Hope Church - Fort Worth, TX

Hope Church
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Christianity
  • Weekly

Since 1978, helping people get traction on their journey with Jesus Christ. For more information go to hopechurch.com.

  1. 3h ago

    3C: The Christianity That Looks Biblical but Isn't

    In this episode of the 3C Podcast, Pastor Matt Sturdevant and the pastoral staff of Hope Church recap a sermon preached just before a midterm election, drawn from Romans 13–14 and portions of Romans 15. The sermon's central big idea was straightforward but weighty: if Jesus is Lord, His Word must shape how we think and how we live. Pastor Matt walked through Christians' responsibilities to governing authorities, to love others well, and to handle disagreements Biblically — all grounded in the foundational truth from 2 Timothy 3:16–17 that all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for every area of life, not just the parts we consider "spiritual." The podcast conversation then goes deeper than the sermon itself, pulling back the curtain on a cultural philosophy called "expressive individualism" — the belief that our deepest identity comes from within, that being true to ourselves is life's highest priority, and that we should be free to define who we are and how we live. Pastor Matt and the team explore how this worldview quietly seeps into our thinking through music, movies, social media, and advertising, often without us noticing. Phrases like "follow your heart," "live your truth," and "you deserve it" are not harmless cultural noise — they are messages that, when absorbed repeatedly, begin to reshape what we believe and how we live. The team closes by drawing a sharp contrast between Biblical discipleship — where Jesus is Lord, God's Word corrects us, and we exist for God's glory — and a Christianity shaped by self-rule, where Jesus exists primarily to affirm the life we already want. Romans 12:2 serves as the anchor: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The call to action is clear — engage God's Word intentionally, read it big, read it pure, and let it do the transforming work that the world's messages never can.

  2. 2d ago

    The Gospel, Government, & Disagreement

    With a midterm election just days away, Pastor Matt Sturdevant steps away from the regular Romans series to address something he calls an "uncomfortable but necessary conversation." Drawing from Romans 13-15, he establishes a foundational truth: God's Word is useful for every area of life, not just the parts we consider spiritual. As 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." That means Scripture has something to say about how we think about government, how we treat those we disagree with, and how we carry ourselves as followers of Jesus in a politically charged world. Pastor Matt walks through three key responsibilities for faithful Christian living. First, Christians are called to honor governing authorities, because government itself is God's idea — established to restrain evil and promote good. That doesn't mean every government is righteous or every law is just, but it does mean we are called to respect the office, pray for our leaders, pay our taxes, and participate in elections — even when the choices are imperfect. Second, we owe one another love — a debt that never expires. Romans 13:10 makes it clear that "love does no wrong to a neighbor," and that obligation doesn't get suspended during election season. Third, drawing from Romans 14-15, Pastor Matt addresses how Christians should handle disagreement, urging the church to distinguish between clear Biblical commands and areas of Christian liberty, where two sincere believers can reach different conclusions without despising one another. The sermon closes with a simple but powerful reminder: after the votes are counted and the results are in, Jesus is still Lord, God is still sovereign, His Word is still true, and our neighbors still need Jesus. Our hope, Pastor Matt declares, is not in any candidate, party, or election — it is in the God of hope, as Romans 15:13 promises: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

  3. 5d ago

    [BONUS] 3C The Faithful Citizen - All Segments

    Wrapping up a five-week mini-series on how Jesus' disciples approach politics, LeadPastor Matt Sturdevant brings the conversation home by focusing on faithfulness.  Rather than ending with a party, a candidate, or a problem, he anchors the series in what God ultimately requires of a steward — faithfulness. To get there, Pastor Matt offers seven guiding words: pray, think, discern, speak, love, participate, and trust God. Each word carries real weight. Pray before you react — not just "make my side win," but "God, show me where I'm wrong." Think Biblically, refusing to outsource your convictions to a party or a candidate. Discern carefully, especially in an age of social media and AI, by asking whether something is true, whether the source is trustworthy, and whether you've fairly considered the other side. Speak graciously, because as Colossians 4:6 reminds us, there's no political exception to letting your speech always be gracious. Love people — even those who disagree — participate faithfully as a year-round citizen, and then trust God with the outcome. Pastor Matt closes with a powerful reminder for the morning after Election Day: regardless of the results, Jesus will still be King, the Bible will still be true, lost people will still need Jesus, and the Great Commission will still be the mission. Our hope, he declares, is not in who sits in an office — it's in the One who sits on the throne.

