Our Hope, Our Home

On June 28, 2026, pastor David Goforth of Grace Baptist Church, West Columbia, SC, opened his patriotic service with these words:

Every believer in this room shares a citizenship that transcends every border, every language, and every nation on earth. Before we are Americans, we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. Before we belong to any earthly nation, we belong to Jesus Christ. And one day, every flag will be folded away, every government will pass from the scene, and every kingdom of this world will give way to the eternal reign of our King.

Yet until that day comes, God has placed each of us somewhere. He determined the times and boundaries of our dwelling places.

• And in His providence, He has placed us here.
• For many of us, that means the United States of America.

This morning is not about celebrating America as though she were flawless.

She is not.

Like every nation in human history, ours bears the marks of both God’s common grace and humanity’s sin.

• Our history contains courage and sacrifice, but also failures and injustices.
• Our present moment displays both remarkable blessings and serious concerns.

The church need not ignore either reality.

Instead, we come today to thank God — not for a perfect nation — but for His undeserved kindness within an imperfect one.

• We thank Him for freedoms that have allowed the gospel to be preached openly.
• We thank Him for opportunities to worship without fear.
• We thank Him for the countless believers who have served Christ faithfully in this land and have passed the faith to future generations.

Most importantly, we remember that our greatest freedom was not secured by a constitution, a military, or a government.

• It was secured by a Savior.
• The freedom we cherish most was purchased not on a battlefield, but at a cross.
• Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have been set free from sin, death, and condemnation.
• Every other freedom we enjoy is temporary.

That freedom is eternal.

And because Christ has given us that greater freedom, we should be thankful for every lesser blessing He has entrusted to us. The Apostle Paul understood this tension well. His ultimate allegiance belonged to Christ. Yet he still carried deep love for his own people.

• He prayed for them.
• He grieved for them.
• He longed for their flourishing.
• His love for his kinsmen did not compete with his devotion to Christ — it flowed from it.

In the same way, Christians can love their country without confusing it with the Kingdom of God.

• We can be grateful without being boastful.
• We can be patriotic without being nationalistic.
• We can acknowledge blessings without forgetting that every good gift comes from above.

So today, our purpose is not to glorify America. Our purpose is to glorify God. And as we glorify Him, we thank Him for His mercy toward our nation.

• We pray for our leaders.
• We pray for our communities.
• We pray for repentance where there is sin.
• We pray for justice where there is wrong.
• We pray for revival where hearts have grown cold.

And we ask that God would use His church to shine the light of Christ in this nation for generations to come.

For our hope is not in America.

Our hope is not in politics.

Our hope is not in national greatness.

Our hope is in Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

And because our hope is secure in Him, we are free to thank God for the nation He has given us, show our gratitude to the individuals who strive to protect it and serve it while worshiping only the God who gave it.

Image created with Adobe Express.