev. Mark Curtis preached "Hoping Toward Hope" from Psalm 130, Lamentations 3:21–26, and Romans 5:1–5, exploring what it means to hold onto hope when life feels uncertain, painful, or overwhelming.
Drawing on Paul's words in Romans and stories shared from the Montreat Youth Conference, Mark reminded us that hope is not the absence of suffering but the assurance that God is present within it. The road to hope often winds through suffering, endurance, and character, shaping us in ways we may not fully understand at the time.
The sermon acknowledged the realities of suffering in our world and in our own lives, from heartbreak and illness to violence, addiction, and loss. Yet the Christian faith offers a promise deeper than comfort: God's love remains steadfast even when life is at its hardest.
As Mark reminded us, God is not primarily in the business of making us comfortable or pain-free. God is in the business of resurrection. The good news of the gospel is that when we feel as though we are falling, we can never fall farther than God can reach.
"Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us." (Romans 5:3–5)
🎧 Listen to the full sermon here: https://tinyurl.com/2vw43c5y
