Podcasts about pastor vicki

Daily Dose of Hope October 2, 2025   Scripture – John 2:1-12   Prayer:  Amazing Father and Lord, Thank you for who you are.  Thank you for how you care for us.  We get distracted.  We veer away from you and your Word.  For that, we are so very sorry.  Forgive us, Lord.  Help us to abide in you.  Help us to remain close so that we can be fruitful and effective for your Kingdom.  Help us get outside ourselves and see others as you see them.  And help us trust.  Lord, we belong to you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope!  This is the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin a deep dive into John 2.   We meet Jesus at a wedding celebration.  Weddings are usually wonderful celebrations. And they are so different and unique. Some of you probably had huge, elaborate affairs, while others had small backyard barbeque weddings and most of us were somewhere in between. My wedding was very nice but not excessive in any way. I was the first of my friends to get married so I had nothing to compare it to, I didn't have any idea what was expected, and I think that was probably a gift.   Weddings in first century Palestine were very different from American weddings of today. In fact, they would last about a week. It was the responsibility of the groom to provide food and care for the guests for that week. In an honor-shamed based culture, which we find in this part of the world, that was a big deal. In this case, the groom runs out of wine three days in. This would have meant that the family was not prepared, it been a source of shame and embarrassment for them. Some of you might be thinking that after three days of drinking, they probably needed to be cut off. But this actually would have been very serious. I read that guests could actually have sued the family for their lack of care in this case.   This wedding must have been a relative or someone close to the family, as Jesus, his mother, and the disciples were there. And Jesus' mother is obviously pretty concerned about the wine issue. She knows that the family's reputation, their honor, is on the line. She cares for this family. So she goes to Jesus and she's like, ummm...there is no more wine. Hint hint. You wonder how she knew he could do something about it. What was it about his growing up years that she knew he could handle it? And his answer is, “Dear Woman, my time has not yet come.” Some translations simply say, “Woman.” He isn't being disrespectful but he is being kind of firm. My time has not yet come. I love this passage because there are so many layers of meaning. His time had not yet come.   And yet, Jesus takes matters into his own hands.  He tells the servants to fill the jars with water.  These would have been really large jars for storing clean water.  Some pictures I've seen have the jars almost waste high.  And then, after the jars were filled, some of the liquid from the jars was taken to the master of ceremonies.  The Scripture says this, He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”   Jesus does not make mediocre wine.  When Jesus is involved, it's a miracle of abundance and excellence.  Jesus made the best wine of the night.  And the servants, who knew exactly what happened, their lives were changed forever.  They had witnessed Jesus do something extraordinary.    This got me thinking.  How often do we settle for mediocre wine?  I'm not talking about wine here.  How often do we ask Jesus to take care of something and then we step in and kind of take over.  What would happen if we totally trusted Jesus to just take care of it all?  We may just end up with the best wine of the night.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope September 30 and October 1, 2025   Scripture – John 1:19-51   Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth. Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we continue our deep dive into John 1.    Today's reading begins with John the Baptist, although the Gospel of John does not use the term Baptist to describe him.  Earlier in the chapter, John had been called a witness to the light.  So, the Jewish leaders sent people to ask John who he is, specifically is he the Messiah?  Is he Elijah?  Is he the prophet?  Their frustration is evident.  They want answers.    John will not be labeled.  Instead, he describes himself using the words of Isaiah.  He is the “voice of one crying out in the wilderness.”  John's call is to repent and be baptized.  His message wouldn't be popular but it was necessary.  In other Gospels, John makes it clear that he isn't the Messiah but he is preparing the way for the Messiah.  This does not thrill the Jewish leaders.  They want more concrete information.  Why is he baptizing?  John says that he uses water to baptize but one is coming that will be much greater than he who will do more.   As John continues to baptize, he begins to testify about Jesus.  When he first sees Jesus, he calls him the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  As we move through the book of John, we will see how the author begins to make connections between Jesus and the Passover lamb.  John the testifier describes Jesus as one who outranks him.  He then describes Jesus' baptism, with the Spirit descending on him like a dove and a voice (presumably the Father) declaring that the man on whom the dove descends will baptize with the Holy Spirit.  John then testifies that Jesus is God's chosen one.   Let's talk about that title, “God's chosen one.”  Other translations use the title, “Son of God.”  Clearly, John is making a statement that Jesus is the Messiah.  He is the one they have been waiting for to save God's people.  He is the one who God has sent, uniquely selected by God to fulfill a divine purpose.  Jesus is God himself, sent to fulfill prophecy, to usher in God's Kingdom, and to redeem all of creation.    The remainder of this first chapter is Jesus calling his disciples.  Andrew and John were the first two disciples Jesus called and they were originally disciples of John the Baptist.  When they hear John the Baptist declare that Jesus is the Lamb of God, they acted immediately and boldly followed Jesus without any kind of hesitation.    It's as they begin to follow Jesus (literally follow him) that Jesus asks them a simple question, “What do you want?”  They answer with a question of their own, “Where are you staying?” And Jesus then invites them to “Come and see...”  They end up spending the day with Jesus.    Jesus invites all of us to “come and see...” where he is staying and what he is doing.  Keep in mind that Jesus is always up to something, he is always at work among us.    He also invites Philip and Nathaniel to come and see and they choose to do so as well.  It takes a bit of convincing for Nathaniel who is convinced that nothing good could come from Nazareth.  But he sees Jesus' power and he too decides to follow.   I think sometimes we make an invitation to follow Jesus a little too difficult.  What would it look like for us to simply invite people to “come and see” what Jesus is up to.  A decision to follow Jesus may just start with curiosity.  That's okay.  Invite the people around you to come and see and Jesus will do the rest.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki          

Daily Dose of Hope September 29, 2025   Scripture - John 1:1-18   Prayer:  Holy God, We come before you in this new week with humility and gratefulness.  We praise your powerful name.  Thank you, so much, Lord, that you came to earth to dwell among us and show us a different way of being.  Help us to pay attention to your example.  Help us to be more loving and more merciful in all we do.  Help us to be even but a small reflection of you.  You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Thank you, Jesus.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  This is the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  Today, we are starting our final Gospel, John.  And John is different from the other three Gospels, we will see that as we work our way through it.  It's also a beautiful Gospel.  It goes deep.  Be prepared for life change as we engage with the book of John.    This first chapter is John's Christmas story.  It's quite different from the other Gospels.  In fact, the Gospel of John doesn't have any of the Christmas characters we know and love so well–no Joseph or Mary, no shepherds or angels, no manger and animals, no wise men traveling from the east. John didn't need to rehash those details of the incarnation. Afterall, the other Gospels had already been written and did a great job telling the story of baby Jesus. John chose to go about it differently, focusing less on how Jesus came and more on why Jesus came, and how the whole idea of the incarnation was so incredible, so mind-blowing, so amazingly significant for all people for all time. For in Jesus, God announced to the world that “I'm with you!” and that has made all the difference.   We find John's Christmas story in two verses in this chapter: John 1:1,In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.   What does this mean? Both the Jewish and Greek listeners would have been familiar with the term “Word,” which was Logos in Greek. -Jews were in the habit of substituting the Word of God for God himself in their concept of wisdom/reason---wisdom/reason is one of the meanings for LOGOS. -Greeks thought of Logos as the ruling principle of life and the universe. -Gnostics–believed the Spirit was imprisoned in the physical body and the secret to get it out was gnosis, knowledge, logos. (They didn't believe Jesus possessed a true, physical body.)   So when John writes that the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, he means that the Word, LOGOS, is Jesus Christ. Please know that this was a mind-blowing claim. Jesus wasn't just a little baby who was born under unusual circumstances when Caesar Augustus was governor of Syria. He wasn't just a wise man who told amazing stories and fed a lot of people. No, Jesus (the Word) was present at the very beginning of time, Jesus (the Word) was with God, and Jesus (the Word) was God himself. To the Jews, John says the Word of God (GOD) is Jesus. To the Greeks, John says the ruling principle of life/universe is Jesus. To the Gnostics, John says the secret knowledge that leads to freedom is Jesus who had a true, physical body and dwelt among us. Jesus was not some mental concept, some intangible thought life; No, Jesus, God himself, became flesh and made his dwelling among us.   Let's unpack this a bit more because it's pretty amazing.  Let's start with the Word dwelt among us. A more accurate translation of the term “dwell” actually is “tabernacle” or “pitched his tent.” When a Jewish listener heard this, they would immediately think of the tabernacle in the Exodus. The tabernacle was where God met with his people before the temple was built---it housed the ark of the covenant and it represented God's presence/God's dwelling among his people. Now, John is saying, God has chosen to dwell among his people in an even more personal way, in the Word became flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ. In Jesus, God chose to dwell among his people.   What was the benefit of God dwelling among the people? Think about this. You can kind of know someone, but when you dwell with someone, when you live with someone, then you really get to know them. If you've ever had a roommate, you know this well. You might be friends and know about one another but when you dwell together, when you live with one another, then you know all the stuff–the good and the bad. It's the same when you get married and live together. You know if they put their dishes in the dishwasher, you know if they leave trash around, you know the thoughtful things they do, you know the annoying things they do .You don't just kind of know them. You truly know them.   When God came to earth to dwell among us in the person of Jesus, it was so humans could truly understand who God was, truly know God. God is Jesus and Jesus is God. So the character of Jesus was the character of God. The teachings of Jesus were the teachings of God. The miracles of Jesus were the miracles of God. When Jesus voluntarily gave his life on a cross for the sins of all humanity, it was a demonstration of God's amazing, expansive love for us. When Jesus was resurrected three days later, it was a demonstration of how God conquered death once and for all, meaning that we could have new life now and eternal life in the future. God dwelling among us in Jesus meant that God was not some distance, far off, hard to understand deity.  No, the WORD was with us, hanging out in the living room, sitting at the kitchen table with us, and we could get to know him in a very personal, very intimate way. I love to think about Jesus walking with the disciples, dining with the tax collectors and prostitutes, spending a few days resting in the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. He dwelled with the people in a very intimate way.   So the WORD made his dwelling among us. But some of you might be like---but that was so long ago. We personally did not walk with Jesus and talk with Jesus. He didn't literally dwell with Us personally. I would argue that Jesus does in fact walk among us and speak to us today. Afterall, we serve a living God and God's presence is everywhere. There is no place that we can go where God's presence is not. God's presence is here through the presence of the Holy Spirit.   And we can also still dwell with the Word in another way – through the Bible. Just as the Word came to dwell among us, we can dwell in the Word. The Bible is the Word of God. We meet Jesus, Logos, God on the pages of Scripture. As we dwell in Scripture, we enter into the life of God and God enters into our lives.   The Bible is not simply for information but for transformation. The purpose of Scripture is for us to get to know and love God more fully and be drawn more deeply into the life of faith so we can be changed from the inside out. It is not a textbook---we don't simply study it to acquire information and show people how smart we are. This is God's story from Genesis to Revelation. We learn about God's character. We learn about how God has been present throughout history. We learn about God's mission and plan of redemption for all people for all time. We learn about Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection. We learn about the Kingdom of God and how Jesus demonstrated this new way of doing life, the way God always intended his world to be. We learn about the early church and the coming of the Holy Spirit. We learn about how God's mission continues through the church, through us, not in our own power but as God works through us.   And while God revealed himself in Scripture through a specific people group, the miracle of God's Word is that it transcends time and place. When we dwell in the Word, God continues to reveal himself to us in new ways, we get to know God better, we begin to be transformed little by little. As we dwell in God's Word, the WORD, Jesus, becomes more real to us.  How has the Bible become more real to you as we have worked our way through Mark, Matthew, and Luke?    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

The Power of Hope pt. 2 | Pastor Vicki Shearin by Word of Life LV

Daily Dose of Hope September 26, 2025   Scripture - Luke 24:36-53   Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We are so amazingly grateful for your grace and love.  Forgive us for the many times when we fall short, when we betray you, when we fail to be loving or faithful.  We want to grow stronger, Lord, but we can only do so through your power.  Lord, help us hear your voice.  In the next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers... In Jesus' Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  This is the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  Today, we are finishing up our deep dive into the book of Luke.  We are focusing on the second half of Luke 24.   The men from the road to Emmaus had found the other disciples and shared their experience.  It's beginning to sink in that something extraordinary has occurred.  And just like that, as the disciples are gathered, Jesus appears before them and says, “Peace be with you.”    A couple things to note.  We know immediately that Jesus' body is different.  He has both a human and spiritual body.  He came into the room without using a door (that isn't normal), but he also later asks for food.  The risen Lord has a body that is different from before.  Jesus also shows them his scars.  They could touch the places the nails were driven into his body.  It showed, once again, that this was really him.  He was real – he wasn't a ghost or angel.  He is physically resurrected and yet, something is also supernatural about him.   His very first statement to them is also fascinating.  Peace be with you.  They have experienced anything BUT peace over the last few days.  They've dealt with grief, depression, anxiety, uncertainty, and probably even anger.  But now, Jesus is saying that he is bringing peace.  There is something about the presence of Jesus that brings peace. In fact, Jesus is intrinsically linked to peace, which he provides not in a worldly way but as an internal state of peace with God and tranquility amid life's problems, a gift secured by his sacrifice and available to those who have faith in Him.  He is the one that provides the peace that passes understanding, it's a peace that only makes sense connected to him.   In a manner similar to what he did with the men on the road to Emmaus, Jesus then proceeds to walk them through the Scriptures.  He shows where this had been prophesied and how God had a plan all along.  Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law.  Jesus was the one that the prophets had been talking about.  Jesus was the one that God sent.  And while he had done this in other ways during his ministry, he now totally had their attention.  Their minds were opened and they began to see.   I once had a Messianic Jewish rabbi tell me that he can share the Gospel message just using Old Testament texts.  He says there is so much in the Old Testament that points to Jesus, he feels confident using those scriptures alone to provide evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and the Lord of all.  That is essentially what Jesus is doing here.   How comfortable are you with the Old Testament texts?  I would challenge you to look up the many places throughout the Old Testament that speak to Jesus coming to redeem the world.  It is essential that we know the Old Testament to truly understand the New Testament.   We finally have the ascension.  Jesus tells them to wait for the helper that is going to be sent (which we know is the Holy Spirit) and his body literally ascends into heaven.  And we know that he now sits at the right hand of the Father.  He is Lord.    What does it mean to you that Jesus is now sitting next to the Father?  How does this affect your understanding of the Trinity?  How does this affect your understanding of Jesus' work in the world?    Who is Jesus to you?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope September 25, 2025   Scripture – Luke 24:1-35   Prayer:  Today we pray an ancient prayer from St Ambrose of Milan, who lived from 337-397 AD...O Lord, who has mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of Your Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore You, a heart to delight in You, to follow and to enjoy You, for Christ's sake.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin a deep dive into Luke 24.    We start with Luke's resurrection account. And today, we find ourselves walking with the women: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and others.  These are real women who traveled with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem, they cared for his needs, learned from him, witnessed his power and glory, and loved him.  This has been a horrible week for them.  They helplessly watched him die.  And now, filled with grief, they want to anoint his body for burial.  They need to do this.  I should mention that Jesus was crucified on a Friday.  His body was hastily put in a tomb just before the Sabbath began (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown).  So they have to wait to prepare his body for burial.  Saturday night, it would have been too dark to take care of the body so we are meeting them probably very early on a Sunday morning.  They are ready.  They have brought their spices, they plan to attend to the body properly.  In the Jewish culture, a proper burial demonstrated honor for the deceased and for these women, it was an act of love and respect.    But when they get there, the most unexpected thing happens.  The stone has been rolled away from the tomb and the tomb is empty.  Jesus' body is simply not there.  This doesn't make sense to them.  And it was while they were wondering about where the body is, totally confused and perplexed, that two men in dazzling clothes (clothes that gleam like lightening), we can assume they are angels, they stand by the women.  And the women put their faces down, they were probably scared out of their minds.  And the men say, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”    Such a bizarre question.  Why do you look for the living among the dead?  They are at a tomb, which is typically where dead bodies, not living bodies, are kept.  And they fully expected Jesus' dead body to be there.  Afterall, they saw Jesus die.  They were the last to leave the cross.  They saw his limp, lifeless body placed in the tomb.  What do you mean?  Why do you look for the living among the dead?  But the sparkling men continue…he is not here, he is risen.  Remember how he told you these things?  Way back when you were in Galilee, he told you this was going to happen?    It was then that they remembered his words.  Multiple times, Jesus had said told them but it didn't make sense at the time.  Whether they simply weren't paying enough attention or they didn't want to know the truth, they didn't understand. Luke 9:22, And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”   Now, it's all coming together.  They do remember! Maybe they don't completely understand but they know that something totally unexpected, something totally amazing has happened, and they can't wait to tell the others.  So they burst into the room where the male disciples are hiding and out it comes.  They spill their guts.  They tell them about their morning.  You can picture it.  They are probably talking really fast and they might have been talking over one another and kind of out of breath.  They are excited.  They are so excited!    And the guys, well, let's just say aren't impressed.  They don't believe the women, saying their words were nonsense.  Other translations say the men tell the women they were spreading an idle tale, that what they were reporting was fake news.  It wasn't what they were expecting so it must not have been true.  Wow.    The narrative ends with Peter getting up and running to the tomb.  He also finds it empty, with the strips of burial cloth that would have been wrapped around Jesus' body just lying there on the ground.  And he walks off, wondering what really happened.    And then the narrative shifts to a different scene. Two of Jesus' disciples, not the twelve but two other male disciples, one named Cleophus and the other left unnamed, were walking from Jerusalem to their home in Emmaus.  There are some walks that are longer than others — not because of the miles or even because of the landscape, but because of the burdens. This was a 7 mile walk but it might as well been a 27 mile walk because these men are distressed.  They are grieving.  They have been following Jesus.  They believed him to be the Messiah and Savior and they have just seen him killed, murdered on a Roman cross.  So, they are walking slowly and speaking intensely.  The Greek suggests they may have been having some kind of theological argument.  Bottom line:  they are tired, weary, sad, and confused.  They don't understand what they have just witnessed.  And now they have to go back home and continue with their lives.  You can kind of imagine the kinds of questions they had.  Why did this happen?  How did God allow this to happen?  I can relate to their distress.  Every one of us, at some point, will have to take a walk to Emmaus. Some of you have been down this road already or you are walking it right now! In this world we will have trouble. And it will hit close to home. There will be times when all hope seems lost, and our world seems to be crumbling around us.  Maybe it's a walk out of an office where you have given years of your life but you are now being let go.  Maybe it's a walk out of the doctor's office after your spouse has just been given a terminal diagnosis.  Maybe it's the walk out of the attorney's office after the divorce papers have been finalized.  These are painful walks, in which we question God.  God, how could you let this happen?  God, I thought you were powerful and real.  What in the world is going on here?  In some way, all of us have experienced a walk like that.  Now, Jesus interrupts their argument, but they don't know it's Jesus at this point.  They are kept from knowing him.  He is a stranger to them.  I love this.  Because Jesus shows up to them JUST as he shows up to us.  We don't always recognize his presence either.  I don't know about you, but I've had times in my life that were so difficult, so painful, so anxiety-provoking, that I am so consumed with those feelings and then I look back and realize later, that Jesus was there with me.  His presence was real.  It was protecting me, guarding me, guiding me.  Jesus has a way of showing up when we need him most.  We just don't always recognize it.  Here's the thing.  Jesus could have said, “Hey guys, its me.  I'm here.  I've fixed everything.  Look, I'm alive!”  But he doesn't do that.  Instead, he says, “Don't YOU understand?”  And he begins to explain, starting at the very beginning of Scripture and walks them through the prophecies, walks them through how God said he would send a Savior who would have to suffer and die.  Hope and faith must have begun to stir their hearts as he spoke. They must have never heard, really heard, the gospel like this before—a gospel that included the suffering of the Messiah before entering his glory—told by the resurrected Lord himself!  Now, keep in mind, their circumstances have not changed but their perspective is beginning to change.  Faith is budding. They invite Jesus (still a stranger to them) to come stay with them.  It's late and they insist that he come and dine with them.  It was at the table, when they were breaking bread together that they recognize him.  Just as he did on Thursday night in the Upper Room --- it's when he takes the bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and offers it to them.  Their eyes are opened and they know – this is our Jesus.  Are our eyes open to Jesus when we break bread together?  Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope September 24, 2025   Scripture – Luke 23   Prayer:  Lord Jesus, We come before you this morning, thanking you for a new day.  Lord, you are good and we rejoice in your holy and powerful name.  As we begin our day, Lord, help us focus on you.  Help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on your Word and what you want us to learn today.  We get so distracted and self-consumed.  Forgive us for that, Lord.  In these next few moments of silence, help us have laser focus on your voice... In Your Powerful Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are deep diving into Luke 23.    Today, we start with Jesus before Pilate and Herod.  Both Roman men believe that Jesus  is innocent.  Pilate actually tries to get the people to release Jesus, but the crowd is stirred up.  They want blood.  Jesus' innocence is not the point to them.  They are looking for a way to get rid of this trouble-maker.  And these men are not willing to stand up for what's right.    There was a man named Simon from Cyrene who was passing by and they forced him to carry the cross.  Cyrene was on the tip of Africa so this man was far from home!  And here he was, just going about his business, and he is enlisted, or more like seized, to carry the cross of the Savior of the world.  I'm guessing that Jesus' physical body was incredibly weak and bloody by this point.  And Simon walked by him, carrying the cross that would serve to execute Jesus but also save all humanity from their sin. We don't know what happened to Simon after the crucifixion.  He isn't mentioned again in Scripture.  But my guess is that his life was never the same again.  An encounter with Jesus is always life-changing.   The text in which Jesus dies on the cross is called the Good Friday scripture.  It may seem odd that we would call the day that Jesus was crucified and died “good.” Apparently, the term came into common use in the 1200s because for us, it was a truly good day, as Jesus became the final sacrifice for all sin for all people for all time. As the full expression of God's love for us, Jesus voluntarily gave his life so that we could be reconciled to holy God. It is very much good.   There is a lot to be said about the crucifixion but I wanted to highlight something in particular.  Right before Jesus breathed his last breath on the cross, the curtain in the Temple was torn down the middle. This is the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (the Holiest of Holies) where the ark of the covenant was kept and the presence of God remained. When the curtain tore, it was a sign that the New Covenant was instituted. Because of Jesus' sacrifice (the final sacrifice for sin), those who believe in him can now go directly to the throne of God's grace. When holy God looks at us, he doesn't see our sinfulness but the blood of Christ. Thus, there are no more barriers that can separate us from God.   I'd like to close today with a prayer that is an adaptation of Hebrews 10:19-25: Thank you, Lord, that we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Lord, help us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Amen.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope September 23, 2025   Scripture – Luke 22:39-71   Prayer:  Holy God, We come before you this morning in awe of your blessings and love.  Thank you, Lord, for the ways you continue to guide our lives.  Lord, we want more intimacy with you.  We are desperate to know you better.  In these next few moments of silence, Jesus, please speak to us.  We need to hear your voice...  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  As most of you know, we are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are finishing up Luke 22.    Yesterday, we joined Jesus in the Upper Room with this disciples.  Today, we find them praying together on the Mount of Olives.  The only problem is that the disciples cannot stay awake.  Jesus is pouring out his heart to the Father, asking that the cup be taken from him, and the disciples (in their humanness) can't keep their eyes open.  Luke says that they were exhausted from sorrow.  They don't know what is about to happen but they do know that it's going to be bad.    I love how Luke mentions that an angel comes down to strengthen Jesus.  Remember, he freely chooses to go to the cross but he knows it's going to be terrible.  In his humanity, he dreads it.  But God knows what he needs and provides it.  Just in case you don't know, God knows what you need and will provide it.  That doesn't mean he will save you from pain and sorrow.  I mean, Jesus is about to be executed on a Roman cross.  But God will walk with us and give us the strength we need. Jesus is then arrested.  Luke tells us that Jesus is approached by the chief priests, officers of the Temple guard, and the elders.  They come at him with swords and clubs.  Verses 49-51 read, “When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.  But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man's ear and healed him.  Even in this situation, Jesus responds with love.  Jesus kept his disciples from fighting back with violence.  He trusted God to the end.  He also made it clear that his kingdom doesn't follow the pattern of this world.  This world's pattern is violence, power, and control.  Jesus' way is love, truth, justice, mercy, and peace. I did want to spend a little time on Peter's denial of Jesus. I don't know why but I've always been fascinated by this passage. Peter was Jesus' closest friend. He swore that if all the others fell away, he would not. And yet, he did. What made Peter deny Jesus? Probably fear. Fear does all kinds of things to us as human beings. Maybe he was scared of being arrested himself, or of being ostracized by the Jewish leaders, we don't really know.  But whatever the reason, he vehemently denies Jesus three times.  When Peter realizes this, he has tremendous remorse and begins to cry.   Maybe I'm fascinated by this text because I have so often found myself in the same boat.  I have denied Jesus.  I haven't spoke up when I knew I should have, I haven't stood firm on certain issues, I haven't loved others the way Jesus calls me to, I haven't put Jesus first, I could go on and on.  I have denied Jesus.  I hope that I've gotten to the place in my spiritual walk in which I deny Jesus less.  But I know that I am far from perfect and there are still those times.  When I realize my denial, like Peter, I cry and I'm filled with sorrow and I have to go back to Jesus and repent.  And just like he did for Peter, I'm forgiven and restored.    Think about your own life. How have you denied Jesus? What has been your reaction when you realize this?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope September 22, 2025   Scripture - Luke 22:1-38   Prayer: Holy God, We come before you this morning in awe of your blessings and love.  Thank you, Lord, for the ways you continue to guide our lives.  Lord, we are desperate to know you better.  In these next few moments of silence, Jesus, please speak to us.  We need to hear your voice...  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Happy Monday!  This is the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.    Today, we start Luke 22.  First, we encounter Judas.  Satan has entered him and he goes to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus.  This is a scary and intriguing Scripture.  From what I've read, this is the only place where Satan himself enters a person. All other evil possessions involve demons. This was a crucial time in salvation history. Satan would not delegate this task to anyone else. So important was this time that Satan himself “entered Judas.”    But how could this happen?  While Satan is the one who initiated entering Judas, this only occurred because Judas allowed it to occur.  He opened the door to his heart.  We don't have any evidence that Judas tried to resist.  We don't have any indication that Judas prayed to God for help, dug into Scripture, or did anything to prevent this from happening.  In fact, we do get the impression that Judas' heart had become hard.  We don't know anything about his inner thought life or prayer life, but we can surmise that things had gone south here.  None of this happened quickly.  Gradually, Judas allowed himself to fall prey to evil.    We then come to the time in which the disciples will share the Passover meal with Jesus.  When I read this text, it reminds me of the Palm Sunday Scripture in which Jesus had planned everything out.  Here, it is the same thing.  He tells the disciples that when they enter the city, there will be a man carrying a jay of water, follow that man.  And that all happened.  The man showed them an upstairs room that was furnished and that was the place they were to prepare for the Passover.  Jesus had taken care of all the details.    And then we have the Passover meal.  But this wasn't a Passover meal like the disciples had experienced before.  Jesus took something that was so familiar and transformed it.  He knew what was going to happen.  He knew that he would soon suffer and die.  And he uses this sacred meal to do a new thing.  (God is always doing a new thing.) The bread and wine become his body and blood.  They represent a new covenant and a new meal.  Of course, this is what we celebrate as a body of Christ when we come together for Holy Communion, also called the Lord's Supper or the Eucharist.   One thing that's particularly interesting to me is that Jesus knew that Judas would betray him.  Does he make him leave the table?  Does he force him to leave the Upper Room?  No, not at all.  He allows him to stay.  He is still welcomed at the table.    Another interesting element in Luke's account is the dispute over which disciple is greatest.  Can you imagine just having this holy moment with Jesus and then arguing over who among you in greatest?  It seems absurd and yet, these disciples were human and they really didn't understand the kind of Kingdom being ushered in by Jesus.  But Jesus stops them and tells them quite bluntly to be careful what you wish for.  In Jesus' Kingdom, to lead is to serve.  The greatest becomes the least.    We then have Jesus predicting Peter's denial and we have this confusing discourse about swords.  Jesus tells them to go buy a sword.  Several disciples present him with two swords and he yells, “Enough!”  Okay, I'm lost – how about you?   Some pastors have used this passage as evidence that Jesus is saying we are to defend ourselves.  But that doesn't seem right.  Two swords would not be enough for eleven disciples.  Plus, the Sermon on the Mount does not seem to allow for any kind of violence.  Most scholars say that this command to buy a sword means to be ready for hardship and self-sacrifice.  It points to being ready for persecution, not ready for revenge.  The term sword needs to interpreted figuratively.   What are your thoughts?   More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki          

