New Hope Christian Chapel Podcast

What makes you...you? What defines you? Are you known for the kind of work you do? Are you admired for your skills or experience? Do you have a lot of national pride in your country of origin? Do you define yourself at your core by your race or ancestry? What is the source of your uniqueness and worth? Peter, who lived with Jesus, who walked on water with Him, who encountered Him after He rose from the dead, and who experienced being filled with His power in miraculous ways...Peter viewed his proximity and relationship to Jesus as having supplanted ALL of his previous forms of identity! He called Jesus his nationality, his occupation, his skillset, and even his racial identity! Imagine what it could look like for us to have Jesus take the place in our hearts and lives as the sole source of our existence and meaning? What might your life look like if you did?

In ancient Near East construction of temples, palaces, and cities, the use of a foundational "cornerstone" was not just functional, but sacred and symbolic. It consecrated the structure, it stabilized the structure, and it determined the level and plumb and direction of everything built upon it. As we build the culture of our households, are we stable, strong, and unified in purpose and meaning? What keeps our families strong? What determines and directs us in how to treat those around us? What defines and directs us in how to relate to God? Is there a single, solid, immovable cornerstone in our lives that we can measure everything off of? The prophets, the apostles, and Jesus Himself all point to Jesus as the ultimate cornerstone! Design and build your life upon Christ, the solid rock amidst the ever-shifting troubles of the world!

In a world filled with anxiety, hopelessness, despair and sadness, Jesus creates beautiful gardens of flourishing people filled with the love and hope and beauty of God! These gardens are like an oasis in the desert...places of life surrounded by death, as they offer beauty, purpose, rest, living water, and freedom to all who will accept Jesus' invitation to join Him there! What would it take for our Christian homes, churches, friendships, and neighborhood impact to flourish like beautiful gardens in the desert? Are you flourishing? Jesus offers life abundantly!

Whom did Jesus visit first after His resurrection? His first five appearances were to people who were grieving, fearful, doubting, skeptical and ashamed. If Jesus intentionally sought out and met those people in those emotional and spiritual places, then He can still meet with us when we find ourselves in those same places! Jesus meets everyone right where they're at...but He never leaves them there! Observe Jesus' encounters after His resurrection, and pray that He will meet you and those you know in the same way!

Is Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem a happy event or sad one? Is about the coronation of Jesus as King, or His grief-filled acceptance of His imminent crucifixion? Are the crowds joyful or hypocritical? Were the crowds there for Jesus the King, Jesus the miracle worker, or Jesus the Lord? Who is Jesus to you? Do you see Him as a teacher, a miracle worker, a ruler, a King...or Lord? Without the Lordship of Jesus, none of His other titles would mean anything! Take a few minutes to walk with Pastor Dave through the Palm Sunday account, and dig into the name of God which Jesus adopts as His own, and consider for yourself...who is Jesus to you? Is He the core of your very existence...because that IS His "name"!

What are the mechanics of holiness...how does it work...where does it come from...is it simply morality, or possibly something more? Take some time with Pastor Dave to explore and celebrate the other-worldly nature of divine holiness! May you pursue the holiness of your Father God in how you resemble and reflect Him to the world!

What would it look like for us to prepare to be used by God? How would we focus our thinking as we prepare for action? How would we "roll up our sleeves" to get our hands dirty with the practical efforts of loving those around us as ambassadors of Jesus Christ? Has God revealed to you the amazing things He's about to do in your world, and how He wants to use you to accomplish His purposes? Are you prepared?!

If you lived your entire life waiting for something to happen and it never did…couldn't that feel like a major disappointment? If you spent your entire life working toward some kind of goal and you never achieved it…couldn't that feel like you didn't fulfill your potential? If you spent your entire life praying for something and God never provided it…couldn't' that feel like He didn't come through...like your prayers didn't work? What if our success shouldn't be measured by the results in our lifetime…but rather by our participation in God's timeline? The truth is, we are not the beginning of our story! We are not the end of our story! Our story is not the Big Story! Our stories are all small parts of God's Eternal Story! One of the counter-cultural and counter-intuitive truths Jesus taught is that if we're willing to NOT make ourselves the center of our lives, then our lives actually WILL take on greater meaning and significance! Luke 9:24–25 "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits his soul?" Is your life one of significance, belonging, purpose and meaning? In Christ it can be!

