Podcasts about scripture matthew

Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 19 Scripture: Matthew 28:9-10, 1 Corinthians 15:5, Luke 24:13-49, John 20:19-23 Today we continue with our look at the events of the day of Jesus' resurrection and those who saw Him that day.  Pastor talks about the Gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and that their stories were written as eye witnesses .  These are the accounts of people who were there. Last class we looked at those who had seen Jesus first that morning, it was the women who came to the tomb and saw Him, but the first of His disciples to see Him was Peter - the one who had denied knowing Jesus 3 times during His arrest and trial. Consider the emotions that had to be going on in Peter's head and heart since his denial of Jesus and now he's face to face, one on one with Him. (1 Corinthains 15:5) What was this meeting like….very personal… Then Jesus meet s2 men on the Road to Emmaus, family members, but they didn't recognize Him. They tell Him all about the events of the women and that they didn't know what to think of it all. They were doubtful about the truth of what they had heard and Jesus says, “How foolish you are and how slow you are in believing all the prophets have spoken.” And then He explains to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning Himself.  A crash course in biblical truth! That had to be an amazing conversation! At dinner with them, Jesus breaks the bread and gives thanks and suddenly they realize that the man they've been with is the risen Jesus! And then He vanishes. The men run back to Jerusalem to where the disciples and others are staying to tell them that Jesus is indeed risen. As they begin to share their story suddenly Jesus is there with them and says, “Peace be with you.”  Jesus startles the group and some think they are seeing a ghost, and so Jesus encourages them to touch Him and then He asks for something to eat. Yet some still were struggling to believe what they were seeing and then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures. Jesus goes on to share the “cliff notes” of the Hebrew Scriptures to them:     ⁃    Messiah will suffer     ⁃    Messiah will rise from the dead on the third day     ⁃    Repentance for the forgiveness of sin will be preached in His Name     ⁃    Preached to all nations     ⁃    Beginning at Jerusalem The resurrection of Jesus is a call to repentance for the forgiveness of sins, to repent and believe the Good News. This message is for us today. A message we are to respond to. Not with half-hearted intellectual belief. This is about a lifetime commitment and coming to grips with the Living God who gave His only Son for us, raised Him from the grave and who will come back as ruler of all - Jesus. Jesus calls us to repentance and to believe the Good News of who He is.  We can see we are sinners and need a Savior and Jesus calls us to repent = change of mind and change of direction (a U-turn). How we live is a response to knowing we have a Savior and wanting to live for Him because God loved me so much He gave His only Son die for my sins, and so then I want my life to give glory to Him. Repent and believe is not a popular message in the American church today - It's not a message people want to hear. We tend to prefer that God approve of what we do rather than us to approve what God says. And what God says is what Jesus speaks. And He calls us to repent for the forgiveness of sin and proclaim that to all the world! Then Jesus tells them they are witnesses to these things. We are witnesses too. We can all share how Jesus has changed our lives. Then Jesus tells them that the Holy Spirit is coming. The resurrection of Jesus ushers in a new way of God dwelling with His people. They are told to wait there until they receive what God has promised to give them. The Holy Spirit - whom the Father had promised. Resurrection Day is the most remarkable day in history. A glorious day!  Jesus continues to open peoples minds to the scriptures today and continues to draw us to Himself.  And the Holy Spirit continues to be poured out! Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01 Up to Jerusalem is a study of the final weeks of Jesus' ministry on earth, concluding with His resurrection and ascension, using the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John together with material from ancient sources and recent discoveries. Up to Jerusalem is part five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. Up To Jerusalem is the story of the plan of God to redeem the world, and the story of a Savior willing to obey the Father's plan. As we study Jesus' final days, we will be impacted as we discover the Love of God for each one of us.  This study is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time.

Daily Dose of Hope June 20, 2025   Scripture – Matthew 15   Prayer: Almighty God, We come before you with awe and humility.  Help us remember all you have done for us.  We are nothing without you.  We need you desperately, Lord.  Help us gather our scattered thoughts today as we focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, help us remember that we belong to you.  Help us lay our worries and cares on the throne of your grace...We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  We are unpacking Matthew 15 today.   In today's Scripture, we are talking about handwashing and cleanliness but it has nothing to do with germs. Germ theory wasn't even discovered until the 1800s. So what was the hand-washing ritual discussed in the first half of Matthew 15? To go deeper, we need to talk a little about 1st century Jewish life. We walked through this in Mark as well.  If you recall, certain groups of Jews, such as the Pharisees and the scribes, affirmed two types of law. There was the written law (the first five books of the Bible – the Torah) and the oral law (the traditions of the elders/rabbis). Basically, the written law didn't have specific details so the rabbis, over the years, filled in those details with oral traditions.   There were Pharisees from Jerusalem who sought out Jesus. We don't know why these Pharisees had traveled some eighty miles from Jerusalem (a very long trip in those days) but there is some speculation that they had come to check out this Jesus character, this man who was healing, teaching, and saying things that were questionable in their eyes. They were suspicious and they must have also felt pretty threatened.  Remember the Pharisees were a strict sect of Judaism that believed in following the law in the fullest sense.   The Pharisees noticed that Jesus' disciples were not going through the ceremonial hand-washing rituals that were required before they ate. They asked Jesus about this. This was clearly an insult, it was more like, why aren't you properly teaching your disciples? Jesus has this interesting reply, he quotes Scripture from the prophet Isaiah: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me...”   I should note that there wasn't anything wrong with what the Pharisees were trying to do. They had purity laws which they thought were very important in following God. But Jesus could see past their ritual and into their hearts. He saw their insincerity and hypocrisy; it was all a facade. Thus, he sees this as a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Just as in the times of Isaiah, the Pharisees are giving lip service to following God but their hearts are far from him. They are concerned about the Sabbath being followed to the tee but they cheat people in the marketplace. They are concerned about following specifics of the handwashing but they aren't worried about the widow and the orphan. Something was wrong, truly wrong. They appear to be all about piety but they neglect compassion, justice, and love.   But this issue goes even deeper. Being unclean and being defiled was a big deal in 1st century Judaism. If you couldn't be clean (and a lot of regular people worked jobs or had lives that meant they couldn't meet all the various regulations to stay clean). If you were unclean for whatever reason, then you were ostracized from the temple. You were basically shunned from religious life.   Jesus is making a huge point here. Jesus is saying, “You are shunning people, you are telling them they are unclean, you are ostracizing them from the community, based on the rituals they have done or haven't done to be clean. But what you are missing is this: the things that really matter, the things that pose the greatest danger, are not external. They aren't hand-washing. They aren't meticulously keeping Sabbath. The things that matter most to God are internal.”   What Jesus is saying to them is that God cares most about the heart. I think we will all should admit that, at times, the church has looked a lot like these Pharisees. We've been all about religious activity and less about trying to be like Jesus. We've been about the external and not the internal. We've cared about appearances. We are putting up this great religious front but then being horribly judgmental, angry, or bitter. Friends, God could care less about your religious busyness. He wants your heart. He doesn't care about our ceremonial handwashing---he cares about if we are treating others with the love of Christ. And if we aren't, then all the ceremony, all the church stuff, it's kind of a farce. Why? Because God looks on our hearts.    The chapter says that Jesus withdraws from here to a Gentile region.  Maybe he was trying to get away from the people and the crowds OR maybe he knew that an important interaction was about to occur.  Here, we have this interesting and somewhat disturbing interaction with a Canaanite woman.  This was also in Mark, and it goes pretty much the same way.    When this woman approaches Jesus, she is breaking all the social taboos of that time and place.  Not only is she considered unclean but she is a woman alone trying to get the attention of a Jewish teacher.   The woman begs Jesus to heal her daughter, who has an demonic spirit in her.  Jesus' reaction is not what we would expect, as Matthew writes that Jesus doesn't answer her.  Did he ignore her?  Hard to tell but the disciples are pretty clear about wanting Jesus to send her away.  Jesus finally responds to the woman, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  It's possible he wants to see how she will respond.   Her quick reply is that even dogs get the crumbs dropped from the table.  Basically, there is enough of what Jesus has that he can afford to share it with her and her daughter.  And Jesus agrees, he sees her faith and heals the daughter immediately.  There is enough of what Jesus has for outsiders to be included.  God's Kingdom is more than big enough.  And that's good for us because most of us are Gentiles too.   Finally, we get the feeding of the 4,000.  This is where I just want to shake the disciples.  They just were part of the feeding of 5,000 men and probably 15,000 people in total.  Jesus has already shown what he can do.  Why are they doubting?  Why don't they start from an attitude of abundance, knowing that Jesus can easily feed these people.   But they don't.  They still have a scarcity mindset.  We better send these people away because we just don't have enough food for them.  How in the world will we ever feed them? Yet, Jesus has already demonstrated the abundance of God's Kingdom. And Jesus wants us to operate from the ABUNDANCE mindset.  He wants us to trust that he will provide all our needs and then some.  All our resources – they are a gift from God. Just as Jesus was asking his disciples to do in this miracle, he is asking each of us to do --- look beyond what's in front of you.  Look up from this physical, earthly reality and see that there is so much more.  I've got you.  I'm here for you.  Trust me.  The world tells us to be afraid, hold on tight to whatever you have, send the people away.  But Jesus is saying, “Look beyond the world.  Look beyond what's right in front of you.  Look at my Kingdom.” When you do this, when you trust in the abundance of God's Kingdom, then it frees us to be generous.  It frees us to not hold so tight to things, to allow God to use us to bless others, to care for others.  It's gets us beyond ourselves.  Friends, we are to be a picture of God's Kingdom to an unbelieving, hurting, hungry, anxious, fearful, angry world.  There is no plan B.  We are plan A for demonstrating the Jesus way of life to others.  Just like he said to the disciples, “You do this,” he is saying the same thing to us.  John 20:21, Jesus tells the disciples and he tells us, “Just as the Father sent me, now I am sending you.”  Remember, the Christian life was NEVER supposed to be self-focused, it's about giving ourselves away.   Have a wonderful weekend!   Blessings, Pastor Vicki          

God, you love, you save, you help. I desire all of that in my walk with you.Keywords: Trinity; ministry; help; empowered; Jesus; John the Baptist; triune.Scripture: Matthew 3:16 Celebrating ONE YEAR of Prayer Starter podcasts! Resource: The Spirit-Led Heart: Living a Life of Faith and Love without Borders

