Perfect Love, Perfect Hope

There's a well-known scene in the fantastic movie, "The Shawshank Redemption", in which Andy Dufresne returns from solitary confinement and talks about how Mozart kept him company while he was there. His buddies are stunned that the guards would allow him to take music with him, but he explains that it's just in his heart and mind. He says it gives him hope, which is something they can never take away. The conversation ends with Andy talking about the hope we can have no matter what, and his buddy, Red, saying that "hope is a dangerous thing inside here". Many of us are like Red when we feel stuck in our circumstances, but those who follow Jesus Christ always have reason to hope and trust. This week at Friendship, we'll begin our Christmas series by looking at the relationship between knowing God's perfect love for us and choosing to have perfect hope in Him. We start the Advent season with anticipation as we move toward our celebration of the birth of our Savior, who truly is the hope of the world!