  4. Oct 28

    3C: Seven Reasons You're Not Growing Spiritually

    This episode of the 3C Podcast opens with team updates, including Matt Sturdevant's return from a Walk Through the Bible conference in Atlanta, where he celebrated their 50th anniversary and was reminded that access to the Bible is different from engaging with it. The team also recaps Pastor Jeremy's Sunday sermon on Romans 7, titled "The Struggle," which walked through four key questions Paul raises about the Old Testament law, sin, and the very personal reality that every believer wrestles with sin throughout their life. A highlight from the recap is the sobering truth that if you're not struggling against sin, you may simply be swimming along with the world. From there, Matt dives deeper into a question Jeremy raised but didn't have time to fully address in the sermon — namely, how Christians should think about the Old Testament law now that they are living under grace. Matt breaks the Mosaic Law into three categories — moral, ceremonial, and civil — and explains how Jesus fulfilled each. The moral law reflects God's unchanging character, the ceremonial law pointed forward to Christ and was fulfilled in Him, and the civil law governed Israel as a specific nation at a specific time. This framework helps believers understand why "thou shalt not murder" still applies today while dietary restrictions no longer carry the same weight. The episode then turns to the question of spiritual growth, with Matt presenting seven reasons why Christians often remain stagnant: neglecting God's Word, consuming too much worldly entertainment, allowing ungodly relationships to shape them, living a prayerless life, isolating from the local church, refusing to serve others, and avoiding Biblical discipleship. The episode closes with the fifth and final week of their "Faithful Citizenship" series, where Matt challenges believers to approach the upcoming election with seven practices — pray, think, discern, speak, love, participate, and trust God — reminding the church that regardless of election results, Jesus is still King, the Bible is still true, and the Great Commission is still the mission.

  5. Oct 26

    The Struggle

    In this sermon on Romans 7, Pastor Jeremy unpacks Paul's line of questioning about the Old Testament law, sin, and the believer's ongoing struggle. Using a marriage analogy, Paul explains in Romans 7:2-4 that just as death releases a spouse from their marriage vow, death in Christ releases believers from the Old Testament law. But this freedom isn't a license to live however we want — rather, it gives us a higher motivation to follow God, not by checking off boxes, but out of genuine love for Jesus Christ. Pastor Jeremy then addresses Paul's question of whether the law itself is sinful. The answer is a firm "by no means." The law is holy and good, but it serves two important purposes: it shows us what sin is, and it finds us guilty. Referencing James 2:10, Pastor Jeremy reminds the congregation that failing in even one point of the law makes a person guilty of all of it — which means no amount of good works can tip the cosmic scales in our favor. Finally, Pastor Jeremy tackles the question every believer wrestles with: why do we still struggle with sin? Drawing from Romans 7:15-25, he describes this struggle not as failure, but as a constant opposition — like wading upstream against a river's current. The tension exists because when we give our lives to Christ, our spirit is transformed, but our flesh still pulls toward the ways of the world. Pastor Jeremy closes with the truth that no Christian is exempt from this lifelong struggle, and that only Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can ultimately deliver us from this "body of death."

