Chris Hankel

Tag: faith

  • Who is Jesus? — Jesus the King

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    Chris Hankel
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    Human beings are wired to love the idea of a king. Not the boring constitutional monarchy kind, where the king mostly cuts ribbons and waves from balconies, like King Charles of England — but a real king. A strong, decisive, rides-in-on-a-warhorse, fixes-everything, defeats-the-bad-guys kind of king. We love stories about good kings riding out to…

  • Jesus, the Teacher

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    Chris Hankel
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    One of the things we rely on constantly today is reviews. We check the reviews. Five stars? Great. Two stars? Probably not. You read comments like: “Amazing food! Best tacos ever!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Terrible service. Waited 45 minutes for water.” ⭐⭐ And sometimes the reviews are completely contradictory. “Best place I’ve ever eaten!” Right next to……

  • Share Hope with a Hurting World

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    Chris Hankel
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    We all love hero stories.  Here’s one for you: In 2013, William Ayotte (show pic), then 69, battled a polar bear that was savagely mauling a woman in Manitoba, Canada.  He awoke at 5 am to hear someone screaming, “help it’s a bear!”  He opened the front door and a polar bear was sitting on its…

  • Serve Well, Stand Firm—Daniel 6

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    Chris Hankel
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    How many of you know the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den?  It is probably the most famous story in the Bible. Even people who have never read the Bible will know that Noah had an ark and that Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den. Parents and grandparents love to tell kids the…

  • Obey God Despite the Consequences

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    Chris Hankel
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    We live in a culture that doesn’t usually ask us to deny God outright.  Freedom of religion and all that. Instead, it asks us to deny God subtly; to compromise quietly. We often go along to get along, so things stay easy. Our culture asks us to keep our convictions private. So, we bow just…

  • Keep Your Confidence—Daniel 2

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    Chris Hankel
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    A Harvard study found that people spend 46.9% of their waking hours thinking about things other than the present moment. Instead of being in the present during those times, people tend to either reflect on the past or worry about the future. The research finds that a sense of disconnection from the present is a…

  • Courage to Draw Lines—Daniel 1

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    Chris Hankel
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    Dan 1:1-2 (CSB)—In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. The Lord handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Babylon,,…

  • The Arrival—Love

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    Chris Hankel
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    The Christmas season tends to be synonymous with family.  When people ask me about our Christmas plans, what they are asking is which family you will be spending the holidays with. Christmas and family tend to go together.  That’s why this can also be a tough time for many people. Family relationships can cause a…

  • The Arrival—Joy

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    Chris Hankel
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    Christmas joy is not based on circumstances but on the arrival of Jesus—the Savior who brings lasting joy to a weary world. ____________________________________ Our teaching series this Advent season is called The Arrival. Because with the arrival of Jesus into our world comes Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love.  We all want these things in our…

  • The Overflow of a Grateful Heart

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    Chris Hankel
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    When gratitude fills our hearts, it spills into our world. _______________________________ Last week we started this conversation about Living with Thanksgiving Everyday.  Specifically, we talked about the Power of a Grateful Heart and how gratitude has the power to rewire our brains to think differently about ourselves, the people around us, and even God.   When…