Since 1978, helping people get traction on their journey with Jesus Christ. For more information go to hopechurch.com.
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Brian Cropp Podcasts
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SUNDAY EXTRA: We're Back! Here we go - Season 4
1:21:09
1:21:09
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1:21:09In the first message of the "3C Disciple" series, Matt began with the foundational truth that "you don't have to stay the way you are," emphasizing that real transformation is possible through Jesus Christ. He defined discipleship as more than just belief - it's about following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and being committed to His mission. The …
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Pastor Matt kicked off 2026 with the first message in a new series called "Becoming a 3C Disciple," focusing on what it means to be committed to Jesus. Using our theme verse for the year, Joshua 1:8, Pastor Matt emphasized the importance of regular Bible reading as God transforms our thinking and lives. He explained that being committed to Jesus in…
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In this reflective sermon, Josh Hofford looks back at 2025 and shares key lessons God taught him through devotional time, trusted friends, and times of difficulty. He begins by asking the congregation to consider major news stories and family events from the past year, emphasizing that we should "look back to learn, but not to stare." Josh shares t…
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In this Christmas sermon from the "Rethinking Christmas" series, Pastor Jeremy focuses on how we can "offer more" to others because of what Jesus has done for us. Using John 1:1-18 as his primary text, Pastor Jeremy explains that this passage serves as an "abstract" or synopsis of the entire Gospel of John, introducing Jesus as the Word, the Light,…
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Pastor Luke invites us to reconsider what makes a "successful Christmas" by examining how our perspective shifts from childhood (toys) to teen years (monetary value) to adulthood (children's happiness). He warns against making Christmas "thing-centric" or "me-centric" instead of worship-centric, and identifies two main reasons we spend impulsively:…
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Pastor Matt begins a new series called "Rethink Christmas" by inviting us to step back from the cultural holiday current—the shopping, decorating, expectations, and stress—to ask what God truly wants for us this season. Christmas, he explains, is fundamentally "the celebration of the birth of the Savior King" whom we can know personally. Tracing Go…
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In this bonus episode of The Sunday Extra podcast, Matt, Jeremy, and Luke begin by sharing their Thanksgiving experiences before discussing the recent sermon delivered by guest speaker Mike Poff, who shared ten lessons he learned during his ministry at Hope Church. The hosts reflect on several key lessons that resonated with them, including "be a l…
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Former Hope member and current Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Warrenton, Virginia, Mike Poff shares ten life-changing lessons learned over decades of ministry—lessons that moved him from doubt and failure to discovering God's genuine purpose. Whether you're new to faith, skeptical, or just searching for direction, you'll find timele…
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Thanksgiving - A Lifestyle, Not Just a Day
44:31
44:31
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44:31What if gratitude could become a way of life—even on the hard days? Pastor Matt explores how seven ancient festivals from the Old Testament point us toward seven powerful reasons to live with overflowing thankfulness every day. Discover how Passover, First Fruits, Pentecost, and four other feasts all foreshadow Jesus and reveal what we have in Chri…
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In this concluding message of the "I AM" series, Pastor Matt reviews the seven statements of Jesus that reveal His divine identity: the bread of life, light of the world, the door, good shepherd, resurrection and life, way/truth/life, and true vine. Each statement offers a unique invitation, collectively calling us to respond to God's invitation to…
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Pastor Matt wrapped up the church's "I AM" series by reviewing how Jesus revealed His divine identity through seven statements in the Gospel of John. Each statement—Bread of Life, Light of the World, Door, Good Shepherd, Resurrection and Life, Way, Truth and Life, and True Vine—offers a unique invitation to relationship, collectively inviting us ba…
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In this sermon, Pastor Brian explores Jesus's declaration "I am the true vine" from John 15, delivered during His final hours with the disciples before the crucifixion. Pastor Brian explains that in ancient Jewish culture, the grapevine symbolized Israel, but Jesus now claims to be the "true vine," indicating that what Israel failed to accomplish a…
