SMARTALK - hope for today

Jesus, the true Vine, calls us into friendship with Him. As we abide in His love, the Father works in us, pruning and shaping our lives so that we bear lasting fruit that glorifies God and brings true joy.Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

In this message from John 15:18–16:15, Jesus prepares His followers for a difficult but faithful path: following Him in a world that may reject those of us who follow him. His aim is clear—to keep His people from falling away by helping us to understand both the cost and the help we have in Him (John 16:1). Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. Tags: Sermons Isaiah chapter 43 Floods Fires Suffering Promises Fear 

Isaiah 43:1-7 : Reasons Not to Fear. Life is full of reasons to fear! But here in Isaiah, we are told that even if our lives have to pass through flood and fire, God is with us. He places limits on our suffering and promises to carry us through it. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Isaiah 42:1-9: God Delivers. Perhaps you didn't know it, but you are looking for mishpat!  It means justice, but it's much more than that. It's when all of life aligns with God's divine order, a hint of a perfect world. Here we see who will deliver this perfection one day. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Genesis 15:5-6 and Revelation 7:9-10: God's Vision for His People. From Abraham to Revelation, God reveals His vision to bless all nations through His people. Jesus fulfills this vision and sends His disciples on mission, calling His people to be disciples who make disciples. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Ephesians 2:11-18: Leaving the Past Behind. Can we leave our past behind? It's a very important question, especially for people who carry a burden of regret in life. When we build the foundations of every year of life upon Christ, then there is access to an eternal peace. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Isaiah 41:8-16 : God's Friendship over our Fears. In this amazing passage, God shows us multiple foundations for his command not to give in to fear. He is with us, he holds us by the right hand, and he can move the unmovable mountains before us. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Colossians 2:6-10: The Gift of God. In Christ, God gives us the greatest gift - Himself. We are challenged here to open that gift and walk-in in growing dependence and thankfulness in Him. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Isaiah 40:9-11 : The Gospel of Looking to God. God calls us to look to Him - coming in Christ as Warrior-King and gentle Shepherd - who defeats our enemies, gathers His people, carries us close, and leads us faithfully unto eternity. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

John 1:14-18: Advent Reveals God. In Advent, God reveals Himself in Jesus Christ, who draws near to dwell with us and displays God's glory through sacrificial service, so that we may live in loving fellowship with Him forever. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Matthew 1: Jesus' Family. We don't get to pick our families, but when God came to earth, he did. When you look at the mothers, men, and marriages that make up the line of Jesus, you see God's grace and all the reasons why he came! So if your family is far from perfect, take courage from what God's grace can do. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Zechariah 9:9-17: God is Faithful to His Promises. Here we see God promises to come to his people like a shepherd, reminding us of Psalm 23, both so powerfully fulfilled in the coming of Christ as the Good Shepherd. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Daniel 12: God's People in the End. Throughout history God's people will face great challenges, but the promise of resurrection and Christ's ultimate victory over evil, gives believers courage and power for faithful witness to the end. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Daniel 11: Game of Thrones. Is the world out of control? Does history travel on a road to a clear destination, or are we on a loop, destined to keep repeating the same events like wars, plagues, and financial crises? This paints a big picture of God, that he is in control of history, even the worst possible events, and how God’s people are to live through it by seeing the bigger picture. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Daniel 10: The Touch of Strength. Sometimes it's in our greatest moments of weakness that God reaches out to us through his messengers and renews us with his touch. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Daniel 9: Promises, Prayer, and God's Plans. God's promises call Daniel to repentance and hopeful intercession. God's answer points beyond exile to Christ, the true fulfillment of God's saving plan.Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Daniel 8: When God Dashes our Hopes. When Daniel's particular vision for the future is dashed, God reveals a far greater plan - ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Daniel 7.  If you want to understand the world we live in, then you have to be realistic about the reality of evil and realistic about the reality of good. Daniel does that and gives us the basis for hope. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Daniel 6: The Lion's King. This is one of the most outstanding narratives in the Bible. We see how to withstand spiritual attack, how to maintain character under fire, and how God's power delivers his people through suffering—not just from it.  Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Daniel 5: God's Power and the Proud. Through Daniel's faithful testimony and His own sure Word, God confronts human pride and reveals that every act of judgement is also a gracious call to humble repentance before the one true King. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Daniel 4: A Kingdom Revealed Through Humbling. Through Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation and restoration, God reveals His sovereign rule - pointing us to Christ, the true King, who humbled Himself to bring sinners into His everlasting Kingdom. God continues to call all of us into the blessings of His Kingdom by humbling ourselves before Him. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Daniel 3: Faith in the Furnace. This is the ultimate "bad day at work"! Huge pressure is heaped upon believers, overwhelming, destructive emotions dominate the story, yet deliverance comes through the suffering, not from it. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Daniel 2. The Insecurities of Life. No matter how much power someone has in this life, to be human is to be insecure. Here we learn where our truest basis for security in this life and the next lies. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Daniel 1. Thriving Under Pressure. Here, we meet four young believers who are under immense cultural pressure to conform to the surrounding culture, providing a powerful example of how followers of Christ can respond to such pressure. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Pastor Sam Lago. Acts 4:23-31. Partnership in Prayer. As they move forward in mission, the early church faces fierce resistance - but instead of shrinking back, they pray. Grounded in Scripture, united in Christ, empowered by the Spirit, they show us how Jesus still partners with His people in prayer to advance His Kingdom.Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Pastor Sam Lago. Acts 1:1-8. Jesus and our Co-Mission.Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