  6. Oct 21

    3C Trying Harder Won't Make You More Like Jesus

    In this episode of the Three C Podcast, Pastor Matt Sturdevant continues the church's series through Romans with a sermon on Romans 6 titled "The New Life: Dead to Sin, Alive to Christ." The central big idea is that grace doesn't give us permission to keep sinning — it gives us the power to live a new life. Pastor Matt walks through four key truths: salvation gives us a new life, we must understand our new identity in Christ, we must choose to live differently, and we must live under our new master. He also traces the journey of salvation through justification, sanctification, and glorification, reminding listeners that while we've been saved from the penalty of sin instantly, we are being saved from the power of sin progressively, and won't be free from the presence of sin until glorification. A major theme that emerges from the discussion is the difference between trying and training. As Titus 2:11-12 makes clear, grace doesn't just save us — it trains us. Trying focuses on immediate results and relies on willpower alone, while training focuses on long-term transformation through spiritual disciplines, community, and dependence on God's power. The pastors discuss how Philippians 2:12-13 captures this tension beautifully — we work out what God is working in us. The episode wraps up with a conversation on faithful citizenship, challenging believers to vote as an act of stewardship, to evaluate candidates by character, competence, convictions, and policies, and to remember that not voting is not a neutral act when godless policies are on the ballot.

  7. Oct 19

    The New Life - Dead to Sin Alive to Christ

    Continuing through Romans, Lead Pastor Matt Sturdevant reaches chapter 6 with a question Paul himself anticipates: "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" (Romans 6:1). The answer is a resounding "by no means." Grace, the pastor explains, is not a license to keep living the old life — it is the very power that makes a new life possible. He draws a clear distinction between justification, God's decisive declaration that we are righteous through Christ, and sanctification, God's ongoing work of making us more like Jesus. These two realities are connected but not the same, and understanding both is essential to grasping what salvation actually means for how we live day to day. Paul's imagery of baptism captures this beautifully — going under the water pictures death and burial with Christ, and rising up out of the water pictures resurrection into new life. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us, we are a new creation, not simply an updated version of our old selves. That means sin is no longer our rightful master. Our identity is no longer rooted in our old patterns and habits but in Jesus Christ. The pastor notes that this doesn't mean temptation disappears, but it does mean sin no longer has the final word. As the memory verse for the week puts it, "You must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:11). How we think about ourselves profoundly shapes how we live, and Paul calls us to align our thinking with what God has made true of us through Christ.

  8. Oct 14

    3C: Can You Ever Be Good Enough for God?

    This episode of the Three C Podcast picks up where the weekend sermon left off, continuing through Romans chapters 3–5 with lead pastor Matt Sturdivant and the Hope Church pastoral team. The big idea from the sermon was clear: we are made right with God by grace through faith, not by works. Matt digs into Romans chapter 4, where Paul uses Abraham as the defining example of justification by faith. As Matt points out, Abraham believed God, "and it was counted to him as righteousness" (Romans 4:3), and this happened before circumcision, before the law — before any religious work. Salvation, Paul is arguing, has never been a paycheck. It's always been a gift. Matt then takes the team on a deeper theological journey, walking through the full arc of salvation — from conversion through sanctification to glorification — and connecting it to the Protestant Reformation. In honor of Reformation Day on October 31st, Matt explains how Martin Luther's challenge to the Roman Catholic Church centered on this very question: how can sinful people be made right with a holy God? The five solas — Scripture alone, faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone, and glory to God alone — emerged from that Reformation and speak directly to what Paul is teaching in Romans. The team also discusses the meaningful distinction between Protestant and Roman Catholic views of justification, and why that difference is anything but minor. The episode closes with a segment on faithful citizenship, where Matt introduces a helpful framework for thinking about political issues: straight-line issues, where Scripture speaks clearly and directly (such as the sanctity of life, marriage, and religious freedom), and jagged-line issues, where Biblical principles exist but wisdom and complexity are required to reach policy conclusions (such as immigration, healthcare, and economic policy). The team encourages listeners to vote, to know God's Word well enough to spot when it's being misused, and to hold Biblical commands with conviction while approaching wisdom-based judgments with humility.

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Since 1978, helping people get traction on their journey with Jesus Christ. For more information go to hopechurch.com.

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