Living Hope's Podcast

What kind of David are you– one whose enthusiasm fades with circumstances, or one who stays joyful in the midst of them? In his sermon Enthusiasm, guest speaker Pastor Samuel De Sousa Jr. reminds us that true enthusiasm– éntheos— doesn’t come from what’s around us, but from who is within us. Like David, we’re called to trust, worship, and walk with God daily. “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want…. He restores my soul.”  Stay rooted in His presence and let your enthusiasm overflow. Press play now!

Have you ever questioned if you’re really where God has called you? Maybe you’ve thought, “If only God would call me somewhere else, then I could really be used.” But what if the place you’re in right now is exactly where He wants to use you? In his sermon Be the Jonah, Pastor Jess Strickland reminds us that, like Jonah, it can feel easier to run from hard places—but God has planted us with purpose: to advocate, to carry burdens, and to speak His hope. Just as Jonah was sent to Nineveh, we too are sent to bring Jesus to the world around us. Listen now!

Have you ever searched for peace, only to realize the harder you hold on, the further it feels? This week in his sermon Peace to You, guest speaker Pastor Mike Servello reminds us that true peace– shalom– is found in Jesus. When we surrender our anxieties, our striving, and our need to control, His peace not only transforms us but overflows into the world around us. Press play and discover the peace Jesus is offering today!

Have you ever faced suffering where your first instinct was to run? Maybe all you could think about is how quickly you could escape. Yet, what if the point of suffering isn’t to flee, but rather the very thing calling us to stay? This week in her sermon Salvation Rumbling, Pastor Jerushah Tanner shares through the story of Paul and Silas how God is turning the sufferings into salvations seen– right here, right now. Press play!

Where do you need Jesus to open the way for you? Maybe it's financial freedom. Maybe it's healing. Maybe it's a breakthrough in a place you've been waiting. Hear this: an open door isn't what changes your life—it's what Jesus is doing in and through you. This week in his sermon Open Doors Don't Lie, Pastor Jess Strickland reminds us that just because a door is open, it doesn't mean we're meant to walk through it. Instead, it’s an invitation to surrender to Him—an opportunity to pause, seek Him, and walk only in His will.  Listen here as we wait upon the Lord.

Have you ever felt jealousy take root in your heart—envy and self-focus stealing the spotlight when you know they shouldn’t? In his sermon Rushed Upon, Pastor Jess Strickland unpacks the story of David to show how true victory comes when evil is driven out and Jesus takes His rightful place. He reminds us that it’s a call to take up our cross daily and trade building our own kingdom for living in His. Laying down the spear to not let evil reside in our heart, but rather pick up the harp and offer a sacrifice of praise. Press play now and step into the freedom only He can bring.

Have you ever felt the weight of trying to make things happen on your own? Maybe you’ve wondered if your efforts are enough to move things forward, or perhaps you’ve made decisions you thought God wanted– only to realize it was never yours to carry. This week Pastor Jess Strickland shares in his sermon The Reign of God how David’s life reveals the power of waiting on the Lord. We’re reminded that God’s kingdom is not built by our strength, but established and sustained by Him alone. Our calling is to carry the culture of Jesus and bring His presence wherever we go. Listen here!

What if the real story isn’t about what was lost—but where it was meant to be? In his sermon Find the Coin, Pastor Jess Strickland explores the parable of the lost coin, showing that repentance is less about recovery and more about restoration—being returned to where we truly belong: the church. Like the woman who searched for her coin, Jesus pursues the misplaced and lost with relentless love. And now, we’re called to do the same—to notice the overlooked, seek the out-of-place, and celebrate as they come home. Press play now!

What if joy isn’t something you chase, but rather something that chases you? This week Pastor Jess Strickland reminds us in his sermon Send Me to the One, that true lasting joy comes not from constant pursuit of new things, but from mastering the one thing God has set before us. When we give ourselves fully to this mission – when we do even the smallest things for His glory – joy will follow. Listen here as we continue to master the work, stay the course, and let His joy find us there. 

Listen here! 

Have you ever felt stuck between what God promised and what you’re currently experiencing? Even when the path feels unclear or painful, God’s promises remain true– before, during, and after the storm. This week, Todd Everett continues in our Workplace Wonders series by sharing how like Noah, you may be called to build something that doesn’t make sense to others, but your obedience in the unknown is part of God’s greater plan. Don’t waste your brokenness; God remembers you, He’s not done, and the blessing is already on its way. Press play now!

