Podcasts about scripture luke

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    

Scripture:  Luke 15:11-32The Pulse ExperienceSermon:  7x70 The Walk Part 5Pastor Jay MaceSunday, August 31, 2025https://linktr.ee/thepulsewinfield

Scripture - Luke 4:16-30Thank You for listening!Follow us on Facebook Instagram YouTube Website You can contact us at office@newcovenantaz.orgMaking Jesus Christ the Heart of Every Home.

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    

Scripture: Luke 12:49-53 Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, August 17, 2025. Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

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

When Jesus taught, He often used stories—parables that cut through confusion and spoke directly to the heart. From the Good Samaritan to the unforgiving servant, the lost sheep to the pearl of great price, His stories carried Kingdom truths that people could not only understand but feel.Among all of His parables, one of the most powerful is the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. It's a story of rebellion, brokenness, humility, and ultimately the overwhelming grace of a Father who runs to meet His wandering child.This message, When We Wander, reminds us that:All forms of rebellion—whether open or hidden—lead us away from the Father.A heart of repentance and humility opens the door to restoration.The Father is always waiting with open arms.No matter how far you feel from God, there is hope. There is a way home. And when you return, you'll discover His love and mercy in ways that will change your life forever.

Scripture - Luke 13:10-17Thank You for listening!Follow us on Facebook Instagram YouTube Website You can contact us at office@newcovenantaz.orgMaking Jesus Christ the Heart of Every Home.

The Sabbath is about more than stopping work; it is about freedom and restoration. Scripture: Luke 13:10-17Sermon transcript: https://tinyurl.com/fbcjc8-24sWorship guide: https://tinyurl.com/fbcjc8-24p

In ancient times, the city gate was the place where justice was done, decisions made, and strangers welcomed or turned away. Today, our “gates” are less visible but just as real: the doorways of our workplaces, our communities, and even the screens where we decide whether to scroll past or stop and listen. Proverbs 21:3 (ESV) teaches us, “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” In Hong Kong, we know what it feels like to live in a city of gates with our crowded streets, MTR turnstiles, estate entrances, and invisible social boundaries. Yet the question remains: Who is at your gate? If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect You can find all timely and relevant links from this service on https://bit.ly/cc-links You can also find out more about us at https://communitychurch.hk/ ================ This Week's Scripture: // Luke 16:19-31 (NIV) // The Rich Man and Lazarus “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' “‘No, father Abraham,' he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'”

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  

Scripture: Luke 4:40The Pulse WV LiveA Network That Beats To The Heart Of GodTopic: Jesus Heals With A Touch-31 Days Of Prayer-Episode 17Pastor John FowlerWednesday, August 20, 2025https://linktr.ee/thepulsewvjohnfowler.org

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

Luke 12:1–2 “Fear” | Pastor Landon Churchill (August 17, 2025) Description: In this sermon on Luke 12:1–2, Pastor Landon Churchill of Freedom Fellowship (August 17, 2025) teaches about the reality of fear and the call to live with fearless faith in a fearful world. Jesus warns His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees—hypocrisy—and reminds us that nothing hidden will stay hidden. These verses challenge us to walk honestly before God, not in fear of man. ✨ Key Points from Luke 12:1–2 • Fear is real, but faith is greater. • Hypocrisy spreads like leaven—God calls us to honesty and purity. • What is hidden will be revealed; live openly before God. • The fear of man leads to bondage, but the fear of God leads to freedom.

Scripture - Luke 12:49-56Thank You for listening!Follow us on Facebook Instagram YouTube Website You can contact us at office@newcovenantaz.orgMaking Jesus Christ the Heart of Every Home.

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

Who Are You, Really? — With Mikhail Alfon | Echo Church In this powerful and deeply personal message, Mikhail Alfon returns to the Echo Church stage to unpack the question: "Who am I?" Sharing from his own season of radical change—selling his business, becoming a father of two, and stepping into a new career—Mikhail explores how transformation often shakes our identity to the core. Through the lens of Levi the tax collector and his encounter with Jesus in Luke 5, Mikhail challenges listeners to rethink how we define ourselves. Are we still clinging to who we used to be? Or are we stepping fully into who God is calling us to become? Whether you're navigating a major life change or wrestling with daily identity struggles, this message speaks to the moments when faith feels uncertain and the future unclear. Mikhail reminds us that true identity isn't found in our careers, past, or mistakes—but in Jesus, who calls us to follow Him and invites us into something far greater.  Topics covered: Letting go of old identities and stepping into new ones How Jesus meets us in our lowest places Being a light to our communities, not an echo chamber Why the people around us matter when our identity shifts Personal stories of transformation, parenting, and faith Scripture: Luke 5:27–32 | Matthew 9:9 If you've ever wondered who you really are or what's next in your faith journey, this episode is for you.

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        

What do you do when someone you love has walked away from the Catholic faith? In this homily for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 12:49-53), Fr. Jonathan Meyer shares how we can hold both the reality of division and the hope of Christ's desire for unity.   You are not alone. The Lord is with you. And He may be calling you to be the answer to someone else's prayer for a loved one's return.  

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

Scripture: Luke 12: 32-40 Click here for today's message by Pastor Kyle Scheideman.

Scripture:Luke 18:9-14, Romans 3:21-24, Romans 12:3, Isaiah 66:2“Being humble begins with understanding who you are in light of who God is.”Points:1. Reverence2. Repentance3. Respect

Scripture - Luke 12:32-40Thank You for listening!Follow us on Facebook Instagram YouTube Website You can contact us at office@newcovenantaz.orgMaking Jesus Christ the Heart of Every Home.

