Rev. Adrian Swanigan: The Mental Health Benefits of Hope

The sermon emphasizes the importance of hope in overcoming life’s challenges. Rev. Swanigan argues that those without hope are the poorest, often becoming depressed, desperate, difficult, and even dangerous [14:28]. Despite current societal issues, having hope, not as a wish, but as a conviction based on faith, experience, and God’s nature [17:17].

Here are the key foundations of this hope, supported by Bible verses mentioned in the sermon:

• Faith is the foundation of hope: Rev. Swanigan references Hebrews 11:1 [18:43], stating, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” to illustrate that faith underpins hope.
• Experience reinforces hope: The pastor highlights personal experiences and biblical examples of God’s faithfulness as evidence for hope [21:12], alluding to the idea that past deliverance assures future hope.
• God is the source of hope: Romans 15:13 [23:31] is quoted: “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost,” emphasizing God as the ultimate source of hope.
• Hope in God’s promises: Rev. Swanigan expresses belief in God’s promises and his ability to fulfill them [20:03].
• Hope in God’s power: The sermon emphasizes God’s omnipotence and ability to overcome any obstacle [24:53].
• Hope in God’s love: The speaker assures that nothing can separate believers from God’s love [25:31].
• Hope in God’s grace: 1 Corinthians 15:10 [26:16], “But by the grace of God I am what I am,” is used to highlight the transformative power of God’s grace and the hope it provides.

The sermon concludes by encouraging the congregation to hold onto hope, drawing strength from past generations’ resilience and grounding their hope in Jesus Christ [30:15].

Mental Health Benefits of Hope:

Research has shown that hope is linked to improvements in mental health and overall well-being. Here’s how:

Improves Cardiovascular Health: Studies suggest that people with higher levels of hope have lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of heart disease. Why is Hope Important – Still Mind Florida

Reduces Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: Hope therapy can lead to improvements in mental health and well-being, including reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. The power of hope and your mental health – The Dot Canada

Improves Coping Skills: People who have hope tend to have better coping skills and are more resilient in the face of difficult or challenging situations. The power of hope and your mental health – The Dot Canada

Increases Life Satisfaction: People with a hopeful outlook tend to have better mental and physical health and greater overall well-being. The power of hope and your mental health – The Dot Canada

Promotes Healing and Recovery: In the context of mental illness, hope is considered as a key element of recovery and treatment. The power of hope and your mental health – The Dot Canada

Reduces Stress and Improves Immune Function: Hope is linked to lower stress levels and improved immune function. Why is Hope Important – Still Mind Florida

Transcript

0:00we as we have come and laid our burdens down as we have come and given to you

0:06all the cares of this life we thank you that our Lord has heard our

0:13prayers because you’re a prayer answering God and somebody needs your healing

0:20power right now somebody needs your your the mind to be regulated and the

0:28mind to be renewed right now somebody needs an emotional lift right now in the

0:37name of Jesus lift them up lift him up the joy

0:43of the Lord is your strength god’s joy is your strength

0:51you are the joy and the strength of our lives father we thank

0:59you that no weapon formed against us shall prosper we thank you that greater

1:06is he who is in us than he who is in the world lord we thank

1:12you that we are more than conquerors through him that loved us

1:20thank you thank you thank you thank you

1:26thank you thank you thank you thank you Lord thank

1:34you thank [Music]

1:40you it is in the name of Jesus we pray amen

1:51[Music]

2:01[Music]

2:15let’s put Heat heat [Music]

3:00let the glory of the Lord rise among us let the glory of the

3:07Lord rise among us let the praises of our king rise among us let it

3:20rise let the glory of the Lord rise among us let the glory of the

3:28Lord rise among us let the praises of our

3:33king rise among us let it rise

3:59[Music]

4:05let the glory of the Lord rise among us let the glory of the

4:12Lord rise among us let the praises of the

4:17King rise among us let it

4:24rise let the glory of the Lord rise among us let the glory of the

4:32Lord rise among us let the praises of our king rise among us let it rise

4:54[Music]