Daily Dose of Hope September 19, 2025   Scripture - Luke 21   Prayer: Holy God, We rejoice and give praise for the ways you care for us.  We rejoice and give praise for how you continue to forgive us and give us second and third chances.  Help us seek lives characterized by your holiness.  Help us seek pure hearts.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, hear our prayers and help us bring together all our scattered thoughts and focus on you...It's in your name we pray, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan from New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are deep diving into Luke 21.    Jesus' time on earth is coming to a conclusion.  We are getting very close to Passion week.  And we can see Jesus' language and discussion getting more pressing.  There is an urgency to what he has to say.    At the end of chapter 20, Jesus speaks of how the Pharisees and scribes (and really the whole religious system) are devouring widows' houses. They require much of the poor but they give little to help them.  This leads into the beginning of chapter 21, in which Jesus points out the sacrificial offering of the widow.  He speaks of how so many of the people who are part of the religious system give gifts out of their wealth; but the widow gives all she has despite her desperate poverty.  He recognizes her faithful obedience and holds her up as an example.  Just FYI, this probably really angered the Pharisees.   We go from the Temple offering to the prophecy of the destruction of the Temple and the end times.  One of the disciples comments on the grandeur of the Temple.  Jesus then tells them that the whole Temple will eventually be destroyed.  Every stone will be turned.    Keep in mind that for the Jews, this is where God's presence resided.  This is a holy place.  But the Pharisees and the current system have allowed the Temple to be corrupted.  They have disobeyed God's ways.  And Jesus predicts that it will be destroyed.    What we know is that the Temple was destroyed by Rome just 37 years later.  This would be an ugly season in Jerusalem's history, with lots of persecution and oppression.  Is this what Jesus is referring to in nation rising against nation, famines, earthquakes, and so forth?  Scholars don't all agree but I think it's safe to say yes and no.  Yes, the Roman armies destroying Jerusalem in AD 70 was pretty horrific.  Much of the population was starved and/or eventually massacred.   But there is more to this.  This is more than just a “in the near future” scenario. It's also likely that Jesus is referring to the end of times and when he will return to judge all people.  If you recall, in the Matthew version of this text, we actually have images of Jesus returning on the clouds with the loud trumpet call; this echoes prophecy in Daniel.    And up until this point, Jesus has alluded to this.  He never tells people to be scared or worried, just to be ready and be watchful.  As believers, we have nothing to fear.  We belong to Jesus.  Just be ready.  But there is still an urgency to this – how seriously do we take this?  Are we busy doing God's business, which includes leading people to Jesus?  Is sharing the story of Jesus a regular part of who we are as believers?  If not, why?  Do you believe that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead?  These are serious questions that every single one of us has to reckon with.    One other thing to mention: At this point, the disciples still don't understand that God's presence now dwells in the person of Jesus Christ.  From their perspective, the Temple still holds the presence of God.  But the Good News of Jesus is that God's presence is no longer in a building but in Jesus.  God is Jesus and Jesus is God.   If that isn't enough to blow your mind, consider that the presence of God is now also in the person of the Holy Spirit.  Where does the Holy Spirit dwell?  Well, in us as believers!  So that means that the presence of God is in Jesus' church, his people.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

The Power of Hope | Pastor Vicki Shearin by Word of Life LV

Daily Dose of Hope September 18, 2025   Scripture –  Luke 20:20-47   Prayer: Amazing Father and Lord, Thank you for who you are.  Thank you for how you care for us.  We get distracted.  We veer away from you and your Word.  For that, we are so very sorry.  Forgive us, Lord.  Help us to abide in you.  Help us to remain close so that we can be fruitful and effective for your Kingdom.  Help us get outside ourselves and see others as you see them.  Lord, we belong to you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/podcast that goes along with the daily Bible reading at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently deep diving into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish Luke 20.   In this chapter, we get a pretty clear picture of how hard the Pharisees are trying to catch Jesus saying or doing something punishable by Jewish law. They keep trying to trick him; they have no idea with whom they are dealing!   No one enjoys paying taxes, and in first century Palestine, this was a particularly sticky topic. The Jewish leaders are trying to trap Jesus so they ask him if it is lawful to pay taxes, meaning according to God's law. If Jesus says it isn't lawful, then he could get in trouble with the Romans. The Jewish authorities are hoping he will be in trouble no matter which way he answers.   But Jesus is not deceived. He asks for a coin, which had Emperor Tiberius' image stamped on it, and asked who was on it. When they said Caesar, he told them to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what it God's. It left no room for argument and his enemies are literally stunned silent.   Jesus is making the point that we are citizens of both earth and heaven at the same time. While we have allegiance to both our nation and God, there is no question that our first and primary loyalty is to God. Jesus is Lord over all the earth, over our nation, over the church, and over our lives. Think of Paul's words in Philippians 3, But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.   After the coin incident, there are some Sadducees who want to grill him on the concept of the resurrection of the dead.  By addressing Levirate marriage, they also are trying to trap Jesus in his words.  The Sadducees, the intellectual aristocracy of the day, did not believe in resurrection.  They were pressing Jesus on the topic, hoping to make him look foolish.  If you will recall from Mark and Matthew, levirate law was intended to protect widows without a male heir.  When a brother died, leaving his wife without children, a surviving brother marries the widow with the sole intention of producing an heir.  If a son is conceived, he is actually considered to be the deceased brother's child.  In ancient near-East culture, a widow without any connection to a male would either starve or be forced to beg or prostitute herself.    Thus, the Sadducees question makes a little more sense even though it is a bit absurd.  A woman's husband dies and she marries a brother.  That brother dies and she marries another brother and so forth until she has been married to all seven brothers.  Then she dies.  Whose wife will she be at the resurrection?  Keep in mind, they ask this question knowing that they think the resurrection is false.    Jesus basically tells them they are missing the point. In the resurrection, our bodies will be different – perfect and glorious.  There will also be a change in our spiritual nature.  Jesus is saying that in regard to marriage and sexual matters, we will be like the angels (note that he did not say we will be angels but we will be like them.)    But the Sadducees were mistaken so significantly not because of this absurd question but because they didn't believe in the resurrection.  This is a fundamental aspect of Jesus' teaching and they missed it entirely.    Rather than allowing the Pharisees to continue trying to trap him, Jesus decides to ask a  hard question of them.  He asks the group, “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?”  They immediately respond, “The son of David.”  How then, Jesus asked, could David call him by the Spirit ‘Lord' when he said, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”' (Psalm 110:1). “If David”, Jesus said, “Calls him ‘Lord,' how can he be his son?” The Pharisees were unable to answer and “from that day on no one dared to question him any longer”. Jesus' point was missed.  Of course, Jesus had descended from David. He was the Son of God.  He was the Messiah, the one the Jews had been waiting for, for hundreds of years.  He was right before their eyes and they were missing it.  How often is Jesus right before our eyes and we totally miss it? More tomorrow. Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope September 17, 2025   Scripture - Luke 20:1-19   Prayer:  Heavenly Father, Provider, Sustainer, Thank you for being the God who creates, cares, loves, and saves.  All we have is from you.  As we talk about today's text, give us a fresh revelation; help us see your Word in a new way. Lord, thank you most of all for Jesus.  Thank you for his sacrifice.  Thank you for showing us a different way of doing life.  Help us actually live the way you taught us.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin a deep dive into Luke 20.   We start today's text with the Pharisees asking Jesus by what authority he speaks and teaches.  Keep in mind, this was right after Jesus cleanses the Temple and the Pharisees are a bit annoyed.  In Jewish culture, authority was based on lineage and education.  Jesus' authority was divine and so these earthly leaders are feeling incredibly threatened.  They are more concerned with losing their own power and authority than anything else at this point, or so it seems.    I do love how Jesus so often answers a question with a question, as he does in this text.  He asks the men where the authority of John of Baptist came from.  They were in a bind and knew that whatever they answered, it would get them into trouble.  So, because they said they didn't know, Jesus told them he had no need to say from where his authority came from either.   We move from there to the parable of the tenants.  This is a hard parable with violence involved in every aspect of it.  A landowner, presumably a man of means, builds a vineyard and gets it set up with all the right equipment.  He has tenants plant the vines and run the farm for him, while he lives in another place.  When the harvest comes, the absent landowner sends a slave to collect his portion of the harvest or profits.  The slave is beaten up pretty badly by the tenant farmers and limps away.   You would think the landowner might do something different next time but he doesn't.  He sends another slave.  Actually, he sends a lot of different slaves to collect on his behalf.  Some are badly beaten while others are actually killed.  We get the impression this happens over many growing seasons.    The landowner decides he has one option left, his beloved son.  He feels assured that the tenants won't hurt him.  Did the son feel the same way?  Not sure.  But things don't go so well.  The tenants know this is the heir and they kill him too, throwing his body out to the wild animals.   The question that Jesus asks is what will the landowner do?  The answer is that he will come there himself, kill the tenants, and give the land to others (or possibly get new tenants.)  What in the world is meant by all of this?  There are several possible things to think about here and none of them are pleasant.   First, throughout the Bible, the concept of the vineyard is associated with the people of Israel.  With that as a backdrop, could it be that God is the stubborn landowner, the slaves are prophets, and the son is Jesus?  That would make the tenant farmers the corrupt religious leaders.    Second, there are aspects to the parable that the first-century hearers would get that aren't necessarily evident to us.  It wasn't that unusual for the wealthy to obtain the land of those who were poor, possibly because of outstanding debts or because the impoverished are forced to sell land to feed their families.  Life was hard.    It also wasn't that unusual for landlords to live elsewhere and demand a large percentage of the harvest from those who are performing the labor.  The reaction of the parable will be different for different people, depending on where they fall on the social ladder in Israel.  There are those who will identify with the slaves.  There are those who will see the landowner as uncaring and reckless and possibly identify with the plight of the tenants.  There are those who will identify with the landowner and his son.  Every single reaction is unsettling.   One thing I do want to mention is that people have used this parable over the years in an antisemitic way, stating that it was the Jews who killed the son and it is the Jews who should then be killed by the landowner.  Jesus is not speaking of ethnicity or religion here, he is speaking about faithfulness.  The big issue in the parable is not the identity of the players but rather the failure of the tenants to respond faithfully to their obligations.  It's no secret that Christians over the centuries have also treated the cornerstone with disrespect, irreverence, and indignation, while Jews can (and many have) responded faithfully to God's revelation.   What do you make of this parable?  Why do you think Jesus told it?  What are your takeaways?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope September 16, 2025   Scripture – Luke 19:28-48   Prayer: Lord, We need you. Our world is unstable and unjust. It is a place where innocent people die and power and control take precedent over mercy and compassion.  While we know that sin and brokenness are everywhere, it is still hard to take it in.  We don't know which way to turn.  So, we need you.  We need your peace, your justice, and your wisdom.  Help us be the people you have called us to be, even when it's hard.  Fill us with your courage to speak truth and grace.  More of you and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish up Luke 19.   We start with Jesus entering Jerusalem as King; this is what we call the Palm Sunday passage.  We are so used to this narrative that sometimes we don't see the strangeness of it.  This is an odd scene.  Jesus sends two of his disciples to go on ahead to the village and find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden.  If someone asks why you are taking it, then just say the Lord needs it.  What this says to us is that Jesus has taken care of every single detail.  We don't know how he has done it, but Jesus is God and he has made sure everything is right.    So, they get the colt.  They put their cloaks on the colt and Jesus rides on it.  Others spread their cloaks on the road.  As he makes his way down the Mount of Olives, a crowd of his disciples gather and begin praising God.  Now, this isn't just the twelve disciples.  This is probably a fairly large group of believers that have seen his power, the people who have heard his teaching, watched his miracles.  And they shout out, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”   A couple things to note here: ·      All of this is very intentional.  This is not a coincidence.  This is a very intentional show of power.  Jesus is being given a royal welcoming.  First, he is riding on a colt.  In the Old Testament, new kings would come riding in on the mule or donkey of the the previous king.  We see in 1 Kings 1 that David puts his son Solomon on his own mule, a trumpet is sounded, and the people rejoice and shout, then the priest and the prophet Nathan anoint him as king of Israel.  The mule is like the presidential limo, a sign of power and prestige that says that this is the new leader. ·      What's interesting here is that Jesus is not riding on the previous king's mule or donkey.  He is riding on a colt that has never been ridden.  Scripture makes a point of telling us this.  Why?  Because God is doing a new thing, Jesus is a different kind of king. ·      Then, there is this whole issue of the cloaks being thrown down on the path for Jesus to pass.  The people are running ahead and shouting his praises.  This is the kind of welcome that a royal official of the Roman government would receive.  Think of it like the red carpet being rolled out.  This is the sign that a very important leader, the new king, has arrived.  All of this has meaning.   And for the Jews in the crowd, and most of them would have been Jewish, they would have known that this was a fulfillment of prophecy.  Zechariah 9:9, Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. All of this is pointing to the fact that Jesus is the king.   This large group of disciples were praising God joyfully and shouting, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord…” What might not be apparent to us is that when they shout this – Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord, Peace in heaven and glory on highest” they are expressing that this is the Messiah, this is the anointed one, the one they had been waiting for that God had sent to save them.  These words echo Psalm 118:22-26, The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. 25 Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success!26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.   Surely, this is the long-expected Messiah, this is the one that God sent to sit on the throne of David, just as he promised some 600 years before.  You see, its all coming together for them.  And thus, there is much joy and celebration for God has sent King Jesus to save us.    But what happens next is worth noting.  The Pharisees tell Jesus to make his disciples stop.  Stop the praising.  Stop the quoting of Scripture.  In fact, what they say is, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”  Seriously, make them stop.  Why was it that the Pharisees wanted the people to stop praising Jesus?  What was behind this rebuke?    Could it be that they know exactly what's going on?  They know that Jesus is declaring himself to be the long-awaited Messiah.  Maybe they are scared, maybe they are angry, we really don't know.  What we know is that they want it to stop quickly.  And Jesus refuses this request.  He says, “...if they keep quiet, then the rocks themselves will cry out.”  Creation itself will cry out and proclaim that Jesus is Lord.  Think about that.    And this narrative ends with Jesus crying over Jerusalem, this city that he loves but he knows will reject him.    I want to focus briefly on the crowd.  What kinds of people were part of this group of disciples, praising Jesus and hailing him as King?    I would imagine that some of them were those who saw his miracles.  They were those people who had life-changing encounters with him.  People like Zacchaeus, Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus (who Jesus raised from the dead), the Roman centurion whose slave was healed, Mary Magdalene, the bleeding woman who Jesus healed…people who experienced the expansive love and miraculous healing power of Jesus.  They received grace in ways they never knew possible.  I'm guessing they were in the crowd, cheering loudly and throwing their cloaks on the ground.  They know Jesus as Lord and King.   But who else?  What about those who so badly wanted a king to overthrow the Romans?  Everything about Jesus screamed revolutionary.  Wasn't the long-expected King going to return the Jews to their rightful place?  Wasn't he going to put an end to this oppression and take care of these stupid Romans for good?  Yes, there were probably some of those in the crowd.   So, let's get this clear:  There were those who wanted something from Jesus, there were those who liked the idea of Jesus, and there were those who truly worshiped Jesus.  What group would you fall into?  Before you quickly make a decision, really think about this.  What kind of king is Jesus to you?  What are your expectations of Jesus?    So often in the Christian life, we give lip service to Jesus being King of Kings and Lord of Lords but we don't really live like it.  What kind of king is Jesus to you?  What are your expectations for King Jesus and what happens when they aren't met?  How often have we expected Jesus to ensure us that nothing bad will happen?  If only we believe and are faithful, maybe my loved ones won't get sick, my job will be protected, my marriage will be secure, you get the idea.  How often have we wanted to lean on Jesus as counselor, as self-help guru, as protector, as doctor, but we aren't really that keen on making him Lord of our Lives.   You see, Jesus as Lord means turning everything over to him.  It means giving him our desires, our relationships, our resources, our thoughts, our time, everything, and saying --- Jesus, your will be done, not mine.  Lately, I've been really wrestling with this whole concept of seeking God's will, not my own.  I've found that my prayers too often are a list of what I want to see happen and I'm not really, truly asking Jesus for his will to be done.  I'm working on this.  Because if Jesus is my King, then it's his will I desire.  It's his solution to the problem.  It's his desire for this church, for my children, for my marriage, for my future.  How often do we want Jesus to be provider, sustainer, protector, and friend BUT not Lord?  What kind of king is Jesus to you?   I don't want to end this devotional without talking, at least a bit, about Jesus in the Temple.  According to Luke's Gospel, he enters Jerusalem as King and goes directly to the Temple.  Things are a mess there.  To put it mildly, there was much unholy commerce in the Court of the Gentiles. There were many merchants selling animals for sacrifice and there were money changers present for foreign Jews to exchange their money to the local currency for the temple tax.    So why was Jesus so upset?  Wasn't this all part of the sacrificial system?  This was the one area of the temple designated for Gentiles (the nations) to pray. They weren't allowed in any other area of the temple. And the Jewish people had taken over the entire area for trade and profit. Lots of money was being made here.  Jesus is beyond angry.  The religious leaders have an interesting reaction to this.  They are scared.  I'm thinking that they know they are in the wrong but they don't want to submit to this Jesus character.  Thus, they begin to plot how to kill him.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope September 15, 2025   Scripture - Luke 19:1-27   Prayer (from St. Augustine): Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, That my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, That my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, That I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, To defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, That I always may be holy.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin a deep dive into Luke 19.   At the beginning of the chapter, we meet Zacchaeus.  Zacchaeus' encounter with Jesus is worth a fair amount of reflection. Zacchaeus was a tax collector. The Roman government hired local Jews to actually go around collecting the taxes for them. One article I read said that they didn't receive a salary per se but instead collected significantly more in taxes than was owed so they could keep that money for themselves and evidence suggests they took a lot for themselves. Thus, tax collectors tended to be wealthy and they were hated by their fellow Jews. The Jews thought of them as selling their services to a foreign oppressor at the expense of their own people. The rabbinical writings refer to these tax collectors as "robbers" and the Gospels call them "sinners." They were the scum of the Jewish community. And Zacchaeus was one of them.   Zacchaeus wasn't just a run of the mill tax collector but a chief tax collector. You typically don't get to be chief of something unless you have worked at it for a while and climbed your way to the top so I'm thinking Zacchaeus had probably been living a dishonest life for years, extorting and deceiving others for his own financial gain. He wasn't a newbie at this.   Zacchaeus lived in the town of Jericho, which was Jesus' last stop on his journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. It's interesting...people must have heard that Jesus was coming through. Zacchaeus must have heard it because he is determined to see him. I'm curious what it was that made Zacchaeus want to see Jesus so badly-curiosity or conviction-but Scripture says that the crowd that had gathered was quite large and he couldn't see over all the people because he was short. But he was persistent, so he ran ahead to a place where he knew that Jesus would walk by, he climbs a tree, and he waits.   As Jesus walks by, he notices Zacchaeus and he calls him by name. He knows him. (I hope each of you know that Jesus knows your name too!) When Jesus calls to him, he tells Zacchaeus to climb down from the tree, for he had plans to go to his home. We might not recognize the significance of this, but to go to someone's home, to dine with them, demonstrated connection and belonging. To break bread with someone was a big deal.   It was pretty much a given that the Pharisees didn't like this. He was hanging out with "those" people again. But Jesus goes to Zacchaeus' home and possibly while they are dining together, something happens within Zacchaeus. Maybe it started when Zacchaeus heard Jesus was coming through Jericho-something within him stirred for a different way of doing life. Maybe it started when Jesus really knew him and saw him up in that tree. Maybe it was when Jesus offered him the gift of acceptance by offering to dine with him. Maybe it was in their dinner conversation (I wonder what they talked about over their meal)...but we know that because of his encounter with Jesus, something changes within Zacchaeus. In fact, he eventually tells Jesus, "I'm going to give half of my money to the poor and if I have cheated people, I will payback four times as much.” Four times! He didn't just say, I'll pay them back, I'll make amends ,but he specifically says he will pay them four times as much as he took. He was no longer the crooked, thieving Roman sympathizing tax collector, but rather a repentant, generous Jesus follower.   What can we learn here? ·  God has the power to transform any person, no matter how far gone we think they are. God isn't done with anyone yet! I'm guessing many people had given up on Zacchaeus but Jesus wasn't one of them. ·  Never discount how God may use you to be prevenient grace for someone else. I think about how Jesus noticed Zacchaeus in the tree. There were many people, probably lots of noise and distractions, and yet Jesus notices individual people and responds to their needs. That was an act of prevenient grace that led Zacchaeus closer to a place of change. Do we notice individual people around us, do we really notice them, and show them care and kindness in a way that leads them closer to Jesus?   Immediately after his interaction with Zaccheaus, on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus shares the parable of the minas.  This is very similar to the parable of the talents, which we talked about in Matthew, and it gives us another glimpse into the Kingdom of God.  As a traveling preacher, Jesus would have told the same parable at different times and in different ways.  We see this here.   In the parable, a man leaves for a foreign nation in order to be made king. Before he left, he gave ten minas to ten of his servants. A mina was a good sum of money (about three months' wages), and the future king tells his servants to put the money to work until he returns.  The servants admit they don't like the man and they don't want him to be king.  Nevertheless, some servants invested the money and some didn't.  When the man returns, this is made obvious.    It is clear that the man, now king, expected a return on his investment.  Likewise, God expects a return on his investment.  God has given us resources, which he expects us to use to benefit the kingdom.  This includes material resources but it isn't just material resources.  We have gifts and talents which God has given to us for a particular purpose.  If you have the gift of teaching, God wants you to teach.  If he's given you the gift of leading, then he expects you to lead.  If you have the gift of discernment, prayer, music, then he has the expectation you will use those for the Kingdom.    God also expects us to take our financial resources and use those for the Kingdom as well.  Every single thing we have is a gift from the Lord.  We may think that we have earned it, but it's all a gift from God.  We are to use what we have been given for his glory.     Blessings, Pastor Vicki

