Created For More

Jesus’ church is more than a building or an organization. It’s the people of God, united by the Spirit of God, under the lordship of Jesus, sent on mission to change the world. Therefore, every follower of Jesus is a hope carrier – a disciple of Jesus living on mission to change their world. They believe that they’ve been sent by God into every area of life with a responsibility to see His kingdom come and His will be done. Like an undercover agent sent in behind enemy lines, hope carriers see their entire life as part of the very mission of God.

“Living within you is the Christ who floods you with the expectation of glory! This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for his people, and God wants everyone to know it” (Colossians 1:27 TPT). Each follower of Jesus carries within them a treasure chest of hope just waiting to be opened. Hope is simply the confident expectation of the goodness of God. It’s the conviction that God’s kingdom has come and more of it is coming. It’s the belief that God is good and that God is good to me. Jesus-focused hope isn’t meant to be hidden; it’s meant to be put on display so the world can see the glory of God. Hence “hope carrier.” And where is that hope primarily supposed to be shined? In the areas of life (see page 8). God wants His kingdom to come not just in the church but in every area of life. That’s why Jesus tells us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth (not just the church) as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

God’s kingdom is simply His rule and reign. It’s where things are submitted and surrendered to the lordship of Jesus. What you have to remember is that the kingdom and the church are not the same thing. The church is a part of the kingdom, but the kingdom is bigger than the church. God also wants His kingdom to come in family, education, healthcare, business, government, arts and media, sports, and technology – in all the areas of life where you go every single day.

Simply put, the kingdom of God is a movement of hope. In fact, the very atmosphere of heaven is hope. So, wherever the kingdom of God is, there is hope. The answers to all the world’s problems are found in the kingdom. Heaven holds the answers to sickness, despair, impossibilities, generational curses, poverty, oppression – every issue the world is facing. And if the kingdom of heaven is now within you {Luke 17:21), then whenever you walk into an environment, hope – the kingdom – just walked in with you. God has entrusted you with His kingdom to bring His hope to the world’s cries. Jesus says that His followers are like salt, light, and leaven. They’re salt meant to bring taste to a flavorless world. They’re light meant to shine into the pitch-black darkness. And they’re like leaven or yeast meant to be worked into the world to help the whole thing rise to its potential. God wants to release His answers to the world’s problems through His sons and daughters, the church. You’ve been empowered by God to bring His presence, His kingdom, His hope into the areas of life you go every single day.

Remember, you’re not just doing a job, just going to school, just living in that neighborhood,just posting on line, or just going through the motions – you were created for so much more. You are literally an extension of God’s kingdom. Being a hope carrier isn’t a formula, a religious activity, or a futile exercise. It’s partnering with God. It’s aligning your life with what He’s already doing. It’s simply asking, listening, and responding to the Holy Spirit. It’s believing that God is with you and that you’ve been strategically positioned for such a time as this. When hope carriers live filled with the Spirit, they show the world the goodness of God, whether the world is looking for it or not.

Just think of all the people we have in our churches and the influence they have as parents, students, teachers, doctors, managers, first responders, social media influencers, athletes, creatives, IT professionals, and more. Just imagine what could happen in our cities if we all intentionally lived as hope carriers, engaging our daily lives with character, servanthood, wisdom, creativity, and excellence, demonstrating and declaring that, in Jesus’ name, hope is here!