Daily Dose of Hope June 19, 2025   Scripture – Matthew 14   Prayer:  Abba Father, We come to you today in awe of your love for us.  Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice.  Thank you for sitting high and looking low.  We give you all the glory and praise, Lord Jesus.  Help us to be less selfish and more like you.  On our own, we mess it up.  We need you, Jesus.  We need you minute by minute.  Guide our thoughts today, Lord.  Guide our words and guide our actions.  May we look more like you today, Lord, than we did yesterday.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are diving into Matthew 14.  We start with the murder of John the Baptist.  We read about this in Mark as well.  Herod was an evil guy.  We can see there is little value placed on human life in the Roman Empire. Herod is far more concerned about how he looks in front of his guests than how he looks in front of God.  Then, we have the feeding of the 5,000.  This miracle is in all four Gospels so we need to lean in and really pay attention here.  After Jesus heard about his cousin John being killed, he decided to get away.  You can't blame him; I'm sure he needed time to grieve and he just needed some solitude.  But the crowds followed him.  You would think he might get annoyed but he doesn't. Verse 14 says, When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Jesus really doesn't miss a beat.  No matter how physically tired he is, he keeps taking care of the people, giving them what he knows they need.  Some people today might suggest that Jesus had poor boundaries.  He could have said, “You guys, we really need a break.  I'm off today.”  But that isn't what he did.  He had compassion on the people.  He tolerated and even welcomed interruptions.  He would frequently be planning to do this one thing but pulled away in a different direction.  But it was in those interruptions, those distractions that Jesus did amazing work, that we get to see God at work in amazing, miraculous ways.  He heals the woman who had been bleeding for many years because she “interrupts” him on his way to the Roman official's home.  Think of the man whose friends created a hole in the roof to lower their friend in front of Jesus and “interrupt” his teaching.  He was interrupted by a demon-possessed man at the synagogue and he heals him.  I counted something like 35 “interruptions” and it was in those interruptions that Jesus healed, taught, loved, and demonstrated God's glory.  Back to the miracle. There were roughly 5000 men there, which doesn't include the women and children because at that time, women and children would not be in the official count.  So we are talking probably 10-15,000 people being present.  When the disciples wanted to send the people away, they were simply being practical, right?  They were on the outskirts of Bethsaida, and the closest village would have been a several hour walk.  It makes sense that they would immediately think to send them away.  And they were tired.  And they were probably a bit annoyed and wanted them to just go away.  But that isn't what Jesus decided to do.  Jesus tells the disciples “You give them something to eat.”  This is so interesting to me because 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 the food multiplies it.  I often wonder if Jesus knew he was going to do this all along or it just kind of happened in the moment.  Exactly how it happened, we don't know.  What we know is that it happened.  Jesus took a little and turned it into a lot.  In that moment, we see God's Kingdom in all it's fullness.  In God's Kingdom, there is no sickness so Jesus healed.  In God's Kingdom, there is no hunger so Jesus fed.  Most of us are pretty well fed but that was not the norm in first century Palestine.  People did not get enough to eat.  Those 10-15K people that Jesus was caring for in Bethsaida, these were peasants.  They were hungry people.  The social structures of the day ensured that these people were always a little hungry, always a little desperate.  That way the Roman government could stay in control.  It was quite effective. But Jesus was demonstrating a different way of life, one in which “God” is on the throne, one in which all people are valued and cared for and fed.  I love that line in verse 20, “they all ate and were satisfied.”  That would have been very unusual for that group of people, to eat and be satisfied.  And there were 12 baskets left over, a basket for each disciple to carry.  I wonder if Jesus did that so that as they were carrying these baskets home, 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 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.  Finally, the chapter closes with Jesus walking on water and this fascinating interaction with Peter.  Jesus had been off praying, as he was apt to do, and he goes to find the disciples. They see him walking on water and at first, think he is a ghost. Peter, in his normal partly bold, partly impulsive way, asks Jesus if he can walk on the water too. Specifically, he says, “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.” So Jesus says to come and Peter steps out on the water. Can you even imagine what must have been going through Peter's head at the time? For a while, Peter does fine. He is actually walking on water. But as soon as he takes his eyes off Jesus, he sinks. Think about that–the very minute he looks away, gets distracted, and begins to doubt–he starts to sink. Think about your own life. How often have you taken your eyes off Jesus and begun to sink? The author of Hebrews tells us in chapter 12 to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. When we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we have confidence that we aren't alone, that God is present, and that there is a purpose to all of this. The very minute we begin to look away, the sinking begins. We become stalled. We falter. We forget who and whose we are.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope June 18, 2025   Scripture – Matthew 13:24-58   Prayer:  Holy and Merciful God, We come to you today rejoicing in your holy name.  It's amazing that you, the God of all, care about the minute details of our lives.  I mean, who are we?  But yet, you love us, you care, you died for us!  Thank you, Jesus.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Help us, as we move on throughout this day to remember your presence.  Guide our words, our actions, and our thoughts.  Help us hear your voice as we engage with your Word today.  We love you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today is Wednesday and that means Recharge Day!  Hope we see you tonight, in the New Hope Garage, at 6:30pm for worship, prayer, fellowship, and small community.   For our Scripture, we are finishing up Matthew 13.  This portion of Scripture includes many more parables.  Let's start with the wheat and the weeds.  Y'all, this parable is powerful.  It has really been important in my own spiritual journey.  Here is where I have landed on it...   In the parable, the owner sows good seed but the enemy comes in the dark of night and sows weeds. The workers are understandably upset and ask the owner if he caused this. This is actually a theodicy question–how can a good God allow bad things to happen.  Basically, God, we thought you were good, why did you allow the “weeds” to grow in our lives? As believers, it is okay to question God and ask why the horrible occurred. This theology of protest doesn't demonstrate a lack of faith, but actually is an “expression of faith.” It's okay to be angry with God, question God, shake your fist so to speak, but stay in the conversation! This is, in itself, an act of faith.   Jesus also addresses the source of the weeds–the enemy has spread them. God is not the source of evil–God does not cause evil to occur so that we might grow spiritually or to perpetuate some grander divine plan. Rather, God's enemy is the source of all evil. Matthew 13:39 refers to the devil as God's enemy. Satan is real and there is real evil in our world, which both inhabits and transcends individuals, families, communities, nations, cultures, and economic structures. Why doesn't the owner in the parable want the workers to pull the weeds? Because in doing so, both the weeds and the wheat would be pulled out (Matthew 13:29). God can't just do away with all evil because, whether we like it or not, we are all are a complex and confusing mix of both good and evil. Furthermore, this isn't how God deals with the world. Although God has the power to eliminate evil using brute force (the way humans might deal with it), this goes against God's character. God instead acts through the loving and yet “weak” power of the cross. God's answer to evil was sending Jesus Christ, the one who truly understands what it means to suffer and also the only one through which true and complete healing can occur.   But the parable doesn't end there. In Matthew 13:41-43, Jesus explains how in the end, evil will be vanquished; it will not have the final word. Although I firmly believe this is true, it fails to offer much comfort in the midst of counseling someone who is grappling with the death of a baby or a sexual assault in the here and now. What is helpful, however, is to point out how God's work in the world is often difficult to understand (think about the parable of the mustard seed and the yeast). 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 (power in the form of “loving weakness”). God is waging war on evil, just not necessarily in ways we see or understand.   It makes sense, then, that Jesus would follow up this parable with the mustard seed and yeast.  You see, in God's Kingdom, small things can yield really big results. A tiny seed can produce a big tree, so big that birds can nest in it. Seeds are really interesting things as well. They can reproduce themselves exponentially. It takes one seed to make that big mustard tree and from that tree, many, many more seeds are produced. A little bit of yeasty dough can be mixed with flour to make enough bread to feed hundreds of people.    God's economy is different.  In the world, our default setting, 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. Our daily prayers can yield huge, miraculous results.   These parables, along with the others from this chapter, all give glimpses into God's Kingdom.  What is it like living under the reign of God?  We are getting snapshots.    But that doesn't mean people get it or appreciate it.  As we read at the end of the chapter, when he went to his hometown (which we know is Nazareth), the people were amazed at his teaching.  But they were also skeptical.  He was too familiar to them.  They saw this boy grow up.  They knew his parents and his siblings.  It created an obstacle to belief.  So there, he didn't do many miracles.  He moved on.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Jesus, I feel undone when it comes to my faith.Keywords: Undone; weary; safety: mourning; spiritual mourning; Sermon on the Mount.Scripture: Matthew 5:4

Daily Dose of Hope June 17, 2025   Scripture – Matthew 13:1-23   Prayer:  Holy God, We start by praising your name.  You are a good God, a mighty God, and a wise God.  Work in our lives.  Speak to us.  We need you, Lord.  Over and over again, we need you.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional that complements the daily Bible reading for New Hope Church.  As you all know, we are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are starting Matthew 13.   Picture this: Jesus is sitting by the lake (Sea of Galilee). Large crowds of people have gathered around him, so many in fact that he got into a boat and started teaching from the boat while the people stood on the shore. And he begins to tell stories, parables. These were stories that people could relate to, they understood about farmers and seed,t hey could picture them in their head as he talked, but they pointed to deeper spiritual truths about living under the Kingdom of God.   Jesus says that a farmer goes out to sow seeds. But the farmer doesn't worry so much about where he is throwing the seeds. He seems to be pretty indiscriminate with his seed-throwing. He is literally just 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 of the seed 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---100, 60, or 30X what was sown.   First, I think it's important for us to not dwell on the different kinds of soils too much. I think one of our first temptations is to go, I know someone who is like that soil, and then that group of people are like this soil, and so forth. We'll get to the soil but I want us to start with what is most important. Who is the star of the story? Well, the farmer 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? Well, the Good News of Jesus.    The Good News is for ALL. We aren't supposed to decide who to share our faith with. 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, 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 - people who don't look like us, people who we don't know, and people we do know. This is one thing we know about God's Kingdom: If God has brought us to a certain place, a certain store, a certain vacation spot, a certain meeting---we trust that there isa greater purpose. We always should be on the lookout for ways to have spiritual conversations, to share the Good News.   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?   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, we are simply sowers.    As the sower, we truly have the desire for all the soil to bear fruit. That's why we keep throwing those seeds, having those conversations, offering to pray for someone, telling people how much Jesus loves them. God loves all people, we are called to love all people. Remember that love of God and love of others cannot be separated. They are intricately linked.   But we have to recognize that some soil has had people trample on it. It has not been nourished, it might be filled with rocks. It may take years to get to the point in which the soil can bear fruit. I read that to get soil just right, really nourished, it can take years. And it usually means continuing to add nourishment to it, continuing to add things to it to develop it and enrich it so that it can be fruitful. People are no different. We love on people, we pray for them, we tell them Jesus loves them. We listen to their stories. We ask questions. And this could go on for years. But we never give up on anyone. We trust that God is at work in ways we can't see or understand. We trust that God is working behind the scenes to nourish the fields, to strengthen the roots.   Is there someone you have given up on? Remember, God isn't done with any of us yet. Who is it you have gotten discouraged with? Maybe you've stopped praying for them. Maybe you are simply angry with them because they have made bad choices or turned away from the faith. Let's ask God to bring that person to mind. Say a prayer for that person, specifically that God gives you the wisdom how to continue sowing in their life.    We can trust that God is working in the most difficult places, in difficult people, in difficult circumstances. And God gives us beautiful glimpses of hope.  I recently learned about the church in Iran and how it is growing under the harshest and most difficult of conditions.  But God is there, growing his church.  These are rays of hope in the midst of hardship. When God is involved, when the Kingdom is at work, there is ALWAYS HOPE.   Now, let's talk soil.  The soil is an important element in this story. There were three ways the poor soil was described, “hardened”, “shallow” and “cluttered.” And then, there was the well-nourished soil. As Floridians, we live in a climate and environment in which you really have to amend the soil if you want anything to grow. We basically live in sand. There is no nourishment in sand. Weeds seem to grow well but not a lot of other desirable plants. My mother-in-law is an avid and successful gardener and she constantly is amending her soil, putting nourishing elements in it to ensure that the plants will grow and be healthy.   Friends, we have to pay attention to our soil. We need to enrich the soil in others' lives but we have to ensure that our soil is cared for as well.   How is the soil of your soul? Is it hardened? Is it shallow? Is it cluttered? Or is it nourished? How is your soil?  How is our soil here at New Hope?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

2025-06-15--0830 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning, June 15, 2025, in the 830 AM service.   Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14; Psalms 1; Romans 8:18; Revelation 3:17   Notes: -here is a narrow road and a wide one: one leads to heaven and the other to hell. -Jesus is the narrow gate which leads to Heaven. -If you accept Him, the path will become brighter.  

2025-06-15--1030 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning, June 15, 2025, in the 1030 AM service.   Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14; Psalms 1; Romans 8:18; Revelation 3:17   Notes: -here is a narrow road and a wide one: one leads to heaven and the other to hell. -Jesus is the narrow gate which leads to Heaven. -If you accept Him, the path will become brighter.

Scripture: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Key Takeaways:  + Two Destinies  + One Day + Listen and Live + Patience and Persuasion 1 Peter 3:14-16

Jesus, my compassion cup is low, low, low. Keywords: Compassion; caring; prayer, heart work; chaos.Scripture: Matthew 9:36 Visit www.tsuzanneeller.com/books to find resources to help you grow your faith.  