If you've ever stood in the middle of a mess and thought, “Where do I even begin?”—you're not alone. Week 2 of our What a Mess series takes us into the chaotic world of the Judges and the unlikely leadership of Gideon. From Chaos to Calling Pastor Vicki began with a relatable visual: a messy teenager's room. It's overwhelming, disorienting, and just like the time of the Judges—where “everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” That kind of self-reliance never ends well. “Our inner compass fails us. We need direction—specifically, God's direction.” When we meet Gideon in Judges 6, he's hiding in a winepress. Not exactly a mighty warrior, right? But that's where God shows up. A Hesitant Hero Gideon is fearful, skeptical, and full of excuses: “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest…and I am the least in my family.” Yet God says, “Go in the strength you have.” Not someone else's strength. Not future-you. You, right now. That's powerful. Even then, Gideon asks for signs—again and again. “Maybe Gideon was slightly OCD,” Pastor Vicki joked, “but God is patient with him.” This story reminds us that God doesn't demand perfect faith. He simply asks us to keep showing up. Down to 300 From 32,000 men… to 10,000… to just 300. “God wanted to ensure that in no way at all could the Israelites think this was their victory.” We often think we need to be more—stronger, braver, smarter. But God uses less to do more. “God isn't just an odds defier—He's an odds smasher.” Trumpets Over Weapons The turning point? Trumpets. Not swords. “Gideon didn't question. He didn't argue. He just obeyed.” That's faith in motion. Faith not in ourselves, but in God's power through our weakness. So, What About You? “What's going on in your life? How is God asking you to trust Him, to have faith?” You may be trying to fix it your way. But what if God's asking you to surrender, step back, and watch Him move? Faith doesn't have to be big—it just has to be real. Jesus said, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed… nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

Daily Dose of Hope September 12, 2025   Scripture - Luke 18:18-43   Prayer: Heavenly Father, We come before you today in awe of your Word. Thank you for speaking to us through Scripture.  Help us commit to being grounded in your truth.  Help us make learning more about you a priority.  We get so distracted!  The world comes at us from all sides.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish our deep dive into Luke 18.   Today's reading begins with people bringing their babies to Jesus.  The disciples rebuke them.  At the time, children really had very little value.  I know that is hard for us to understand because we value both human life and the innocence of children. But in the ancient world, children had the absolute lowest status.  Jews would have considered children a blessing but they were also needed to be part of the family workforce.  Young children worked full time and they worked hard.  There was nothing innocent or romantic about being a child in the first century.   Enter Jesus.  He had a totally different idea about the value of children.  He said the Kingdom of God belonged to those who are like the little children.  Basically, Jesus picks up a toddler and says, “You have to be like this little one.  You have to be willing to be nothing, to totally give up your status.  Why?  Because my Kingdom is not about raising up rulers of this world but its about giving dignity and life to the least of these.”  You see, over and over again Jesus is showing us that he is not interested in what the world values and sees in people.  Rather, he is actually interested in the people themselves.  They have value to Jesus.   We move from the children to the rich ruler.  A man comes to Jesus and asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus says, “Well you need to follow all the commandments.” And he lists them, you shall not murder, commit adultery, steal, give false testimony. You shall honor your father and mother.   The man simply says, “Yes, I've done all those things since I was a boy.”  Jesus looks at him and says there is still one thing you lack. Yes, you follow all the laws, but there is still something you lack. It was assumed that if one followed the law perfectly (we know that's impossible but if one did a good job following the law) then they would receive eternal life. Jesus is saying, that is not the case.   Jesus isn't denying that this man is following the law, he isn't disputing that. This is obviously a man of high integrity who is clearly doing all he can to be obedient to God's laws. “One thing you lack,” Jesus said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The text says that the man's face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth. This is the irony. The children in the former story who possess nothing are told that the kingdom of God is theirs; yet this man who possesses everything still lacks something! Only when he sells all he has—only when he becomes like a vulnerable child—will he possess everything. But he isn't willing to do that. He decides to walk away from Jesus. The man wasn't expecting to have to make that kind of sacrifice. He had no idea following Jesus would be so hard.   This is confusing.  Jesus talks about the sacrifices needed to enter the Kingdom.  Jesus tells the disciples, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Most of us should feel at least slightly uncomfortable when we read this passage. Don't dismiss that feeling, rest in it a bit before you move on. The reality is that we are all wealthy in comparison to the rest of the world. Jesus isn't saying that having possessions is a bad thing. Allowing our stuff, our resources, to get in the way of our relationship with Jesus is a bad thing though.    What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? I think we have so often fallen into the trap of thinking that following Jesus, being a disciple, is about following a list of rules: following commandments, generally being a good person, going to church, giving some money to good causes, and doing good “Christian” things. But here Jesus is saying that being a disciple is not about following a list of rules. If that were the case, then the rich young ruler would have been a shoo-in. Jesus is saying, following him is about denying yourself and picking up your cross. And we don't like to deny ourselves. We don't like to be uncomfortable. It means looking at your life and renouncing any part of it that gets in the way of your walk with Jesus.   We go from here to Jesus proclaiming his death for the third time.  He basically spells it out for them, but the disciples do not understand.  Things will be clear in due course.   The chapter closes with Jesus healing a blind beggar on the road to Jericho.  The man knows that Jesus is passing by and he calls out to him.  Jesus asks the man, “What do you want me to do for you?”  The man says he wants to see and Jesus immediately restores his sight.    So this is how I want to end today.  I want you to picture Jesus walking by you.  Maybe you are at home, maybe you are at work, or the gym, whatever makes sense in your case.  Anyway, Jesus asks you, “What do you want me to do for you?”    Think about it.  What do you most need from Jesus right now?  Spend some time in prayer and just ask him to intervene in your life in a powerful way.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki        

Daily Dose of Hope September 11, 2025   Scripture – Luke 18:1-17   Prayer:  Almighty God, We come before you with awe and humility.  Help us remember all you have done for us.  We are nothing without you.  We need you desperately, Lord.  Help us gather our scattered thoughts today as we focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, help us remember that we belong to you.  Help us lay our worries and cares on the throne of your grace...We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin to dive into Luke 18.   We begin with the parable of the persistent widow.  I've always found this to be a fascinating parable. Jesus uses two opposing characters to make an important point about prayer. First, we have a judge who is arrogant and without integrity. Then, we have a widow, who continues to go to the judge for help from her adversary. A widow at the time would have represented helplessness and vulnerability. She must not have had money to bribe the judge so she does the only thing she can–she pesters him! She will not leave him alone until he gives her justice.   Since even an unjust judge can do justice, how much more should we expect from a loving, righteous God. God wants his people to be persistent in prayer. Don't give up! God will answer, although it may not be in our timing or in the way we desire. But God always answers.   Is there some situation or person for which you have stopped praying? Be like the persistent widow. Continue to plead before a loving and just God.   And then we have the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector.  Both go to the Temple to pray.  The Pharisee prays loudly, thanking God that he isn't like the other sinners around him.  He lists his “religious activity.”  The tax collector, recognizing his sinfulness, stands back and prays humbly.  Jesus says that it is in the tax collector who is justified.  Why?   Jesus was speaking to a group of people who saw themselves as righteous before God because of their actions.  They kept the law, they fasted, they were religious in every sense of the word.  But their hearts were far from God.  They trusted in themselves, rather than God.  Their righteousness was something to be grasped and attained.    The tax collector, on the other hand, is totally different.  His head is bowed.  He asks God for mercy rather than pointing out the sins of others.  He is quick to call himself a sinner.  And he certainly could have been; tax collectors were known for manipulation and thievery.  But he goes home justified because he recognizes the pain he has caused others.  He is repentant.  He recognizes what he has done and it appears he seeks some form of transformation.   Recognizing that all of our hearts have strayed from God is key.  Each of us are sinners.  The more mature we are as Christians, the more we realize our own sinfulness and the less we are inclined to point out the sinfulness of others.    How have you experienced this?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope September 10, 2025   Scripture – Luke 17:20-37   Prayer:  Almighty God, we start by pausing before you.  Help us set aside the distractions of the morning or the day and focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, help us gather our scattered thoughts and think only of you...Help us be still and know you are God.  God, we rejoice that we can freely read your Word and we are grateful that you speak to It's truly a miracle.  Holy Spirit, we also invite you to join us as we seek to grow deeper in relationship with you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  This is the podcast and devotional that goes along with the Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.    It's Wednesday so that means Recharge day.  If you are local, I hope to see you tonight at New Hope, on the Moon Ave. side of campus, for worship, fellowship, prayer, and small groups.   Today, we are finishing up Luke 17.  Jesus is initially asked by a Pharisee about the Kingdom of God.  Keep in mind, the Pharisees expected God's Kingdom to be an earthly one, a Kingdom that would overthrow the Romans and allow the Jews to govern themselves, as they once did.  But when Jesus speaks of God's Kingdom, he is talking about something quite different.    We've discussed the Kingdom of God quite a bit in the Daily Dose of Hope, but let's do a little review.  God's Kingdom exists anywhere that God reigns as king and his values are at work, where the world is working in the way that God always intended it to work. The kingdom of God was central to the message of Jesus and wherever he traveled, he proclaimed its coming. Jesus truly lived out the Kingdom in all he did, in all he taught, and in the way he did life. In God's Kingdom, there is no sickness, so Jesus healed the sick. In God's Kingdom, there is no discrimination, so Jesus elevated the oppressed, he ate with tax collectors and prostitutes. In God's Kingdom, there is justice, there is mercy, there is love. So Jesus offered forgiveness, he offered acceptance, he offered LOVE in all he did, ultimately giving up his life in the greatest act of love in the history of the world.    Thus, it makes sense that Jesus says to the Pharisee that the Kingdom is not something that can be observed, but rather it is something that is in your midst.  Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of God.  The disciples and the early church continued Jesus' mission of growing the Kingdom.  Even we are part of expanding the boundaries of God's Kingdom today.  It is here in our midst.  But at the same time, there are elements of God's Kingdom that will not be fully realized until Jesus returns in final victory.  The Kingdom has a NOW and a NOT YET quality about it.  It's possible that Jesus is alluding to this.  And then, Jesus not so subtly steers the conversation to the last days.  He speaks of how people in the time of Noah and with the destruction of Sodom were caught off guard by the judgement.  They should not have been, as there were warnings, but they were.  And people will also be caught off guard when Jesus comes to judge the living and the dead.    We get this warning once again – be ready.  Be watchful and be prepared because Jesus will return again and it will be at a time that is most unexpected.  When the disciples ask Jesus where this will happen, he responds with a proverb, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”  Basically, the location is not the point.  Rather, the fact that judgment will occur is the point and it will occur wherever there is sin and spiritual death.  The vultures gathering gives us a word picture for what's going to happen --- they will gather around the spiritual “carcass” or dead body.    What are your thoughts about the end times?  Media and Hollywood have given us a lot of bad information about what will happen when Jesus returns.  The Left Behind series, while entertaining, is not very scriptural accurate.  As believers, we really don't have a lot to fear.  In fact, we have nothing to fear, we simply need to be ready.  Are you ready?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope September 9, 2025   Scripture – Luke 17:1-19   Prayer: Holy God, How amazing it is that we can come before you today.  You are God of all things, Lord of everything, and yet you care about each of us.  We give you glory and praise.  We thank you most of all for Jesus, who made it possible for us to walk hand in hand with a holy God.  Help us see today's Scripture through fresh eyes.  Keep teaching us, Lord.  Continue to reveal yourself to us.  We are open and grateful.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently working our way through a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we start Luke 17.   As we start this chapter, Jesus is listing some pretty serious requirements for discipleship.  He warns against causing little ones (children, new believers, those who are vulnerable) to stumble.  He tells his followers that radical forgiveness is required toward one another. Jesus continues to remind his followers that being a disciple is life-changing in the most extreme way.    This obviously challenges the disciples.  They proclaim, “Increase our faith.”  Jesus' answer probably wasn't what they wanted to hear.  He tells them about just needing the faith of a mustard seed.  I picture the disciples rolling their eyes at this.  “Really, just a mustard seed-sized faith?  I feel like I need a bit more.”   So what was Jesus' point?  Faith isn't easily quantified.  It doesn't just magically increase with some special prayer.  Faith increases through our life experiences.  Faith increases only through practice, as we begin to trust God and see him come through for us.  Faith increases as we begin to see Jesus at work in our lives, giving us comfort, peace, and strength, in the good and bad times.  It's usually not a fast process.   How have you seen your faith grow through experience?  What kinds of things in the past few years have had the most impact on your faith journey with Jesus?   The next portion of today's reading is another miracle.  Jesus heals ten men with leprosy.  This is such a wonderful text!  A couple things to note...   First, Jesus told the men to show themselves to a priest while they still had leprosy. It was as they went that they were cured. If the priest examined them and they were no longer sick, then they were able to behave like normal people again, socialize, and live normal lives. Walking to the priests while they still had leprosy meant trusting God even when they didn't really have grounds to do so. They really didn't know what was going to happen. They could have gotten to the priests and still been sick and been yelled at or banned or worse. But they had faith and trusted Jesus.   That's a definition of faith–trusting in what we cannot prove. In Hebrews 11:1 it's described as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." If we want everything plain and clear before we take a step of faith, it's not really faith. Faith is trust, even when we don't understand and even when the evidence is against us.   It's interesting that the one who comes back is a Samaritan. As you know from previous readings, Samaritans were enemies of Jews; they hated each other. So why was he the one to come back, rather than the Jews? Maybe he had a deeper sense of what had been done for him. Maybe the Jewish men felt entitled, like they deserved a healing and the Samaritan man did not. Regardless, it speaks of God's grace to everyone. The men's healing doesn't depend on them coming back to say thanks. Jesus heals them anyway; it's not as if the healing of the other nine would be miraculously withdrawn because they didn't return. God does lots of good things for everyone, whether they acknowledge it or not. He makes the sun shine on the righteous and unrighteous and the rain fall on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45).   There are many people who are not Christians, but who are still blessed. At one level, Christians ought just to be the people who acknowledge what God's done for them, and turn back to say "Thank you." What do you need to thank God for? Even when circumstances are hard, we are called to spend time rejoicing in what God has blessed us with. It's so easy to fall into an attitude of negativity and complaining. But God wants us to have an attitude of gratitude, spending more time recognizing how he has healed us, blessed us, saved us, taken care of us, and loved us rather than focus on all the crummy stuff.   We will finish up chapter 17 tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki        