5:12oh the glory of the Lord rise among us for the glory of the

5:19Lord rise among us for the

5:25praise among

5:32us the glory of the Lord rise among us

5:38the glory of the Lord rise among us to the praises of our

5:45king among

5:56us

6:01yeah heat

6:16[Music] the glory of the Lord rise among us and

6:24the glory of the Lord rise among us and the praises of

6:30our king among us

6:39the glory of the Lord among us the glory of the

6:46Lord among us among us

7:07[Music]

7:15where are you [Music]

7:36all right [Music]

7:43hallelujah

7:49let God arise let his enemies be scattered

7:57let God arise let his enemies be

8:04scattered let God arise let his enemies be

8:10scattered let God let God arise come on you can help me let God

8:20arise let his enemies be scattered let

8:25God arise let his enemies be scattered

8:31let God arise let his enemies be

8:36scattered let God let God arise i think

8:42they got it come on let go let God arise let his enemies be gall let God arise

8:53let his enemies be [Music]

9:04[Music]

9:13galling down [Music]

9:22[Music] let his

9:30[Music]

9:35be amen come on give our choir a

9:43hand these wonderful musicians God bless you thank you for your anointed gifts in

9:50music that uh usher us into God’s presence amen

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11:05question is is there better days ahead for America after the reelection of

11:10President Donald Trump if you ask me if you ask me I’ll

11:18tell you i have hope when trouble comes my way I have

11:25hope since Jesus has come to stay I have hope oh yes when things are not well

11:33with me I have hope it’s a beautiful hope that sets me free the poorest

11:41people in the world are the people who have no hope economists have several ways

11:51uh to measure poverty uh they use the gross national product they use net

11:57worth they use access to health care education level or the wage or the

12:03average wage uh housing statistics economists have several ways to measure

12:10and to test poverty uh but there are there’s another

12:15index that they seldom use and that is a lack of hope because the poorest people

12:22that we know are the people who have no hope in my 60 plus years on Tiara

12:30Firerma I have seen poverty i have been in poverty i’ve seen

12:37people stand in line hours for government cheese i’ve seen people live

12:43in vacant and dilapidated houses i’ve seen homeless people hungry people i’ve

12:49seen people drinking from unsanitary wells i’ve seen people eat out out of

12:54garbage cans i’ve I’ve seen poverty but the poorest people in the world are not

13:01people with no money the poorest people in the world are people with no

13:08hope you can make it without money but you can’t make it without hope

13:14uh you may not have a job but you have hope to get a job you may not have a car

13:20but you have hope to drive a car one day you may be sick but you can hope to be

13:26healed you may be single but you can hope to be married one

13:31day somebody amen you may be in an apartment but you

13:37can hope to own your own home you may be in school but you can hope to graduate

13:42you can make it in anything you want in this life as long as you have hope then

13:49think about the things that you do every day because you have hope you would set you wouldn’t set your

13:55alarm clock if you didn’t hope to get up you wouldn’t start your car if you

14:01didn’t hope to reach your destination you wouldn’t pay your utilities if you didn’t hope to live in

14:07your home you wouldn’t pay your mortgage if you didn’t hope one day to get the deed you wouldn’t get married if you

14:14didn’t hope it would work out you wouldn’t pay your life insurance premium if you didn’t hope one day somebody will

14:21file a claim uh you wouldn’t go to work if you didn’t hope to get a paycheck

14:27there are some things that we do every day because we have hope but not only

14:33are the poorest people in the world are the people with no hope but the people without hope also become

14:41depressed depression is a brain disorder or persistently depressed mood or loss

14:48of interest and activities that impairs our daily lives and and one of the

14:56causes of severe depression is no hope no hope

15:01people become depressed when they have no hope and people with no hope not only