Are you sure you really want faith? Even if it means living in the "almost" as you exercise faith waiting for answers to prayer? Even if it means trusting God in the most trying circumstances? Even if it means not being in control, but leaning solely on the Holy Spirit for peace, guidance and strength? Wouldn't we much rather have results than faith? Wouldn't we so often rather have quick answers to prayer than extended seasons needing to rely on faith? Faith can be scary and exhausting! But faith is what we all need! We are saved through faith, by grace, as a gift from God! Faith is indispensable! Do you have faith? Are you in faith right now? Do you have faith in your hope?

What is church? How would you define it? Is it a place to come on Sundays to sing and learn? Is it a religious organization? Is it a set of intellectual beliefs? Is it a place to get spiritually fed? Is it a place to volunteer and serve? New Hope is on a mission to search for the answer to that big question, "What is church?"! We base our approach on Acts 2:42-47, in a grass-roots, family-style, organic, experimental, Bible-based apprenticeship model of faith! If you are looking to explore what church is and how followers of Jesus can live it out in our world today, then take some time to listen to the leaders at New Hope as they share the vision and miracles that God has led them to in their search for a missional expression of His church!

If Christians are "saved", and "a new creation", and "born again"...then why do they still sin? Are they made new or are they still the same? And why do Christians so often just look like everyone else in the world instead of transformed, redeemed, reflections of Jesus? Are we saved? Are we being saved? Will we be saved? How? When? The Bible actually teaches that salvation through Jesus Christ has three tenses: we are saved in the past tense through Jesus' death on the cross; we are being saved in the present tense through the work of the Holy Spirit; we will be saved at Judgement Day and the Resurrection! So the question is, what happens to Christians in these three parts of their salvation? How are they different? What changes? What still needs to be waited for?  Walk with Pastor Dave through a tour of scripture showing how and when Christians are saved in all three tenses! And may these truths from God's Word help solidify your confidence in your own salvation, help make sense of your current daily struggles, and give you a living hope for all that is to come!

What is the overlap between psychiatry, therapy, mental health science, and faith? What role can spiritual health play in improving mental health? What advantage does emotional intelligence provide to a Christian growing in their faith? Take some time to listen in on a roundtable discussion between Pastor Dave and Michelle Stratton, and Kevin Berney a Christian licensed psychiatric nurse practitioner. From Kevin's experiences walking in the middle ground between science and faith, what has he seen that has produced the biggest impact and freedom and growth in those he's supported? From the faith perspective, what is there that can be learned from the mental health field that can expand the Christian understanding of being made in God's image with a body, a soul, and a spirit? May you find encouragement, solidarity, and hope in your faith and health through digging deeper into these universally experienced human growth needs! And may God provide you the stability and hope you seek!

Are you hopeful? Do you ever lose hope? Do you know what to say to others when they feel hopeless? Is hope sustainable in a life filled with struggle and tragedy? Is hope learnable? Jesus offers His followers a confident mindset, a healthy life-approach, and a problem engagement strategy all based in His Hope...and it is unbreakable, no matter the struggles or traumas we experience! What kind of hope could possibly carry us through the hardest times? Wouldn't this be the antidote to depression and anxiety that the world so desperately needs?! Walk with Pastor Dave through 1 Peter 1:3 to see what the Bible has to say about what hope is not, what it is, and where we can get it. Where is your hope? Is it secure?

When many think about God having a "chosen" people, it leads them to immediately ask, “Then does God just arbitrarily choose some people to go to Heaven and choose others to go to Hell?” The short answer is “No!”, God invites everyone to believe in Him and worship Him! But this is a complex and challenging concept, and if we are completely honest, it can often scare us, or confuse us, cause us to doubt the Bible or our faith, or even for some to become angry at God. But it shouldn't! What if God's electing and choosing of His people is actually one of the most loving, invitational, and motivational truths in all of our faith?! Walk with Pastor Dave through his own personal investigation of this topic and the scriptures and thoughts that have brought him to see the concept of election as one of the most beautiful and encouraging beliefs in Christianity!

Can you think back to any times where you felt like an outsider? Are there any times in your life now where you feel like an outsider? Where do you belong? Who do you belong with? Who do you belong to? The Bible regularly refers to the followers of Jesus, the people of God as exiles, foreigners, sojourners, outsiders, citizens of another country, travelers, strangers, and resident aliens. Is this how you identify yourself as a Christian? Do you feel like you don't belong in this world, that you don't fit in, like you are an outsider? We might not belong in this world, but the people of God should have a greater sense of belonging than anyone else on earth! We belong to an omnipresent God and to His people who are everywhere around the world! We are part of the family of God! We are part of the nation of God! We are a people, a race, a holy priesthood!  So, while we may not fit in with the values or customs of this world, we are a part of a far better world, based on the awe-inspiring love and power and presence of God! We belong...no matter where we are! We belong to Him...together!