Daily Dose of Hope September 8, 2025   Scripture - Luke 16:19-31   Prayer: Heavenly Father, We come to you today rejoicing in your holy name.  You are such a good God.  It's so hard for us to conceive that the God who put the stars in the sky and put the planets into motion is the same God who loves us and has numbered the hairs on our heads.  We thank you so much for your love and care.  Open our minds and hearts as we approach your Word today.  Help us hear a word from you.  How we yearn to hear from you, Lord.  We need you.  Over and over again, we need you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts and today we are deep diving into the second half of Luke 16.  Let's get to it.   Today's text is not an easy one – the parable of destitute Lazarus and the rich man.  It follows a series of parables – the lost coin, the lost son, and the shrewd manager - which deal with some aspect of money and how money affects our relationship with God and other people.  Today's parable focuses on how wealth comes great responsibility.    A brief review: Lazarus is impoverished with sores all over his body.  He lays at the rich man's gate but never receives anything from the rich man.  The only mercy shown to him is by the dogs who lick his wounds.  Both men die.  Lazarus ascends to Abraham's table, which we can assume is heaven, where he is cared for and finally eats well.  The rich man is doomed to spend eternity in Hades, where he will be in eternal torment.  The rich were not normally tortured while living; they lived well, ate well, dressed well, and had a comfortable roof over their head. In life, it was the poor and enslaved who suffered torture.  In fact, the legal testimony of an enslaved man was only received and considered truthful under torture.    The rich man gets a glimpse of Abraham in heaven and begs for mercy, the mercy that he denied Lazarus and Abraham refuses.  And when the rich man asks Abraham to warn his family so their fate wouldn't be the same as his, he refuses as well.  According to Father Abraham, they should know the right way to live simply by listening to the prophets.    There are many different directions we could go with this parable.  A lot of people want to understand what is meant by rich and poor in this story.  How rich is considered rich?  Are we rich? Compared to Lazarus who has nothing, we are all rich.  And the reality is that there are many with nothing in our world.  They may not sit by our personal gates, but they exist.  They are real human beings.  The parable implies that the rich man should have done something different to avoid his fate.  He should have helped.  He should have offered the man something.  There is plenty of room for imagining what a faithful response would have been for this man.   Regardless of whether we fall into the rich or poor category, we need to remember to keep Lazarus at the center.  This rich man saw Lazarus every single day.  He was laying outside his gate.  But he never saw him until it was much too late.  Who represents Lazarus in our life?  Do we see them?  Do we really see them?   The danger here is not really in our wealth, but in becoming complacent, self-righteous, or unloving in our wealth.  All we have is a gift from God.  But our resources can become a huge snare for us if we fail to remember where our gifts come from.  And the one who has blessed us with the resources has an expectation for how we use them.    This reminds me of Jesus' visit to Zaccheaus, the wee little man who was also a rich tax collector.  In Jesus' discussions, Zaccheaus is convicted and decides to give away half his possessions to the poor and to make restitution to the people for whom he took advantage. Salvation came to Zacchaeus while he was still alive and he shows himself to be a son of Abraham.    Jesus came to call people to repentance.  “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near,” was one of the earliest parts of his message.  Repentance is always possible during one's lifetime.  To those who earnestly repent, there is hope.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

In today's sermon from Rev. Vicki Harrison, she walks us through the powerful and often overlooked story of Deborah, found in Judges 4 and 5. As part of our What a Mess series, we explore how God raises up unlikely leaders—people the world may never choose—to accomplish His purposes in the midst of chaos. Pastor Vicki opens with a reality check: the time of the Judges was marked by confusion and rebellion, a time when “everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” Sound familiar? Yet even in the disorder, God was still listening, still calling, and still delivering. And in this case, He chooses Deborah—a woman, prophet, and judge—to lead Israel with bold faith. We learn that Deborah doesn't just sit in authority—she acts. She calls Barak to battle, encourages him to trust God's promise, and even goes with him when he hesitates. Her leadership is marked by courage, obedience, and worship. After victory, Deborah sings a song of praise, making it clear that the true hero is God alone. Throughout the sermon, Pastor Vicki invites us to reflect on some deeply personal questions: Do we believe God still hears our cries? Are we ignoring a call because we feel unqualified or unseen? Are we giving God the credit for the victories He brings? And most importantly—how does Deborah's story point us to Jesus, the ultimate deliverer who leads, saves, and sings over His people? If you've ever felt unqualified, invisible, or overwhelmed by your own mess, Deborah's story reminds us: God sees, God calls, and God delivers. Want to go deeper? Join a Community Group to process the message with others, or learn more about how we Grow Faith together at New Hope.

Daily Dose of Hope September 5, 2025   Scripture – Luke 16:1-18   Prayer:  Abba Father, Prepare our hearts for your Word today.  Help us approach this Scripture with an openness to learning something new from you.  Jesus, thank you for your perfect example of mercy and love.  More of you and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the Bible reading plan for New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  It's Friday, yay!, and we are beginning Luke 16.   This chapter has us interpreting more parables.  Just as Luke put like parables together in Luke 15 (the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son), Luke pairs the parable of the shrewd manager that we read today with the parable of Lazarus and the rich man which we will read tomorrow.  Both address the topic of money from various perspectives.   In today's parable, we meet a manager who is accused of not being a good steward of his master's possessions.  In fact, it seems he had been a bit careless and the master was planning to hold him accountable.  The manager, seeing that his fate wasn't good, decided he needed to get to work.  He made shrewd deals with the master's debtors and recovered not all, but at least a good portion of what was owed.  This pleases the master. After Jesus offers this teaching, he goes on, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”  Basically, if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? If you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? Jesus continues his teaching in verses 10-13,“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”  It says that the Pharisees, who loved money, were very displeased with Jesus, even sneering at him. Jesus is making it clear – people in this world are pretty self-serving.  The manager and the master in the story are both really looking out for themselves. Jesus also wants his followers to look out for themselves, but not in the same way, in a more eternal way. He's encouraging them to think long term, to store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). He's encouraging us to use our finances in a way so that God enthusiastically welcomes us as good and faithful servants.  What God has given us is a gift and we need to be good stewards of God's precious gifts.  We are to be careful and wise with what we have because none of it is really ours to begin with. Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope September 4, 2025   Scripture - Luke 15   Prayer:  Lord, We give you glory and praise for who you are.  Who are we that you love us so much?  We thank you for your love and care.  Help us be even but a small reflection of your love toward those around us.  More of you and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the Bible reading plan for New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are reading through Luke 15.   This is a great text, all the parables have to do with things that are lost.  We start with the parable of the lost sheep.  A man has one hundred sheep and loses one.  He leaves all the others to go find that one sheep.  Lost sheep matter to God.  Every single person matters to God and he will go to great lengths to search for them.   In our tradition, we talk about prevenient grace.  That is God's grace that goes before us, that seeks after us before we know God or recognize God or even believe that God is real.  It is God putting people and circumstances in our lives to keep pointing us toward him.  He is wooing us toward him.  He is seeking us out.  Why?  Because he loves each of us so dearly.  He is willing to leave the ninety-nine to go seek out the one.    And one of my favorite parts of this Scripture is when Jesus says, I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.  When someone gives their life to Jesus, heaven throws a party!  How amazing is that? Jesus follows the parable of the lost sheep with the lost coin.  It's a similar story, in which a woman tears her home apart looking for one lost coin.  When she finds it, she rejoices!  Again, Jesus says, In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  There we go again, heaven is partying and rejoicing when one person is saved. But Jesus closes this teaching with the parable of the lost son.  We also know it as the parable of the prodigal son and many of you are probably familiar with it.  I want to point out a few things from this text.  The Scripture says that when the son was a long way off, his father saw him coming and it says he was “filled with love and compassion” so he ran to him, embraced him, and kissed him. Now, respectable Middle Eastern men did not run. Maybe women and kids ran but men did not. Here is this father lifting his robes, baring his legs, and running to his son. This would have been unthinkable. Then, the father embraces his son and kisses him. This probably wasn't the reception his son was expecting.   Remember, the son is ready with his speech that he practiced about being a hired hand. But the son doesn't even geta chance to finish his speech. The father stops him and says, “Bring the finest robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.” The finest robe would have been the father's robe and here he is asking for the servants to bring it quickly and put it on the youngest son. Wearing the father's robe was a sign of restored standing in the family.   The father didn't say, “We will work on you repaying the debts or I'll take you back after you've groveled a bit.” Rather, he covered his poverty and his ragged clothes with all the signs of the honor. Next, the father asks that the fattened calf be cooked in celebration. Keep in mind, meat was reserved for special occasions and the fattened calf would have been for very rare, very special occasions. And all are invited to celebrate the return of the son.   Most of us know that the story isn't quite over, we have the whole issue of the older brother, and that's an important piece but I'm not going to unpack it today. For now, let's reflect on the father and the youngest son. By now, I'm sure you have figured out that the father is God. We are the sons. We aren't going to get into deep theological analysis of each son, I just want to make a couple points:         God loves us with a love that is so incredibly deep and intense. We can't, in our human brains, really imagine it. If you are a parent, you might understand it to a certain extent. But what is hard for me to understand is that God gave up his own son to die for us (John 3:16).       We have all done things that separate us from God. We are all sinners (Romans 3:23). We have all done things that create a barrier in our relationship with God. We might like to rationalize our sins (think well my sins aren't that bad), the reality is that sin is sin. God sees sin the same, and no matter how big or small in our human way of thinking, it prevents us from being in a restored relationship with God.      Many of us have had our gutter moments. Regardless of how far away from God we are, God is always seeking us, wooing us toward him. He is like the father in the story, looking out the window–is he close by? Is he getting closer? This is certainly an example of prevenient grace.      When we decide to turn back to God, to seek God, God is more than willing to receive us. When we seek Jesus AND decide to say yes to him, he is ready to welcome us into the Kingdom.       When we ask forgiveness from God for our sins, God freely offers it. It doesn't matter what we have done, when we say to God, “I believe in you, I believe in Jesus, I want a relationship with you, I've been wrong, I need your forgiveness.” Just like the father in the story, God is like “YES! Let's celebrate. Let's have a party! I've been waiting for you! Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope September 3, 2025   Scripture - Luke 14:15-35   Prayer: Lord, We come before you today on this Wednesday, and we pray for you to speak to us.  We need you.  We need a new word from you.  We need your guidance, your wisdom, your help, your courage.  Help us set aside the distractions of our day, our many scattered thoughts, and focus on you.  During these next few moments of silence, Jesus, help us remember that we belong to you...Give us the confidence to stand firm in YOU today.  In Your Name, Amen   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we dive into the second half of Luke 14.  I should also mention that today is Wednesday so it's Recharge day! Yay!!!  If you are local to the Brandon, Florida, area, please consider joining us at New Hope Church at 6:30 for a time of worship, prayer, fellowship, and small community.  We meet in the Garage, on the Moon Ave. side of campus.   Our reading for today starts with a parable about a great banquet.  Many important people were invited but they all send excuses for why they cannot attend.  As a result, the host (who we can assume is God) asks his servants to go and invite those in the streets – the poor, the downtrodden, the sick, the lowly, in order to fill the seats.  These are people, after all, who will come with both faith and humility.    So what does this all mean?  What is Jesus' point?  The invited guests were initially the Jews, the ones who held on tightly to the law.  They saw themselves as God's people and they thought they were the only ones worthy to come to God's banquet table.  But Jesus was right in front of them and they chose to reject him.  His own people did not receive him.    In the parable, after the spiritually “worthy” send their excuses, the host invites in those who the Jews saw as unworthy – the unclean people, the sick, the weak, even the Gentiles.  The host wants the whole banquet hall to be filled.  God wants as many people as possible to receive his invitation of salvation.   We move from this parable to the cost of being a disciple.  It keeps getting harder.  Jesus speaks of the need to hate those close to us, including our mother and father, wife and children, brothers and sisters, even our own life, in order to follow him.  What do we make of this?  Jesus usually talks about loving others, not hating them.  Remember, whenever a Scripture feels off, we need to go deeper.  So let's do that here.   There are a couple different ways to interpret this Scripture.  Some people might want to go with a literal interpretation but I quickly dismiss that.  Jesus cannot mean to literally hate our family members.  That would contradict so much of his earlier teaching.  It also would contradict his character in general.  So something else is going on here.   It could be that Jesus is using hyperbole.  Remember, hyperbole is an overexaggeration to make a point and Jesus was prone to this kind of speech.  But Jesus is not one to exaggerate commitment.  That also seems out of character.    It seems most likely that there is something going on in the word usage.  When we dig deeper, we find that the word “hate” is sometimes used in ancient Hebrew to mean, “love less.”  One example of this is found in Genesis, when the author writes that “Leah was hated” by Jacob but it is more correctly interpreted as Jacob “loved Rachel more than Leah.”  We see this same kind of language here.  Jesus is saying that those who follow him need to love everyone else less, to such an extent that it might look like hate.  To become a follower of Jesus means to put Jesus above all people and things that we hold most dear.   Jesus also speaks about the necessity of carrying our cross if we want to follow him.  Remember, the cross was a method of execution.  To follow Jesus, we are to carry the thing that will cause our death.  Think about that.  There is pain and suffering in following Jesus.  That isn't something we like to focus on much.  We love the comfort of the Gospel, but what about the cost and challenge of the Gospel?    Would you still be willing to follow Jesus if it meant walking to the gallows?  This is such a foreign idea to us in the United States.  But around the world, there are people who regularly face this threat.  Following Jesus has true cost.  Here's a question for us:  If I were being tortured and persecuted for my faith, would I stay faithful to Jesus or would I give in to the pressure and deny Christ?   What cost have you experienced in following Jesus?  I think this is something for which we need to spend some time in prayer?  What cost have you experienced in following Jesus?  And what if that cost were to get more real? More intense? What if it threatened your very life?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope September 2, 2025   Scripture - Luke 14:1-14   Prayer: Holy and Merciful God, We come to you today rejoicing in your holy name.  It's amazing that you, the God of all, care about the minute details of our lives.  I mean, who are we?  But yet, you love us, you care, you died for us!  Thank you, Jesus.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Help us, as we move on throughout this day to remember your presence.  Guide our words, our actions, and our thoughts.  Help us hear your voice as we engage with your Word today.  We love you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the Bible reading plan for New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are beginning Luke 14.   We start by joining Jesus at a dinner party on the Sabbath.  Jesus is quite the dinner guest.  He makes things really uncomfortable!  He begins by having a discussion about healing on the Sabbath, which we all know is a sensitive topic.  There is a man there who is desperate for healing (and Jesus does heal him) but he knows that the others will judge his actions.  Jesus speaks preemptively by asking, once again, wouldn't you save a child or an animal who falls in a well on the Sabbath?  They don't answer him but we know that they would in fact save the child or animal.  Do they think this man is less valuable than their own child or animal?  It's a worthwhile question.   But the dinner party isn't over yet.  Jesus looks around and he sees that people have already taken the places of honor.  He speaks of how the guests vie for the best spots, the ones that indicate honor and prestige. But that's dangerous, Jesus says. For the host may actually find someone more distinguished and ask that individual to sit in the seat of honor. Then, the one who originally worked so hard to gain that seat will have to sit somewhere less important. In the end, they will experience humiliation.   While the advice is wise, Jesus is teaching people to be genuinely humble. Before Jesus, the whole concept of humility was unusual. In Roman culture, to be humble was to be weak. Jesus is saying that to be humble is actually smart. It is more in tune with what God calls us to do. In the end, God is going to settle things anyway. God will ensure that the truly humble person will end up where they are supposed to end up and receive the honor that is theirs. But those who think highly of themselves and place themselves on a pedestal risk the very real chance of being knocked off.   Are you humble? I think that's an important question for us all to ask occasionally. Do you think you deserve more honor than others? Where does that thought come from? Let's close with some Scripture from Philippians 2:1-11, Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,  then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,     did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,     being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,    he humbled himself     by becoming obedient to death—         even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place     and gave him the name that is above every name,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,     in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,    to the glory of God the Father.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope September 1, 2025   Scripture – Luke 13:22-35   Prayer:  Abba Father, We come to you today with gratitude.  Thank you for loving us.  Thank you for wanting a relationship with us. Thank you for never leaving our side.  Help us to follow you more closely, Lord.  We need your truth.  We need your guidance and direction.  With every fiber of our being, we need you.  As we read your Word today and reflect on it, Lord, speak to us.  Help us grow closer to you.  Let us know where we are falling short so that we can be the people you have called us to be.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the Bible reading plan for New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  Happy Monday!  We are currently working our way through the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are finishing up Luke 13.   Jesus tells his listeners that the way to heaven is through the narrow door.  He doesn't directly answer the question about how many will be saved.  It's less an issue about how many (which is out of our control) but rather you will be saved (totally in our control).  The door is narrow because only a few choose to truly follow Jesus through it.  Most people would choose the wider door or the wider road; it's easier and most of the people are headed that way.    This Scripture always reminds me of Robert Frost's poem, The Road Not Taken.  Many of you probably know it.  I would close with the poem except for Frost was a complicated man who was never that clear about his faith.  He had some kind of belief but never professed Jesus as Savior.  I think he struggled with this narrow door/wide door issue.  And there really isn't anything more important in life, getting the doors and roads correct.  