Daily Dose of Hope June 16, 2025   Scripture - Matthew 12:38-50   Prayer:  Lord Jesus, Mighty God, Holy One...We come to you this morning with humility and gratefulness.  Thank you that your mercies are new every morning.  Thank you that you continue to love and guide us, even though we mess up again and again.  Thank you for your patience and your never-ending care.  Lord, we are so very grateful.  Help us, on this Monday, to start our week with the right attitude.  We belong to you and we are under your authority.  Help us see others the way you see them.  Help us produce fruit in our lives.  Oh, Lord, how we need your help.  Please, Jesus, may we hear your voice today.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and the book of Acts.  Happy Monday!   Our Scripture reading for today is the last half of Matthew 12.  We start with the discussion about the sign of Jonah.  The Pharisees have asked Jesus for a sign to demonstrate that he is the Messiah.  Apparently, all the miracles he has done thus far aren't enough for these guys.  Remember, the Pharisees were even attributing some of his miracles to Satan.  Understandably, this request doesn't go over too well with Jesus.    On the surface, there isn't anything wrong with their request.  There are times in the Old Testament in which people asked God for a sign.  But Jesus can see right through their request.  Nothing he does will make these guys believe in him.  In fact, they are looking for more ammunition to use against Jesus.  There is nothing sincere about the request.  Matthew Henry writes in his commentary, "Christ is always ready to hear and answer holy desires and prayers, yet he will not gratify corrupt lusts and humors."   Jesus does promise the sign of Jonah.  The Jews believed that the Ninevites repented when Jonah preached because they knew it was the God of all who spoke through him.  And they knew this because God kept him from dying in the belly of the big fish.  In the same way, Jesus' resurrection will signify God's vindication of him and affirm the truth of what he says and his divinity.  But Jesus knows that even the resurrection won't be enough to make most of these Jewish leaders believe.  Their hearts are hard.    Now, let's take a look at the text about Jesus' mother and brothers.  I'll be honest, growing up I used to really struggle with this passage. It seemed so harsh! But deeper reflection yields a different perspective.   Can you imagine what it must have been like for Jesus' immediate family? We know that Mary knew that Jesus was special but did she really understand the significance of his life at this point? What must his siblings have thought?   We see in this text that his mother and brothers are wanting to talk to him, interrupting a teaching session. Are they chatting about Sunday dinner or do they want him to stop making such a ruckus around town? Again, we don't have details but it's clear they don't really know him as the Son of God (yet).   Jesus' reaction is a bit off-putting. As a mom, I might have gotten my feelings hurt more than a little bit. But he is making a point. Jesus' family has become much wider than Mary, Joseph, and the boys. There are no bounds to who may be part of it. Anyone who does the will of my Father is my brother and sister and mother.  Jesus is redefining family for those who profess faith in him.  Yes, biological family relationships are important but spiritual family relationships (and this might be hard to hear) are even more important.    Given the strong emphasis on family ties in first century Palestine, Jesus' words here would have been shocking.  But what he is saying is that believers should consider themselves family and care for one another like they are family members.  In the words of Sister Sledge, we are family.   The apostle Paul in his New Testament letters expanded on this idea of believers being a family of faith:  In Galatians 6:10, Paul speaks of our need to care for those in the household of God, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  Family was a big deal at the time.  People lived with extended family.  Who you were related to mattered.  You were under social and moral obligation to care for your extended family.  And Paul is saying who you are related to in Christ is also a big deal.  Those people in your church family, those other believers that worship with you, those other people who profess faith in Jesus --- these are your brothers and sisters as well.  These people are family. In Ephesians 2:19, Paul writes, Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household…  We are members of God's household.  We are members of God's family.  If you have said yes to Jesus as Lord and Savior, then God is your father.  You are a child of God.  And you have many siblings.  We are brothers and sisters.  We are family.  We are no longer strangers.  Think about those people at church, at New Hope.  Some you know and some you don't know.  Some you like and others you might not like.  But we are family and we will spend eternity together. And the early church clearly behaved in the way biological families behaved.  They ate together, they spent time together, they sacrificed and worked together.  Acts 2:44-47, All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.   They behaved like a family.  They loved each other like a family.  They sacrificed together like a family.  There was nothing fakey about this.  Notice it doesn't say they came together on Sunday morning, shook hands, and then went their own way.  No, they did life together.  It was real.  It was genuine.  And guess what?  God added to their numbers. Because people see that and they want that. It's no different today.  We have an epidemic of loneliness.  People are disconnected.  People are struggling.  Even those who aren't struggling are always looking for sincere, genuine places of love and acceptance.  The family of faith is intended to be a place in which you are loved, accepted, cared for, held accountable, belong, where you know people have your back, where you can learn and grow…. It's far from perfect because it involves human beings.  Over the years, the church has too often been exclusive, cliquey, fake, and judgmental.  Sometimes, we have been more dysfunctional family than healthy family.  We have done harm.  I think we need to repent of that.  If we at New Hope have ever been part of putting walls up, then we need to repent of that.  If I have ever been part of mistreating my brother or sister, if you have been part of excluding or hurting your brother and sister, then you need to repent of that.  Period. We are a family.  And families are funny.  Families are not polished and pulled together.  Families love each other, they are loyal to one another, but they sometimes get annoyed with one another.  They sometimes hurt one another (I am thinking of my own three kids – they love each other fiercely and yet, they can really push each other's buttons).  It's no difference with our siblings in Christ.  Family is a place where we do a lot of forgiving, a lot of extending grace, but it's also a place where we know that we belong no matter what.  Strong families are places where when you come together, you can just take a deep breath and say, “I'm home.”  It isn't the building but it's the people.  This is the thing.  When a church family loves like Jesus, people get a glimpse of Jesus.  When we care for one another sacrificially, people see Jesus.  When the family of faith sacrifices for one another, then people get to see Jesus in action.  Lives are transformed.  Hearts are changed.  Our faith grows stronger.  Jesus Christ is glorified. And the Lord added to their numbers those who were being saved.  Think about the relationships you have made within the faith family. Are they strong? Why or why not? What holds you back from creating strong, meaningful connections to your brothers and sisters in Christ?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

On today's episode of the show, we answered some listener questions that were sent in. This installment of our mailbag series did not disappoint; challenging us to think deeply about the hurdles that Christians face in our day. Our prayer is that the information provided today, will equip you to be more bold in your resolve to serve Christ and honor Him.Scripture:Matthew 1: 25, Genesis 3: 5, Romans 8:29, John 14: 15, James 2PBHB GIVEAWAY: https://www.stayreformed.com/giveawayAdditional References:GotQuestions Eastern Orthodox: https://www.gotquestions.org/Eastern-Orthodox-church.htmlThe Second London Baptist Confession (1689): https://founders.org/library-book/1689-confession/https://www.chapellibrary.org/pdf/books/lbcw.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOorAi1b6iCPqv94DjBcMhSSpcDOGwJrb9hXJSlgqxrFSgo9ofc0-Social Media:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StayReformedTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/stayreformedInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stayreformed/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stayreformedpodcast/Website: https://www.stayreformed.com/Email: contact@stayreformed.com

Send us a textWhat kind of life is truly blessed? In Week 3 of Summer on the Mount, we explore three powerful traits that shape the life of a person living in the Kingdom of God: a hunger for righteousness, a heart of mercy, and purity of heart. Jesus' words in Matthew 5:6–8 turn our assumptions upside down—and offer a vision for wholeness, depth, and seeing God everywhere.Whether you're returning to this message or hearing it for the first time, this week's message is a chance to evaluate what truly satisfies and how life under Jesus' reign changes everything.

The Church is a community for the common good, by His Spirit! Scripture: Matthew 12v28, John 16v13-16, Acts 1, John 4v13-14

Call: Psalm 127 Offering: Acts 20:35 Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35 NASB

Daily Dose of Hope June 13, 2025   Scripture - Matthew 12:1-37   Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are Lord of all.  How often we forget that.  There are times we even put ourselves in your place.  Forgive us, Lord.  Help us to remember that you are God and we are not.  Help us simply live the way you have called us, serve the way you have called us, and love the way you have called us.  We know that we fall short over and over again.  We need you.  All the time, we need you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Happy Friday!   Today, we start Matthew 12.  The text begins with Jesus' disciples walking through fields of grain on the Sabbath and picking them to eat because they were hungry.  This infuriates the Pharisees who have made the Sabbath incredibly complicated for the people.  In fact, they had instituted a complex 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. In essence, these religious leaders had made themselves lords of the Sabbath, thus making themselves lords over the people.    As he often did, 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 more confusing and restrictive guidelines.  The Pharisees had lost sight of this.    Jesus declares that he is Lord of the Sabbath.  This really gets the Pharisees upset.  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.    Keep in mind, that by saying this, Jesus is making a bold statement about who he is.  The Pharisees are looking for something that will allow them to arrest Jesus.  Of course, Jesus is God and he knows this, but it doesn't stop him at all.  He is making a point so he then heals a man with a shriveled hand on the Sabbath.  It's after this that they begin to plot how to kill him.   How often do we get distracted with our own rules and traditions?  And do those rules and traditions get in the way of doing the work of Jesus?  Do they become obstacles to people knowing Jesus more or receiving healing?  While I think we are pretty good about keeping this in check at New Hope, I think it's something we need to be very much aware of.  We have to be careful what is most important to us – our traditions or people?    Jesus knows that they are plotting his death so he goes away in an attempt to retreat.  But that is nearly impossible for Jesus now.  People continue to come to him for healing and Jesus is not about to turn them away.  Every interruption is important to Jesus.   The Pharisees accuse Jesus of healing by the power of Beezelbub, who was the prince of demons.  Jesus points out the absurdity of this.  Why would he cast out demons with the power of the prince of demons?  It just doesn't make sense.    Jesus then makes an incredibly bold statement regarding the Pharisees.  He says that whoever is not with him is against him.  Whoever is not helping expand the Kingdom of God is by definition working against it.  The Pharisees, who think they are defending God, are actually working with Satan, inhibiting the work of God through Jesus.  They are putting themselves up against the Holy Spirit.    It makes sense to judge the quality of a tree by the fruit it produces.  The Pharisees are demonstrating that their spiritual fruit is rotten by accusing Jesus.  They are showing the true nature of the hearts.    What kind of fruit are you producing?  If someone were to look at your life right now, an objective observer, how would they rate your fruit?    Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope June 12, 2025   Scripture - Matthew 11:20-30   Prayer: Holy God,  We are weary.  We are tired.  We need you.  You are great and mighty.  You are merciful and loving.  How we need that right now!  Lord, speak to us today.  We need to hear your voice.  We pray that your voice will be louder and clearer than all the other voices that crowd our thoughts.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, please speak to us...  God, we give you all the glory.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish up Matthew 11.   There is so much substance in this chapter. I feel like there is no way for me to even brush the surface. Let's start with the woe on unrepentant towns.  Jesus is denouncing certain areas in the northern region of Galilee, including Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, because even though they saw many of his miracles and heard his teaching, they didn't repent.  Jesus is saying if he had done the same miracles in Gentile cities like Tyre and Sidon, they would have already repented and believed.  Jesus is speaking harsh words here.  The cities that should have responded well and come to believe have largely rejected him.  Jesus has not met their expectation of the Messiah, but that does not absolve them of guilt.  They will very much be held accountable, as will all of us.   And then, there is this discussion that the Father is revealed in the Son.  Those who think they are really smart and learned might reject Jesus but we must have faith like little, vulnerable children.  Humility is an asset in God's Kingdom.    Where I really want to focus today is on the last few verses.  Jesus says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  Is he simply talking about people who are physically weary? That's certainly part of it. Think about the culture at the time of Jesus. Most people were poor and they worked really, really hard. This whole idea of rest would have been very appealing to them. But it goes much deeper. We know from scripture that the Pharisees were kind of obsessed with following the law and the manmade traditions they had created. In fact, they had created hundreds of additional rules that they felt were necessary to follow the law well. God's law, Torah, was certainly fine and it was a good thing to keep Torah. But this group took it to the extreme, creating an additional burden on people to follow. Matthew 23:4 said, “They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.” This created constant striving, but always failing, never being able to be good enough. Their souls were being worn down and worn down and worn down. And Jesus said, “NO–come to me all of you who are experiencing this soul weariness, all of you who are tired and need rest–physical rest, emotional rest, and spiritual rest.”   We live in a culture where being stressed out is the norm (we almost wear it like a badge of honor). People are tired and weary. The truth is that life can wear you down. Once we overcome one challenge, there seems to be another right around the corner. I know that many of you are dealing with really serious difficulty like health problems, broken relationships, and significant financial issues.   But the weariness of life is not just about the big burdens, is it? Sometimes, it is the everyday busyness of life that wears us down, the feeling of running on the hamster wheel, the getting up and dealing with the same stress day end and day out. The end result of all this weariness isa kind of restlessness. And yet, this isn't the kind of restlessness that just goes away by watching TV or going on vacation. Could it be that our need for rest is different than we think it is? Is rest simply the freedom from work OR is it something very different? True rest is impossible apart from Jesus Christ. We can never be at rest in our soul apart from Jesus. This restlessness of our soul is truly what ails so many of us. No amount of money, no amount of power or prestige can keep you from this restlessness. No one can escape it.   So what in the world can we do? Well, Jesus gives us the answer. He says to take his yoke upon us. A yoke was essentially a wooden frame that was used to harness together a pair of oxen at their necks so that they could pull a plough or some other kind of load. It was kind of a balancing device. Often a younger ox that needed to be taught to work would be paired with an older, more experienced ox.   This is a wonderful picture of our relationship with Jesus (or maybe I should say what our relationship with Jesus ideally looks like). The people that Jesus was speaking to would have known this–their yoke was hard. The Pharisees put this really difficult, ill-fitting yoke around their necks. But being yoked together with Jesus is so much better. The fit is better, it doesn't hurt so badly. When we allow him to walk alongside us, sharing our burden and yoke, the load does not disappear but is made lighter.   Being yoked together with Jesus does not mean we won't have to work, we will. We will still have problems, we will still have difficulty. But his yoke is not harsh or oppressive. Jesus' company is gentle. Just picture being yoked together with him as you plow a field. I know it might be a ridiculous thought for some of us non-farming people, but it is also a comforting thought. He wants us to attach ourselves to him. Not just hang around him every now and then. Not just go and have dinner with him once a week and then do it our way the rest of the week. No, he wants us to become permanently yoked with him, day in and day out. In doing so, our load will be lighter because he will share it with us. His peace and his comfort will walk alongside us and enable us to keep going.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope June 11, 2025   Scripture - Matthew 11:1-19   Today, we will start with the Holy Spirit prayer by Saint Augustine, who lived in the fourth century.  I find it incredibly powerful and I hope you do as well:   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 Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today is Recharge day. I hope we see you tonight in the Garage at New Hope, 6:30pm.  Recharge is a wonderful time of worship, prayer, fellowship, and small community.    For our Scripture today, we are starting Matthew 11.  The question that John the Baptist asks Jesus (from prison) at the beginning of this chapter is probably the most important question to be asked:  Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else? According to Matthew, 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.    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, cleansing. It seems that Matthew may be saying that John is the final Biblical prophet, the one who is the symbol of the transition from one age to the next.    What is the new age that has been ushered in?  Well, it's the Kingdom of God.  John preached gloom but Jesus preached that a new age was dawning, one in which we live under the reign of God.  With Jesus, the Kingdom is here. But some people might ask, “If Jesus is the one, where is evidence that a great transformation is truly underway? The world appears to be pretty much the same as it was before Jesus with respect to idolatry, injustice, powerlessness, exploitation, scarcity, and violence. Why should we think things will get better?”    I think those are fair but hard questions.  First, the Kingdom is here and we get glimpses of it all the time.  Jesus embodied the Kingdom in all he did.  We get glimpses of the Kingdom too - in the church, in how Jesus' people care for others, in the beauty of creation.  And part of our jobs as Christ-followers is to keep expanding the boundaries of the Kingdom.  But while the Kingdom is here, it isn't fully here and I think we need to be aware of that.  There will come a time when Jesus returns and the Kingdom will be here in all it's fullness.  And that is when all things will be made new.  All the brokenness will be mended.  There will be no more hunger, violence, or injustice.  All will be made right.  I can't wait.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