15:08become depressed they also become d desperate that’s what desperate means

15:16without hope people feel constantly threatened they feel

15:21fearful because they have become desperate people with no hope become

15:27depressed desperate and they also become difficult some of the most difficult

15:34people to deal with in the world are people who have no hope and not only

15:40does people with no hope become depressed desperate difficult but they also become

15:46dangerous people with no hope ask themselves what do I have to

15:52lose people with no hope are depressed desperate difficult dangerous

15:5816 years ago our first African-American president in his inauguration speech

16:04challenged the nation with the audacity of hope the audacity of hope but what I see

16:14today I see a crumbling economy i see illegals being deported illegally i see

16:22a failing educational system i see a threat of uh terrorists wiping out retirement savings

16:29401ks uh I see today racism sexisms seniors left in nursing homes sex

16:36trafficking gun violence active shooters high crime homelessness among other

16:43things what I see is a spirit of hopelessness sweeping over in waves

16:50across this country but in spite of Donald Trump’s efforts

16:56hopelessness and pessimism is still sweeping across the

17:02country my brothers and sisters I got good news i got good news for you today

17:07and I got good news for those who are sitting in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in

17:15Washington DC relax relax it’s going to be all

17:21right beyond these dark clouds there is a silver

17:28lining i see hope beyond the heels well Reverend how do you know

17:35because I have hope that’s not a statement of of

17:40desperation it is a declaration that I know the power of

17:46hope the hope to turn chaos into calm hope to turn misery into merrynt tragedy

17:55into triumph and many of us instead of saying I have hope we say I hope

18:03so in 2026 election season is it going to work out i hope

18:11so will President Trump do better as a president this term i hope

18:17so is our church going to grow i hope so turn your hope souls into I have hope

18:26and get ready for God to do the impossible amen i have hope rev how do you how do

18:34how do you get hope i’m glad you asked first of all faith is

18:40beneath my hope hebrews 11:1 and now faith is the substance of things hoped

18:47for and the evidence of things not seen many believe that hope is less than

18:54faith but it takes faith to give you hope so if you don’t have faith you

19:00can’t have hope but if you’ve got hope you’ve got faith

19:07plus faith is underneath our hope i have faith in people

19:15don’t get me wrong some people are crazy some people are mean some people

19:21are low down some people are cold and callous but for the most part I have

19:27faith in people because most people want to do right even when they do wrong for

19:34the most part people are trying to do right even when they mess up

19:40then I have hope in principles i have hope in people and then I have hope in

19:45principles you reap what you sow that’s a principle all things work together for

19:51the good that That’s a principle pride goes before a fall that’s a principle

19:58god don’t like ugly that’s a principle i have faith in people i have

20:03faith i have hope in principles and then I have faith in the promises of God

20:09i believe God i believe God will do just what he says he will do i believe the

20:17Lord will make a way somehow i believe God cannot lie i believe God said what

20:26he will do and he’ll do just as he said i believe in the promises of God does

20:34anybody here believe in the promises of God today has God ever kept a promise

20:39for you has God ever come through for you has God ever opened doors for you

20:44has God ever made a way for you has God ever brought you up brought you over brought you out i have

20:52faith in the promises of God i have faith in people i have faith in

20:59principles i have faith in God’s promises because faith is underneath my

21:08hope and not only is faith underneath my hope but I have experience behind my

21:15hope i’m not just hoping to be hoping but the last time I had hope God

21:23made a way the last time my back was against the wall God made a way the last

21:30time I thought it was over the Lord made a way because I have

21:37experience behind my hope that’s why you can’t make me doubt him because I know

21:43too much about him some of us this morning may not know

21:49about him by experience you don’t you don’t just hope to hope but you have

21:55experience that have brought you where you are today and where you are going

22:01right now and now you can say that if it had not been for the Lord on my

22:06side where would I be that’s experience amen he may not come when you

22:11want him but he’s always on time that’s experience i once was young but now I’m

