{"id":39397,"date":"2018-02-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/last-jedi-prompts-is-there-hope-in-what-we-are-trusting\/"},"modified":"2018-02-12T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-02-12T00:00:00","slug":"last-jedi-prompts-is-there-hope-in-what-we-are-trusting","status":"publish","type":"sermon-illustrations","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/last-jedi-prompts-is-there-hope-in-what-we-are-trusting\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The Last Jedi’ Prompts: ‘Is There Hope in What We Are Trusting?’"},"content":{"rendered":"

In his blog, Major Dalton dives deeply into the nature of hope:<\/p>\n\n

\n

Authentic hope is a hard thing to kill. In the heart of the one who knows that outcome is not driven by perception or circumstance, hope may just be immortal.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

In the 8th installment of the Star Wars saga, Kylo Ren, son of Han Solo & Princess Leia, has embraced the Dark Side of the force and bowed to the power of a Sith Lord named Snoke. Donned in a black robe and helmet like his grandfather Lord Vader, Ren believes he has crushed the rebellion once and for all. But Snoke knows better.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

Returning from an apparent victory for the Dark Side, Ren is chastised by his master.\nSnoke: "You are no Vader. You're just a child in a mask."
\nKylo Ren: "I gave everything I had to you; to the Darkside."
\nSnoke: "Skywalker lives. The seed of the Jedi lives. As long as he does, hope exists."\n<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

Rebellions will live as long as they are led. It is true in the Star Wars universe. It is true in ours as well.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

Some people live as though hope is a concept reserved to the "long ago," or relegated to a "galaxy far away." Hate reigns, lies rule, and fear sits as a monarch in the hearts of those who have surrendered to despair. But there is a rebellion subverting hate, lies, and fear. A counter-cultural existence led by a lowly Galilean carpenter. Some believe he died long ago. But he lives! And because he lives, hope exists!<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

So, the real question is not; "Is there hope?" There is hope in the universe! We only have to ask; "Is there hope in what we are presently trusting?"<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"template":"","tax_ctp_audience":[],"tax_ctp_authors":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[165],"tax_ctp_format":[171],"tax_ctp_illustration_types":[409,411],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[140],"tax_ctp_tags":[3398,3554,3766,3839,3921,3933,4134,4167,4168,4725,4828,4830,5063,5195],"tax_ctp_topics":[],"class_list":["post-39397","sermon-illustrations","type-sermon-illustrations","status-publish","hentry","tax_publications-ct-pastors","tax_ctp_tags-afterlife","tax_ctp_tags-certainty","tax_ctp_tags-despair","tax_ctp_tags-easter","tax_ctp_tags-experiencing-god","tax_ctp_tags-faith","tax_ctp_tags-heaven","tax_ctp_tags-hope","tax_ctp_tags-hopelessness","tax_ctp_tags-proof","tax_ctp_tags-resurrection","tax_ctp_tags-resurrection-of-christ","tax_ctp_tags-spiritual-transformation","tax_ctp_tags-trust"],"acf":{"scripture_references":[{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null}]},"yoast_head":"\n'The Last Jedi' Prompts: 'Is There Hope in What We Are Trusting?' - CT Pastors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/last-jedi-prompts-is-there-hope-in-what-we-are-trusting\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"'The Last Jedi' Prompts: 'Is There Hope in What We Are Trusting?' - CT Pastors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In his blog, Major Dalton dives deeply into the nature of hope: Authentic hope is a hard thing to kill. 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