What if God isn't as interested in how much you can do for Him, as He is in whether you will give Him all that you have? What if Jesus doesn't care as much about your capacity as He does your wholeness? What if a life of faith is more about being made whole by God rather than being productive for Him? In this New Year's message (and Baptism!) video, Pastor Dave walks through Luke 10:27 and invites us to consider what it would look like for us to have "whole hearts", "whole souls", "whole strength", and "whole minds" in 2025. What if our New Year's resolutions this year were more about us being whole than being productive?

Take a few minutes with Sean Brennan as he enjoys the opportunity to preach his first sermon and share with our church family a scripture passage that has meant a lot to him in his walk with Jesus and which beautifully points us all to wonderful heart of the gospel....knowing Jesus!

Too often we can end up being observers in life and faith instead of participants! Did you know that one of the four core values of the earliest Christians was participation in one another's lives? What would it look like if instead of standing by and appreciating the life of Jesus we entered into and participated in His life?! Our salvation, our generosity, our sense of belonging and purpose all hinge on whether we are living our own temporary lives, or living for something much bigger than ourselves...the eternal life of Jesus Christ!

What if instead of people trying to manifest their perfect future life, they instead manifested THE perfect life of Jesus to see what kind of future He would produce?!

What does it take to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?! Are you the greatest? Do you know someone who is the greatest in God's Kingdom? Is being great something we do, or something that Jesus does for us, or a combination of both? Do we need to do specific things or obey specific laws from God in order to be called "great"? How can we live great lives all for the glory of God?! Don't relax...pursue the holiness of God through Christ!

Every Christian is an evangelist! Maybe not in title or leadership role, but certainly in purpose! Christians are meant to publish "good news" to the world! Would the world largely look at Christians and think of them as good news bringers? And what is "the news" that is so good?! The Bible alternately defines the gospel (which means "good news") as "the good news of God", "the good news of peace", "the good news of happiness and help", "the good news of Jesus, the Son of God", the good news of grace", "the good news of Jesus' resurrection", "the good news of life and immortality", and more! How would you define it? And how are you publishing it?!

If the United States has a President, Vice-President, Senators, Judges, etc. as its governmental positions, what would the equivalent be for the Kingdom of God? What are the roles and positions that God invites His people into as Jesus builds God's Kingdom here on earth? And are you serving in an office of God's Kingdom right now? Are you contributing your gifts and abilities toward the Kingdom work? How do all the gifts and roles in the Kingdom of God relate and coordinate as Jesus reaches out to the whole world with God's saving love?!

What did Jesus mean when He said we must "become like a little child" or we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven? What does it take to become a child, spiritually? Are you?

Join Pastor Dave and Pastor Shirley as they share their experiences and understanding of prayer and its vital importance to the Christian life in the Kingdom of God.

What does it mean to be a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven while living within the country of the United States of America? How does one live as a member of an eternal Kingdom within a temporary country? How does one apply the values and beliefs of their Kingdom citizenship to their voting and civic responsibilities in their country? And what happens when different Kingdom citizens differ in their application of their Kingdom values within their worldly country? Is there a path of unity that can be found in the overlap of Christianity and politics? Does the Bible give any specific advice for how the followers of Jesus Christ are called to engage politically with the countries they happen to live within? How can Christians seek God's Kingdom first in these complicated areas?

What is a priest? How does the Bible define the role? What does a priest do? Can anyone be a priest? Are the Old Covenant Jewish priests different from what priesthood looks like after Jesus? Are you a priest? What if every Christian engaged with the world as priests of Jesus Christ, what would that look like for the Kingdom of God?!

How well do you listen? And how is listening related to loving? Could we quantify how much we love God, love others, and love ourselves by how well we listen? How are listening skills actually spiritual skills?

Consider your own answer to this question: "What is the relationship between waiting and faith?" Can there be one without the other? Does one come before the other? Are they the same thing? Do they overlap? Do we learn one from the other? Are they positives or negatives? How about from a Christian perspective? Can we truly have faith if we already have everything we want? Doesn't faith require waiting? Would we need faith if there weren't any unknowns or unanswered issues in our lives? Are we perhaps too eager at times to "be done" with a problem that we miss the fact that we are living in faith because of it? Do we want faith or do we want resolutions so that we don't have to live in the scary unknown of faith?