Daily Dose of Hope June 10, 2025   Scripture - Matthew 10   Prayer:  Holy God, We come before you today with humility and awe.  You are the Alpha and the Omega.  You created all things, are above all things, and yet you care for each of us.  You know us and love us.  Thank you, Jesus.  I pray that as we get ready for our devotional today that you help us set aside our distractions.  Help us gather our scattered thoughts and focus on you and you alone...  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are reading and discussing Matthew 10.   Here we are–back to the sheep! Jesus sends out the disciples to proclaim that the Kingdom of God is near. But the danger is real. Jesus warns them that they would be sheep among wolves. Remember, sheep are vulnerable. While Jesus is saying they are like sheep, he is also telling them to be shrewd and cunning, like a snake. Yes, sheep are vulnerable but they don't need to be stupid. When faced with difficult circumstances, Jesus-followers need to use their brains and really think about what they say and do.   Yet, while shrewdness is important, so is innocence. Be as innocent as a dove, Jesus says. This means to stay faithful and gentle as well. Remember who you are, who you represent, and that you can be faithful to Jesus and grace-filled AND also not be a doormat.   Jesus is clear. There will be consequences to following him. The world around us won't be happy about it. Thankfully, we aren't flogged or jailed for our belief in the United States. But let's remember that Christians in other countries certainly experience this on a regular basis. I know that the Holy Spirit guides their words and gives them strength that we can't even imagine.   That being said, we will experience difficulty if we are open and bold in our faith. When we speak out for our faith, we often will see opposition. In those cases, allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you. Trust God. Set aside your own fears and anger and allow the God of the universe to allow his words to flow through you.   Some of the language toward the end of the chapter is really difficult.  Jesus says he didn't come to earth to bring peace but a sword.  Wait, I thought he was the Prince of Peace?  And he goes on to say that whoever loves his parents, siblings, or friends more than him doesn't know him at all.  As believers, we are to pick up our cross and follow him, totally and completely.  What are we to make of all of this?   Jesus certainly is the only source of peace between God and human beings.  And in most places in the Gospels, Jesus promotes peace between people.  But it's inevitable that conflict will arise between those who believe in him and those who don't, even within biological families.  Sometimes, people will be forced to choose Jesus over a loved one.  Maybe you know someone who's had to do this.  The bottom line is that we should seek to be at peace with all people but we can't forget that Jesus warned we will be hated for his sake.   The only other thing I wanted to mention about our Scripture for today is how Jesus lifts up our value.  Did you catch what he said about the sparrows?  God cares about every single little bird.  How much more does he care about you?  The hairs on our head are numbered.  God knows us intimately.  God knows everything about you.  You are valued.  So we don't need to be afraid.  Jesus has our back.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

This Sunday, Pastor Jesse preached on why we should tithe to the church and why it's important to give the first and best to God.   Sermon Points & Scripture:  Matthew 6:19-21 Matthew 6:24 Point: You Cannot Serve God And Money Psalm 119:69 Genesis 4:2-5 Genesis 14:19-20 Genesis 28:20-22 Leviticus 27:30 Proverbs 1:3-5 Proverbs 3:9-10 Matthew 5 Matthew 23:23 Point: Tithing Is No Longer The Destination Of Generosity, It's The Beginning Of Generosity! Malachi 3:6 *This episode was recorded on 06/08/25

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23 Key Takeaways:  + The Seed explained  “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” – Thomas Edison + The Soil explained The Path Rocky Ground Thorns + For me to live is ______ and to die is ______ The Good Soil

Daily Dose of Hope June 9, 2025   Scripture - Matthew 9:18-38   Prayer:  Heavenly Father, We come to you today in awe.  You are almighty and wise but also filled with love and mercy.  And we have the pleasure of experiencing that love and mercy.  Despite our brokenness, you care for us and you continue to walk alongside us.  Thank you, Lord, for your patience.  Help us to focus more on you.  Fill us with a consuming desire to know you better.  Work in us.  Stretch us.  Challenge us.  Convict us.  We love you.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/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 and today, we are finishing up Matthew, chapter 9.   The last portion of Matthew 9 includes some amazing healings.  Remember, in God's Kingdom there is no sickness so Jesus healed people physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  The first one in today's text is the healing of the bleeding woman.  This story was also found in Mark.  This is probably my favorite miracle (if we are allowed to have a favorite.) I can't help but think about this woman's difficult life. To be bleeding in Jewish culture meant she was unclean. She couldn't go to the synagogue, nor was she really supposed to be around people. If she had been married, her husband would have long left her because of her condition. She would have lived a very isolated, lonely life, not to mention being poor and physically weak.   And then Jesus comes along. She must have heard about him. She knows where he will be passing and she takes a chance. She wasn't supposed to even be in the crowd because she was unclean. But something within her knows that this man could change things. Her faith is beyond what Jesus has seen in the religious people or those in high positions. In a crowd of people who see themselves as righteous and important, Jesus elevates this humble woman above all the others. She is no longer ostracized but healed, whole, and part of Jesus' family. That word “daughter” would have been so healing for her. Condemned by the rest of society, Jesus empowers this woman and calls her his own.   But Jesus met this woman on his way to a synagogue leader's home.  The synagogue leader had come to Jesus in desperation because his little girl had just died.  Two things are notable to me here.  First, this had to have been humbling because a synagogue leader would not have normally resorted to asking Jesus, a rogue Jewish rabbi, for help. But, if you are a parent, you know that you will do just about anything to help your child.  We are seeing this here.  The other thing that is amazing is that this man seems to have real faith. He says if Jesus will just come and lay his hand on her, then she will live.  She wasn't just sick.  She was dead, but this man believed that Jesus could fix that.  And he does.   It's on the same journey that day that Jesus heals two blind men and a demon-possessed man who was mute because of the demon.  The Pharisees say that Jesus is healing through the power of the Prince of Demons.  Why their resistance to belief?  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.  The question is always:  will we choose to believe or will we reject?  The Pharisees rejected but what about you?   Jesus spent a great deal of time going from town to town, teaching, healing, and demonstrating to people what life under the Kingdom of God is like. The last portion of today's Scripture says that Jesus saw the people and he felt compassion for them because they were sheep without a shepherd. Think about sheep–they are totally vulnerable without a shepherd to care for them, guide them, and provide protection. Goats, who we often think of as similar to sheep, tend to do fine on their own. But sheep, not so much. They are helpless and vulnerable to predators. Jesus is saying that he looked at the people and realized how vulnerable and defenseless they were. They needed guidance and divine protection. Without it, they were doomed. Friends, without Jesus, we are all doomed.   The text closes with the very famous Scripture about the harvest. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few so ask the Lord of the harvest to send more workers. Of course, Jesus is speaking about the people harvest. There are so very many people who need to know about Jesus Christ. They need the guidance of the divine shepherd and they don't even know it. Someone must tell them. Jesus is counting on his followers to do the work of sharing the Gospel. And yet, how often it feels like there just aren't enough people willing to go and share, go and tell, go and proclaim, go and harvest. We need more workers. This really got me thinking. Are you one of God's workers? Are you willing to help with the harvest? Why or why not?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Scripture: Matthew 5:21-24; Ephesians 4:26-27Resources for a life of following Jesus, every day, everywhere, with everyone.