Yet, elements of Frost's work point to exactly what Jesus is saying, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”    Which door have you chosen?  Which road will you pursue? We close today's reading with Jesus' sorrow over Jerusalem.  This text has always touched me.  People are warning Jesus to leave Jerusalem.  Even Jewish leaders are warning Jesus that Herod is out to get him, although we have no idea if their concern is sincere. But most people know Jesus is no longer safe there.  The stark reality is that powerful people want him gone, as in dead.  But he continues to lament over his people, he laments over the city.  Keep in mind that to Jews, Jerusalem was the center of everything.  This is where the Temple resided.  This was God's city.  Jesus proclaims, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'”  And when he says this, he is grieving over his city, God's city.  But he is also making a point.  Jesus knows his fate.  He tells them to warn the fox (Herod) that he already knows his fate.  Jesus knows what will happen and he knows that it will happen in Jerusalem.  He will be killed but he will rise in three days.  God will have the last word.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope August 29, 2025   Scripture – Luke 13:1-21   Prayer: Father God, hear our prayer this morning.  We are awed by your power and strength.  We are amazed by your love.  Thank you, Lord, for the many ways you show in our lives to teach us and care for us.  Help us gather our scattered thoughts right now and focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, help us (help me) be still and know that you are God...Come Holy Spirit, and help us walk through this Scripture in a way that honors you.  Show up and help us discover whatever it is you want us to learn.  This is your Word and we want to hear from you.  In Your powerful name, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we dive into the first half of Luke 13.   Our reading begins today with Jesus' discission about repenting.  It seems that the death of the Galileans is weighing heavy but what happened to them is not clear.  Most scholars agree that there was a group of Galileans who died at the hands of the Roman government, possibly engaging in resistance.  Keep in mind, the Galileans would have been Jewish.  After killing them, Pilate mixed their blood with the blood of animals used in sacrifices.  Of course, this would have been appalling to the Jews.   Surprisingly, Jesus in this text is not concerned with anger toward the Romans or empathy toward the Jews.  He is concerned with repentance.  He tells the group around him that their sins, whatever they are, are not less than the Galileans killed for their resistance.  Keep in mind, in that culture, there would have been a general consensus that suffering was a result of great sin.  But Jesus is clear, we are all guilty of sin in God's eyes and we need to repent.  Don't get too caught up pointing out the sins of others; we are all sinners.  Every single one of us.  Be careful who you point fingers at.   We move from there to another healing on the Sabbath.  A woman crippled for eighteen years is set free by Jesus.  If Jesus didn't seem to have compassion about the Galileans, he certainly shows it here.  The Jewish leaders insist that healing should only occur on the six working days and not on the Sabbath.  But he calls them out on that, “Don't you guys take your animals out to get water on the Sabbath?  And you won't allow me to free this poor woman from bondage?”  He doesn't hesitate to point out their hypocrisy, which has been a theme over the last few chapters.  It sure is easy to hold others to a standard to which you don't hold yourself.    We close with the final part of today's reading.  Jesus gives us two examples of what God's Kingdom is like. First, he says that the Kingdom is like a mustard seed. The listeners would have been familiar with these little seeds; they were the smallest of all the garden seeds available in Palestine during the time of Jesus. But even though they were small, these seeds could grow into a really big bush or tree. It was actually against the law to plant these seeds in a public garden because they would literally take over and choke out the other plants. It's amazing that something so little, almost invisible really, became something that took over the whole garden.   Jesus then moves from the garden to the kitchen and says the Kingdom of God is like yeast that a women mixed with sixty pounds of flour until it was all mixed through. Yeast is also really small. Of course, what we know is that the woman would not have used yeast from a little package like we have (that's a modern invention). In Jesus' time, when you prepared dough for baking, you would take a small piece of leavened dough (dough with the yeast already in it) that you had been saving, and mix it in the new batch of dough. When the new batch was done, you would take a small piece of the dough from that and save it for the next batch. So picture this: the woman has one piece of leavened dough and she takes it and works it all the way through sixty pounds of flour. That's a lot of flour!   Jesus puts these two parables together to help us get a glimpse of the Kingdom of God. You see, in God's Kingdom, small things can yield really big results. Tiny seeds can produce a big tree, so big that birds can nest in it. A little bit of yeasty dough can be mixed with flour to make enough bread to feed hundreds of people. Here are some thoughts about this:   · God's economy is different. In the world, big things are valued–big money, big jobs, big cars, big houses, big, flashy, noticeable---these are all things that indicate power, prestige, control. In God's Kingdom, it's okay for things to be small. Small, seemingly insignificant things can make a huge difference. Mustard seeds, yeast, loaves & fishes, a random act of kindness, a kind or encouraging word, spending time with God in prayer, offering a prayer over someone else, the widow's mite, a humble life lived with integrity, sharing our faith story with someone, or our willingness to serve others. Small things that all can yield huge results for God's Kingdom.   · God does the work but human action is required. In each of these parables, there is human action that was part of the growth. The seed must be planted in the ground and probably watered too. The yeast must be worked through the flour. Although God could accomplish these things on his own, he asks people to invest part of ourselves in his work. Then, God honors that obedience, he honors our effort, our willingness, and our faith, no matter how small and insignificant we think it is and he grows it exponentially.   · Things aren't always as they seem. God works in ways we cannot see or understand. Science is amazing in that it can show us what is happening under the ground with the seed and what's going on in that loaf of bread, but science can't necessarily explain why it happens. In God's Kingdom, things aren't always what they seem. This is important: we might not always see God's power at work, but it's there in the smallest and most unusual ways, changing and transforming us, guiding us, and leading us closer to Jesus.   God is at work there in ways you can't see. The chronic health issue that is so debilitating and limiting-God's at work there in ways you can't understand. Your troubled marriage, your difficult job situation, your finances-God has the ability to work in and through them (with your help) in ways you can't see or understand.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope August 28, 2025   Scripture – Luke 12:35-59   Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are the hope of the world but you are also our hope.  I pray for all those who need hope today.  May they seek you.  I pray for all those who need healing.  May they run to you. I pray for all those who need forgiveness.  May they come to you.  Lord, we all need you.  Before we run to the things of the world, may we rest in you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish Luke 12.   In today's reading, the servants (the disciples in this case) are told to be ready for the return of the master, Jesus, from a wedding banquet.  In the Old Testament, wedding banquets often represent the eschatological hope of God's people.  When we say eschatology, we are referring to the last judgement or the last things, the ultimate destiny of God's people and world.  In the New Testament, the wedding banquet imagery would be centered around Jesus and the hope he brings.  He is the one who came to redeem the world and he is the one who will ultimately come to judge the world.  The disciples are called to be ready and actively waiting for Jesus' return.  And so are we.    The return of Jesus is certain.  When he will return is not.  Are you ready?   The next portion of our reading is difficult.  If I were to ask you why Jesus came to earth, how many of you would say “to bring conflict?”  Hmmm...probably not many.  And yet, Jesus says here that he has come to bring fire on the earth.  He has come to bring division.  How do we reconcile this with Jesus being a Prince of Peace?    I think it's important we look at the context.  Jesus is speaking of the conflict and division his coming will cause.  There was and is division in families because some believe and others don't.  Jesus is saying to expect this rather than be surprised by this.  Following Jesus well is a revolutionary thing.  Maybe following Jesus as a cultural Christian doesn't bring much discord, but truly following the ways of Jesus (as described in the Gospels) puts us at odds with our culture and the greater society.   In the final portion of our reading today, interpreting the times, we find Jesus again referring to the Pharisees as hypocrites.  Afterall, he says, they can interpret the weather, understanding when it's going to rain, but they can't interpret the meaning of Jesus' presence.  They have no idea how significant it is that Jesus is there, nor do they understand his teachings or purpose.  They truly have no idea that the God of the universe has come down among them.    How often do we fail to recognize God in our midst?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope August 27, 2025   Scripture – Luke 12:1-34   Prayer:  Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, That my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, That my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, That I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, To defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, That I always may be holy.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a devotional and podcast that complements the Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we start Luke 12.   We start with Jesus warning his disciples against hypocrisy.  That is the yeast of the Pharisees, saying one thing and doing another.  Another way to put it is to be outwardly religious and inwardly self-serving.  Jesus also warns his disciples to proclaim the Gospel boldly.  Walk the walk.  Those who acknowledge Jesus openly will be acknowledged by God.  Those who are ashamed or fearful to acknowledge Jesus openly will not be acknowledged by God.  There is a real emphasis on not worrying about the fate of the physical body, but focusing on how God will care for us, he will remember us.    This is hard teaching.  We get quite consumed with worrying about our earthly bodies and our earthly livelihoods.  Don't we?  I mean, Jesus is saying to put him first at all costs and he will ensure we are okay. But being okay doesn't mean he will save us in an earthly sense, although he may.  It definitely means he will save us in an eternal sense.  Jesus is saying that is enough.  The big question is --- is that enough for you?  Do you, do I, trust Jesus enough to know that he will not forget me and he will care for me eternally.  This physical world is just a temporary dwelling place.    Our reading goes from here to the parable of the rich fool.  This is a great parable for talking about God's design for wealth.  Yes, we are to save for retirement and ensure we have an emergency fund.  That isn't what Jesus is speaking of!  The man in the parable had abundance, way more than he needed for himself.  But he didn't share it with those in need, nor did he ask God for wisdom in how to use his money.  He built bigger barns.  He liked the idea of having plenty for the future.  In fact, we get the impression that he felt a bit smug because his own future was secure.  But in hoarding his wealth, he failed to consider how God would want him to use his money.  Nor did he consider his eternal future.  He wasn't prepared, as he did nothing to prepare his soul.    What really matters?  How does God call us to use our abundance?   Finally, we move to the portion of the reading dealing with worry.  What is it about us and worry? I have struggled with worry and anxiety for most of my life! I finally had to admit to myself that worrying is lack of trust in God. After all, God loves me and God has promised to care for me. He cares for the birds of the fields; certainly, he cares for me! This doesn't mean things will always go my way. Nor does it absolve me of responsibility in life. I still need to work hard and get things done. But I can know that I know that God is with me and God wants to take care of my needs.   For me, I've found the antidote to worry is prayer. Pray often, pray fervently, pray sincerely. I go through a visual exercise of giving my worry to Jesus. Sometimes I hand it right to Jesus. Other times, I lay it at the foot of the cross. Then, I have to make the decision to not pick it back up. It takes discipline to give our worry to Jesus; I've had to practice this many times. Butit's life changing. When I give my worry to Jesus, I know it's in good hands. And worry no longer steals my joy and monopolizes my thinking. I am free, knowing the God's got this.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope August 26, 2025   Scripture – Luke 11:14-54   Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father, I come before you today with humility.  You are holy, you are perfect, and I am painfully flawed.  Forgive me, Lord, for the way I fall short over and over again.  Forgive me for not being loving, patient, and kind.  Jesus, I want to follow your example.  I want to have a clean and pure heart.  How I need you.  Create in me a pure heart, Lord, and renew a right spirit within me.  I love you.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish up Luke 11.   Today's reading starts with Jesus healing a man possessed by a demon who makes him mute.  The healing leads the Pharisees to make some pretty serious misjudgments.  They were talking amongst themselves but Jesus knows their thoughts.  The Pharisees say that Jesus is healing through the power of Beelzebub, the Prince of Demons.  Jesus tells them that Satan won't drive himself out.  A divided Kingdom will not stand.    Why their resistance to belief?  Why are they so fiercely against Jesus?  Most likely because Jesus doesn't look, talk, or behave as they think a Messiah should.  He challenges their fundamental beliefs.  If we are honest, Jesus challenges some of our fundamental beliefs too.  The question is always:  Will we choose to believe or will we reject like the Pharisees?  Jesus says that whoever is not with him is against him.  There is no half-way with Jesus.    One other interesting tidbit about this part of the passage is at the end, when a woman from the crowd calls out, “Blessed is the mother who gave birth to you and nursed you.”  As a mom, I think this is kind of sweet, but Jesus clearly redirects her.  Blessedness doesn't come from biological connectedness.  Blessedness, according to Jesus, comes from obedience.  Mary was blessed but it was because she was obedient to God, not because her womb was somehow holy.   The people, including the religious leaders, continue to want signs and miracles.  Jesus calls them a wicked generation.  He knows that more miracles will not make them believe.  Afterall, he has already done incredibly ministry with all kinds of miracles of healing and abundance.  Jesus has already performed the miracles that the Old Testament spoke about – the blind see, the deaf hear, the oppressed are set free.  What kind of sign would it take for them to really believe?   He tells them that the only sign they would get would be the sign of Jonah.  Remember that Jonah avoided Ninevah by jumping on a ship and trying to hide from God.  He ended up being swallowed by a large fish and he stayed in the belly of that fish for three days before God allowed him to be spit up and see the light of day.  Thus, the sign of Jonah, for an unbelieving people, is a reference to Jesus' impending death, followed three days later by resurrection.  Will that make them believe?    Next, Jesus talks about the eyes being a lamp which lights the entire body.  The eyes are like the doorway to our souls.  When Jesus referred to “good” eyes, he meant eyes that not only see well but also perceive well. It is not only what we see, but how we perceive what we see that makes the difference between godliness and ungodliness, between light and darkness. Bad eyes lead to bad perception, but if our eyes are good, our whole person will be illuminated. If we are in a lighted room, we see things clearly. We can move around obstacles and locate whatever we're looking for. But walking in darkness results in stumbling and falling.   Our reading today closes with the woes to the Pharisees.  The Pharisees notice that Jesus doesn't do the ceremonial handwashing before the meal and they are surprised.  Jesus responds with some pretty harsh words.  Basically, who cares if the outside of your cup is clean if the inside is filled with filth?  The Pharisees and teachers of the law looked so good on the outside, doing all the right things, but their hearts were filled with greed, arrogance, and evil.  Then, Jesus begins a series of woes:   Verse 42 - Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God.  They loved their religion more than they loved God and neighbor.  The Pharisees had a lot of religious busyness, a lot of stuff they did for God.  They were so careful to tithe 10% of their herb garden but they treated people poorly, they neglected the poor, they didn't care for their neighbor.  They didn't really love God.  They loved the idea of God.   Verse 43 - Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.  The most respected teachers and elders sat at the front of the synagogue facing the congregation. In fact, if you visit some old churches, they may have chairs on the platform for the elders, pastor, and other leaders of the church to sit. But is sitting up front wrong? No, it's sitting up front to be seen by others. The issue is their pride. The Pharisees loved receiving special honorary greetings in the marketplace too.   You see, if we are doing what we are doing for the wrong reason, if you are serving where you are serving for the wrong reason, then we are totally missing the point and woe to us.    Verse 44 - “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.” In Israel tombs were white-washed (they still are) and this wasn't just so they looked pretty.  Not at all.  This actually was done to prevent people from accidentally stepping on them and contracting ritual uncleanliness. Numbers 19 says if you touch a bone or grave, then you would be unclean for a week until you underwent a cleansing process. Jesus turns this upside down.  He says, you guys are totally missing it.  In fact, you are missing it so much that when people come in contact with the you, Pharisees, they get infected and unclean.  That's how dirty your hearts are.  Ouch!    Verse 45 - One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”  I picture Jesus kind of looking at him and thinking, duh?  But this is what he says, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.  These experts in the law would study the Old Testament Scriptures and develop guidelines for the people to follow.  Many of the rules that these experts would impose on the people were really burdensome.  The average poor Jew, someone who maybe worked in the fields, could not possibly carry out the Jewish law the way the experts in the law would say they should.    But the woes keep coming.  Verses 47-48, “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. Jesus is saying to the teachers of the law, “Your ancestors killed the prophets. And you think that if you had been there, you wouldn't have done that.  So you build these tombs to the prophets to make up for that.  And yet, the prophet of all prophets is right here before you and you have rejected him.”  And of course, he is referring to himself.  This is where we have to be so careful about judgement.  We have this tendency to think “Well, if I had been there, I wouldn't have done that.  I wouldn't have killed that prophet.  I wouldn't have persecuted that person.”  Friends, be careful.  That's kind of like saying, “We would never have called out Crucify Him.”  But we are weak people.  Recognizing the weakness and frailties of our heart is the first step.  We have to recognize that we are vulnerable and we are sinful.  We need the power and strength of Jesus in us to even have a chance to get our hearts right.  Let's finish the Scripture with verses 52-54, “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54 waiting to catch him in something he might say. Jesus tells them, “You aren't helping people understand God's Word.  You are making it harder, more convoluted.”  I think this is a really fair warning to all of us who are teachers and preachers and leaders in the church – are we making the Bible easier to understand or harder?  This isn't just in what we say but also in what we do.   One thing I think God has taught me through this passage is that I need to humble myself and make sure my whole heart is right with God.  Think about it.  The Pharisees thought they were doing it all right.  They thought that what they were doing was what made them acceptable to God.  They thought they were being righteous gatekeepers.  And Jesus said, YOU ARE TOTALLY MISSING THE POINT!  Jesus saved his harshest words for the religious people and last time I checked, that's us. Y'all, it is so very easy to be religious, it is a lot harder to be loving.  It is so very easy to “do the stuff that appears to make us look like good Christians.”  It's a lot harder to do the stuff that actually makes us good Christians, to really, really love God and to really, really love others and to acknowledge that those two things can't be separated.    Jesus could care less about the outside.  He doesn't care about steeples.  He doesn't care about stain-glass windows.  He doesn't care about the façade we present to the world.  He doesn't care if I wear a nice dress and heels.  None of that matters to him.  He cares about our hearts.  He can see our hearts.  He knows us through and through.  He knows what we value.  He knows what we think about others.  He knows.  He doesn't just see the outside of us.  He sees us.  The Pharisees believed the lie that God sees as man sees.  They were wrong.  God sees with ex-ray vision the true nature of our soul.    And that sends me to the foot of the cross.  More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