1 Peter 2:1-12: Priesthood of all Believers. This is part of our Vision series, outlining core principles that should lie at the heart of the church. What is your place in the church? The answer to that depends upon how you understand your identity in Christ. Then you can see why it matters and the areas of your life that will be impacted by that.  Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Psalm 19 : What Directs Your Life. If you ask what should be at the center of the life of a church, hopefully people would say Jesus! But how we know anything about Jesus is through God's Word. Psalm 19 celebrates the power of the Word to direct our lives. So we see that we need a whole Bible (Covenant Theology) for a whole Christ who transforms whole Iives.  Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Pastor Sam Lago. Psalm 4: God's King and the Lost.In Psalm 4, David confronts the lost, calling them to turn from empty pursuits, acknowledge him as God's King, and trust the Lord for joy in His presence - foreshadowing Christ, who as King rules, as Prophet calls to repentance, as Priest intercedes for His people. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Pastor Sam Lago. Psalm 3: Strength in the Storm.In Psalm 3, David shows us how to find rest and courage when life falls apart - by remembering who God is, trusting what He does, and praying with bold faith in His promises. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Pastor Sam Lago. Psalm 2: Blessings for a Rebellious World.God confronts a rebellious World - not to destroy, but to bless. Through His Son, the true King, He invites all people to refuge, repentance, and joy-filled submission to His Kingdom. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Pastor Sam Lago. Psalm 1: An Invitation into Blessedness.In Psalm1, God invites us into true blessedness - found not in following the ways of this world, but rooted in His Word, sustained by His Spirit, and fulfilled in Christ. This blessed life can endure testing, bear fruit, and overflow in blessing to others.Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

John 12-1-11: Encounters With Jesus: The Scent of Devotion. There are two examples of devotion in this passage that show us the two ways humanity can live. Which one defines your life?Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

John 11-17:45: Encounters With Jesus: Living in a City without Walls. Death is a reality we all face throughout life, and one day personally. Society struggles to find an answer to it, but here Jesus declares his authority even over the grave. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. In healing a man born blind, Jesus reshapes our understanding of suffering, reveals the urgency of God's redemptive work, and shows that true sight - faith - often leads us into testing that grows us in discipleship. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Pastor Sam Lago. John 9: Encounters With Jesus: Responding to the Light.In healing a man born blind, Jesus reshapes our understanding of suffering, reveals the urgency of God's redemptive work, and shows that true sight - faith - often leads us into testing that grows us in discipleship. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

John 5:1-18: Encounters With Jesus: Who is the Healer?John reveals to us the touch of the one person who can heal humanity. Here, Jesus seeks out someone in the deepest need, and by the end of the story, his life is transformed. It reveals to us how the touch of the healer works in our lives today, freeing us from being stuck in a rut, revealing one who can ask us to do the impossible, but whose command to obey him must be obeyed in the present. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

John 4:43:54: Encounters With Jesus: Double Vision. Life is hard. Many things happen to us that really challenge our faith. How can we trust God through suffering? Jesus shows us through the encounter with the Royal Official that there is always more than meets the eye in our suffering. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

John 4:1-29: Encounters With Jesus: Reaching an Outsider. All people long for more in life. Jesus addresses that directly and personally in this moving story of his love, which reaches a social and religious outsider, overcoming all barriers to put her in contact with the source of life's deepest satisfaction. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

John 3:1-21: Encounters With Jesus: Jesus challenges religion. Jesus' Encounter with Nicodemus reveals how the Kingdom of God confronts 'religion gone wrong'. Salvation can only be experienced through the sovereign work of God's Spirit and is for everyone who receives Jesus in true humility. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

John 1:35-51: Encounters With Jesus: The Skeptic. When talking to someone skeptical about Christianity, see how Jesus handled such situations. He reaches out to people through friendships and reveals who he is by showing what he knows about us. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. FollowApple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicRSS Feed 

John 1:19-34: Encounters With Jesus: Great Expectations. What is the logic behind the universe? John points us to Jesus, who claims he can bring meaning to our lives. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Isaiah 39: Handling Success Successfully! When things go well, they can often be followed by a crash, often because of our pride. Here we see the dangers of mishandling the achievements of life, processing the fallout and how to handle these moments with humility.  Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Isaiah 38 Bad News From The Doctor! When bad news comes, Isaiah outlines how to handle it by calling us to rely upon God's power, not our own, to do so in prayer and then to process it creatively. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Isaiah 37:21-38 Pursuing Greatness. How can we pursue excellence in all things while not succumbing to the spiritual danger of pride? We need to learn that whatever we achieve in life is built upon the greatness of God and what he has done for us. Then we will see greatness in terms of what Jesus teaches us, which is true greatness. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Isaiah 37:1-20 Intimidation 101. God is more real than the most threatening of life's circumstances! Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Isaiah 36: Trust Issues With God. We look at what it's like to trust God in the up and the downs of life, and when compelling voices are speaking into your life that undermine such trust.Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Isaiah 35: Highway to Heaven. There are days when life is like walking through a desert, but when God turns up, everything changes, from the direction we are walking in to finding the road to recovery to profound character transformation through the power of hope. Walk this road with the help of John Bunyan's famous book, The Pilgrim's Progress. Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Isaiah 34: Justice Will Have The Final Word. The longing for justice is something that is innate within each one of us. Here, we see what God's justice will mean for this world, something we will all have to face.  Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. 

Isaiah 33 Stability in Unstable Times: the whole world is unstable. It always has been but we are feeling it acutely in our present times. So how do we live in unstable times? We aren’t the first and won’t be the last to ask that question. Isaiah’s people had to, and he gave them the answer in the middle of turbulent times in v.6, talking of God - he will be the stability of your times.Contact Pastor Smart from our Church website or send an email.      hope4tampa.com/smartalk      [email protected]: Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0.