Daily Dose of Hope June 6, 2025   Scripture - Matthew 9:1-17   Prayer: Abba Father, Prepare our hearts for your Word today.  Help us approach this Scripture with an openness to learning something new from you.  Jesus, thank you for your perfect example of mercy and love.  More of you and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we start Matthew 9.   We start with Jesus heading back across the lake into Capernaum, as the scripture refers to his own town.  It seems in no time at all, a paralyzed man is placed before him.  While Matthew does not give the details about the man's friends digging a hole in the roof and lowering him down, this is most likely the same story we find in Mark 2.  Notice how he sees the faith of the friends and heals the man.    But what does Jesus say to the man?  Jesus tells the man that his sins are forgiven.  This stirs things up.  Of course, the teachers of the law speak among themselves, thinking this is blasphemy.  But it's Jesus and he is God so he knows exactly what they are thinking and he calls them out.  What the teachers of the law cannot see is that Jesus is authorized to speak and act on God's behalf. He is God's anointed, the Messiah. As a demonstration of his authority to forgive sins, Jesus tells the paralyzed man to stand up, take his mat and return home, which the man promptly does. Jesus boldly demonstrates his power to bring both spiritual and physical healing, and the crowds respond by being amazed and glorifying God.   We go right from this healing to the calling of Matthew.  I love how Matthew writes about his own conversion.  He doesn't give a lot of details.  It is most likely that he has seen and heard Jesus before.  After all, tax collectors were usually set up in visible places in town.   By the way, the phrase “sitting at the tax collector's booth” is filled with meaning.  At the time, tax collectors were hated.  The Roman Empire took bids for the right to collect taxes.  These tax agents paid a set amount to Rome, and could keep all the rest that they collected.  Thus, tax collectors were quite wealthy.  But they enriched themselves by preying on the poor, stifling trade, and operating kind of like a local mafia.  They were also despised for how they collaborated with the oppressive Romans.   One thing that is interesting about this whole situation to me is that Matthew did not choose Jesus, but rather Jesus chose Matthew.  In the Greek, the word “follow” is in the imperative.  It was a command.  Jesus isn't giving Matthew a choice.  And Matthew got up and followed him.    What would you have done?  Jesus' call is always action-oriented.  When we follow Jesus, it is a call to do something for his Kingdom.  It is also a call to leave the past behind.  How many of us try to follow Jesus without fully leaving our past commitments and issues behind?   Later on, at Matthew's house, Jesus is dining with some of the less desirable folks in town.  Scripture says he ate with tax collectors and sinners and those two groups were seen as pretty synonymous.  This very much perturbs the religious people.  How dare he cavort with such scum?  But Jesus says that it is the sick people who need a physician, not the well.  He came to call sinners.    My guess is that part of the Pharisees' frustration is that Jesus seems to be simply be eating and drinking with the sinners, not providing treatment.  But Jesus was all about relationship.  I think we can learn a lot here.  There were times in which Jesus preached and called for people to repent.  There were times when Jesus performed miracles to demonstrate his power and authority.  But much of the time, Jesus simply sat at the table with people and built relationships.  It is through relationship that life change is most likely to happen.    Think about your own life.  How have your grown the most in your spiritual walk?  Was it through a sermon?  Probably not.  Was it through a Bible study?  Again, maybe not.  Was it through relationship with other Godly people who taught you, poured into you, and showed you the life of Christ?  Most likely.    To effectively point people to Jesus, we have to first get to know them.  Especially for those who have been hurt by the church or just by life, we have to earn the right to speak into their lives.  Jesus did just that.  And he was genuine and loving at the same time.  My guess is there was no condemnation at that dinner table with Matthew and his friends.  They were talking and getting to know one another.  Maybe Jesus did a little teaching at times, but it was probably subtle.  He was giving them the opportunity to get to know him, as he listened to them.    Who sits around your table?  When is the last time you invited some people “on the fringe” to dine with you?  How about unbelievers?  How are you intentionally building relationships with those who don't yet know Jesus?    Our text for today ends with a discussion on fasting.  John's disciples ask why Jesus' disciples don't fast like them.  We don't know if this is a dig but it kind of feels like one.  Jesus responds with an analogy to a wedding feast.  Fasting might be appropriate on some occasions, but certainly not at a wedding feast when the groom is right there. Right now, Jesus is with them.  Thus, this isn't the right time for fasting.  It is time for feasting and enjoying his presence. The point is that Jesus is with his disciples just as the wedding guests are with the groom. It is a time for celebration—not deprivation. It is a time to enjoy the relationship and absorb his teaching and example while they can. When the bridegroom is taken from them, there will be a time for fasting.  As we know, that's going to happen pretty soon. Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope June 5, 2025   Scripture - Matthew 8:18-34   Prayer:  Dear God, We come to you today with sorrow.  We know that we are sinful and broken.  We know that we have fallen short.  Lord, how we need you.  Help us to grow closer to you.  Help us seek holiness.  Help us love others the way you love them.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, please help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you...  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish up Matthew, chapter 8.  As always, I would love to hear from some of you.  What are you learning?  What has surprised you?  What has distressed you?  What have been your a-ha moments?    Matthew offers us a glimpse into the variety of miracles that Jesus performed, including physical healings, spiritual healings, and even miracles of nature (calming the storm.) In between those miracles, we find this brief interaction between Jesus and someone described as a teacher of the law and a would-be disciple. I would guess that by this time in Jesus' ministry, there were all kinds of people hanging around him. There were those who were bedazzled by his teaching and miracles, there were those who were curious and seeking, and there were those who truly believed.   In a world before technology, I'm sure that Jesus was often the main show in town! All kinds of people crowded around him for many different reasons. Of course, Jesus knew this; he knew their levels of attachment to him varied. Thus, when a teacher of the law approaches him and says he will follow Jesus wherever he goes, Jesus gives a warning of sorts. Jesus has no ties to the things of this world. He does not even have a regular home, no place to lay his head at night. Those who follow him must be willing to give up ties to worldly things as well. Jesus must have known this man wasn't ready to do so. Then, another would-be disciple implies that he wants to follow Jesus but he must first go bury his father. We don't know if this means the man needed to literally bury his dead father, take care of a father who was old, or even simply take care of family affairs. But Jesus' reaction is clear–discipleship is not something that Jesus wants someone to put off. The demands of the Kingdom are now, they are immediate.   Jesus heads to the other side of the lake.  Remember, this means he was going from Jewish territory to Gentile territory.  Jesus had a way of crossing all kinds of boundaries.  It's on their way across the lake (otherwise known as the Sea of Galilee) that a big storm comes up suddenly.  You may recall from Mark that this body of water was known for sudden storms.  And the boat that Jesus and his disciples were in was taking on water fast.    Where was Jesus?  Well, he was in the boat but asleep.  So the disciples cry out to him, Lord, save us!  When Jesus wakes up, he scolds them for their lack of faith. It's like he is saying, “Guys, we 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.   And then just like that, Jesus calms the storm.  The wind and rain stop totally.  The disciples are amazed and ask “Who is this guy?  Even the winds and rain obey him.”  So, who is this man?  Who is this man to you?   To me, Jesus is God.  Period.   I don't want to close today without at least briefly talking about the healing of the two demon-possessed men.  Jesus has gone across the lake for a purpose.  There are people there who need healing.  They are violent men who live in the tombs (a pretty horrible place to live.)  And Jesus knows immediately that there are demons that need to come out of them.  The demons themselves speak to Jesus and ask him to cast them into a herd of pigs.  Jesus does so, and the pigs promptly drive themselves over a bank and into the lake to die.   You may notice that this miracle is different in Matthew than it is in Mark.  In Mark (and Luke as well), there was one demon-possessed man who identified himself as Legion.  In this chapter, we have two men.  Does the difference matter?  I would say no.  Each author is choosing to emphasize different things.  Matthew is demonstrating Jesus' authority over a larger demonic presence.  Think about it – there may have been a number of people living in the tombs and all of them were inflicted with the demonic.  Mark, on the other hand, is focusing on individual life transformation and the personal invitation for the man to follow Jesus.  The single man could have represented more people or been simply a single man.  We don't know.    What's interesting to me in this passage is that the people aren't moved by the healing, after all these men were healed of terrible existences.  Nor do they ask Jesus questions, such as by what power he is healing.  No, they immediately ask Jesus to leave.  They are fearful of him.  Think about it, why do you think they feared Jesus?   One last comment: true healing always starts with Jesus. In fact, there is no true healing without Jesus. And healing ourselves, our churches, and our land, begins with healing the wounds of our own heart. Before we can heal the many demons that our nation is facing, we must address the evil within ourselves. Friends, have you faced the evil within yourself? We have to admit where we have fallen short. And don't think just the other side needs healing.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

In this powerful message, Pastor Connor unpacks what happens when the anxiety of life collides with the unshakable sovereignty of God. Drawing from Matthew 6:25–33, we're reminded that God sees, knows, and provides for every detail of our lives — from the birds of the air to the lilies of the field, and especially for you.When worry creeps in, Jesus calls us to trust in the Father's care and to seek first His Kingdom. Discover the peace that comes from letting go of control and holding tight to His promises.

Daily Dose of Hope June 4, 2025 Day 3 of Week 9   Scripture – Matthew 8:1-17   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 to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today is Wednesday, which means it is Recharge Day.  Come join us at 6:30pm in the Garage for worship, prayer, fellowship, and small community.  It's one of my favorite times of the week!  If you haven't been, you are missing out.   Let's move on to today's Scripture.  Today, we read about a lot of healing.  Remember, Jesus is embodying what it means to live in the Kingdom of God.  In God's Kingdom, there is no sickness so Jesus heals.    We start our reading with this beautiful story of Jesus healing the man with leprosy.  One of the striking aspects of this healing is that Jesus reaches out and touches the man.  No one was allowed to touch someone with leprosy.  They were basically pariahs.  Jesus didn't have to touch the man to heal him; he had healed others without touch.  But Jesus chooses to touch him because Jesus' healings were not just physical but also emotional and spiritual.    The healing was obviously life-changing in many ways.  Even though Jesus asked him not to share, my guess is that he was overcome with how the power of God had worked in his life. Thus, he shared his story with all who would listen. "I was sick and my life was a mess. Then I met Jesus and he healed me. You need to meet him too!" How could he keep it to himself?   Next, we have the passage about the faith of the 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.  There is no indication that he was Jewish or that his servant was Jewish.  Up until this point in Matthew, Jesus had only healed those of the Jewish faith.  It's also interesting that this Roman centurion cared so deeply for his servant.  After all, the Roman soldiers were not known for their compassion.  But this man traveled a long way to meet Jesus, humbly approach him, and ask for help.    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.   But there is also the fact that this man does not feel worthy to have Jesus walk into his home.  He is a soldier and has probably done plenty of things he isn't proud of.  He sees Jesus' holiness and knows that he simply doesn't measure up.  His family doesn't measure up.  His sick servant doesn't measure up.  His self-awareness and humility are probably the most incredible part of the passage for me.    How many of us would feel worthy having Jesus in our home?  What would our hesitations be?    Jesus, of course, is amazed by his faith.  Jesus has all these Jewish disciples, Pharisees, and others around him.  It's the faith of the Roman centurion that he lifts up.  I wonder if the others feel a bit slighted.    Faith in Jesus can often come from unexpected places.  I remember when I worked more closely with homeless individuals that some of them had amazing, genuine, real faith.  When have you seen faith in Jesus come from unexpected places?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

    To have the type of external life we desire, we must first tend to our inner world. Teacher - Scott Kenworthy

