Never Beyond Hope

Do you ever find it hard to hope? Many of us feel weighed down by our own failures, a sense of inferiority, guilt from the past, or emotionally exhausting circumstances. Yet when hope seems beyond us, the Bible offers encouragement from stories of those who have gone before.

In this six-session LifeGuide® Bible Study, J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom explore how God works through imperfect characters such as Jonah, Martha, and Peter. God loves, redeems, and restores misfits, outsiders, and failures. And he can do the same for you. Through the goodness of the God of hope, you can discover the blessing of hope as a way of life.

For over three decades, LifeGuide Bible Studies have provided solid biblical content and raised thought-provoking questions—offering a one-of-a-kind Bible study experience for individuals and groups. This series has more than 145 titles on Old and New Testament books, character studies, and topical studies.



J. I. Packer (1926–2020) is regarded as one of the most well-known theologians and influential evangelicals of our time. In addition to his numerous other books, Packer wrote Knowing God, which has sold more than one million copies in North America alone. Packer's prolific work has impacted countless pastors, thought leaders, theologians, and authors.



Carolyn Nystrom has written more than eighty books, Bible study guides, and children's titles. She coauthored Praying with theologian J. I. Packer and Is the Reformation Over with scholar Mark Noll. She is also the author of the LifeGuide Bible Studies 1 & 2 Peter and Jude, Money and Work, Friendship, Listening to God and more.

Getting the Most Out of Never Beyond Hope


1. Jacob: Hope for the Unhappy
Genesis 32


2. Manoah's Wife: Hope for the Ignored
Judges 13


3. Jonah: Hope for the Angry
Jonah 1; 2:1, 10; 3; 4:1-2, 5-11


4. Martha: Hope for the Overworked
Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-44; 12:1-3


5. Thomas: Hope for the Hard to Convince
John 20:19-31


6. Simon Peter: Hope After Doing Something Terrible
John 21; 1 Peter 5:8-11


Leader's Notes