Jesus calls us to be ready in all things and circumstances. Scripture: Luke 12:32-40Worship guide: https://tinyurl.com/fbcjc8-10p

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    

Starting preschool can feel overwhelming, both for moms and our little ones! That's why Karen and Emily are joined today by veteran preschool director Lisa Lucas, who brings 20 years of wisdom to this conversation. Lisa shares how preschool has changed over the years, what kids really need to be ready, and how moms can ease the transition with a few small habits at home. Whether you're a first-time preschool mom or just looking for a reset, this episode is packed with tips to help your family thrive this school year! Episode Recap:Preschool director Lisa Lucas and Karen go way back! (2:45)How the preschool environment has changed over the past 20 years (7:00)Preschoolers are capable of a lot more than we think (14:40) Solid sleep habits and good nutrition make a world of difference (17:20)How can I ease separation anxiety? (19:40)How can moms support their preschool teachers? (26:30)The small chane that will make a BIG difference in your school year (29:51)Scripture: Luke 2:52 (NIV) “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”Discussion Questions:What were your biggest emotions or concerns when sending your child to preschool for the first time?Lisa mentioned that preschoolers are more capable than we give them credit for. In what areas could you offer your preschooler more responsibility at home?How do you think your family's technology use impacts your child's behavior, imagination, or attention span? What changes might you consider for the year ahead?What's one new habit or routine (e.g., sleep schedule, communication skill, attitude shift) that could help your preschooler feel more confident about school?How can you support and encourage your child's teacher/school this year?Resources:Grab a pad of Lunchbox Notes to start your year off strong! https://store.birdsonawiremoms.com/collections/gifts/products/lunch-box-notesReach out to https://birdsonawiremoms.com/book-karen-to-speak to have Karen come speak in your communityJoin our private FB group, BOAW Moms: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BOAWmoms

Jesus, there is no one too broken when it comes to your healing power. Keywords:Healing; demons; brokenness; wholeness; whole mind; Jesus; miracle. Scripture: Luke 8:27 A “best of” episode.

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

2025-08-03--0830 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning, August 03, 2025, in the 830 AM service.   Scripture: Luke 21:36 Matthews 26:36-41 Psalms 1   Notes: -Pastor Livingston encourages viewers to keep their eyes off of worldly influences and stay close to God in prayer. -Pray to Jesus to deliver you from things that keep you away from Him. -I must remind myself to give everything to Jesus and to be careful who I listen to.

2025-08-03--1030 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning, August 03, 2025, in the 1030 AM service.   Scripture: Luke 21:36 Matthews 26:36-41 Psalms 1   Notes: -Pastor Livingston encourages viewers to keep their eyes off of worldly influences and stay close to God in prayer. -Pray to Jesus to deliver you from things that keep you away from Him. -I must remind myself to give everything to Jesus and to be careful who I listen to.  

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

Scripture:Luke 15:11-32, Romans 3:23, Romans 10:13, 2 Corinthians 5:17Parable: a Fictitious but realistic story that communicates a spiritual truth.Points:1. The lost son. A. Admit you're a sinner, lost in need of a savior.B. Believe in Jesus.C. Commit to live as a follower of Jesus.2. The older son.What is our relationship like with God the Father?

Scripture - Luke 12:13-21Thank You for listening!Follow us on Facebook Instagram YouTube Website You can contact us at office@newcovenantaz.orgMaking Jesus Christ the Heart of Every Home.

When the things we hold onto for security fail, Jesus offers to anchor our lives. Scripture: Luke 12:13-31Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/fbcjc8-3s2 Worship guide: https://tinyurl.com/fbcjc8-3p

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    

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11

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

Prayer is more than a ritual or a measure of spiritual performance—it is a daily audit of our hearts in light of God's living Word. As Jesus taught in the Lord's Prayer, we are called to reorient our desires, surrender our will, and depend on God for grace, provision, and deliverance. True prayer awakens us—not a reluctant God—to His presence at our door, reshaping our priorities and transforming us into people who seek His kingdom above our own. In this way, prayer becomes less about tracking spiritual “progress” and more about being formed into the likeness of Christ through His presence. Scripture: Luke 11:1-13 NIV Jesus' Teaching on Prayer 11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father,[a] hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.[b] 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins,     for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c] And lead us not into temptation.[d]'” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.' 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity[e] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Do you understand what your heart is really like? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is saying that the reason we're inauthentic or hiding from other people is because we're actually being inauthentic with ourselves, hiding from ourselves. We're deeply uncomfortable with the reality of our own hearts. Jesus wouldn't mention hypocrisy in the Sermon on the Mount unless he thought it was a pervasive issue, something we're all struggling with. Jesus says this is the way we are, that there's a real problem and the human heart desperately wants to get into image management. Let's look at how Jesus shows us 1) two manifestations of hypocrisy, 2) how you can't stand to see what's in your own heart, 3) how you know the plank in your own heart is huge, and 4) how to remove the plank from your heart. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on April 18, 1999. Series: The Mount; Life in the Kingdom. Scripture: Luke 6:39-49. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

As soon as you hear the word relationships, right away you say, “Ah, relationships,” and you think of friendship or romance. But the main purpose of the Sermon on the Mount is to talk about our relationships to other people, to those outside of our close relationships. Right away, Jesus talks about three groups of people. And when we see how Jesus calls us to be toward them, we're immediately shocked and upset. Many of us will say, “First of all, I can't do it. And if I did, it sounds terrible.” And almost as if Jesus knows we'll say that, he tells us three things. Let's look at 1) the three groups of people: people who oppose us, people who are less fortunate than us, and people who are different from us, and then 2) the three things Jesus tells us: the difficulty we have, the inner dynamic we need, and the directions we're given. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on April 11, 1999. Series: The Mount; Life in the Kingdom. Scripture: Luke 6:27-38. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.