Daily Dose of Hope June 3, 2025 Day 2 of Week 9   Scripture - Matthew 7:15-29   Prayer:  Almighty God, Search our hearts today.  Show us those places that we need to change.  Show us where we aren't fully devoted to you and your Kingdom.  Lord, we need your wisdom and guidance.  On our own, we falter and drift.  Lord, we want to know you more.  We want to be a living example of your love and holiness.  Help us, Jesus.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional that complements the New Hope Daily Bible reading plan.  Currently, we are doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish up Matthew 7.  This is our last day covering the Sermon on the Mount.   Today's scripture starts with a discussion of true and false teachers.  Jesus uses the analogy of wolves in sheep clothing to describe false teachers/prophets.  They look good on the outside, like really righteous and smart people, but inside they are deceptive and even evil.  They aren't batting for the right team.    False teachers have been an issue in the faith for 2000 years.  Even today, we need to be really careful about the voices we allow to speak into our lives.  This is the importance of knowing Scripture, being intimately familiar with the whole Biblical narrative.  Know your Bible!  And be careful.  There are two things I tend to watch out for like a hawk.  First, I am always skeptical of people who take a piece of Scripture and want to plop it down into our lives in 2025 with no context or interpretation.  All kinds of horrors have been justified this way.  Run, don't walk, away from these people!  Second, I am incredibly wary of people who add to Scripture.  Yes, this is true but... and then there is something else.  If something doesn't seem right to you then it might not be.  Be prepared to do your own research, searching the whole Bible for what God says on a specific topic.    Jesus then moves to true and false disciples.  This one is a little scary.  Jesus says that some people will say, “Lord, Lord, we did all this spiritual stuff in your name...” but they will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  What does Jesus mean by this?  Obviously, a false anything is usually bad.  But false disciples?  Can people pretend to be Christ-followers but not really be believers? And, if so, are these false disciples aware they are faking it, or do some of them genuinely believe they are biblical Christians?    After researching this, it seems these false disciples were doing Christiany things but weren't really Christians.  They weren't doing the will of the Father.  Maybe they were trying to earn salvation.  They were doing good works, but all for the wrong reasons.  We aren't given a lot of details.  Bottom line is that we don't earn a spot in heaven.  We are saved by grace though faith in Jesus Christ alone.  Good works are a result of the work of God within us.  These “false disciples” are people who were really mixed up about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus or they possibly knew but weren't willing to commit their lives to Jesus.   The Sermon on the Mount closes with a serious spiritual warning about faith in Jesus. The wise person is the one who hears the words of Jesus and heeds them. The result of this kind of obedience is security. The house does not fall because it is built on a strong, solid, unwavering foundation in Jesus. That doesn't mean the house won't be knocked around a bit by the weather events of life but it will NOT fall down.   On the other hand, the foolish person is one who hears the words of Jesus and does not heed them. That person builds their house on sand and we all know what happens to sand when a terrible storm comes–erosion! Sand is not a solid foundation. The result of a life built on anything other than Jesus is erosion/destruction.   The teachings of the Sermon on the Mount provide followers of Jesus with wonderful practical guidance on what it looks like to be his disciple. This final teaching, as hard as it is, sums it all up–a life built on the solid foundation of Jesus yields safety and eternal security. A person who chooses to build their life on worldly security will ultimately face death and destruction.   There really isn't a way to sugar coat this and frankly, we should not even try. Jesus speaks with great clarity–we have a choice.   What do you choose?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

2025-06-01--1030 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning, June 1, 2025, in the 1030 AM service.   Scripture: Matthew 22:1–14, Luke 19:1–9, Acts 2   Notes: -When You realize what Jesus has saved you from, and what you can look forward to. -You will cherish the “wedding garment” the very Salvation that Jesus has offered to all who put it on.

2025-06-01--0830 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning, June 1, 2025, in the 830 AM service.   Scripture: Matthew 22:1–14, Luke 19:1–9, Acts 2   Notes: -When You realize what Jesus has saved you from, and what you can look forward to. -You will cherish the “wedding garment” the very Salvation that Jesus has offered to all who put it on.

Daily Dose of Hope June 2, 2025 Day 1 of Week 9   Scripture – Matthew 7:1-14   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, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Happy Monday!  Yesterday, we had a big baptism celebration at New Hope and it was such an amazing event.  We had roughly 30 people get baptized or remember their baptisms between the English and Spanish-speaking congregations.  What a day of joy, as we celebrate new life in Christ!   Today and tomorrow we are finishing up the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus has been teaching us that while outward actions matter, what really matters to God is our heart.  We are to behave and think fundamentally different from the world around us.  Up until this point, we have learned about the different groups that God honors, such as the poor in spirit, the merciful, and those who are persecuted for belief in Jesus.  We've learned about what it means to be salt and light in our world, pointing others to Jesus.  We have also talked a lot about how Jesus took concepts like divorce, adultery, giving to the needy, fasting, and prayer, and turned them on their heads.  Jesus is raising the bar for his people.    Today, the teaching is just as difficult and yet, critically important.  The first portion of the chapter 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 short-comings? 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.    Jesus brings up hypocrisy again.  It's worth a review.  A hypocrite is someone who is more concerned with what's wrong with someone else than what's wrong with themselves. Urban dictionary has three definitions:1) A person who engages in the same behaviors he condemns others for. (2) A person who professes certain ideals, but fails to live up to them. (3) A person who holds other people to higher standards than he holds himself.  Sounds about right.  And as Christians, we have often been accused of hypocrisy.  Some of it has been fairly earned.   Jesus is saying, before you start pointing out other people's issues, examine yourself. Stop to see where you have traces of sin in your own life.  We all have it. Sometimes when we notice sin in the lives of other people, it's time to do a self-examination.  We need to examine our own behavior, speech, and thoughts.  We have to look deep in our own hearts and see what we need to fix. Just FYI – we all have something to fix.   So do we just stop there?  No.  Following Jesus means we never stop with what's in it for us. Sure, we've looked at someone else and seen their mess and it's been a big signpost to what's wrong in our lives. But that is not where it ends. Jesus says, “First get rid of the log in your own eye; THEN you will see well enough to deal with speck in your friend's eye.” This is where it gets really hard.   One of the main points of Jesus' ministry was teaching his followers to love each other. Love your neighbor. Love one other. John 13:34-35, So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.  This teaching on judgement is not just about letting people do whatever they want, about never confronting people. Judge not is not just about letting people live and think and speak in whatever way they want to because, well, Jesus said “Don't judge others.” It is so much more than that. It's not just about dealing with our own stuff either, although we do need to do that. When we see others' issues, it should be an impetus for us to look at ourselves and say, “Do I have that issue? Am I addressing it? What issues do I have that I need to address? What do I need to do to become more like the person Jesus wants me to me?” This is called being self-aware, knowing where your weaknesses are, and trying to deal with them.   But Jesus' lesson on not judging is more than that. We deal with the log in your own eye and then we may need to approach someone else about the speck in their eye.  Part of loving others well is holding other believers accountable.  We need each other.  Judge not does not mean care not.  It doesn't mean act not.  It doesn't mean don't get involved.  We need to keep our motives in check and be humble, but there will be times in Christian community where we truly need to get involved and let others know that while we care about them, they are off the mark.   Moving on in the passage, Jesus then teaches about praying expectantly.  This is the ask, seek, knock passage and many of you have probably heard this a lot.  It's powerful.  But does this mean that if we ask, God will give us whatever we want.  Not exactly.  But it does mean to pray expectantly; pray expecting that God will us an answer.   This can be a difficult scripture to teach. 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. They still died.” How do we make sense of this? I believe that part of it is understanding the context. Just as Jesus often used parables in his teaching he also used hyperbole in his speech, which is an overstatement or an exaggeration.  This was a really common way of explaining things at that time, in that culture, and it would have just made a lot of sense to first-century people. 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 actually meant to be taken literally. For instance, if we could just pray to have money and it appeared, well, then why work a job? If we could just pray to have an A on that Calculus 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.  He says to pray without ceasing.  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, but rather a way to 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.   The last few verses in today's reading are short but powerful.  Jesus tells his listeners to enter through the narrow gate.  This means following him and his ways.  Most people will enter through the wide gate.  On first glance, the wide gate seems easier.  It's the way of the world, it's living for yourself, it's doing what you want when you want and how you want.  Less people choose the narrow gate but it's that road that leads to Jesus which leads to life.   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?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Rediscovering Our Common Humanity, with Rev. Dr. Steven Koski. Series: Holy Troublemakers A Spacious Christianity, First Presbyterian Church of Bend, Oregon. Scripture: Matthew 22.36-40; Matthew 6.21; John 13.34.Ever wondered what love really looks like? This Sunday, we're diving into the world of Mr. Rogers and exploring how small acts of kindness can change everything. Join us online or in-person – you won't want to miss this inspiring message.Join us each Sunday, 10AM at bendfp.org, or 11AM KTVZ-CW Channel 612/12 in Bend. Subscribe/Follow, and click the bell for alerts.At First Presbyterian, you will meet people at many different places theologically and spiritually. And we love it that way. We want to be a place where our diversity brings us together and where conversation takes us all deeper in our understanding of God.We call this kind of faith “Spacious Christianity.” We don't ask anyone to sign creeds or statements of belief. The life of faith is about a way of being in the world and a faith that shows itself in love.Thank you for your support of the mission of the First Presbyterian Church of Bend. Visit https://bendfp.org/giving/ for more information.Keywords:Fred Rogers, love and justice, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, social justice, mental health, compassionate love, educational television, racial tensions, Vietnam War, Land of Make-Believe, agape, moral document, vulnerable neighbors, helping others., presbyterian, church, online worship, bend, oregonFeaturing:Rev. Dr. Steven Koski, Rev. Sharon Edwards, Becca Ellis, Brave of Heart, GuestsSupport the show

Scripture: Matthew 12:41-42

Daily Dose of Hope May 30, 2025 Day 5 of Week 8   Scripture – Matthew 6:19-34   Prayer:  Holy God, We rejoice in your name today.  You are almighty and wise, the Alpha and the Omega.  You are the one who was, and is, and is to come.  We give you all the glory and praise.  Help us now, Lord, gather our scattered thoughts and focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, hear our prayers...  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 are finishing up Matthew 6, as we continue to work through Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.  He is continuing to preach on the importance of not just our outward actions, but our heart.  He begins by talking about fasting.  Don't be like the hypocrites when they fast because they let everyone know how miserable they are.  Again, a warning about being hypocritical.  Between yesterday and today, we are definitely seeing a theme.  Don't be the kind of person who does one thing but your heart is far from God.  Those who are fasting to honor God will do so discreetly, so that no one will know.  Fasting is between you and God.  It isn't something to gloat about.  It's about increasing our dependence and focus on God, seeking his will, or interceding on behalf of others in prayer.  It's not about attention and others' approval.  God always knows our hearts.   Then, Jesus moves onto treasures in heaven.  Don't store up things here on earth because earthly things simply do not last.  Besides, all of our stuff has a way of tethering our heart to earth.  Material things get a hold of us.  And there is always more stuff to get.  Whether we are rich or poor, there is always something else to buy.   It may seem like these earthly things are substantial and important and lasting, but they will eventually go away.  But there is treasure that cannot be lost…that which is stored up in heaven.  What does Jesus mean here?  To store up treasure in heaven is to invest in those things which will have lasting effects for eternity, things that make a different for the Kingdom.   While earthly treasure depreciates in value, heavenly treasure appreciates.  We invest in Kingdom things and God takes that investment and multiplies it. Remember, God's economy is different.  He takes our little heavenly investment and makes it huge in his Kingdom.  Think loaves and fishes, or the mustard seed, or the yeast.   Jesus has a way of saying things with embarrassing directness.  No mincing words with Jesus. Might he really be asking us “So where are you building up your treasure?” Jesus doesn't specifically define treasure here and my guess is he did that on purpose because for each of us, it's going to be different but it's clearly what we value and invest in.”   It's what we are holding onto.  What is it you hold onto?  I mean, we all have something.  And why do you think that is?    I have to remind myself, sometimes over and over again, that none of “my stuff” is really mine at all truly belongs to God.  This is hard; it goes against everything society and culture teaches us.  In fact, right now you might be thinking, but I'm the one who earned this money.  I'm the one who made this sacrifice or earned this degree or did this or that to have a nice salary, to buy a home, to purchase a nice vehicle.  You might be thinking that really, “I did this on my own.”    Deut. 8:17 says, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me,' But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…”  Despite how economically self-sufficient we think we are, God created us and it is God who gives us the ability to work, the ability to earn money, the ability to provide a living for our families…all we have is his; we are not independent from him.   Jesus is certainly pointing to this truth.    As Jesus closes his teaching on money, he flows right into a discussion on worry. It points to the relationship between money and worry. When we don't have enough money, we tend to worry. When we have a lot of money, we tend to worry about its safekeeping or what we will spend it on.   Think about the first listeners to this teaching. Most would have been quite poor and truly just living hand to mouth. And to this group, who we might think had legitimate cause to be seriously anxious, Jesus tells them not to worry about the basic things of the world. God's going to take care of them.   I once read that 98% of the things we worry about never come to fruition. Worry, my friends, is a royal waste of time. It is useless. It causes us serious distress and steals today's joy. I am not saying this because I have somehow mastered the art of not worrying. I worry way too much but I am working on it. I recognize that the root of worry is a lack of trust in God. Thus, we all must make a decision every day to trust God.  It's a lifestyle of constantly giving things to God, and being intentional about not taking them back.   Which worries do you need to give to God today?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki          

