Resurrecting Hope

If you were raised on a version of Christianity with the Bible as your foundation to faith, only to have it undermined by academia or the realities of life, maybe it’s time to change your mind about Jesus. South Bay Bible Church is starting a new three-part teaching series entitled Resurrecting Hope: Build on the Right Foundation on Saturday, June 22, at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 23, at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., 578 Montauk Highway, East Moriches.

“If you gave up your faith because of something in the Bible, maybe you gave up unnecessarily,” said Martin Hawley, senior pastor. “Maybe it’s time to seriously consider the version of Christianity that relies on a better foundation.”

In the first century, Jesus was irresistible. People from all different backgrounds were drawn to him, but then he died, and all was lost or so it seemed. A few days, however, the resurrection of Jesus launched a series of events and introduced the world to a new hope.

Unfortunately, as the early church was forming, there was a tendency to go back to their familiar old religious traditions rather than live by Jesus’ new covenant and teaching. The old ways never give way easily. They didn’t then, and they certainly don’t now. We often do the same; we cling to the old and give up all hope.

Be our guest at South Bay Bible Church and get fresh hope based on a solid, unshakable foundation in this three-part series, which includes the following:

1. The Foundation. (Acts 1:21–22; 2:6–8, 13–15, 22–24, 32, 37–38; 3:13–15; 4:1, 3, 7–10, 13, 20; 5:29, 30, 32–33, 40–42) – June 22-23: The reason for our faith in Jesus—and thus our hope—is the resurrection. We must reclaim this for the sake of the generation who left Christianity and the next generation as well.
    
2. In with the New. Out with the Old. (Acts 9:1–2, 13–15; 10:14–15, 27–28, 34–35, 39–40, 45; 11:1–3, 21, 25–26; 1 Corinthians 5:12; Deuteronomy 25:11–12) – June 29-30: The apologetic of the early church was built on the resurrection. The Jewish flavor of early Christianity created an unhealthy, blended-model tradition that almost derailed the entire enterprise. Things came to a head at the Jerusalem Counsel.
    
3. Removing Barriers. (Acts 15:1–2, 5, 7–8, 10–11, 19–21) – July 6-7: We should remove every unnecessary barrier to the person and message of Jesus. People must feel the message is for them. The gospel is an invitation for everyone. The message must be clear.

As a non-denominational Christian church, South Bay Bible Church was started in 2006 with the mission to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. The church is dedicated to creating environments where people are encouraged to pursue intimacy with God, community with insiders, and influence with outsiders. To find out more about South Bay Bible Church and their upcoming events, please visit southbaychurchli.org.