22:17old yet have I never seen the righteous forsaken nor deceived begging bread

22:22that’s experience he’ll prepare a table before you in the presence of your

22:27enemies that’s experience no weapon formed against you shall prosper that’s

22:34experience i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me that’s

22:41experience i I I know what the Lord has done for me

22:46i know he’s a way maker i know he’s a burden bearer i know he will fight my battles i I know he’ll put food on the

22:52table i know he’ll keep me clothes on my back i know he’s the same today

22:58yesterday and forever because behind my hope behind my

23:05hope I have experience i know what the Lord can do i

23:11know what the Lord can do anybody know what God can do anybody

23:17experienced it have you been healed has he set you free did he pick you up turn

23:23you around put your feet on solid ground you know you know you [Music]

23:30know experience behind my hope and God is

23:35above my hope romans 15:13 now the God of hope fill you with

23:43all joy and peace believing that that that you may abound in hope through the

23:50power of the Holy Ghost he is the God of

23:55hope and you can’t be his child if if you have no hope i I if you’re his child

24:02then you’ve got to be like your father if your father has hope then you have hope

24:08i I I don’t care who’s in the White House i believe the God of hope

24:14my God today I don’t care what Russia is doing i I don’t care what North Korea is

24:19doing yes we need deliverance for the Palestinians and Israel yes yes we need

24:26for that war and in with Russia to stop

24:31i don’t care what Iran does god’s got more power my mama I I don’t care what what

24:39arms agreement they sign i I don’t care what treaty the the UN resolution vote

24:46on god’s got more [Music] power and then then he he not only has

24:54more power he he’s got all power power over disease power over sickness

25:00power over death power over troubles power over family dilemas power over

25:07financial crisis power over your enemies your haters god’s got power to calm

25:13raging seas he’s got power to raise the dead he’s got power all power they

25:19crucified him he was buried but he rose with all power

25:25all power in his hand i have hope in God’s

25:30power and then I have hope in God’s love because nothing will separate me

25:37from his love even when I act up even when I mess up

25:43he still loves me even if if I fall down he he picks me up and he still loves me

25:50john said “He who loves not knows not God for God is

25:56love he He’s not a love he He’s not the

26:02love he is love the only love and I and I

26:08have hope in the love of God.” And most of us and most of all I have hope in the

26:15grace of God amen where would we be if it had not been for God’s

26:23grace paul tells the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15:10 “By the grace of God I

26:30am what I am.” Paul says that I was the least of the

26:35apostles and maybe you don’t know Paul’s story maybe maybe you don’t know his track record he was the one who stood

26:43around waiting to kill Christians he was a religious thug promoting violence

26:49against the church but one day the Lord met him on the road to Damascus and

26:55knocked him off his horse and he asked “Saul why do you persecute me?” And

27:03Jesus turned his life around and now Paul can declare “By the

27:08grace of God I am what I am the things I used to do I don’t do anymore the places

27:14I used to go I don’t go anymore the people I used to hang out with I don’t hang out with anymore amen i don’t know

27:20about you but I thank God that I’m a new creature in Christ Jesus old things have

27:27passed away and all things are new and many of us here can say like Paul by the

27:33grace of God I am what I am today I am a

27:39Christian i’m a father i’m a brother a pastor a minister i don’t know about you

27:45but the Lord picked me up turned me around he put my feet on solid ground i didn’t find him he found me and since

27:53Jesus came into my life floods of joy over my soul like sea billows roll since

27:59Jesus came into my heart Paul says “By the grace of God I am what I am.”