Daily Dose of Hope May 29, 2025 Day 4 of Week 8   Scripture – Matthew 6:1-18   Prayer: Lord, We come to you today with humble hearts.  Help us think less of ourselves and more about others.  Help us focus more on you, and less on our own wants.  It is our inclination to complain and whine.  Forgive us, Lord.  We need you.  More of you and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional that complements the New Hope bible reading plan.  We are currently going through the Gospels and the book of Acts.  Today, we look at the first half of Matthew 6.  We are continuing to study the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus is giving us this beautiful picture of what it means to follow him --- your outward actions matter but so does your heart.  Citizens of heaven act differently.  There is a different way of living, a new way of being human, one in which is drastically different from the ways of the world.   The first portion of the Scripture from chapter 6 speaks about giving to the needy.  Don't give like the hypocrites who want attention and honor.  Rather, give quietly and discreetly.  I've had a few acquaintances over the years who really loved to talk about all the wonderful causes they gave to and all the wonderful ways they served.  It was hard to listen to.  Maybe you have been there.  Jesus is basically saying that our giving is an act of the heart.  It's between us and God.    The next portion of the Scripture talks about prayer.  Jesus again speaks of the hypocrites, those who pray loudly in the temple courts and how they have already received their reward – the attention and adoration of on-lookers.  The word hypocrite refers to a play actor on a stage; these people were acting out a part, looking for attention, looking for people to think they were so holy, they were seeking to impress others with their prayers.  Jesus was saying don't be like that – prayer is not about getting attention.  It's about a connection with God. The world tells us that it's influence and approval that matters.  Jesus says not so in the Kingdom of God.  Pray should be sincere and intentional.   Thus, Jesus gives us a pattern of prayer that allows us to be very intentional.  We call this the Lord's Prayer.  We say this almost every week as a family of faith.  This doesn't mean we have to pray exactly like this, but this provides an outline or guideline for us to follow. Let's unpack this.  Jesus starts the prayer this way, “Our Father in heaven...” This first line encourages us to start our prayer with some words about who God is to you - God is my father.  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.  So God is my father who is close to me.  And then he continues, “hallowed be your name.”  This is acknowledging that God is holy, he is worthy, and we give thanks for all he has done for us and all he has blessed us with. Jesus then says, “your kingdom come...”  Remember, God's Kingdom was the way God always intended his world to be, a place where Jesus is ruler and his values are in practice.  These are values like love, justice, mercy, righteousness, and so forth.  So God, help me be part of making your Kingdom a reality right here, right now.    Then we have, “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” What you might notice is that using this outline that Jesus offers us, we haven't asked God for anything yet!  There's been no list of stuff we want or need, we are just affirming who God is, thanking him, and praying that we can be part of making his will a reality here on earth.   Then, we get to the asking.  Jesus continues, “Give us today our daily bread.” Please notice, we aren't asking for filet mignon, it's give us today our daily bread.  It's provide us what we need for today.  I think this is where we struggle in western culture.  We tend to ask for a lot of wants rather than needs.  I include myself in that one.     The next line Jesus offers us is this, And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. This is acknowledging that unconfessed sin gets in the way of our relationship with God.  Unforgiveness does the same.  It breeds bitterness, it's like a poison that seeps throughout the body.  We have to take care of that to ensure our connection with God and others. And finally, Jesus closes with, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Although God isn't the one who tempts us, here we recognize that we are easily tempted.    In the second century, the early church added a closing portion from 2 Samuel that said, “For thine is the Kingdom and the glory and the power forever.”  This just provides one more reminder that it is not about me but about God – it's HIS Kingdom, not mine, HIS glory, not mine, and HIS power.    Again, this was not meant to be legalistic but to provide an intentional structure for our genuine, sincere prayer.   What are your big takeaways about prayer from these scriptures?  What has resonated most with you.    Take a moment and think about all of Jesus' teachings from the Sermon on the Mount thus far.  What has made the biggest impact on you?    Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope May 28, 2025 Day 3 of Week 8   Scripture - Matthew 5:38-48   Prayer:  Almighty Father, Thank you for loving us despite our many faults.  Thank you for showing us a different way of doing life.  Help us seek holiness in all we do.  Help us become the people you desire us to be.  As we work through today's Scripture and devotional, I pray that you speak to our hearts.  Help us see things differently.  We want to hear from you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are back in the Sermon on the Mount and learning more about what it means to live in the Kingdom of God.  We are finishing up Matthew 5.   The first portion of this Scripture is regarding an eye for an eye.  It was said an eye for an eye, but now I tell you to turn the other cheek.  I want to be clear, Jesus is not saying that we should never resist those who are trying to harm us.  He isn't say to be Christian doormats.  The Old Testament law about taking an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth actually promoted justice rather than vengeance.  If someone gives you a black eye, you can't then break their leg or kill them.  Jesus was also all about justice.  What exactly is he requiring of us?   Let's talk about what it means to turn the other cheek.  We think of a slap as a pretty terrible thing.  If someone slapped me, I would really be taken aback and consider it an assault.  Not so much in Jesus' day.  A slap on the cheek would have been an insult but not an assault.  Jesus specifically mentioned a right-cheek slap, which would have indicated a backhand slap.  That was a real insult, it was the kind of slap someone would give to a person beneath them.  It was patronizing and demoralizing.  By turning the other cheek, it challenged the offender to now strike the left cheek with an open palm.  And open palm slap, at that time, was something done to an equal.  Basically, turning the other cheek means that the victim is not taking the backhanded slap as a form of condescending shame.  They will face their offender face on, forcing them to either back down or treat them as an equal.   Then, we have Jesus saying that if someone wants to sue you for your shirt, give them your coat as well.  The shirt would have been the inner garment and the coat the outer garment.  The Old Testament law allowed someone, usually a poor person, to use their coat as collateral for a loan.  But it also required the lender to give it back by nighttime in case they get cold.  To give up the coat voluntarily would have been extraordinary.  Jesus is challenging people to think creatively in responding to an evildoer.  It forces the greedy person to confront what they doing.  It also provides a stark contrast between the one who is greedy and the one who is exceedingly generous.  In God's Kingdom, generosity is the virtue.    This is the thing: In God's Kingdom, things are turned upside down.  We don't respond to violence with more violence or greed with more greed.  We resist those things in creative ways.  This does not mean being victims or getting walked all over.  It means asserting power differently.    One of the most intriguing of the teachings is to love our enemies. This would have been unheard of in first-century Palestine. Love your enemies? What? Jesus' basis for this teaching is founded in God's own nature. God is, first and foremost, a God of love. He gives sun and rain to the good and the evil alike. He does not discriminate. Nor should we. The Pharisees cast judgment on others but we are not to do the same. We should seek to be perfect, as God is perfect, to have a heart willing to love those who seem to be unlovable.   Be honest with yourself. Who have you deemed unlovable? Spend some time with God reconciling this.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope May 27, 2025 Day 2 of Week 8   Scripture - Matthew 5:13-37   Prayer:  Holy God, We rejoice and give praise for the ways you care for us.  We rejoice and give praise for how you continue to forgive us and give us second and third chances.  Help us seek lives characterized by your holiness.  Help us seek pure hearts.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, hear our prayers and help us bring together all our scattered thoughts and focus on you...It's in your name we pray, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are working on part 2 of Matthew 5, as we continue to discuss the Sermon on the Mount.    Today's portion of Scripture begins with a discussion of salt and light. Jesus tells his followers, “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” During Jesus' time, salt was extremely important. It was a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a component of ceremonial offerings, and because of its value, it was even used as a unit of exchange.   So what is Jesus saying here? He is telling his followers that God's people should add some flavor and value to this world. If salt loses its saltiness or flavor, then it's useless. If we lose our ability to change or influence the world, then are we useless? Well, we certainly lose what is at the heart of being a Christ-follower - making a difference for the Kingdom. We are meant to change the world around us for the better in the name of Jesus Christ.   Jesus continues, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.” Salt improves food because it tastes different from what its being placed on. In the same way, light is useful to have because it is different from darkness. Light casts out darkness. Light makes a difference. If light is hidden, it loses what makes it valuable. Likewise, if we fail to be different in a positive way from the culture around us, then we are Christians in name only.   So what does this mean in practical ways?  Well, we are to be change agents, going out and doing all we can to bring God's Kingdom values here, right now. Remember what we say in the Lord's Prayer, “His kingdom come, his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” The disciples and the early Christian church took these words seriously. The early Christian church lived in a way, lived a lifestyle, that was so distinctly different from the world, that the world could not help but notice it. They lived out the values of the Kingdom. Acts 2:42-47 reads, “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, the the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” The earliest Christians were completely transformed by the teachings of Jesus Christ and his values. They were salt and they were light, they added true value and made a significant difference.   Here's several questions for us to consider today.  How are we, as modern-day Christians, salt and light for a hurting world?  How are we similar to the early church and how are we different?  What are some concrete steps you can take today to be salt and light in your world?   Then, Matthew chose to include Jesus' teaching on the fulfillment of the law.  He came not to change the law but to fulfill it.  But what does that mean?  Jesus is not talking about the law in the sense of the 613 rules that must be followed by faithful Jews.  If we think about this teaching being in the context of the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus in giving his followers specific guidelines for what it means to relate to God and others in the Kingdom, then that helps.  Afterall, the law and the prophets have long described relating to God and other people in a loving, just way.  Here, Jesus is saying that he will obey the law, but he really is fulfilling it by fulfilling the whole Biblical story.    Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God was on a mission to redeem his creation.  The law couldn't do it because humans couldn't keep it.  We are just too sinful.  The law demonstrated to us just how messy and broken we are.  Jesus was the solution to our brokenness.  Jesus was the solution to humanity's deepest problems.  He was the final sacrifice for sin – he very much fulfilled the law, he fulfilled the whole Biblical story, by providing a solution to our sin and victory over death.  The law wasn't intended to be the end all be all.  Jesus was intended to be the end all be all.   I want to leave a little time to cover what Jesus said about murder and adultery.  Both of these teachings show some unique aspects of life under the Kingdom of God.  They follow a similar pattern.  It was said...but now I tell you this...  Jesus is presenting his followers with a whole new way of looking at the world. He isn't dismissing the Old Testament teaching, he is simply reinterpreting it.   In the case of murder, it was said that you should not commit murder, but Jesus is saying that you shouldn't even be angry with a brother or sister.  Don't call someone names, forgive frequently, and settle disputes quickly.  That is the way of life in God's Kingdom.  If we act differently, then it's not God's Kingdom we are part of.   In the case of adultery, it was said you should not commit adultery, but Jesus is saying that you can't look at another person lustfully if they aren't your spouse.  And then there is this really hard teaching about gouging out an eye if it causes you to sin or lopping off a hand if it causes you to sin.  I'm quite sure this was hyperbole because we don't have too many reports of one-eyed, one-handed believers of Jesus in the first century.    But in all of these things, Jesus is making a point.  What is in your heart matters.  It isn't just outward behavior that matters to God, but the purity of your heart.   So, here are our final questions for us today and they are not easy ones.  What is the state of your heart?  Are you harboring anger, bitterness, or unforgiveness, toward someone?  It is time to spend some time with God and work through that.  Is lust something you struggle with?  It is time to spend some time with God and work through that too.  Our hearts matter, friends.  They matter a lot.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Join us as we continue our series, After the Resurrection. This week, we focus on the great commission in which Jesus gives His followers a mission to make disciples of all nations.Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Daily Dose of Hope May 26, 2025 Day 1 of Week 8   Scripture - Matthew 5:1-12   Prayer:  Almighty God, We come to you today with humble hearts.  We are broken and we need you.  Help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you this morning.  Help us set aside distractions so we might hear your voice.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, help us just focus on Jesus...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin the Sermon on the Mount, a block of Jesus' teaching that is pretty life-changing; these are teachings that emphasize purity of heart.  While the Sermon on the Mount runs neatly from chapter 5-7 in Matthew's Gospel, the reality is that this teaching probably took place over several days.  Matthew then organized it into sections and presented it in a way that he felt made the most sense, emphasizing the most critical parts of Jesus' teaching.   I want us to think about to whom Jesus was speaking.  He was on a mountain, preaching mainly to Jewish farmers and laborers, people who had truly been hurt by the Roman oppression.  They are tired of being bullied, mistreated, and facing such a heavy tax burden.  Those who live in Galilee were often seen as unclean by the Pharisees and Sadducees, as well, because of their ethnic diversity.  These are people who are being hit hard from all sides.  They are eagerly awaiting the Messiah, the one who will save them.   The portion of Scripture we are covering today is called the Beatitudes.  The word “beatitude” means to be blessed.  And when we dig further, the term blessed is to be full of honor.  So, contrary to what culture says, Jesus is saying these specific groups are to be honored.  In the Kingdom of God, groups that would not normally be honored will be.  God's economy is different.  That being said, who does Jesus say should be honored?   -The poor in spirit – This may include those who were economically poor (most of Jesus' audience would have been) but also those who were socially poor, such as without family or standing.  When you were poor, you were not able to defend what was yours. The poor in spirit also indicates people who are humble, dependent on God, and have a desperate need for him. This would not have been a group that the culture at large would have found honorable at all, but Jesus says they will gain the Kingdom of Heaven.   -Those who mourn – In a society such as theirs, mourning would have been a fairly common experience.  Death and illness would be have been a regular occurrence. It is estimated that half of all children died before their first birthday.  The life expectancy was around 35 but that number is skewed because of the high level of child deaths.  Basically, there were a lot of grieving moms. Jesus says that those who mourn are worthy of honor and will be comforted.   -The meek – Those who are meek demonstrate strength and integrity through gentle, kind, submissive behavior.  They are not aggressive.  This would not have been an attribute the rest of society would have honored and yet, Jesus does.  He says they will inherit the earth.   -Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure at heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness – I recognize that these attributes are not all the same but for the sake of today's discussion, I'm going to lump this group together.  These people would have been justice-seekers.  They speak up for the vulnerable.  To be a peacemaker is one who actively works to resolve conflicts.  To be merciful is to extend forgiveness to those who have wronged you.  All require a certain humility and purity of heart to care for others more than yourself.  And Jesus highly values them.   Jesus closes out this section by saying that there is another group who should also be honored – those who experience persecution for his sake; those who are insulted or harmed because of their faith in Jesus.  Great is their reward in heaven.  I think about the people of great faith over many centuries who have been burned at the stake, fed to hungry lions, or been sentenced to death by firing squad.  Many who should have been honored were killed.  Such is the state of our broken world.  Let's remember those Christians around the globe who are still being persecuted.  And Jesus himself said it would occur.    What are we to make of the beatitudes?  They certainly give us a barometer of sorts for our own lives.  How is your heart?  What are the things you really value?  Do you put the needs of others before yourself?  Are you merciful?  Do you stand up for the vulnerable (not just in theory but in practical ways)?  Do you sit with those who mourn so they will receive Jesus' comfort through you?  Are you humble?   Today's devotional isn't that long.  I hope you will take some time to read through the Beatitudes again.  Think about every group that Jesus says will be honored.  Are you part of that group?  Do you honor those attributes?  These go contrary to what our society honors as well.  But we are to be different.  Dig deep here, friends.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Today, we have two messages as we continue our Sermon on the Mount series. Jimmy Cleary and Andy Rosse each unpack one of the most sobering passages in Scripture — Matthew 7:21-23 — revealing the uncomfortable truth that religious activity alone doesn't secure eternity.We're challenged to examine our hearts honestly: Are we relying on empty religious activities, or do we have a daily habit of repentance and a genuine relationship with Christ? If you've ever felt uncertain about your standing with God or questioned whether your life reflects your beliefs, this message offers clarity and hope.Thank you for listening to this message from Northwest Hills Community Church in Corvallis, Oregon, on May 25, 2025, at 8:30am & 10:15am. You can find us online at nwhills.com.Key Moments00:00 Welcome01:03 Jimmy's Message: Justified or Just Pretending?06:05 Understanding Matthew 7:21-2312:54 The Concept of Justification and Sanctification22:25 The Importance of Repentance32:58 Andy's Message: Knowing Jesus vs. Knowing About Jesus35:38 The Passage and Its Misinterpretations39:12 Reading and Reflecting on Matthew 7:21-2355:15 The Importance of a Personal Relationship with Jesus01:00:07 Practical Steps to Know Jesus More