Daily Dose of Hope August 25, 2025   Scripture – Luke 11:1-13   Prayer:  Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us.  Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen.    Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we dive into the first portion of Luke 11.   Today, we have some very important teaching on prayer.  On one hand, prayer is simple–its talking to God. It is basic, it's central to who we are as Christ-followers. For Christians, prayer is as necessary as breathing. You can't maintain a relationship with anyone without communication, the same is true with God.   On the other hand, prayer is complicated.  What exactly should we pray for and what should we not pray for?  Do we always pray for healing?  Do we pray to get that new job?  Do we pray for our favorite team to win?  That seems a bit self-serving.  And while prayer is simply talking to God, are there certain ways we should go about it?  In the Sermon on the Mount, we know Jesus says not to pray like the Pharisees who stand in public and pray loud, flowery prayers, to receive attention and admiration from others.  Prayer is never about impressing others.  It's always about sincerely connecting with God.    So, for what are we supposed to pray? How does God want us to pray?    There is so much we don't understand about prayer. But the disciples were in the same boat. In our scripture today, the disciples saw Jesus praying and asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray.  And Jesus gives them a beautiful template for how to pray intentionally and for what to include in that prayer.  Of course, we call this the Lord's Prayer.   This is how Jesus breaks it down:   ·      Our Father in heaven – Jesus teaches us to start the  prayer with some kind of words about who God is to us.  He is my father in heaven. We tend to think of heaven as far off place, but in Greek, the word heaven was equivalent to the sky and all that is in it.  By saying my father in heaven means that God is close to me.   ·      Hallowed be your name – Here we are saying that God is holy, he is worthy, and we give thanks for all he has done for us.   ·      Your kingdom come – We've talked a lot about God's Kingdom so you know the Kingdom was the way God always intended his world to be, it is the place where Jesus is ruler and his values are in practice – love, justice, mercy, righteousness, and so forth.  In saying this, we are asking to be part of making God's Kingdom a reality right here, right now.   ·      Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven - What I find interesting is that we haven't asked God for anything yet! We are half-way through this prayer template and we haven't even gotten to a list of stuff we want or need. We've just been affirming who God is, thanking him, and praying that we can be part of making his will a reality here on earth.   ·      Give us today our daily bread – Now we are getting to the asking. But notice, we aren't asking for filet mignon, it's simply our daily bread. It's asking God to provide for us what we need for today. This is where we struggle in western culture at times, asking for what we need and what is good for us, not everything we want.  I certainly ask God for what I want (probably too often really) but when I do, I have to recognize that he is going to do what is best for me.  There is a much bigger picture that I can't see.   ·      And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors - Unconfessed sin drives a wedge in our relationship with God.  Unforgiveness does the same.  It breeds bitterness; it's like a poison that can move throughout the body.    ·      And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one - Although God doesn't tempt us, we recognize that we are easily tempted, and we need God to help direct our paths.    This is a wonderful template that allows us to be sincere and intentional in our prayers.  It includes important elements that encourage us to acknowledge who God is to us, making his Kingdom a reality on earth, not allowing our asking to get too extravagant, being sure to address forgiveness, and even thinking about temptations.  I want us to be careful, though, about not getting legalistic about it.  Jesus isn't saying that every single prayer must follow this format.  His disciples have asked for help in praying and he is offering them some guidance.  But we can look at Jesus' prayers to the Father and see that he doesn't always pray exactly like this.  Sometimes, we simply need to pray what's on our heart.   What else do we learn from today's reading about prayer?  Well, Jesus continues with some parables.  He tells a story about a man who needs some bread for a friend who is visiting.  He goes to the neighbor's house and asks for bread but the neighbor doesn't want to be bothered.  It was late and the kids were in bed.  But the man keeps banging on the door until the neighbor gets up and gives him the bread he needed.    Pray persistently.  Keep on praying, don't just pray one time and stop. If you truly need something, if God has laid it on your heart, then don't stop praying. How often have we prayed and prayed for something and then stopped?  It seems God isn't listening or isn't willing to give us this desire.  But Jesus is clear – don't get disappointed and don't stop praying.  Be the annoying neighbor who keeps banging on God's door.   We also learn to pray expectantly.  Ask, seek, knock.  Pray expecting that God will answer your prayer. I can remember a woman in Cuba who prayed for help with her business.  She pleaded with the Lord to offer her assistance so she could earn money and care for her family.  She just knew that God would do this for her.  And then we arrived not long after and gave her some assistance to get started.    And yet, this is difficult scripture. Some of you might be thinking, “Well, I prayed for my mother, or my son, or my husband to be healed and I prayed both persistently and expectantly, and it didn't work. Things didn't turn out, the relationship is still broken, or they still succumbed to their illness.  My own dad was convinced that God would heal him from ALS.  He told everyone who would listen that God was going to heal him.  But he did die an earthly death, just two years after his diagnosis. I believe he did receive a healing; it just wasn't the earthly healing we all desired.   What are we to make of this?  I think part of it is understanding the context. Just as Jesus often used parables in his teaching, he also used hyperbole.  Hyperbole, as many of you know, is an overstatement or an exaggeration, and this was a common way of explaining things at that time, in that particular culture.  We, on the other hand, are products of twenty-first century modern life. In our culture, we tend to read everything very literally. And this isn't a bad thing–we just need to consider that Jesus was trying to make a point.   The reality is that this world would be even more chaotic if Jesus' words on prayer were meant to be taken literally. For instance, if we could just pray to have money and it appeared, well, then why work? If we could just pray to have an A on a test without studying for it, then everyone would have A's and grades wouldn't really have much meaning. That doesn't mean we don't pray, and it doesn't mean we don't pray boldly, because God intends for us to do so, but it means we know that prayer isn't a get rich quick scheme or a way to get all our dreams to come true.  It is a way to communicate with and get closer to God, a way for God to sustain us, a way to know that God is always with us. Pray expectantly because prayer does change things, but not always the way we want them to be changed. Pray expectantly because God always answers prayers, sometimes just not the way we want them to be answered.    There are certainly examples of unanswered prayer in the New Testament.  The most obvious one is the apostle Paul, the greatest Christian missionary of all time. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul speaks of having a thorn in his flesh and pleading with God to take it away.  We don't know what this thorn was, but we do know it was extremely painful.  Paul says this, beginning in verse 8, “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”   Paul, although he prayed hard for this thorn to be removed, eventually came to the place in which he knew God would not remove this malady because it would help him grow into the person God wanted him to be. He also rested in the assurance that although he had to deal with this weakness, God would walk with him every step of the way.   Then, there is the incredible example of Jesus in his last hours in Luke 22, praying for God to remove the cup from him, to take away the terrible suffering and death he would experience the next day – trial, torture, and then the cross. But we know God did not take that cup from him...rather, it was used to redeem the world.   Really, I think the bottom line is that prayer is an act of surrender. In our on-going relationship with God, it's an act of trust.  There is really no other way to put it.  We are declaring, “You are my God, I am your child. I need you.”  Tim Keller, a brilliant pastor and writer, wrote this, “To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.”   That's probably more than enough for today.  Let's chat again tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope August 22, 2025   Scripture – Luke 10:25-42   Prayer:  Lord, How we need you.  Thank you for your presence, thank you for the way you continue to pursue us.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Happy Friday!  Today, we dive into the second half of Luke 10.   The first portion of today's reading is the parable of the Good Samaritan.  The story begins with an expert in religious law asking Jesus, “What should I do to inherit eternal life?” It's possible this lawyer/religious academic type is actually trying to trap Jesus.  These guys tended to think Jesus had a low regard for Law. But this man didn't realize that Jesus was actually smarter than him. Jesus answers, “What does the law say?” As you know, the Old Testament law is really long and rather than just starting to read the whole law in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, it was not uncommon to summarize it with two precepts: ·      Deut. 6:5 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with your soul and with all your strength.” ·      Lev. 19:18 says, “...love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”   Now, these are really, really hard principles.  The law expert, a smart man, would have known there was really no way for him to obey this law on his own. But he wanted to justify himself.  He wanted to keep trying to find a way that he could obey the law in his own power, so he asks Jesus, “Well, who is my neighbor?”  And, as we know, Jesus uses this opportunity to share a parable.    He says that a man was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Now, the first thing we need to understand about this road is that it was really, really dangerous. Think more dangerous than Nebraska Ave. at midnight. But there weren't a whole lot of options so people did it. Now part of what made the road so dangerous was its geography. It was 17 miles long and drops 3,000 ft. during those 17 miles. The geography also lended itself to lots of caves and nooks where bands of thieves and robbers could hang out and just wait for their next victim.   What's kind of interesting here is that Jesus does not give us a lot of information about the man who is traveling. The people Jesus was speaking to would probably automatically assume the man was a Jew like them. What we do know is that he was beaten, stripped, is probably unconscious, beaten, bloodied, and is unidentifiable. The guy was left for dead.   Now, the first man that walks by this poor guy, lying half-dead on the road, is a priest, a man of God. The Scripture says that “he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by.” Then a temple assistant, a Levite, walked by. This time, we are given information that he looked at the man lying there, but he also decided to walk to the other side and pass the dying man without providing any help.   Next comes a Samaritan man. Many of you know that the Samaritans were despised by the Jews. 800 years before Jesus, the Northern Kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians. What the Assyrians did was disperse the Jews living there and sent groups of pagan peoples to settle in the area. The result was a lot of intermarrying between the Jews and these other people groups. So, the “purer” Jews, from the Southern Kingdom, considered the Samaritans half-breeds and looked on them with extreme contempt. In fact, the relationship between the Jews and Samaritans could probably best be described by the relationship between Jews and Palestinians – conflict, violence, and hatred.   The Samaritan finds the man half-dead along the road and he decides to care for him. He treats the man's wounds, puts him on a donkey, and carries him off to an inn. He pays for his care and makes sure that he is nursed back to health. He offers over the top kindness, the kind that is never expected and never could be repaid.   Okay, let's start with the most obvious questions.  Why did the priest and Levite walk by the dying man?  Why did the neglect someone who was obviously suffering?  Well, it would have made them ritually unclean to come into contact with blood.  They were afraid of that.  They would have found it time-consuming and maybe even embarrassing to arrive at the Temple and say, “Hey, guys, I'm unclean, can't do my work today.”    There was also the fear of physical harm (are the guys who robbed him still around?) and the reality of inconvenience.  All of these are excuses that could have been overcome and dealt with but they weren't willing to do it.   The Samaritan man could have been plagued by the same fears. He could have been attacked, he dealt with inconvenience, he gave sacrificially in order to save this man's life. But he did it anyway.  And that is what we are called to do.  What does it mean to be a neighbor?  It means being like this Samaritan.  It means dealing with the mess, the risk, and the inconvenience to show love and mercy to another person.   The last portion of today's reading is the story of Mary and Martha.  I think we often misunderstand this story. Afterall, the problem with Martha is not that she is busy serving and providing hospitality. Certainly, Jesus commends this kind of service to neighbor many times, notably in the parable of the Good Samaritan that we just read. The problem with Martha is not her serving, but rather that she is worried and distracted. She is fluttering about, messing with the food preparations, legitimately more concerned with finishing dinner than anything else.   Martha's distraction and worry leave no room for the most important aspect of hospitality--gracious attention to the guest. In fact, she breaks all the rules of hospitality by trying to embarrass her sister in front of her guest and by asking her guest to intervene in a family dispute. She even goes so far as to accuse Jesus of not caring about her (Lord, do you not care...?). Martha's worry and distraction prevent her from being truly present with Jesus. She has missed out on the “one thing needed” for true hospitality: listening to your guest (especially if the guest is Jesus!) Jesus says that Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.   Jesus' words to Martha may be seen as an invitation rather than a rebuke. Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. The one thing needed is for Martha to receive the gracious presence of Jesus, to listen to his words, to know that she is valued not for what she does or how well she does it, but for who she is as a child of God.   In a culture of hustle and bustle and over-scheduling, we are tempted to measure our worth by how busy we are, by how much we accomplish, or by how well we meet the expectations of others. We are often Marthas, thinking the busier we are, the more productive we must be. But being distracted and worried often gets in the way of our spiritual walk. Being distracted and worried gets in the way of us listening to Jesus.   When is the last time you sat at the feet of Jesus and simply listened to him? How often do you set aside time to just be still before God? Even Jesus himself made time, in the midst of a very busy schedule, to be alone with God. We know that God calls us to be listeners of his Word and doers of the Word. But how often do we participate in activities without really soaking up God first? When we do that, we are bound to serve without joy, with pride, for the wrong reasons.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope August 21, 2025   Scripture – Luke 10:1-24   Prayer:  King Jesus, We come to you today with praise and lifting your name high.  You are a Lord of love, mercy, and forgiveness.  Thank you so much for allowing us to experience those things in you.  Also, Lord, thank you for showing us a new way of doing life.  The ways of this world are empty and temporal but your ways are eternal and fulfilling.  Help us remember who and whose we are.  Help us live like the people you have called us to be.  We love you.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we start Luke 10.   In chapter 9, we read about Jesus sending out the twelve to teach about the Kingdom, heal, and cast out demons.  In today's reading, Jesus sends out seventy-two other disciples, working in pairs, to all the towns and places he planned to visit.  Similar to when he sent out the twelve, they were to stay where they were welcomed, bless those homes, and quickly leave those places that didn't care to have them.  Jesus couldn't possibly go everywhere and see everyone so he taught, he mentored, and then he delegated.  These disciples were to very literally show the people a new way of doing life – the Jesus way.    Jesus sent his followers out in small groups and in larger groups.  Consider these two verses from John: John 17:18, Praying to the Father, Jesus says, “Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.” John 20:21, Speaking to his disciples, he says, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”   We who follow Jesus are a sent people, then and now.  Just as Jesus was sent into the world by God, we are sent on mission together – to keep doing the work of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, to both proclaim and live out the Kingdom of God, and to alert people to the reign of Christ right here, right now.  Jesus is King and we are to live like it.  This Scripture from Luke gives us a great template to follow.  Go, share, proclaim, heal, pray, and teach.  If someone does not receive you well, don't sit around and worry about it.  Keep going.  Keep sharing, keep proclaiming, keep healing, keep praying, and keep teaching.    These were Jesus' instructions to the seventy-two disciples: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest and ask him to send more workers into the fields...go proclaim the Kingdom of God.”  Pray for more people to help and then go proclaim the Kingdom.  Don't overthink it.  Don't micromanage,  Just pray and go.  He also told them that they were like lambs among wolves.  They were going, knowing it might not be safe and knowing they would be vulnerable.  But it didn't keep them from going.    How often does fear or risk keep us from sharing and proclaiming the Gospel?    Here's a very practical question:  How do we alert people to the reign of Christ, to the Kingdom of God, right now? How do we live out this mission of being sent?   I want you to think of your life as a movie trailer. What's the purpose of a movie trailer? A trailer is like a teaser for the soon-to-be released movie, and it usually shows the best parts of the movie. If a trailer does its job well, then it leaves you feeling like, “I want to go see that movie.” This is a great metaphor for our mission as God's people, for his church. Jesus' sent people are to be like a trailer for God's intended world, for the Kingdom of God. If the Kingdom is a place of love and mercy, then we are to a trailer that shows, through word and deed, that incredible love and mercy. If the Kingdom is a place of justice, then that should be clear in our trailer. If we believe that under the reign of God, “every knew shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord,” then in our trailer, not only do we proclaim Jesus as Lord of our life, but we live it out, and we encourage belief in Jesus where there isn't any.” In every area of our lives (at work, at school, on the golf course, at the baseball field, in our neighborhoods), Jesus' sent people announce and demonstrate that Jesus is Lord and King.    One more thing about today's reading.  Notice that the seventy-two return with great joy, amazed that even the demons listened to them.  Of course, the demons only listened to them because they went under Jesus' authority.  We also are sent, not on our own authority, but under the authority of King Jesus.  We go in his name and I think that's an important point.    Jesus then tells them not to rejoice that the demons listened to them but rejoice because their names are written down in heaven.  Rejoice because of who they are in Jesus.  The demons are in the distractions.  How often do we get distracted from the main thing?  How often do we fail to rejoice because of who we are in Jesus?   More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope August 20, 2025   Scripture - Luke 9:28-62   Prayer:  Almighty God, We come before you today, in the middle of our week, with both humility and gratefulness.  You are so powerful, so holy, and so wise.  We need you.  We seek you.  We are desperate to hear a word from you today, Lord.  We also know that we have failed over and over again.  Lord, forgive us for our sins, for the ways we fall short.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...Jesus, help us stay focused on you and your Word today.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to all my Daily Dose of Hope friends!  Today, we are finishing up Luke 9. I always mention Recharge on Wednesdays but today is a special Back to School Bash Recharge Night.  Kids are to be dropped off at the Life Center Gym for all kinds of fun activities, including inflatables.  Adults are heading to the main sanctuary at 6:30pm for worship and a special time of community.  Hope to see you there!   Now, let's get to our reading.  A lot happens in this chapter.  Let's start with the transfiguration.  We read about this in Mark and Matthew as well.  Jesus has brought his three closest disciples with him up the mountain – Peter, John, and James.  They think they are heading up there to pray but Jesus transfigures before them.   Luke says that Jesus' face changed and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.  Remember, this would have been shocking to the disciples, as they had only known the flesh and blood Jesus. We might expect Jesus to wear dazzling white robes and be all shiny and glorious. Afterall, he is Lord of the universe. But they didn't. Right before their very eyes, they get a glimpse of Jesus' glory and it was totally unexpected. Jesus was radiating the very presence of God.   Then, Moses and Elijah appear before them.  Here we have two Old Testament figures that anticipated the coming of Jesus, the final prophet to come and deliver God's people once and for all. Their work, their ministries, are basically fulfilled by the person of Jesus. They are servants of God but they weren't God. Jesus, on the other hand, is God and the disciples get a glimpse of that right here.   Not surprisingly, Peter struggles to simply rest in the presence of God's glory. Wouldn't we?  He doesn't know what to do or say so he blurts out, “let's set up three shelters–one for you, Jesus, and one for Moses and Elijah.” Now, Peter is referring to the festival of booths or tabernacles which faithful Jews participate in every year. They make structures in their yards as a sign of when God will tabernacle with his people. So, this might seem like a weird thing for Peter to say to us but it wasn't too off the wall. He is like, “umm...I think God is tabernacling with us and we need to make the shelters.” It seemed like a good thought at the time. What Peter doesn't quite understand is that before his eyes God's dwelling with humanity is present, for Jesus is the new tabernacle of God dwelling with humanity. The shelters aren't needed. God is present with his people through Jesus Christ.   Things keep getting weirder though.  A voice, God's voice, comes down from heaven and announces that this is his Son, the one he has chosen, and they should listen to him.  With that, the disciples were alone with Jesus and head back down the mountain.  Luke says they don't share this with anyone (although they must have eventually shared it because here it is, written down.)   We go from the transfiguration to Jesus healing a demon-possessed boy.  The disciples had tried to heal him but it didn't work.  Just as a reminder, earlier in the chapter, Jesus had already given them actual authority and power to cast out all demons and to heal the sick.  He commanded them to go and heal the sick.  Why couldn't the disciples do it?  Jesus seems to indicate that their lack of belief was a big part of the problem.  In the same story in Matthew, Jesus rebukes the disciples for the lack of faith.    I wonder what it would be like to be in the disciples' shoes.  Everything going on around them would be new and a bit overwhelming.  They are watching miracles, hearing powerful teaching, and pushing up against the powerful.  At times, they probably felt like they were on top on the world and other times, it might have been horribly uncomfortable.  We may, without even thinking about it, judge the disciples for their inability to cast out the demon.  But would we?  How is our faith?  Do we have faith to cast out the demonic?   It keeps getting harder.  Jesus predicts his death again.  The disciples still don't get it.  This is a lot.  There is opposition from all sides.  The Samaritans are mad that they are headed to Jerusalem.  The Jews are mad that they fraternize with Gentiles.  Boundaries are being pushed and broken and it's getting messy.    I was trying to think about what a similar analogy would be today when it comes to pushing boundaries.  What do you think?   Luke ends Chapter 9 with the cost of following Jesus.  It's high, y'all.  Maybe not if you are entrenched in cultural Christianity.  Maybe not if you never get uncomfortable.  Maybe not if you never push boundaries.  But Jesus has called us to something else.  We can't accept the comfort of the Gospel without the challenge of the Gospel.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope August 19, 2025   Scripture - Luke 9:1-27   Prayer:  Almighty God, We are in awe of you.  You are all-powerful and all-knowing.  You are the one who was, and is, and is to come.  We give you all the glory and praise.  We rejoice that you, the one who created all things, also cares so deeply for us.  We are overwhelmed by your love and grace.  Thank you so much, Lord.  As we think about our day to come, help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you...Oh Lord, how we need you.  We pray this in your powerful name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.  As most of you know, we are currently in the middle of a deep dive in the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin Luke 9   This is a great chapter!  Just as God sent Jesus to proclaim and demonstrate the Kingdom, he sent his disciples to do the same. He sends them into the villages, into the neighborhoods, into the places where the people lived. He didn't wait for the people to come to them–he sent them out. They didn't need a lot for their journey either. I'm assuming this was an act of trust. God would provide what they needed. If they were welcomed, they would stay and proclaim the Good News of the Gospel. If they were not welcomed, they weren't to sit around and complain, they kicked the dust off their feet and kept going.   Jesus sent them. Jesus sends us. John 20:21 reads, Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” He is sending you. He is sending me. The model is not to sit in a church building and wait for people to come. The model is to go into the neighborhoods, to go into the grocery stores, to go into the schools, the workplaces, the health clubs, the bars, the golf courses. You get the idea. We are to go. And we don't need a lot of stuff–we just need Jesus. Do you live like a sent person?   I'll be honest.  This concept of living like a sent person has changed how I think of mission.  Mission is not going somewhere to provide care or support for an underprivileged group of people.  Well, it is that, but it is so much more than that.   Mission is a way of life, in which we listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and recognize that God is calling us to share who we are in Jesus wherever we go.  Not just on special trips.  Not just on Sunday mornings.  We are SENT people and that touches every single area of our lives, all day long, every day, wherever we happen to be.    One other interesting thing to note about this part of today's passage is Herod's reaction to what Jesus' disciples are doing.  He is feeling threatened.  He wonders if John the Baptist has come back from the dead.  He doesn't understand Jesus or his followers.  Friends, expect people to not understand you too.  Don't be worried about that.  Just love them.   We go from there to the feeding of the 5,000.  This is a familiar passage which we have seen in the other Gospels as well.  The gist of the miracle is the same.  They are in a remote place and the people have followed them.  Not just a few people, but thousands upon thousands.  The disciples want Jesus to send them away.  Most likely, they are tired and hungry.  This wasn't their plan for the evening.  But what happens?  Jesus tells them to feed the people.  Here we get the expected reaction, “Hmmm...no way.  We don't have enough food.  We don't have enough time.  We don't have enough money.”  It's fascinating  that Jesus is putting the responsibility on the disciples to solve the problem.  You do it.  In Mark, the disciples complain “but that would take half a year's wages to feed all these people.”  So, Jesus talks them through it.  What do you have?  Well, we have five loaves of bread and two fish.  Jesus takes what is available and multiplies it.  This is such a wonderful miracle of abundance.  All the people ate until they were full, something quite unusual at the time.  And there were a lot of people. Saying there were 5,000 men means there were actually more like 15,000 people including the women and children.  The disciples were tasked with carrying home all the leftovers.  I'm guessing this was so they would continually be reminded that God is so much bigger than they ever could imagine, that Jesus will find a way no matter how impossible the situation might seem.  Jesus can take five loaves of bread and two fish and feed 15,000 people.  He can defy the laws of nature.  I mean, he created the laws of nature.  I'm not sure how many of you are currently dealing with something that seems impossible, that seems like there is no solution – a health crisis, a broken relationship, a financial mess.  If you hear nothing else from this devotional today, I want you to hear that NOTHING, no problem, is too big for our God.  God can and will make a way.  But, we have to release it to him.  We have to allow him to take care of it the way he sees fit.  It might not be, it probably won't be, the way we would do it.  But there is always a way.  We move from this incredible miracle to Jesus very pointedly asking his disciples about his identify.  Who do the crowds say I am?  And then, more importantly, who do you say I am?  Just like he did in the other Gospel accounts, Peter takes on this question with boldness.  “You are the Messiah.”  Boy, will this boldness be tested in the near future!    In Luke's account, Jesus tells them not to share this revelation with others.  Maybe he fears that doing do will accelerate the timeline.  But there is a timeline.  He will die.  He will head to the cross.  And he walks the disciples through this, although they don't really get it.    While Jesus knows he is heading to the cross, his followers don't.  And here he is telling them to pick up their cross and follow him.  They have no idea the cost of following Jesus.  I would say the same is true today.  We don't really get it.  We don't understand the cost of following Jesus.  Do we sacrifice?  Do we carry our crosses?  Do we experience pain and suffering for the Gospel?  Jesus said this was part of the journey.   What has your journey entailed?  Are you fully submitted to the way of the cross? Take some time today and pray about this.  Y'all, it's not easy and I don't have the answers.  But I know someone who does.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope August 18, 2025   Scripture – Luke 8:26-56   Prayer: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts. Today, we are finishing up Luke 8.   Jesus has headed to the other side of lake.  We've talked about this before.  This means that Jesus intentionally leaves Jewish territory to head into pagan territory.  And when he does, a tormented man immediately approaches him.  He calls himself Legion because he is possessed by so many demons.  He has been homeless for quite some time, living in the tombs, which I can only imagine are pretty dark and dank.  He is naked, another source of shame in that society.  We also know from other Gospel accounts that this man has been self-harming.  He could break his chain restraints and was unable to live in normal society.  His existence is absolutely miserable.   When the man sees Jesus, he falls down before him, crying out.  It's the demons within him who are crying out and they immediately recognize that Jesus is the Son of the Most High God.  They know his power.  In fact, they beg for Jesus' mercy.  Keep in mind that spiritual powers submit to the higher and stronger power.  They knew that Jesus' power was greater than theirs and that they were under his authority.    The demons also know that they can only live if they possess something.  They beg Jesus to allow them to enter a big herd of pigs that is nearby.  Jesus heals the man and allows the spirits to enter the pigs, all of which promptly run off a cliff to their death.    What's so interesting to me in this text is that Jesus totally and completely heals the man but the people seem to hardly notice.  I mean, this man's total existence has been transformed.  He has gone from demon-possessed, tormented naked guy, to a sane man who can sit and listen to Jesus' teaching.  Instead of being amazed by this miracle, the townspeople are scared.  They ask Jesus to leave.  They have seen his power and they are scared out of their minds.    The formerly demon-possessed man asks to go with Jesus, which makes sense.  He wants to stay with the one who has given him life.  But Jesus tells him to stay and share what has happened.  We will soon see that the man does just that.   But the miracles don't stop there.  Jesus heads back to Jewish territory and people are waiting for him.  A Jewish official is desperate for Jesus to heal his daughter and Jesus agrees.  On the way to his house, he meets the woman who has been bleeding for twelve years.    This is a story that we find in the other Gospels as well.  This woman would have been incredibly desperate.  Bleeding meant being unclean.  She could not go to synagogue; she really wasn't even supposed to be among other people.  Thus, she was separated from her community.  She was an outcast.  She was probably all alone by this point, poor, forced to beg to live.  Kind of like the demon-possessed man from across the lake, this woman also lived a terrible existence.    And Jesus noticed her.  On his way to this high official's home, he noticed her touching the hem of his cloak.  He stopped the whole crowd and looked for her.  In doing so, he transformed her life.  “Daughter, your faith has made you well.”  With just a few words, she went from being desperate and alone to being part of a family.  She is his daughter.  She is called out for her faith.  This means not just physical healing but also spiritual and emotional healing.    Jesus could have stopped there and it would have been a pretty productive day.  But he doesn't forget about the official's daughter.  They keep heading to his house.  The people say the daughter has died but that doesn't stop Jesus.  Jesus heads into her room and raises her from the dead.  A physically dead girl gains life again.   Over and over again, we see how Jesus brings life to places where harm has been done, where tragedy has struck, where illness and death have created desperation and grief.  The Kingdom of God is a place where the sick are made well, the hungry are fed, the outcasts are included, and the dead become alive.    More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