Do you ever wonder why we have spiritual practices? Perhaps you’ve wondered if your time in the Word is making an impact, or if the prayer you prayed holds any weight. Hear this—when we stay committed to our spiritual practices, we are staying committed to carrying the presence of God. This week in his sermon, Commandments for the Workplace, Pastor Jess shares the power of the Lord’s presence that resides within us. When we go into our places of work, we carry His presence which may be the only Jesus that anyone is ever going to see. Press play now as we pray for the Holy Spirit that is inside us and long for the same desires that Jesus longs for. 

What’s your scent? Maybe it's the smell of sheep, yet perhaps what we really need is the scent of the cross on us. In other words, how we interact with the world should look different– not because of us, but because of the work that the Lord is doing in and through us. This week, Pastor Jess Strickland emphasizes the importance of Palm Sunday and reminds us that we are here to worship and give our allegiance to one King– to Jesus. Listen here as we posture our hearts for this Easter week.

Have you been wondering how the words we’ve been hearing lately: trust, allegiance, trust, allegiance—walking out in faith and fidelity to the Lord—are encompassed in your place of employment? This week, Pastor Jess Strickland continues in our series, Workplace Wonders, by reminding us that God is building something in us so that He can do something through us. When we walk into our places of employment, we’re not walking in alone but rather with the hesed of God—with His hope, His love, and His faithfulness. Press play now!

How’s your pit? The pit being the season in which things may not be going as planned—maybe it’s in a job, in a relationship, or overall direction of life. What if instead of despising the pit season, we embraced it? What if we embraced the perspective that where God has us is in preparation for where only He can bring us—to the blessing. This week, Pastor Jerushah Tanner shares the story of Joseph with the emphasis on leaning into the pit season and walking out the trust and obedience to the Lord. Listen here as we continue in our series, Workplace Wonders.

Have you ever found yourself wondering, “If only I worked at this job, God could really use me,” or perhaps, “If only I made this amount of money, God could really use me” or even “If only I had this one thing, God could really use me”? Hear this—our great commission is to fill, subdue, and rule. What does that look like? Tune in here as Pr Jess continues in our series, Workplace Wonders, by taking a glance at Joseph’s life and seeing the fruitfulness that comes when we walk in the land of affliction. Remember, wherever God has you, He is using you with eternal significance in mind. Press play!

How’s your well? How’s your response when things aren’t going the way you planned? This week Pastor Jess continues in our sermon series, Workplace Wonders, by sharing in Genesis 26 the story of Isaac and the well. Remember this– the Lord wants you to dig, so He can do a deep work in you. He shares how our secret mission is to bear the Lord’s name and bring His presence with us everywhere we go— especially the workplace. Press play as we continue to pray for the discipline of fidelity and allegiance to the Lord so He can move supernaturally in us and our workplace.

When you think of the presence of the Lord, what comes to mind?  A feeling during worship, time in devotions, or perhaps praying while driving in the car?  What if we shifted our perspective of the Lord’s presence to the hard conversations, to grief, and to the places of struggle? This week Pastor Jess shares in our new sermon series, Workplace Wonders just how near the Lord is; how we bear His name, are made in His image, and bring His presence with us everywhere we go. A reminder that the  Lord is always with us—we do not create an atmosphere for Him to occupy but rather an atmosphere for us to focus on His presence.  Listen here as we pray for continued awareness and focus.

Have you ever felt disqualified to be used by God? Maybe you’ve thought that to be used by God you have to be awesome, amazing, the best, the smartest, the skinniest, but hear this—God looks for people who are looking to and for Him. This week Pastor Jerushah Tanner shares from the story of Gideon in her sermon, Look Again, where she reminds us how the days of feeling on hold or hesitant are the days God is using to refine and prepare us for His victory. Tune in this week for an encouraging word as we enter our Still Starving season together!

Where’s your identity? Maybe you’ve found yourself rooting yourself in work, your finances, your appearance or even in others. This week Pastor Jess shares in his sermon, Behold I Make how our one true identity relies on the Lord; that Jesus is the only satisfaction to our desires. As we enter our fasting season we are reminded that to be spiritually formed by the Lord is to just be with the Lord. Tune in here to listen!