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SUNDAY EXTRA: Hot Takes with Pastor Matt
1:37:31
1:37:31
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1:37:31Focusing on Jesus's words in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," this sermon explores how this sixth "I AM" statement in John's Gospel reveals Christ's exclusive claim as the only path to God. Pastor Matt explains how these statements build in clarity throughout John, showing Jesus's increasing revelation of His divine identity. Aga…
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Pastor Matt examines Jesus' sixth "I Am" statement from John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This statement, made during Jesus' farewell address to His disciples, represents His most controversial claim of exclusivity. Pastor Matt explains how the previous five "I Am" statements progressi…
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Join Lead Pastor Matt Sturtevant, Pastor Brian Cropp, and Pastor Luke Myers for an in-depth discussion of the fifth "I Am" statement from Jesus in the Gospel of John. In this episode, we unpack Jesus's declaration "I am the resurrection and the life" from John 11, exploring the profound truths about spiritual life, death, and transformation. What W…
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This sermon explores Jesus' fifth "I am" statement from John 11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life," alongside the miracle of Lazarus' resurrection. The pastor explains how significant it was that Lazarus had been dead four days—past when Jews believed resurrection was possible—making this miracle undeniably divine. The message reveals two pro…
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Pastor Matt examined Jesus' "I am" statements from John 10, where Christ describes Himself as both the door of the sheep pen and the good shepherd. As the door, Jesus divides (keeping some things in and others out) and demands a decision about which side we choose to be on. As the good shepherd, Jesus knows His sheep, calls them by name, protects t…
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Pastor Matt examines Jesus' dual metaphors of Jesus as "the Door" and "the Good Shepherd" from John 10, unpacking the rich shepherd-sheep imagery found throughout Scripture. As the Door, Jesus creates a necessary division between those inside and outside His fold, requiring a decision that determines our eternal destiny. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus…
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In this Sunday Extra podcast, Pastor Matt expands on his sermon about Jesus' statement "I am the light of the world" from John's Gospel. This declaration occurred during the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles), when Jews commemorated God's guidance through the wilderness as a pillar of fire. Throughout Scripture, light symbolizes God's holiness, truth, g…
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Pastor Matt examines Jesus' profound statement "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12), highlighting its rich historical context during the Feast of Tabernacles. During this feast, four massive 75-foot lampstands illuminated the temple, symbolizing God's presence that guided Israel through the wilderness and the hope for the coming Messiah. By ma…
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Pastor Matt delves into John 6 where Jesus declares "I am the bread of life," examining how this statement reveals three distinct responses to Jesus that remain relevant today. The first response was outright rejection, as many in the crowd grumbled and walked away when Jesus' teaching became difficult. The second response was shallow faith, demons…
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In his sermon on the first of Jesus's seven "I am" statements, Pastor Matt explores the profound metaphor in John 6:35 where Jesus declares, "I am the bread of life." He connects this statement to how God provided manna for the Israelites in Exodus 16, showing how Jesus fulfills and surpasses this Old Testament foreshadowing. While the manna met te…
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This episode launches our new series on the seven "I Am" statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John. Pastor Matt explores why these two words carried such weight that religious leaders tried to stone Jesus for blasphemy. Key Topics Understanding "I Am" - When Jesus said "I am," He used the same phrase God spoke to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3…
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Pastor Matt began a new 8-week series called "I am," examining Jesus' seven profound statements in the Gospel of John that reveal different facets of His identity and mission. The sermon focused on "life's most important question" from Matthew 16:15 - "Who do you say that I am?" - which determines not only how we live now but where we spend eternit…
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SUNDAY EXTRA: Is Anxiety Always Sin?