28:06So I’m so grateful for the grace of God because he looked beyond my faults and

28:13saw every one of my needs that’s that’s why I praise God because God’s grace is

28:18sufficient is there anybody here who know anything about God’s grace grace grace grace woke you up this morning

28:26grace started you on your way grace is keeping you right now it if it had not been for God’s

28:32grace I would have gone crazy see if it had not been for God’s grace I would

28:38have been dead sleeping in my grave but thank God thank God for his grace i have

28:44hope in God’s grace and that’s why we sing Amazing Grace how sweet the sound

28:51that save like me i once was lost but now I’m found was blind but now I’m see

28:58through many dangerous toils and snares I’ve already come grace have brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me

29:05home my God my brothers and sisters grace is going to cover you grace is

29:10keeping you grace is protecting you grace is going to rock you all night long grace is going to keep the enemy

29:18away grace is going to provide your every need grace is going to keep you healthy grace is going to keep you

29:23living i have hope because faith is beneath my hope

29:33experience behind my hope and God is above my hope i have hope that if we

29:43came through Harry S truman if we came through Dwight D i Eisenhower if we if

29:49we came through John F kennedy Lyndon B lyndon’s Baines Johnson if we came

29:55through Richard Tricky Dick Nixon some of y’all remember that if we

30:02came through Gerald Ford and and Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan and and George

30:07WH Bush and and Bill Clinton and and George W bush and Barack

30:14Obama Donald Trump Jo Joseph Biden and and here we go through Donald Trump

30:19again i have hope because my hope is built on nothing

30:29less than Jesus blood and righteousness i dare not trust i dare

30:37not trust the sweetest frame but holy lean on Jesus name oh

30:46Christ oh Christ oh Christ oh Christ the solid rock I

30:57stand all All of the ground is sinking sand

31:02father today thank you for the hope that we have

31:08in him we live in him we move in him we have our being i I’ve got hope

31:15my ancestors had hope in Buand my My

31:21ancestors had hope that behind every dark

31:26cloud they said “We’re going to make it children it’s going to be all right hold

31:32on to God’s unchanging hand and one day someday

31:39we’re going to make it we’re going to make it we’re going to make it.”

31:45Oh they shed blood on the streets they did they had sidians they they protest

31:53they gave their lives but there’s a better day

31:59coming i have hope i have hope in Jesus name amen let us stand let

32:09us stand in this service today [Music] perhaps

32:17perhaps there’s someone who wants to rededicate their life a

32:23wonderful change in my life has been

32:29wrong since Jesus came into my heart

32:36bloods of joy pour my soul like a sea

32:41below since Jesus since Jesus came into

32:47my heart since Jesus came into my heart

32:56you may be here today you want Jesus to come in your heart the door of the church is open

33:02the door of the church is open want to rededicate your life to Christ

33:10the door is open want to join the church looking for a church on the door of the

33:16church is open jesus came into my

33:23heart jesus came into my heart

33:30such joy oh my soul

33:36my since Jesus came into my heart

33:43[Music] praise the Lord let us give our musicians another hand pastor Hill God

33:51bless you to Minister Sher Jordan amen

33:59reverend Puit and Reverend Nola King is at the Allen Temple Church and uh

34:06Reverend Puit is working amen i want to thank you uh Minister Jordan and also

34:11Reverend Dr elena Zachary Rosson god bless you being with us my stewardish

34:18sisters uh Sister uh Cypes and Sister Ruby God bless you amen

34:26sister Cypes she she has a wonderful wonderful testimony from her trip to

34:33Africa and we look to hear her one day amen it’s a wonderful time and she

34:38shared some some precious moments uh with us at choir rehearsal yesterday

34:44amen glad to have you back Sister Cypes amen again to brother Charlie and Evelyn

34:49God bless you happy anniversary on tomorrow amen

34:56and and to our awesome ushers amen god bless you let us stand to our feet

35:01doxology and benediction praise God

35:08[Music]

35:24heat heat

35:30[Music]

35:43[Music]

35:54you have

36:01on praise Father

36:06Son [Music]

36:18and I i have hope my faith is grounded in my hope the grace

36:27of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the sweet communion of the Holy

36:33Spirit rest rule and abide with you henceforth now and

36:39forever and the church of God say with one

36:48voice

36:55[Music]

37:00[Music] Heat

37:10heat [Music]

37:25heat heat

37:31[Music]

37:44to the