When you need to initiate a difficult conversation, how do you when the right time will be? And what is the right way to say things? And how do you handle any frustration or anger you might feel? And what if the person you talk with remains fixed in their thoughts and opinions? Is there any advice that God gives in the Bible about how to approach, handle, and successfully navigate these challenging conversations? The answer is, "Yes!" Walk with Pastor Dave through this second of a two-part sermon to see what the Bible says about our attitude, approach, heart, bravery, faith and hope that these sorts of conversations can work out for the good of all involved and in a way that brings God glory! There is hope for the hard conversations! Let God equip you with the tools needed!

Why is it so hard to have difficult conversations? Why are we so afraid that they will go badly? Why DO some of them go badly? Is there any advice that God gives on how to effectively and positively confront or question someone? The thoughts, feedback, insights, and loving critique of fellow Christians is actually one of our greatest resources for growth and learning and maturity...IF we do it it God's way! Walk with Pastor Dave through 7 pieces of advice that God gives on how we can help each other think and rethink the way He does!

If there is just a single key, a single word, a single concept that allows entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven...then how do we go about getting that key? How is it made or acquired? Are there different keys for different people? Are there lots of different keys that will provide entrance into heaven? Jesus, John the Baptist, the disciples and writers of the New Testament, and the authors and prophets of the Old Testament are all unanimous in their answer to those questions! The only way to enter the Kingdom of Heaven both in its expression here on earth an for eternity is to "repent", or to "rethink" our lives and actions and beliefs and adjust them into alignment with God's thoughts and will! Are you rethinking the way everyone around you is living? Are you rethinking the things that truly make you happy? Are you rethinking/repenting and coming into alignment with God's thoughts?! Consider with Pastor Dave how that "rethinking" comes about as he looks into God's Word for advice and instruction on how we can acquire our own key to the Kingdom of Heaven!

If you had to pick one word that answered the question, "How do you get into the kingdom of heaven", which word comes to mind? Jesus chose a very specific word, and it is the same one John the Baptist used, and the same one the disciples used, as well as the one found in the Old Covenant Jewish scriptures. It was: Repent. But here's the catch...the Greek word repent means more accurately "to rethink" or "change thought" or "after thought". So does repenting possibly mean more than just feeling bad about our failings? Does it perhaps invite us instead to think the way God does, and love what He loves? Maybe repenting is really about growing to love God's thoughts and kingdom more than anything else?! Please consider rethinking what it means to repent, what it means to believe, what it means to be saved, and what it means to enter the Kingdom of God!

If you had to pick three words to describe Christian culture which would you choose? If those outside of Christianity picked three words to describe it, which words do you think would be picked? What IS the true culture of God's people supposed to be, and how can it be a loving and influential force in the world?!

Listen to the many stories and impact that the Serve Home 2024 summer volunteers have to share from this year's week of community outreach and service! To God be the glory!

What would it look like it if Jesus' parable of the mustard seed growing into the largest tree in the field came true for you and your life? And what exactly is the mustard tree supposed to represent? Why does Jesus love to speak in parables when He seemingly could just explain things more clearly? What is God saying to you through that parable today?!

Is heaven only in heaven? Can the kingdom of heaven exist here on earth right now? Are we building a kingdom of light in the darkness? Join Pastor Dave for a look at the concept of "the footstool of God" as a descriptor for God's manifested presence and worship! May His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is on heaven!

What does it mean to be part of God's Kingdom? What do Kingdom people look like...how do they think and act? Walk with David Carreno through one of Jesus' clearest descriptions of the people of God's Kingdom in the Beatitudes.

How does baptism relate to our identity? Are you a new creation...is the "old you" gone and the "new you" alive in Christ?! Do you struggle with identity conflict, not knowing whether you are the same or different, stuck in the past or living a new present and future? Where does the power come from in baptism that leads us into a new life?! Celebrate our sister Rachel's baptism and let Pastor Dave walk us through the life-changing nature of our new identities in Christ!

Since none of our fathers are perfect, being like our fathers can be good news, bad news, or so often a mixture of both. But it is ALWAYS good news to hear that we are like our Father in heaven!  How well do you know your heavenly Father? Which of His traits do you embody since you are made in His image? Have you recognized moments where you're growing up and seeing His nature coming out in you? If He has not adopted you into His family, who is your spiritual father, and do you see his traits coming out? Take some time with Pastor Dave to explore the incredible nature and character of our heavenly Father, and consider what it would look like for you to be His child and embody His nature in the world today!