God Never Said There Are Many Ways to Heaven confronts the increasingly popular idea of universalism—the belief that all roads lead to God. Pastor Vicki Harrison compassionately challenges this with Scripture, grounding her message in John 14:6, where Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This isn't just a comforting verse—it's an exclusive claim of divine truth. The sermon reminds us that bad theology leads to bad decision-making and distorted views of God, often fueled by cultural narratives rather than Biblical truth. While acknowledging the emotional and intellectual tension this topic can raise, Pastor Vicki holds fast to the truth that Jesus is not one way—He is the way. Hell is addressed not as a scare tactic, but as a sobering reality: a place devoid of God's presence. Rather than arguing about who's in or out, we're invited to focus on our responsibility—to reach the world for Jesus Christ by sharing the Gospel (Matthew 28:19). If you're wrestling with exclusivity, doubt, or injustice, you're not alone. The message closes by calling us to trust in God's wisdom (Isaiah 55:9) and live out our belief that Jesus is the only way to salvation. Are your actions demonstrating that belief?

Daily Dose of Hope August 15, 2025   Scripture – Luke 8:1-25   Prayer: Abba Father, We come to you today with gratitude.  Thank you for loving us.  Thank you for wanting a relationship with us. Thank you for never leaving our side.  Thank you for giving us glimpses of how this world is supposed to be.  Help us to follow you more closely, Lord.  We need your truth.  We need your guidance and direction.  With every fiber of our being, we need you.  As we read your Word today and reflect on it, Lord, speak to us.  Help us grow closer to you.  Let us know where we are falling short so that we can be the people you have called us to be.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we dive into the first portion of Luke 8.  Chapter 8 is a mix of parables and miracles, truly a beautiful picture of the Kingdom of God. We get glimpses of the Kingdom here, the way God always intended his world to be.   Let's begin with the parable of the Sower. We read a version of this in Mark and Matthew as well.  In this teaching, Jesus is talking about the Kingdom by telling a story about a farmer who goes out to sow seeds.  The farmer doesn't worry so much about where he is throwing the seeds. In fact, he seems to be pretty indiscriminate with his seed-throwing; he is throwing seed everywhere. Some of the seed falls right on the path, where all the people walked and the soil was hard and had been packed down. So, the birds ate most of that seed. Some of the seed fell in rocky places (there are lots of rocky places in that part of the world) and while it would sprout, the soil was shallow, and there wasn't enough root for the plant to survive. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns were invasive and took over. The plants had no real chance of survival there. But then some seeds fell on good soil, which produced an amazing crop-30, 60, or even 100 times what was sown.   What is Jesus teaching us about the Kingdom of God in this parable? The different soils are important but they aren't necessarily the main point. Who is the star of the story? Well, the farmer is or the one who is sowing the seed. He throws that seed everywhere–he is generous with the seed, throwing it everywhere there is any chance it might take root. Friends, we are the Sowers. We are the ones called to throw seed. What's the seed we are supposed to be throwing around? The Good News of Jesus. The Good News is for ALL.   We aren't supposed to decide with whom to share our faith. No, we are truly to share our faith, in word and deed, with everyone. This is so important. We aren't just supposed to share Jesus with those in our congregation or with our friends who are “safe.” We are supposed to be kind of reckless, sharing the love of Jesus Christ, sharing our faith story, telling people the source of our hope, with all kinds of people: those who don't look like us, those we don't know, and those we do know. If God has brought us to a certain place, a certain store, a certain vacation spot, a certain meeting, trust that there is a greater purpose. We always should be on the lookout for ways to have spiritual conversations and share the Good News.   I've had you do this exercise before but I want you to think about your past week. Think about the places you went, the people you spoke to, the things you did. I want you to think about each of those situations. What would it have looked like if you had sowed some seeds at each of those places?   And yet, we aren't responsible for what happens to the seeds. We are just called to sow. Sow with joy wherever we go. Sow with love. Sow obediently and abundantly. Then, we trust that God will do the rest. Trust God with the harvest. For me, this takes the pressure off...we are not responsible for the harvest.   Then, there is the lamp on the stand.  It is meant to be out in the open where it can give light not hidden under a bowl or bed.  What is hidden is meant to be disclosed and brought out in the open.  Truth is not meant to be hidden.  The Gospel is meant to be brought out in the open and shared.  Another glimpse of the Kingdom.   Then, there is the interaction with Jesus' mother and brothers.  Someone comes to get Jesus to tell him his mother and brothers were wanting to see him.  And then he says, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice.”  As a mom, this stings a bit.  But even here, we are getting another glimpse of the Kingdom.  In God's Kingdom, the bonds that connect us go far beyond bloodlines.  We are brothers and sisters in Christ with other believers.  We are one family.  The bonds between us are strong, possibly stronger than those between biological family members.  How have you experienced this in the family of God?   Our final part of the reading today was Jesus calming of the storm.  This is another one we have read about in other Gospels.  Luke's version is pretty similar.  The storm is really, really bad and the disciples think they are all going to die.  And where is Jesus?  He is sound asleep.  The storm doesn't bother him at all.    One of the disciples wakes up Jesus, telling Jesus that they were all going to drown.  Really, his question was more like, “don't you care that we are going to die?”  How often have you asked this question–Jesus, don't you care? This is our ultimate cry to God, isn't it? It's a cry of fear, doubt, abandonment, rejection.  As a pastor, I hear it repeated in this community, in this church, in your own lives. Where is God? Where is Jesus as I deal with illness and pain? Where is God as I deal with grief or depression or loneliness? Where is God as our world seems to be imploding?  Jesus, don't you care? Where are you as I struggle?   Jesus calms the whole storm with just a few words and then asks the disciples, “Where is your faith?”  Basically, why are you such cowards?  You have seen my power and authority. You have seen what I can do. And yet, you are still afraid! I can't help but think he asks that of us as well. You have seen what I can do. I've shown up over and over again. And yet, you still have no faith? I mean, I'm right here in the boat with you. I'm not somewhere far off. I'm here, in the boat.    The disciples were amazed and marveled at his power, saying “Who is this?”  Without realizing it, the disciples ask the most important question there is - who is Jesus?  Who is this man???  Who is this man to you?   Who is Jesus to YOU?  To me, Jesus is God. He has been given authority over all things because he is God.  He is also my Lord and my Savior. But we each have to settle that in our own hearts.  Who is Jesus to you?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki        

Daily Dose of Hope August 14, 2025   Scripture – Luke 7:36-50   Prayer: Holy God, We come before you today distracted and with scattered thoughts.  Help us focus, Lord, on you and your Word.  Help us, in the next few moments, to be silent, still, and remember that you are God...Thank you, Lord, for your care and concern for our lives.  Thank you for how you show up in amazing and unexpected ways!  We give you glory, Lord Jesus.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Happy Thursday!  Today, we finish up Luke 7.   In today's reading, Simon the Pharisee and the forgiven woman illustrate two different reactions to Jesus. Simon sees Jesus as merely another teacher not even worthy of common courtesy.  He has invited Jesus to dine in his home, but he has not shown the typical forms of hospitality appropriate for an honored guest.  There is no water to wash feet and no kiss of welcome.   The woman, on the other hand, has a radical reaction to Jesus. She reacts with great sacrifice (pouring out the expensive perfume), and undignified affection (wiping his feet with her hair). The woman's reaction flows out of her profound recognition of Jesus forgiveness of her great debt. She is so very, very thankful.  While she is a sinful woman in that area, we don't have any information about her past.  Most scholars believe that this woman was NOT Mary Magdalene, nor is she a prostitute.  What's interesting is that Jesus refuses to play into Simon's judgment of her.  Jesus looks at her with compassion and even possibly appreciation.  She is showing extreme hospitality and generosity, exactly what Simon did not do.   Note that in Luke's version of this story, Jesus can read Simon's unspoken thoughts about Jesus and the woman.  Simon thinks to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”  So Jesus has an interesting interaction with Simon, directly confronting his thought.  He speaks to Simon about how those who are forgiven much are more thankful and those who feel like they don't need much forgiveness are less grateful for what God has done for them.  Of course, Simon's reaction comes from the fact that he does not believe he needs much forgiveness (i.e. he believes his debt is small). And he believes that all he has, all he has done, comes from his own effort. He's good. He's self-reliant. He might need God but only a little bit.   One of the greatest obstacles to being changed by God is not recognizing our own weaknesses, our own sins, and our own need for inner transformation. But when we recognize how much God has done for us, when we truly understand how much God loves us, how he has forgiven us totally, how all we have comes from him, then and only then do we experience the kind of gratitude and thanksgiving that this woman is demonstrating.   Pretend you were at the banquet, standing along the wall observing. What would your thoughts be about her behavior? What would you want to say to this woman?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope August 13, 2025   Scripture – Luke 7:1-35   Prayer: Almighty Father, Thank you that your mercies are new every morning.  Thank you, that no matter what this week has held, we can come to you and start over.  We are grateful for your forgiveness.  We are so very grateful for your care and your love.  Help us, Lord, to set aside our distractions, to set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you right now.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we start Luke 7.   At the beginning of this chapter, we meet the Roman centurion. This is such a great text!  One of the most interesting components of this story is that the centurion came up to Jesus at all.  He would have been part of the Roman occupying force in Judea and Galilee.  It's fascinating that he is presented in such a positive way and that he responds so favorably to Jesus and his message.    It's interesting that this Roman soldier cares so deeply for his slave.  Roman centurions weren't known for their compassion.  But he went to great lengths to reach Jesus and ask for his help.  In fact, this Roman centurion sends Jewish elders to speak on his behalf to Jesus to prove that he has been a patron of the Jewish people.   When most of us approach this passage, our biggest takeaway is the faith of this man.  And it's impressive.  He tells Jesus that he understands authority and chain of command because of his military experience.  He knows that Jesus has authority enough to heal from afar.  That is pretty incredible.  The Jews don't understand Jesus' authority but this Roman soldier does. Jesus responds in amazement at the man's faith and heals the slave.   Jesus is surprised to find such faith in a Roman centurion, faith that far exceeds what he has seen from others in Israel.  It's interesting that Jesus himself is surprised that an enemy soldier could be a model for faith for the people of God.  I think this points to how we shouldn't be surprised that faith can show up in the most unlikely of people and places.    The next part of today's reading always moves me.  There is a woman from Nain whose son has died.  Unlike the Roman soldier, she doesn't seek out Jesus.  She may not have known Jesus at all.  She was most likely consumed with grieving for her only son.  Thoughts of the Messiah and his healing were probably not in her thoughts at all.  Just all-consuming grief.    But Jesus has compassion on her.  He initiates raising her boy from the dead.  And this shows his power over death.  He isn't just a great teacher, prophet, and healer.  He is the Son of God.  Jesus addresses the boy's corpse with a sentence and the boy sits up and begins talking.  A miracle like no other occurs and a mama has her boy back.  I love this.   The last portion of today's reading was Jesus being asked about John the Baptist.  John sends messengers to ask Jesus – Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?  Based on his answer, Jesus is the one and he gives all kinds of reasons why – the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the dead rise, and so forth.  Jesus is already doing the things that the Messiah will do and they are beginning to see signs of heaven on earth.    Well, if Jesus is Messiah, then who is John?  That is what Jesus addresses to the crowd. By saying that Jesus is the one, that means that John the Baptist is not the one.  Jesus points out that John is truly a great man and a great prophet.  He preached repentance of sin and is the one prophesied to pave the way for the Messiah.  Why did so many people go into the wilderness to be baptized by him?  They were yearning for something he had.  John was offering them something they desperately needed – forgiveness and cleansing.  And now Jesus is offering them a different kind of Good News.   More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki        

Daily Dose of Hope August 12, 2025   Scripture – Luke 6:37-49   Prayer:  Abba Father, You are our Creator, Provider, and Sustainer.  Thank you, Lord, for wanting to be in relationship with us. You are a God who sits high and looks low.  You, who are over everything, also care deeply for us.  We are so grateful.  Help us do all we can to glorify you.  We desperately need you, Jesus.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish up Luke 6.   We are finishing up Jesus' Sermon on the Plain.  This is the Gentile-friendly version of Matthew's Sermon on the Mount.  Basically, Jesus is outlining how we are to behave and think fundamentally different from the world around us.  The first portion of the today's reading deals with judging others.  Judgement is something that has gotten Christians in a lot of trouble with the world around us.  In fact, being judged by Christians is one of the main reasons people say they have avoided the church or left the church.  This should be heart-breaking to all of us.  Something has gone terribly wrong.    Jesus is saying you will be judged by the same measure you use to judge others. Think about this. How do you want to be judged? I can tell you that I want to be judged with mercy and compassion. Jesus talks about not trying to take the speck out of a friend's eye without taking the plank out of our own.  Why do we obsess over others' specks, over their shortcomings? Well, because it's easier, it's more fun, but most of all we feel so much better about ourselves when we point out someone else's stuff. It distracts me from dealing with my own stuff.  I wonder if sometimes we don't even notice the plank hanging from our own eye. Maybe we just aren't very self-aware, or we don't want to be self-aware. We are happy being ignorant about our own issues.    We then move on to a tree and its fruit.  A good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit. So what is Jesus saying to us?  Well, a person's character is demonstrated by the kind of fruit they produce.  Someone can talk the Jesus talk but if they are generally selfish and rude to others, then we can be pretty certain that something is off.  I think about celebrity pastors or politicians who make a big deal about calling themselves “Christian.”  But they aren't honest, they are consumed with wealth, and they treat people like dirt.  Their fruit is rotten and we need to pay attention to that.  Character is judged by fruit, not talk.   The last portion of today's chapter is about the wise and foolish builders. Jesus says that those who hear his words and put them into action are like those who build their homes on firm, solid foundations.  On the contrary, there will be some people who call “Lord, Lord...” but don't follow his teachings at all.    Where do you fall?  Think about some of Jesus' main teachings: Loving God and loving other people, forgiveness (receiving and giving), repentance, believing in and trusting in God (recognizing that Jesus is God), being radically generous, and recognizing the Kingdom of God.  There is also caring deeply for the least and the lost.  Spend some time thinking about each of these.  Do you live these out in your life?  Are you obedient to the teachings of Jesus?  How can you take a step closer to greater obedience?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope August 11, 2025   Scripture – Luke 6:1-36   Prayer:  Heavenly Father, We come to you today praising your holy name.  You are a good God!  Thank you for caring for us, for walking alongside us, but  most of all thank you for Jesus, who died our death, so that we can walk hand in hand with you.  Help us live like resurrection people in the way of Jesus.  We don't want to get stuck in our religion.  We want to live transformed lives in Jesus.  How we need you, Lord.  We are stubborn people.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin Luke 6.  Our reading today contains a lot of substance and I'll do my best to do it justice.   We begin with Jesus' disciples plucking off heads of grain on the Sabbath and then Jesus healing on the Sabbath.  Both of these things infuriate the Pharisees who have made the Sabbath incredibly complex for the people.  They instituted an extremely complicated system of Sabbath laws of their own that was oppressive and legalistic. There were strict laws regarding how to observe the Sabbath, which included 39 categories of forbidden activities. This went far beyond what was required in the Torah.  For example, they weren't allowed to swat a fly (it was considered hunting), nor were they allowed to look in a mirror because they might be tempted to primp.  Basically, these religious leaders, with their own lists of rules, had made themselves lords of the Sabbath, thus making themselves lords over the people.    Jesus was pushing back against this.  He speaks about how David and his men ate consecrated bread from the Temple when they were hungry, even though it was off-limits.  There are times when rules make sense and there are times when they don't.  People are always more important than rules.  The original intent of the Sabbath was to give humans rest, not to create a heavy burden.  The Pharisees had lost sight of this.    Jesus then states that he is Lord of the Sabbath.  This really gets the Pharisees worked up.  By saying this, he is declaring that he has authority over the Sabbath.  Jesus can overrule the Pharisees' rules and regulations because he is the one who created the Sabbath in the first place.  He has the power to correctly interpret the meaning of the Sabbath and the rules pertaining to it.  Let's be clear, Jesus is making a bold statement about who he is.    Do you get distracted by our own rules and traditions?  And do those rules and traditions get in the way of doing the work of Jesus?    The next portion of today's reading has Jesus choosing the twelve disciples.  Notice how he spends all night in prayer.  The fact that God the Son spends all night in prayer with God the Father is something to which we should pay attention.  If Jesus needed time away to pray to God, how much more do we who are made in God's image but do not share His essence?   The last section of today's reading includes the blessings and woes and love for enemies.  This teaching block is known as Jesus' Sermon on the Plain.  While it has similar elements to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, it also is very different.  Matthew is clearly writing to Jews, while Luke's audience is mainly Gentiles.  It's for that reason that Luke doesn't worry about including references to Old Testament equivalents.   Luke is making a point about how God is in the business of turning human realities upside down.  The poor are blessed by God and the rich have already had their blessing.  The hungry will be satisfied but those who are full now will hunger later.  These beatitudes and woes are examples of a pattern we see in Luke --- God is at work in Jesus, turning worldly values upside down and challenging perceptions.  The mighty are cast down and the lowly are lifted up.   Thus, when Jesus then says to love your enemies, please know this audience would be shocked.  In the Gentile world, people did not love enemies.  It would have been a sign of weakness.  And yet, Jesus is turning things upside down, establishing a new standard of compassion that crosses religious, political, and cultural lines.    Notice this wasn't a suggestion.  It wasn't something that Jesus says to do every now and then or when it's convenient.  It's a command.  Interestingly, we find it hard to love good friends and family members.  It can be tough to love ourselves.  But Jesus is showing us all a different way.  Mercy for the those who are unmerciful, forgiveness for the unforgiveable, love for the unlovable – this is the way that God has chosen to transform people.  I recently read that we are the delivery system for God's healing power.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope August 8, 2025   Scripture - Luke 5:27-39   Prayer:  Holy God, Almighty Father, the Great I AM, Throughout all time, You are good.  Your ways are perfect.  Teach us your ways, Lord.  Help us to know you better, to know you more.  Lord, on our own, we are powerless.  We are desperate for your wisdom, love, and mercy.  More of you and less of me, Jesus.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts. Today, we finish Luke 5.   I realized when I sat down to write that yesterday I got a little bit ahead of myself.  Levi's banquet was supposed to be covered today.  I guess I got a little excited about Jesus dining with the tax collectors.  Jesus did some pretty powerful ministry around the dinner table.  Keep in mind, in ancient near-east culture, who you broke bread with was really important – it meant that you accepted those people, you were connected to them.  Respectable Jews would not eat with Gentiles or anyone deemed unclean.  But Jesus continually scandalized others by whom he chose to eat with, with who he allowed to be at his table.  He very strategically used the meal as a way to demonstrate who he is, what he values, and what we are to value.  Levi's dinner was no exception.  He scandalized the Pharisees by sitting and eating with the tax collectors.   There really is something powerful about sitting around the dinner table with someone.  Even when we don't agree with the people, sitting and chatting over a good meal, building trust, is absolutely worth it.  Who do you need to invite over for dinner?   The final portion of today's Scripture is about fasting.  We don't have a strong tradition of fasting, but it is definitely Biblical.  Let's think about the purpose of fasting.  It's a spiritual discipline that involves abstaining from food (or something else, but usually food) in order to focus more on God and grow spiritually.  There is a lot of precedent in Scripture for fasting.    Let me start by saying that Jesus is no way condemning fasting in this passage.  In verse 35, he is making it clear that his disciples will fast.  In Matthew 6, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus states, “when you fast...” not “if you fast...”   But in this passage, Jesus is also teaching about feasting.  There are times to fast and there are times to feast.  When we feast, we celebrate what God is doing or has done in our lives.  We relish in the victory of Jesus Christ.    What is the occasion for the feast in today's passage?  Well, Jesus himself is there, present with his disciples.  They don't know it yet, but Jesus' coming marks the beginning of the New Covenant, which God had been promising for hundreds of years.  Jesus takes this a step further by giving some of the new vs. old comparisons.  He is doing a new thing.  You don't use new fabric to repair an old garment.  Likewise, you don't put new wine in old wineskins.  Jesus is doing something new and it will require a new way of thinking, a new way of doing life.  They are celebrating that new way of doing life with a big feast!   Blessings, Pastor Vicki        

