Hope

Hope – The Chainsmokers

Main Point: Things built on a weak foundation lack true hope of lasting. Only when we build on Jesus Christ as our foundation can we have true hope that things will last.

About the Artist – The Chainsmokers

New Yorkers Alex Pall and Andrew Taggart teamed up in 2012 to form the electronic dance music/pop duo known as The Chainsmokers. Their breakthrough came in 2014 with the release of their hit song #selfie which hit the 16 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  Their second studio album Sick Boy was released in December of 2018.

Song Lyrics: Hope 

I would have walked through fire to kiss your lips
Do you still think about it, of what you did?
Still see your old apartment, like a bad trip
Wish I could forget all the places we’ve been

Hard and heavy whiskey goodbyes
Boy, you know how to make a girl cry
Was sleeping in a bed full of lies
And now that I’m older, I can see why

You made me feel high
‘Cause you had me so low, low, low
You only seemed tall
‘Cause you stunted my grow-grow-growth
I only wanted you ’cause I couldn’t have you
Now that I know
That wasn’t love, that wasn’t love, that was just hope

Hope
Hope
Hope
That wasn’t love, that wasn’t love, that was just hope

Always another bender, I lose control
I thought I’d get it back when
You came back home to me, darling
But I never had it, did I? Your heart’s a trick
And all the magic we felt was just a hit

Hard and heavy whiskey goodbyes
Boy, you know how to make a girl cry
Was sleeping in a bed full of lies
And now that I’m older, I can see why

You made me feel high
‘Cause you had me so low, low, low
You only seemed tall
‘Cause you stunted my grow-grow-growth
I only wanted you ’cause I couldn’t have you
Now that I know (Now that I know)
That wasn’t love, that wasn’t love, that was just hope

Hope
Hope (‘Cause you had me so low)
Hope (Now that I know)
That wasn’t love, that wasn’t love, that was just hope

You made me feel high
‘Cause you had me so low, low, low
You only seemed tall
‘Cause you stunted my grow-grow-growth
I only wanted you ’cause I couldn’t have you
Now that I know (Now that I know)
That wasn’t love, that wasn’t love, that was just hope

Introducing the Song – You Say This: Hope is the final single released from The Chainsmokers Sick Boy album. The song tells of a relationship that was more infatuation than love and never provided what either party expected. Through various factors including apparent alcohol overconsumption, the relationship proved to be a waste of time that they will never get back.

The Music Video:  The music video can be viewed for free at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJOgTMP8cs4

Hand out Lyrics and Play Song.  

Transition Statement – You Say This: This song talks about a relationship that never met its potential and was viewed as a waste of time by both people involved. There seems to be a perspective that says the relationship was never going to work because it was just hope, and not love. Is the success of a relationship random or are there foundational things that factor into whether or not it will last? What can we do to make things last?

Divide into Small Groups:
Let’s go ahead and split up into our discussion groups, and then afterward we’ll come back together for a final word.

CLICK HERE for a quick training article on how to maximize your small groups using our small group format – a great resource to equip your small group leaders.

Discussion Questions: 

1. AROUND THE CIRCLE: Thinking about the line in the song that says and now that I’m older, I can see why, what is something that you once thought, but you see differently now that you’re older?

2. Looking where the song says “hard and heavy whiskey goodbyes,” what are some consequences of over-consuming alcohol?

3. ASK A FEW: What do you think are some factors that make a relationship successful?

4. ASK A FEW: What do you think are some factors that likely will cause a relationship to fail?

5. ASK A FEW: What do you think the song means when it says “that wasn’t love, that was just hope”?

6. ASK A FEW: What do you think are the biggest differences between the temporary love that people talk about and a love that never fails?

Read the following passages:

1 Corinthians 3:11-13
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.  It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.

Matthew 7:24-27
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell with a great crash.

10. ASK A FEW: Looking at the 1 Corinthians passage, what happens to every foundation built of anything other than Jesus Christ?

11. ASK A FEW: Looking at the Matthew passage, what does it mean to have Jesus Christ as your foundation?

12. ASK A FEW: Why do you think we tend to build our lives on things that won’t last?

13. ASK A FEW: If Jesus is your foundation, and a relationship crumbles, how would things be different than if your relationship was your foundation?

14. ASK A FEW: Why do you think God put these two passages in the Bible? What is the big idea He wants us to take from these words?

15. AROUND THE CIRCLE: What does it look like for you to make Jesus your foundation?

16. ASK A FEW: How do you see God’s love through these two passages?

Wrap Up – You say this:
The discussion this song provokes is all about the foundation that we build things on. It’s heartbreaking when we experience the hurt of a lost relationship of any kind, but especially one where we look back and feel as though we should have known better.  What if we protected ourselves from the devastation broken relationships cause by refusing to make those very relationships our foundation in life – but instead build our lives onthe only relationship that will last forever – our relationship with Jesus Christ?  Take a moment and think about what that might look like in your own life. 

(Pause and give them a quiet moment to reflect on this.) 

Jesus Christ is the ultimate proof that God loves you with a relentless and unfailing love.  His love will never fade and will never end. When we build our lives on Him and put His words into practice, we secure our foundation in a way that will allow us to withstand the toughest storms in life. It’s easy in this world to view love as some magical force that we “hope” works out, but the reality is that love is a choice we make in the same way that God has chosen to love us. Take a moment and talk to Him about how you’ve experienced His love in your own life. 

(Pause and give them a few moments to pray silently.) 

The only hope we have of experiencing things that last is to build them on Jesus Christ as our foundation. When we trust Him and believe His Word, we have the opportunity to experience life with Him – and this life is filled with love that lasts. Things built on a weak foundation lack true hope of lasting. Only when we build on Jesus Christ as our foundation can we have true hope that things will last. Let’s be people who fully experience the hope that only He can bring. 

CLOSE IN PRAYER