1:19:50
1:19:50
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1:19:50In this episode of Sunday Extra, the pastoral team continues their discussion from Pastor Matt's "Anxious for Nothing" series, exploring the practical application of Philippians 4:4-9. The conversation centers on the "coffee filter" metaphor for filtering thoughts through biblical criteria: whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendab…
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In "The Battlefield," the concluding message of the "Anxious for Nothing" series, Pastor Matt explains that while anxiety often begins with external factors, the real battle takes place in our minds. Drawing from Philippians 4:8-9, he presents a comprehensive thought filter to combat anxiety. Pastor Matt emphasizes that we must first "think about w…
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SUNDAY EXTRA: Let's Get Practical - Applying the Anxiety Antidote
53:56
53:56
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53:56Pastors Matt, Luke, and Jeremy dive deep into the core of biblical anxiety relief: Philippians 4:6-7. In this episode, they break down the practical difference between the ESV and NLT translations, share personal struggles with finances and uncertainty, and explore how prayer transforms worry into peace. The discussion addresses recent challenging …
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This sermon from the "Anxious for Nothing" series addresses rising anxiety in the wake of recent tragedies like school shootings and the 9/11 anniversary, attributing societal violence to humanity's sin problem and the removal of God from public life. Building on Philippians 4:6-7, Pastor Matt presents prayer as the primary antidote to worry and an…
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SUNDAY EXTRA: Beginning the Anxiety Battle
1:14:56
1:14:56
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1:14:56Join Pastor Matt and Luke for a conversation about anxiety, fear, and finding peace in Christ. In this episode, they dive deep into the new sermon series "Anxious for Nothing" based on Philippians 4:4-7, sharing personal stories of overcoming anxiety and practical steps for trusting God in difficult circumstances. What You'll Discover: - How to cul…
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In this opening message of a series on anxiety, Pastor Matt shares personal experiences with anxiety, including worrying about a sleepwalking child and awaiting his wife's medical test results. While acknowledging that anxiety is on the rise in our society, he emphasizes it's not a new problem but rather a spiritual one at its core—a divided mind a…
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SUNDAY EXTRA: Deep Dive With Rick Myers
1:14:21
1:14:21
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1:14:21Join Rick Myers, Hope Church's Groups Director, as he shares his journey from tragedy to transformation and explains why small groups are essential for spiritual growth. In this episode, Rick opens up about losing his brother in high school, finding faith in college, and discovering the power of authentic community through men's groups. Discover ho…
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In this sermon, Pastor Jeremy focuses on the importance of small groups at Hope Church as they enter the fall semester sign-up period. He begins by examining Acts 2:44-47, which shows how the early church gathered both in large temple courts and in smaller home settings. Pastor Jeremy emphasizes that God designed us for community, noting that the N…
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Join Pastor Matt and the team as they dive deeper into topics from the recent "Financial Squeeze" sermon series that didn't quite fit into Sunday morning. This episode focuses on biblical generosity, tithing, and God's design for our finances. In this episode, we explore the fascinating history behind "In God We Trust" on American currency, dating …
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In the final message of "The Financial Squeeze" series, Pastor Matt explores how generosity during financial hardship seems counterintuitive yet is precisely what God calls us to do. Using the book of Haggai, he illustrates how God's people postponed rebuilding the temple saying, "not now," while God responded by withholding blessing until they pri…
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SUNDAY EXTRA: Stories of Contentment
1:25:49
1:25:49
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1:25:49Welcome back to another episode of Sunday Morning Extra! This week, our pastoral team delves into the challenging topic of contentment and why it's such a countercultural message in today's world. What We Cover: In this episode, we explore why contentment feels so unnatural in American culture and how everything around us is designed to create disc…
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Pastor Matt continues "The Financial Squeeze" series by exploring the countercultural concept of contentment, which he defines as accepting your current condition in life. Using Paul's testimony in Philippians 4:11-13, Pastor Matt explains that contentment is "a secret we all must learn" through experience—not something that comes naturally. This s…
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Sunday Extra: How Do You Handle the Squeeze?
