Epic Family,

Though it hasn’t been easy, we are all learning how to live without certain things. I thought I would miss not having sports to watch, but I’ve actually found more productive ways to spend my time (and yes - I’m thrilled that some live sports are back on TV). I also thought I would miss working from my normal office downtown. In fact, before this season, I was never a big fan of working from home. But now, I actually enjoy doing my work from home. What have you learned about what you can live without?

Now let me tell you something we cannot live without - HOPE! When I use the word “hope”, I’m not referring to wishful thinking. By “hope”, I’m referring to the Biblical definition: an expectation or belief in the fulfillment of something desired. We cannot live without this kind of hope. 

If you have lost hope and you’re living in despair, how can you regain your hope?

Anchor your hope to something that is steady, rather than something that comes and goes. In 1 Peter 1:3, we read that God has given us “new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Jesus rose from the dead to give us an eternal hope that nothing can take away. Yes, we have lost much in this season. Yes, our future seems very uncertain. But we don’t need our circumstances to change in order for us to find steadfast hope. Rather than anchoring your hope to the news or the stock market or the vaccine reports...why not anchor your hope to the resurrection of Jesus?

Look back on your life and remember how God has brought you through situations that seemed hopeless. I want you to remember a hopeless situation from earlier in your life. How did God bring you through it? For me, it was 2011. Epic was only four months old and we were told we would no longer be able to meet at the W Hotel (this is where our church began). I started thinking, “What if we can’t find a place to meet? What if this church has to meet in our home?” I’ll never forget the way God provided a more permanent space for us to meet, still within our target neighborhood of SoMa (Epic met in this space at 543 Howard St. for 3 years). As you recall how God has brought you through a challenging time before, let it renew your hope in this current season. He is going to come through for us once again!

Ask God to bring overflowing hope back into your life. I want to give you this verse to memorize and to pray: Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. I get it - it’s hard to imagine overflowing with hope when you aren’t even sure you possess a drop of hope. Thankfully, we don’t have to manufacture hope by ourselves. God is a God of hope. He is able to fill us with joy and peace, but we must trust in Him. As we do, we will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Would you begin praying for this now? You need this kind of hope to keep moving forward. You know who else needs you to overflow with hope? Your kids. Your roommates. Your neighbors. The people in your small group. The city of San Francisco. And the entire world. 

When I think about our future as Epic Church, I know we’re going to find a different set of circumstances than the ones we enjoyed pre-pandemic. But I’m also filled with hope because God is faithful and I believe he’s preparing a future that’s even more glorious than our first decade as a church. 

Much Love,