Daily Dose of Hope August 7, 2025   Scripture – Luke 5:1-26   Prayer:  Lord Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, We give you all the glory and praise.  Thank you for being a God who provides.  Thank you for being a God who heals.  Thank you for being a God who sees past our brokenness and invites us into relationship with you.  Help us, Lord, to grow more deeply in love with you every day.  More of you and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts. Today, we begin diving into Luke 5.   This chapter's calling of the first disciples is a little different than Mark or Matthew.  It's not an immediate drop everything and follow Jesus kind of scene.  Luke writes about how Jesus is teaching and then does a miracle with the catch of fish.  It's a miracle of abundance and provision.  At a time, having enough to eat was truly a big deal, and Jesus is providing exactly what the disciples need in a physical sense.  It's in that context that he then invites Simon Peter and the others to follow him and become fishers of people.  Jesus wants to provide what the disciples need in a spiritual sense as well.    How do the disciples of 2025 become fishers of people?  By definition, disciples make more disciples. This is something we have historically struggled with as modern Americans.  We struggle with sharing our faith in a sincere, genuine way.  We struggle with living out our faith in ways that create impact.  What has been your own experience being a fisher of people?  Who is the last person with whom you had a spiritual conversation?   We then move on in the text to a healing of a man with leprosy.  I did a deep dive today on what it was like to live with leprosy in first century Judea.  Leprosy, also called Hansen's Disease, was pretty destructive to the Bible.  It is still in existence today in places and environments that are very unsanitary, but it isn't nearly as contagious as the stigma around it suggests.  However, in the Bible, leprosy was a catch-all term to describe all serious skin diseases.  And remember, any skin disease would have made a person unclean and unable to worship in the synagogue or even live a normal life (under the Old Covenant, a leper wasn't allowed to come within six feet of another human).  To make matters worse, it was generally believed that God inflicted leprosy on people for the sins they committed.    Being cured of leprosy would have been life changing.  The world would open back up for that individual.  As we have read through the Gospels, we've seen how Jesus would heal those with leprosy.  In doing so, he gave that person the gift of physical and spiritual community again.  What I love the most about this miracle is that Jesus physically touches the man with leprosy to heal him.  Of course, Jesus didn't have to touch him, but he chooses to.  Jesus touched the untouchable of his time.  He loved the unlovable of his time.  And he gives us that example as well.   The next section of the reading is Jesus healing the paralyzed man.  We read about this in Mark and Matthew as well.  This is the man whose friends lower him through the hole in the roof, because they couldn't get him through the crowd blocking the door.  They were determined to get their friend to Jesus.  They knew it was the only way for healing.  How determined are we to get our friends to Jesus?   Jesus gets bold in this interaction.  He tells the paralyzed man that his sins are forgiven.  Of course, this infuriates the Pharisees.  In their minds, only God can forgive sins and Jesus even suggesting this would be considered blasphemy.  Of course, they have no idea of who they're dealing with.  Jesus is God himself.  Jesus is God and God is Jesus.  His healing goes so much deeper than the physical.    The final portion of today's reading is the dinner party at Levi's house.  Levi is a tax collector.  That means he is an outcast among the Jews.  Remember, tax collectors at that time worked for the Roman government.  They collected the necessary taxes plus they took an extra chunk for themselves.  But Levi believes in Jesus and turns his life around.  And then he invites his friends to join him for dinner.   Jesus invites all of us to join him for dinner, even in our brokenness.  He sees past our brokenness and mess and meets us where we are.  What is important to realize is that he doesn't want us to stay there though.  He wants us to repent and move forward and then invite our friends to join us!   Blessings, Pastor Vicki        

Daily Dose of Hope August 6, 2025   Scripture - Luke 4:31-44   Prayer:  Holy God, We come before you today in humility and awe.  You are a good God.  You, who put the stars and planets in motion, also created us.  You care about the most minute details of our lives.  You have numbered the hairs on our head.  Thank you for loving us.  Thank you for caring so much.  Help us be put even a small reflection of your love toward those around us.  More of you and less of me, Jesus.  Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today is Recharge night in the Garage at 6:30pm.  Hope to see you there for fellowship, worship, prayer, and small community.   Today, we finish up Luke 4.  Jesus is now fully involved in his public ministry.  He is demonstrating the Kingdom of God with his teaching and healing.  In Capernaum, his chosen home, he heals a man possessed by an evil spirit.  He then heals Simon Peter's mother-in-law, and a whole slew of other people who come to him.  There were demons who Jesus casts out and they declare out loud that Jesus is the Son of God.  Jesus quickly rebukes them.  My guess is that it wasn't yet time for people to know him as Messiah.  There was still so much to do.   I want us to notice something.  After Jesus does all this healing, he goes to a solitary place.  Jesus gives us this great pattern of doing work/ministry and then having solitude with his Father.  No matter how busy Jesus is, he still seeks time alone to pray.  The lesson here for us is that the busier we are, the more we need to seek the Father!  We need times of quiet with God.  Every single one of us.   At the bottom of chapter 4, Jesus reiterates his purpose.  He says this in verses 43-44, But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent. And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.  That is why he was sent.  We touched on this yesterday.    I want to say once again that what Jesus was saying was radical.  He was saying that the Kingdom of God is here and he represented the Kingdom. He embodied the Kingdom.  He represented a new way of doing life, demonstrating the reign of God.  So everything he did–all his miracles, his teachings, all his parables---they were all intended to show what the Kingdom of God was like, what the new way of being human was all about.   Why did Jesus feed people? Because in God's Kingdom, in the kind of world that God always intended for us to have, there is no hunger.  Thus, it was only natural for Jesus to feed people. In God's Kingdom, there is no sickness, so Jesus healed people. In God's Kingdom, there is no discrimination, so he elevated the status of those who were rejected by society. He ate with the people that everyone else hated–the tax collectors and the prostitutes–because in God's Kingdom, every single human life has value.   In God's Kingdom, there is justice, mercy, and love. Thus, Jesus offered acceptance. He offered LOVE in everything he did, ultimately giving up his life in the greatest act of love in the history of the world. In everything he did, from the time he sat on the steps and read the scroll from the prophet Isaiah to the cross through the resurrection, all of these give us a picture of the Kingdom of God, the world that God intended, a world in which there is reconciliation, healing, beauty, and wholeness.   I'm sorry to harp on this but I want everyone to see how Jesus' ministry was not just about getting individuals right with God. That's part of it, definitely, but the good news of the Kingdom is more than “you can go to heaven when you die.” It's “you can be reconciled to God now. You can live under the reign of Christ and live life abundant.” Yes, Christ came to ensure individual salvation but it was one part of something much bigger. By dying on the cross and being raised from the dead, there was final victory over sin AND the barrier between heaven and earth was broken for good.  N.T. Wright writes, “The resurrection completes the inauguration of God's Kingdom...It is the decisive event demonstrating that God's Kingdom really has been launched on earth as it is in heaven.”   Okay, I've probably rambled enough for one day.  I can talk about the Kingdom for hours, fair warning for future devotionals.   Blessings to all of you, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope August 5, 2025   Scripture – Luke 4:1-30   Prayer:  Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin Luke 4.   The chapter starts with Jesus being led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit.  There, he was tempted by Satan for forty days.  Luke goes into a fair amount of detail here.  The devil tempts a fasting Jesus by telling him to turn rocks into bread.  The devil promises Jesus that he will offer him the whole earth if he will just bow down and worship Satan, but Jesus refuses.  He also encourages Jesus to put God to the test.  Just like the baptism, this is part of Jesus' preparation for public ministry.    Remember, Jesus was both fully God and fully human.  There is mystery here; with our human brains, we struggle to wrap our brains around this truth.  I certainly do.  It's in the wilderness experience that we can see Jesus' humanity.  He is truly tempted.  But he stays in line with God's will.  In his baptism, he has made a public declaration that he will obey God's will for his life.  And he stays true to that, even when tempted by the devil and his schemes.    I grew up in Christian traditions in which we didn't talk much about the devil.  I think people were kind of scared to talk about it.  In my previous denomination, there was definitely a wishy washiness about belief in Satan and demons.  If you didn't believe in a real devil, they were fine with it.  While they could not deny evil, which is a force that is obviously very strong, they were definitely hesitant to make firm statements about the source of that force.   After almost twenty years in ministry, I don't see how anyone who reads Scripture and lives out the Christian walk can deny the existence of a real Satan.  God has an enemy who is at work against him and against us.  References to Satan/the devil/the enemy are found throughout the entire Biblical narrative.  At least a quarter of Jesus' ministry dealt specifically with the conflict between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of darkness.  We are going to see all of this play our as we walk through the gospels.  Jesus was God with flesh on and he came to crush Satan under his feet. What Jesus experienced in the wilderness was spiritual warfare and as we look at this narrative in other gospels, we will see how Jesus uses Scripture, God's Word, in response to everything the devil threw at him.  He emerges from the wilderness victorious and ready to start preaching and teaching God's message of redemption, reconciliation, and love.    Jesus also gives us a great example of how to stand up against the enemy's tactics in our world.  We don't need to be scared but be prepared.  There isn't a demon lurking in every corner, but the world is full of evil and evil beings.  Be ready to proclaim God's Word, that is the only offensive weapon we have.  Keep following Jesus, stay faithful, but be prepared for opposition.    The next part of the passage moves into Jesus standing on the steps of the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth.  Let's start with some background to help us understand the significance of this moment.  Our God is a God of mission. His mission from the beginning was to redeem his world and restore it to its intended purpose. We see throughout scripture how God's plan unfolds. First, he pours himself into the nation of Israel, revealing his character, shaping a new kind of people. But, if you've read the Old Testament, you know what happens. Israel repeatedly disobeys God and eventually rebels against God until there is no turning back.  At this point, it seems like all is lost.    But at just the right time, God speaks through the prophets and the next part of his mission begins to unfold. He says, “It may seem like things are hopeless now but they aren't because someday, I'm going to send someone who will restore the people of Israel to me. This person will be a light to the Gentiles, and will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth and it will be obvious once more that your God reigns.” And then 600 years after that prophecy in Isaiah, once again in God's perfect timing, his mission becomes more full and complete through the person of Jesus Christ who fulfilled this promise of reconciliation and “making things right again.”    That's where we are pick up in the scripture passage for today.  It's early in Jesus' ministry and he begins to reveal his mission.  Jesus reads scripture from the prophet Isaiah, scripture that those present would have been quite familiar with.  But Jesus does something extraordinary after that.  He says, The Scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day.     Jesus is saying, “Guess what, guys? I am the long-expected redeemer. I am the one who came to fulfill the mission of God. To put things right, GOD SENT ME!” This would have caused a bit of shock.  But Jesus doesn't stop there.  He begins to tell them how the Jews have traditionally rejected the prophets.  They haven't recognized God's sent people, even when face to face.  Here they are, face to face, with the Son of God, the Messiah himself, and they don't recognize him at all.    But this only angers them and it seems that they may even try to throw Jesus off the cliff.  But Jesus walks right through the crowd, totally unscathed.   I like to think of this text as Jesus' mission declaration.  But what exactly did God send Jesus to do?  What was his mission?  This is the critical question for us.  In American Christianity, when we think about why Jesus was sent, we tend to say “to die on the cross so we can have eternal life.” That is certainly part of the reason (and it's really, really important but it's incomplete. It's not the whole story.)   In tomorrow's reading, we will hear Jesus say, I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent. Jesus was sent to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God.  And just a review, what is the Kingdom of God?  The Kingdom of God is anywhere that God reigns and his values are at work, anywhere where the world is working in the way that God always intended it to work. This means the Kingdom of God is present when values like justice, mercy, forgiveness, hope for the poor and oppressed, compassion, righteousness, are lived out by God's people.   What we need to understand is how radical and revolutionary this was at the time.  Jesus is saying that the Kingdom of God had arrived. He represented the Kingdom. He represented this new way of doing life, this new way of being human, a way of doing life that demonstrates the reign of God. And everything Jesus did–all his miracles, all his parables---were intended to demonstrate the Kingdom.    More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope August 4, 2025   Scripture – Luke 3   Prayer:  Almighty God, Thank you for today and new week.  Thank you for providing for us, caring for us, and protecting us.  Over thousands upon thousands of years, you have taken care of your people.  We give you glory and praise, for who you are.  Thank you, most of all, for sending Jesus, who moved into our neighborhood so that we could begin to understand your love.  Wow.  There are no words to adequately thank you for the sacrifice that saved our lives.  Lord Jesus, we love you and we thank you.  Help us grow in holiness, continue to transform us so we can be a better reflection of you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.   Today, we dive into Luke 3. I find it particularly fascinating how Luke begins by listing all the rulers of the time.  He is showing us that John and Jesus are doing ministry within a particular geopolitical landscape.  Luke identifies some of the most important rulers of that region. Tiberius was the Roman emperor from 14-37 AD.  Like many emperors, he was known to be cruel, corrupt, and self-obsessed.  His rule served as a significant contrast from the kind of Kingdom ushered in by Jesus Christ.   Then we have Pontius Pilate.  He was governor of Judea from approximately 26-37 AD.  Of course, we recognize him for his role in Jesus' trial and death, which also landed him a mention in the Apostles' Creed.   Herod Antipas is also mentioned.  He was the son of Herod the Great.  The Herod dynasty was set up by the Roman government to rule over the Holy Land.  They considered themselves Jewish, although the Jewish leaders might have argued that point.  The Herods in general tended to feel easily threatened and rule with an iron fist.  Herod Antipas was ruler over the region of Galilee and Luke refers to him a few times.   The high priests who Luke mentions are Annas and his son-in-law, Caiaphas.  Caiaphas was officially the high priest during this time but the presence of Annas still was clearly felt.    Mentioning these real people was important to Luke.  He wanted to show that God is bringing about salvation not in the abstract but in real time, through real events, real people, and in actual places.  It's in the messy, difficult, and complex event of history that God reveals himself and continues his work of redemption.   And the work starts with John the Baptist, who gathers people in the wilderness at the Jordan River.  He quotes some prophecy from Isaiah, suggesting that God's people will be restored among the nations (of course, no one quite understands how they will be restored.) And of course, John talks about Jesus, for whom he has been called to prepare the way.  John is a forerunner of sorts, preparing the hearts of the people for what is to come.  John has no problem speaking truth, he has some pretty harsh words for the people, calling them to repentance and baptism.  Keep in mind, repentance means a sincere turning away from sin and a turning toward God.  This is more than just being sorry.  It is a real change of heart and mind with a desire to be obedient.  John addresses the common people, the soldiers, and even the tax collectors, and how they can repent and begin to produce good fruit.    When John baptizes Jesus, it marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. This call to ministry was accompanied by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove and confirmed by God's voice from heaven. It is a beautiful picture of the Trinity. What's interesting and even a bit puzzling about this scene is that John's baptism, as I just mentioned, was one of repentance. It was for sinners to come, repent, and be cleansed. But Jesus was sinless. He had no need of a sinner's baptism. And yet, he chose to go through the ritual. Jesus sought to identify with the people he came to save.   This is a critical part of the incarnation, God coming to earth to become a human being. It's in the incarnation that Jesus becomes one of us. Jesus goes to the people, identifies with them, and gives them a real-life demonstration of who God is and how much God loves them. The baptism was simply the beginning.   The chapter closes with a genealogy of Jesus, according to Luke.  Luke attempts to trace Jesus' family tree all the way back to Adam.  While Luke isn't literally listing every single generation, he is making a point.  Jesus did not come to just save the Jewish people but all people.  We know from the book of Romans that Paul calls Jesus the new Adam, the one who restored what was lost in Adam's sin.  While Adam infected all people with sin, Jesus opened the door to redemption and eternal life for all people who believe in him.   Take a moment and read through this genealogy again, as well as the genealogy in Matthew 1. What are the similarities and differences? How does each author go about telling the story of Jesus' family?   More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope August 1, 2025   Scripture – Luke 2:22-52   Prayer:  King of Kings and Lord of Lords, You are an amazing God.  Thank you for becoming one of us.  Thank you for emptying yourself to take on the form of a servant.  Your name is worthy of all praise.  Give us insight, wisdom, and discernment, as we read your Word today.  Help us take this precious gift of Scripture and apply it to our lives.  We are grateful, Jesus, and we love you.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan.  Currently, we are working through the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are finishing up Luke 2.   Today's reading shows us that Joseph and Mary are good, law-abiding Jews. They visit the Temple at just the right time to give sacrifices for Mary's purification (done about 40 days after giving birth.) It was also at this time that they dedicate their first-born son to the Lord. The new parents offer a pair of doves or two young pigeons, which would have been the sacrifice offered for those who are poor or possibly middleclass. This just serves to reinforce that Jesus did not come from money or influence.   The Spirit leads an older man in the Temple, named Simeon, to greet Jesus and his parents. The Scripture says that Simeon was righteous and devout and had been waiting for the consolation of Israel. This consolation does not refer to the Jewish political hopes of conquering the Romans but rather the hope that will come with the Messiah, the salvation of Jesus Christ and the coming of God's Kingdom.   Simeon's song to God is quite beautiful. He says that now he has seen God's salvation, he can die in peace. Jesus will be a light to the Gentiles and the glory of the nation of Israel. It says that his parents marveled at what was said about him. Remember, they knew their child was special but as the sleep-deprived parents of an infant, all of this was probably pretty difficult to wrap their heads around.   Simeon then says this, This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too. This statement, which serves as prophecy, must have been a bit alarming to his parents. Jesus' message will divide the nation. Some will believe and others will oppose him. The journey toward promise-fulfillment will be a difficult one. To walk with Jesus will bring pain and persecution and many will in turn reject him.   And then there is the statement that Mary's heart will be broken or pierced as well. It is incredibly painful for a mother to see her child rejected. Most moms I know would gladly endure pain and suffering so their child wouldn't have to do so. Simeon is preparing Mary for what's to come.   The next portion of the chapter, about young Jesus staying behind in the Temple as his parents head back to Nazareth, is fascinating to me.  We don't have a lot of information about Jesus as a boy.  I'm guessing that while he was obedient, he may have been a challenge to parent.  He was brilliant, he was mature beyond his years, and he had a depth of spiritual understanding that his parents could not fathom.    But it's worth noting that when his parents noticed he was missing from the caravan, they went back to Jerusalem and found him in the Temple, listening to the teachers of the law and asking them questions.  The Son of God sat at the teachers' feet and asked questions.  Could it be that twenty years later some of these same teachers would be threatened by this boy's wisdom and influence and want to have him killed?    The final line of the chapter is intriguing.  It says that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. How can the God in human form grow and learn?  Wouldn't he already know everything?  I think this is where we get a glimpse of the incarnation – Jesus was fully God and also fully human.  I think of Philippians 2:6-7 which reads that, Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.  Jesus was the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, but he also gave up some of his God-like character traits as a human being, such as omniscience (he could not be everywhere at the same time).  I think this Scripture also indicates that he may have also restrained his trait of being all-knowing.  There was actually a need to gain insight and wisdom.   I would love your thoughts on this!   Have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope July 31, 2025   Scripture – Luke 2:1-21   Prayer:  Heavenly Father, Provider, Sustainer, Thank you for being the God who cares, who provides, who sustains, and who saves.  As we talk about the Christmas story today, help us remember how you became one of us, and lived among us, to demonstrate the full extent of your love.  Thank you for Jesus.  Thank you for your sacrifice.  Thank you for showing us a different way of doing life.  Help us actually live the way you taught us.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we start Luke 2 and read about the birth of Christ, what we know as the Christmas story.   We have kind of sanitized the Christmas story. It's a sweet story we tell our kids with friendly donkeys and smiling shepherds. But the world that Jesus was born into was a rough one. It was a world of poverty, violence, and division. The Jewish people had been expecting a Savior for 700 years since Isaiah prophesied that God would send a king–a wonderful counselor, mighty God, holy one, Emmanuel. They had been waiting 700 years! Things were tough. Living under the rule of the Roman Empire was no picnic–it was a violent and oppressive place; they were waiting for this one that God would send to save them, to rescue them from the trouble and darkness of their lives. They were restless, weary, and impatient.   And then, God sends a Savior in the form of a baby. Just like the world he was born into, the circumstances around Jesus' birth were troubling and dark. Jesus' mom was a poor 14 year old girl, who appears on the surface to get pregnant out of wedlock (we know it was the Holy Spirit, but can you imagine the gossip in her little town of Nazareth?) And toward the end of her pregnancy, the government requires all heads of households to go to the town of their ancestors to register for a census. That meant that Joseph, Mary's fiancé, needed to go to Bethlehem, because that was the town of King David and he was descended from David. Most likely, Mary didn't have to be there but she does go with him, possibly to get away from the scandal in her own village. It was a 90 mile trip, over hills and rough terrain, and it probably took about 9 days. In her 9th month of pregnancy, she walked for 9 days straight (no mention of a donkey in Scripture).   When they arrive, Mary goes into labor (surprise, surprise after all that walking )but there is no place for them to stay. We don't know if everything was occupied, as there were many people who had entered the city for the census, or they simply didn't have enough money to pay for a proper room. Mary has the baby in a stable of sorts, maybe not a stable like we think of a stable, but the place where the animals were kept. Some think it could have even been in a cave. But it was warm and cheap and she has the baby and places him in a manger, which is the animals' feeding trough. I'm sure this wasn't anything like Mary had dreamed about when she thought about starting a family. It wasn't pleasant and magical and peaceful, it was hard and uncomfortable and scary.   After Jesus was born, an angel, a messenger from God, appears to the shepherds and says, I bring you Good News of great joy that will be for all people. For a baby has been born in Bethlehem and he is the Messiah, the Savior, the Lord. These were the names that the emperor used to describe himself and now the angel is saying that the true ruler, the true Savior of the people, the true bringer of Good News and peace, was in fact this little baby. And the angel told them that they would find this baby laying in an animal's feeding container and wrapped up in strips of cloth. And then we go from one to many, many angels (the armies of heaven) saying, Glory to God in Highest Heaven and peace to all those whom God favors. For even the angels and all the company of heaven rejoiced at the birth of this baby.   This is a story most of us have heard many, many times.  So, what was the Good News of great joy?   First, this child was called the Messiah, the anointed one, the one they had been waiting for over a period of hundreds and hundreds of years.  Would this child be the one to save them?  Remember, the Jews thought they needed saving from their oppressors.  They had trouble wrapping their brains around any other kind of savior.   Think about what it means to be a Savior – someone who rescues another from destruction, ruin, or defeat. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that our world is quite a mess and we need saving. We can't fix any of this mess ourselves. If we could, we would have already done it.   The Jews thought the only kind of saving they needed was from their Roman occupiers.  But they had no idea that there was a deeper, more insidious need.  What do we need to be saved from? Well, SIN.  We need to be saved from ourselves, our brokenness. On the cross Jesus saves us from our own failings, from our own darkness. Early Christians called Christmas “the light piercing the darkness” because at just the right time, just when humanity needed it most, God sent Jesus to be light in our darkness.    And this, my friends, is just the beginning.  Let's see what else Luke has to say about the incarnation.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki