Series Details
We can navigate the placid waters of life one moment and get tossed by the storms of trials and tribulations the next. That’s why we need hope. Hope illumines and warms our souls on cold, dark days. Hope is a lighthouse when we’re storm tossed.
In this uplifting series, you’ll be inspired by our eternal Hope—Jesus—by listening in on the always winsome and grace-filled messages from Chuck Swindoll. Learn how the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and that transformed a gruff fisherman like Peter into the eloquent “Rock” of the church energizes us to let our lights brilliantly shine with hope for a dark world.
Hope is the lighthouse that guides us through life’s most violent storms. In this two-part Easter series, Pastor Chuck Swindoll explores the transformative power of the Resurrection. By looking at how the empty tomb changed the course of history and the character of the Apostle Peter, these messages demonstrate that the same power that “untied the death ropes” is available today to energize our faith and turn our darkness into light.
1. When God Untied the Death Ropes (Acts 2:22–24; Matthew 26:31–35)
- Overview: Explores the transformation of Peter from a fearful, hot-tempered denier to a bold proclaimer of the Gospel. It highlights the reality of the Resurrection as the event that broke the power of death and despair.
- Key Fact: Peter’s boldness on the Day of Pentecost was not a result of his own willpower, but a direct consequence of witnessing the resurrected Christ.
- Scripture: Acts 2:24 – “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”
2. Marching Orders from the Master (Selected Scriptures)
- Overview: Focuses on the “living hope” that believers possess because of the empty tomb. It provides practical “marching orders” for how to live as people of the Resurrection in a world that is often devoid of hope.
- Key Fact: The Resurrection is not just a historical fact to be believed, but a current power to be lived out through our witness and character.
- Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Common Questions: A Living Hope
1. Why is the hope of a Christian called a “living” hope? In the series, Pastor Chuck explains that a “living hope” is dynamic and active. Unlike “dead hope” (wishful thinking), a living hope is anchored in the person of the resurrected Jesus. It grows stronger as we walk with Him and provides constant warmth even on life’s coldest days.
2. How did the Resurrection change Peter’s character? Before the Resurrection, Peter was impulsive and easily intimidated, as seen in his denial of Jesus. After seeing the risen Lord, Peter became “The Rock”—eloquent, steadfast, and willing to face persecution. The “death ropes” were untied not just from Jesus, but from Peter’s spirit.
3. What does it mean that it was “impossible” for death to hold Jesus? Drawing from Acts 2:24, Chuck teaches that because Jesus was sinless and was God in the flesh, death had no legal or spiritual claim on Him. The Resurrection was the inevitable triumph of Life over the temporary shadow of the grave.
4. How can I find this hope when I’m in the middle of a “storm”? The series uses the imagery of a lighthouse. When you are storm-tossed, you don’t look at the waves; you look at the Light. By standing on the “strong foundation of God’s Word,” you can endure calamities because you know the end of the story—victory in Christ.
5. What are our “marching orders” as Resurrection people? Our orders are to let our lights “brilliantly shine.” This means being grace-filled and winsome in our communication, bold in our witness, and confident in our future, knowing that the same power that raised Jesus is at work in us.