Are you "in" Christ? What exactly does that mean? How does one enter "into" Christ? Is it the same as believing in Him? Where is your identity based?

"Who are you?" How would you answer that question? Would your answer change over time? Would you answer with your career or relationships or hobbies or personality? What if those things changed...would you still be YOU? In a world that makes identity seem like selecting products off a shelf, the Bible offers the stability and relief of telling us that we are Created by God Himself, and He has already done the design work to create who YOU are! We don't need to be overwhelmed by the countless options of who we want to be in the moment...we can enjoy a lifetime of discovering the design that our Creator has given us! And then enjoy the experience of becoming who He's made us to be!

We are better together! For Christians, we are meant to live in community, with the Word of Christ dwelling in our midst! Take some time with David Carreno to explore the beauty and power of Colossians 3:16, and may the Word of Christ be what your life revolves around!

How do we establish a Christian household culture? Is it through education or imitation? Is it by isolation or collaboration? Is it through comprehensive skills or prioritized purpose? In this Mothers' Day Sunday, take some time with Pastor Dave to think about the powerful impact mothers, parents, and families can have in establishing Christ's kingdom within the sphere of influence of their households!

If prayer is really such a powerful encounter with God, then why do we so often get bored with prayer, forget to pray, or quit on prayer? Take a few minutes to look into the Bible's advice on how to invigorate your prayer life with determination, gratitude, empowerment and preparation!

Just as we wake up every day and put on clothes, God invites us to rise daily and put on His attitudes and character! What are YOU wearing? How do you present yourself to the world? Do your actions reflect or undermine your soul's transformation? In what areas do you need Jesus to help fit you with His holiness?

YOU (the real you inside) are not your thoughts, your feelings, or your physical body. You are a precious, eternal soul that God has created, loved, and longs to redeem! Therefore, if we are not our bodies...we are NOT our sins either! We commit sins. And at times Sin even controls us! But our sins are not US. We are deeper than them, need to be set free from them, and need to cast and kill them off with God's help and grace! Consider with Pastor Dave what the apostle Paul taught in his letters to Corinth and Rome about the difference between the sins that we cast off, and the ones we need to kill off! And may our pursuit of holiness be the most beautiful gift and display of love that present to our heavenly Father!

What happens after we receive the good news of Jesus? Are we done? Do we just go back to regular life as usual? As we look back at celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, where do we find ourselves now? Where do we go from there?

Who is running your life? Are your feelings running the show? Are your thoughts controlling you? Are the desires of your body making decisions for you? You are NOT your feelings...they happen TO you! You are NOT your thoughts...You HAVE thoughts, but they are not YOU! You are NOT your body...it merely contains YOU! The real YOU inside (your soul), is so much deeper than those things! Jesus knew this better than anyone, which is why He was so confident in permitting His crucifixion, because He knew when His body was gone, He would remain. His soul was secure. Is yours? If you are looking for freedom from the feelings, thoughts, and impulses that are running your life, take some time with Pastor Dave in this Easter Sunday message to reflect on how the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ can set us free, both for this life and for eternity!

Who was Palm Sunday for? Was it for the crowds? Was it for Jesus? Was it for the disciples? Was it for Rome or the nation of Israel? Whose triumph was "the triumphal entry"? Take a few minutes to reflect with Pastor Dave on the intensely authentic expression of faith that we see in Jesus' disciples as they proudly displayed their love and proclaimed their personal experiences with their King, Jesus of Nazareth! Consider whether there are some "Palm Sunday Principles" you can learn from how they "went public" with their faith as you try to live out your faith in the eyes of those around you!

What is your biggest goal in life right now? Is that goal shaping the choices you make? Is it getting you somewhere you want to be? Is it worth it? Take some time to consider the story of a man that Jesus met whose biggest priority in life was getting rich...no matter the cost. And consider what happens when Jesus changes the intention of our hearts to align with His!!

When you pray, do you hear God answer? Are your prayers more about talking to God or talking with Him? Is there any helpful advice on how to listen to God or recognize His voice? Take a few minutes to join a conversation with Sally Clark and Pastor Dave Stratton as they share some of their experiences with listening prayer and explore what advice and encouragement the Bible has to offer for all those who are pursuing the voice of God!