1:08:03
1:08:03
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1:08:03Join Pastor Matt Sturdvant, Pastor Luke Myers, Pastor Jeremy Good, and Pastor Brian Cropp as they dive into the launch of Hope Church's new sermon series "The Financial Squeeze" and share personal stories about navigating financial pressures. n This Episode: The pastors share their weekend highlights, including Rhonda Gales' retirement celebration …
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Pastor Matt begins a new series called "The Financial Squeeze," addressing how believers should respond to financial pressure. He explains that society has been trained since the New Deal of the 1930s to look to government for bailouts rather than to God for help. The sermon's key perspective shift is: "God wants to use the pressure I experience fi…
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SUNDAY EXTRA: Gen X vs Millennials Trivia Battle + God's 150-Year Church Plan
59:17
59:17
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59:17Welcome back to Season 3 of the Sunday Extra podcast! After a refreshing summer break, Pastors Matt, Brian, Luke, and Jeremy are back to dive deeper into Sunday's message about God's multigenerational plan. This week, they explore how different generations can work together in the church and what it means to have "all hands on deck." Join us for so…
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In celebrating Hope Church's 47th anniversary, Pastor Matt examined the Biblical concept of generations and God's multi-generational plan. Using Psalm 145:4 as the theme verse, he presented five key truths: God has been unfolding His generational plan since creation (Genesis 1:27-28); He works through leadership transitions to continue leading His …
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In this sermon, Pastor Brian tackles the question that has nagged him most as a worship pastor: "What are we doing here?" He explains that Biblical worship involves humbling ourselves before God and demonstrating His worthiness through our actions and attention. Jesus told us in John 4 that "true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and tr…
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Pastor Matt concluded his series on the Lord's Prayer by examining the textual history of Matthew 6:13b ("For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen"), which appears as a footnote in many modern translations. He explained the process of Biblical transmission from original manuscripts to modern translations, noting that the B…
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In this sermon, Pastor Jeremy continues his series on the Lord's Prayer by examining the line "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." He addresses the apparent contradiction between this prayer and James 1:13, which states God tempts no one. Pastor Jeremy explains that the Greek word "pismon" is neutral, meaning both temptation and…
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Jacob Willebeek-LaMair examines the forgiveness portion of the Lord's Prayer, explaining why Jesus specifically emphasized "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." He clarifies that sin creates not a financial debt but a justice debt before God—a debt so massive that we could never repay it ourselves. Using Romans 6:23, Jacob illustrates h…
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Jake Myers examines the line "Give us this day our daily bread" from Matthew 6:11, using the famous "Grace" photograph as a visual representation of the humility and dependence we should have before God. Myers breaks down the verse into three components: "Give us" reminds us God is our source and we approach Him in humility; "this day" teaches us t…
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In this sermon, Pastor Brian examines the phrase "your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" from the Lord's Prayer, addressing the tension between God's sovereignty and human free will. He distinguishes between God's moral will—the framework for how we should live—and God's sovereign will—His overarching plan that will ultimately be accomplish…
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In this sermon, Jordan Funderburk delves into the meaning of "Your kingdom come" from the Lord's Prayer. He begins by explaining that the kingdom of God is not a physical location but rather the rule of God in people's lives. Funderburk highlights that Jesus spoke about the kingdom as both present and future, quoting Luke 17:20-21 and Matthew 24:14…
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Josh Hofford delves into the significance of God's holy name as found in the Lord's Prayer, specifically the phrase "hallowed be your name" (Matthew 6:9). He begins by discussing the importance of names in our lives, then transitions to the exclusivity and holiness of God's name. Hofford emphasizes that while we have an intimate "Abba" relationship…
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In this sermon, Pastor Jeremy delves into the Lord's Prayer, beginning with its context in the Sermon on the Mount. He explains that Jesus addressed a diverse audience, including Jewish worshippers, Jewish elites, and pagans. Before introducing the Lord's Prayer, Jesus corrected misconceptions about prayer, warning against making it a spectacle (Ma…
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In this sermon, Pastor Luke wraps up the "Unshakable Faith" series by addressing how believers can maintain strong faith during life's trials. He shares a personal story about his father-in-law's diagnosis with primary progressive aphasia, using it as an example of a faith-shaking experience. The main point of the sermon is that "because of who Jes…
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