Is there any Hope for the Future? - Tim Horman
On Sunday we wrapped up our thought-provoking series, Questioning Christianity, by diving into a topic that feels more relevant than ever: Hope.
In this message Tim Horman explored a core question: What kind of hope can truly sustain us? It's not about being blindly optimistic; it's about anchoring our lives to something concrete and real.
In this post, we'll unpack why a life-changing hope is unavoidable, how it speaks directly to the despair we see in our culture, and ultimately, why Jesus is our living hope.
We all know we need hope to keep going. As psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl observed, an expectation of a future purpose was often the difference between life and death for those in the concentration camps. He wrote that those who lost hope, those who saw 'no sense in their life, no aim, no purpose,' were soon lost. If we know the why of our existence, we can bear almost any how.
Our culture is feeling this lack of hope deeply. From economic worries and geopolitical fear to the sense that younger generations will have it worse than their parents, despair is brewing. This is the existential vacuum that Frankl warned about—a loss of meaning that morphs into resentment and anger.
For decades, Western society put its hope in a secular story of inevitable human progress—that through science, technology, and politics, we would create our own utopia. But history, particularly the brutal events of the 20th century, has shattered that illusion. As Tim Horman highlighted, the greatest killers in history have often been utopian idealists who believed they could force a 'better world' into existence. This secular optimism has collapsed, leaving behind a deep despair.
“Hope and optimism, friends, are not the same thing. We are not optimists as Christians, but we are hopeful. It's a very different thing.”
The key is that we are all, as the sermon put it, "irreducibly hope-based creatures." What you believe about your future fundamentally controls how you experience your present. A person doing tedious work for a huge payoff experiences the present work completely differently than someone doing it for a small wage. The future changes the present. We need a hope that is specific and concrete, one that can locate our life in a bigger story that gives it meaning.
For the Christian, that larger, unwavering story is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The biggest challenge to any secular vision of self-actualisation and personal fulfilment is the one thing we can't avoid: death. If our life's purpose is simply our own fleeting experience, then death is the ultimate defeat—the absolute end of the self, and the end of love and relationship. No matter how hard we try to frame it as the "circle of life," our hearts rebel because it is a violation; it is the ultimate enemy. The deep grief we feel is a profound witness to this truth.
The Christian faith offers a radical alternative: a living hope in the face of death.
The central point of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection was to defeat this ultimate enemy. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ hasn't been raised, our faith is pointless! But because he has, we can declare that death is a defeated foe.
This hope doesn't deny the brutal reality of suffering; instead, it enters into it with us. Think about the story of Jesus at the grave of his friend, Lazarus, in John 11. Even though he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, Jesus didn't stand there smiling. When he saw the grief of Martha and Mary, he was "deeply moved in spirit and troubled," the original words suggesting he bellowed and roared with pain. Jesus wept.
He enters our pain.
“I also need a Saviour who is walking with me in the midst of life, day by day, moment by moment, who knows what I feel and who feels it with me.”
Jesus' question to Martha was, "Do you believe in the resurrection?" When she said she believed in the resurrection on the last day, Jesus replied, "I am the resurrection and the life." Our hope isn't a theory or a distant event; it is a person. Jesus is our hope, and he walks with us through every moment of struggle, anxiety, and grief, guaranteeing us safe passage to the other side.
This is why, even in tragedy, we can cling to a deep, abiding hope: because death is not the end of our love or our relationship with God and with those we hold dear. That is a hope that sustains, gives courage, and enables us to love and sacrifice for others.
So, what's the big takeaway? We don't need shallow optimism; we need Christian Hope. This hope is built not on human potential or scientific progress, but on the certainty of Jesus' victory over death. It gives meaning to our suffering, courage to face our fears, and a foundation to live a life of selfless love.
Our future is assured because Jesus is making "all things new."
One Way to Live it Out This Week
This week, when you find yourself doom-scrolling or getting overwhelmed by fear, take a moment. Choose one worry that is weighing heavily on you and consciously remind yourself of this truth: Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Hand that worry over to him, trusting that he is walking with you and holds your future secure.
A Prayer For Your Week
Heavenly Father, thank you for the glorious hope we have in Jesus. When the world feels heavy and despairing, anchor our hearts to your certainty. Help us to live today with courage, love, and sacrifice, knowing that death is a defeated enemy and our future with you is eternal. Amen.
Questions for Reflection & Discussion
Personal Reflection Questions
How has the cultural climate (economic fears, world events, etc.) personally impacted your sense of hope or expectation for the future?
Do you find yourself relying on 'optimism' (a general belief things will get better) or 'Christian hope' (a reliance on Jesus’ final victory)? What’s the difference for you?
Where in your life do you need to most actively believe that Jesus is with you, "deeply moved in spirit and troubled," walking alongside you in your pain?
Small Group Discussion Questions
What was one thing from the sermon that either encouraged you or made you think differently about the topic of hope?
Tim spoke about the difference between optimism and Christian hope. Can you share a time when you saw the difference between these two things play out in your own life or in the life of someone you know?
The sermon quoted Viktor Frankl: “If he knows the why for his existence, he'll be able to bear almost any how.” What gives your Christian life its central why?
Tim argued that despair leads to resentment and anger in the culture. Where do you see this 'meaninglessness' void being filled with things other than Christ?
What fears or anxieties about the future (for yourself, your family, or the world) are you currently struggling to submit to God's sovereignty?
How does the image of Jesus weeping at Lazarus' tomb change your perspective on how God relates to your own suffering and grief?
The promise is that in Jesus, death is a defeated enemy. How can we live today with a greater sense of courage and a 'defeated foe' mentality?
Thinking about the final prayer, who in your life or group needs encouragement this week to remember that Jesus is their living hope, and how can we pray for them now?