If You Can Hope, You Can Cope

This sermon centers on the power of hope as the foundation for enduring life's trials. Drawing on Psalm 46:10 and Scripture's broader witness, Rev. Cunningham calls believers to stillness and trust in a sovereign God who remains in control of all earthly affairs. The message challenges the congregation to move beyond religious tradition into active, expectant faith, reminding them that hope is the doorway to faith and that faith brings substance to what is hoped for. Through personal testimony and biblical narrative, he shows that God specializes in working with what remains, not what is lost, and that the devil is a defeated enemy who deserves no more credit than he has earned.

Key Points:

- Hope is the doorway to faith, and faith is the manifestation of what hope expects; the two work together to sustain the believer through hardship

- God is sovereign over all earthly powers and institutions, and no human authority, technology, or political force can exclude Him from the affairs of His creation

- The devil has been defeated at three decisive moments: in heaven, in the wilderness of temptation, and at Calvary, and believers should not live in fear of a foe who has already lost

- God does not work with what has been taken from us but with what He has left us; even the smallest remaining resource is enough for Him to work a miracle

- Religious tradition can become an obstacle to genuine faith; God is actively purging the church of religion so that authentic, living faith can take root

- Humility is a prerequisite for restoration; the preacher's personal testimony illustrates that willingness to be brought low is often the path back to exponential blessing

- Believers are called to speak in the affirmative, declaring what God has already promised rather than rehearsing what they lack

Scripture Reference:

- Psalm 46:10, which calls God's people to cease striving and recognize His supreme authority over all things

- Isaiah 40, which describes God enthroned above the earth and all human powers appearing small before Him

- Isaiah 6, in which the prophet witnesses the Lord high and lifted up, with His glory filling the temple

- Hebrews 11:1, which defines faith as giving substance to things hoped for and evidence to things not yet seen

- Matthew 4, recounting Jesus overcoming Satan in the wilderness of temptation

- Revelation, referencing the defeat of Satan in the heavenly realm

Stories:

- The call of Abram: God appeared to Abram in Ur of the Chaldeans and called him to leave everything familiar and follow Him into an unknown land, promising to make him the instrument through whom all nations of the earth would be blessed

- Elijah at the Brook Cherith and the widow of Zarephath: During a severe famine, God first sustained the prophet by the brook through ravens, then directed him to a widow who had only enough meal and oil for one final meal for herself and her son; through the prophet's instruction and her act of faith, the meal and oil multiplied and sustained them throughout the famine, transforming her circumstances entirely

- The preacher's personal testimony: After open-heart surgery and a subsequent diagnosis of kidney cancer, the preacher found himself financially devastated, wrapping pennies for gas while driving a Mercedes and secretly struggling to provide for his family while pastoring a congregation of approximately 700 members; humbling himself, he took a position as assistant director of weekday services at a local high school, told no one in his congregation, served faithfully for four months, and was ultimately restored to his ministry with greater blessing than before