Scripture: Matthew 12:38-40

Daily Dose of Hope May 23, 2025 Day 5 of Week 8   Scripture - Matthew 4:12-25   Prayer:  Holy God, We come to you today with expectancy.  We need to hear your voice.  We need to feel your presence.  Lord Jesus, we know that we are weak.  Our lives are incomplete and empty without you.  Our world is nothing without you.  Help us go through this day remembering that we belong to you.  With your Spirit in us, we have power.  With your Spirit in us, we can be bold and courageous.  We give you our day, Lord.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Happy Friday, everyone!  Today, we are finishing up Matthew, chapter 4.    Jesus' public ministry begins after his time in the wilderness and after the arrest of John the Baptist.  We don't know how Jesus felt about John's arrest, as Matthew doesn't give us that information, but we know they were first cousins and may have been close.  We also know that John's arrest foreshadows Jesus' own.   The Scripture for today says that Jesus moves from Nazareth to Capernaum.  Could it have been John's imprisonment that led Jesus to move?  We don't really know.  Capernaum was a fishing town on the Sea of Galilee and it becomes Jesus' base of operations.  It's strategic location also allowed Jesus to reach a wider audience and travel more easily.  Matthew points out that what Jesus was doing was also a fulfillment of prophecy from Isaiah 9.  Remember, Matthew is weaving in this theme of Jesus as the Messiah from the line of David, the one who the Jews have been waiting for.    Next, Jesus begins to call his first disciples.  I think it's hard for us to imagine how abruptly these four men responded to Jesus.  While there was probably more back story here that we aren't privy to, the reality is that they left everything to follow Jesus.  They left all human sources of security, all human goals and aspirations to respond to a call by God.  They left their jobs and probably their families to respond to a call, and did so as far as we can tell, without hesitation or doubt.   Could we do the same?  God calls each and every one of us but we still hold on to various aspects of the world.  How often do we fully and completely let go of everything to simply follow Jesus?  This is the demand of the kingdom of God–turn away from the kingdom of the world and give all to a bigger, deeper purpose.  Stop worrying so much about fishing for money, power, or admiration and simply fish for people.  We may live 2000 years later but this is our mission and call as well.  Do you believe this?  Are you ready to say yes?   It's right after this that Jesus begins his ministry.  He travels around the region to heal the sick and proclaims the Kingdom of God.  He preached in synagogues too.  But all kinds of people followed Jesus.  It says those from Syria, Judea, Jerusalem, and even the Decapolis (those would have been the pagans), brought their sick to Jesus and then followed him.  That means very early on, there were both Jews and Gentiles who were getting a picture of God's Kingdom.  Very early on, Jesus was crossing boundaries.    Let's end by talking a bit about the Kingdom.  What does it mean that Jesus was proclaiming the Kingdom of God?  This is actually a really important point.  Bear with me here, because I'm going to go back a bit.  God's 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. And just when we think all is lost, 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.” Then, 600 years after that prophecy in Isaiah, 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.”   Central to Jesus' ministry was the announcement of God's reign, that God's Kingdom was here. Think about Mark 1:15, Jesus says, “The time promised by God has come at last!” In Luke 4, we read that Jesus announces, “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” and then later in that same chapter, “I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” Because that is why he was sent - to proclaim the GOOD NEWS of the Kingdom of God.    So what is the Kingdom of God?  Sorry it took me so long to get here. 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 Jesus was saying, and I want you to understand how radical and revolutionary this was at the time, is that the Kingdom of God is here. He was saying that he represents the Kingdom. He represents a new way of doing life, a new way of being human, a way of doing life that demonstrates the reign of God. And so everything he does–all his miracles, all his parables---they were all intended to show what the Kingdom of God is like, what the new way of being human is 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. 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, he 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.   Jesus' ministry was not just about getting individuals right with God. That was part of it but certainly 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.   Enough for today.  You can see I might be just a teensy bit passionate about this.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

SCRIPTURE- Matthew 6:26-27"Look at the birds in the air. They do not sew or reap or stow away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they."REFLECTION- LaurenMUSIC- "Do Not Worry" by Ellie HolcombNOTES-

Daily Dose of Hope May 22, 2025 Day 4 of Week 8   Scripture – Matthew 4:1-11   Prayer:  Holy and Almighty Father, We come to you today with humble hearts.  We know we are broken and need you.  We are weak.  We are vulnerable to temptation.  Lord, fill us with your strength.  Give us your stamina and wisdom.  We can't do this life without you, Lord.  It's in the powerful name of Jesus we pray, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the daily devotional that complements New Hope Church's Bible reading plan.  This is the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin Matthew 4.   In the first portion of this chapter, Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan.  The Judean wilderness doesn't look like a forest, by any means.  Rather, it is dry, rocky, and hot.  It is more like a desert with rocks.  Let's start by envisioning that.    The first big question is why did the Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness knowing what would happen?  We can assume that this is part of getting Jesus ready for his public ministry.  Jesus has the credentials and the authority, but now he gets to have the experience of coming face to face with evil.  Consider this: He has just been baptized and the Spirit is with him.  Afterall, the Spirit didn't leave him in the desert.  But he then allows himself to be made weak with lack of food.  Remember, Jesus was God but he was also human.  He allows himself to be made physically weak for this purpose – to demonstrate that he could still resist temptation.   Now, he is ready to face his main adversary.  And as you read this, notice that the devil is never in control of the situation.  Jesus is.  He may be weak, tired and hungry, but he is totally in control.  Jesus is strong and ready for each and every temptation.  In this scene, Jesus gives us a powerful picture of how to go into a spiritual battle, leaning totally and completely on the Word of God.    What were the temptations?  There is the temptation to make stones into bread (remember, he was fasting), the temptation to hurl himself down from the top of the Temple and have God rescue him, and the temptation to have political leadership over all the Kingdoms of the world.  Satan's temptations get immediately to the core question of Jesus' identity, calling into question his relationship with God by beginning with, “If you are the Son of God….” This relationship, announced earlier at his baptism, is now confirmed through Jesus' unwavering trust in God.   These temptations in the wilderness are not one-time experiences, they are tests that are preparing Jesus for his earthly ministry.  Jesus is going to be confronted with all kinds of evil.  He will cast out demons.  He will battle Satan on many fronts.  He will face all kinds of physical and emotional pain.  Think about the cross.  This is good news for us.  Jesus has, after all, already gone before us into the most forsaken places in the wilderness.  Jesus has been tempted and won the victory over temptation and Satan.  We can too, with his help.  But he isn't asking us to go anywhere he hasn't already been.   Spiritual warfare is real. At least a quarter of Jesus' ministry dealt specifically with the conflict between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of darkness.  Jesus was God with flesh on and he came to crush Satan under his feet.  On the cross, Jesus has won the victory and the ultimate divine victory is not in doubt.  But the spiritual forces of evil have not totally conceded.  We live in this in between time.  Victory in Jesus Christ is ours.  In the spiritual sense, we possess everything necessary as Kingdom people, we are children of God, redeemed, reconciled, and make right in Christ.  That being said, in this in between time, there will still be spiritual warfare, there are still difficult battles to be fought, there will still be destruction, and there will be casualties.  The apostle John wrote in I John 5:19, “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”   And so the church stands its ground and uses everything God has equipped her with to resist evil.  In today's passage, Jesus gives us a great example of how to do this.    When it comes to spiritual warfare, here are some things to consider:   -God has an enemy who is committed to working against his people and his work in this world.    -This isn't really our battle.  It is God's battle.  We are simply joining him in this mission of fighting back darkness.  And we have nothing to fear in the midst of it, as long as we stay close to Jesus.  It's when we start wondering off on our own that we may have problems.  So, submit yourself to God.  The enemy wants to keep you from growing in your walk with Jesus.  Give yourself over to God; stay focused on him.    -As believers, we aren't to go on the offensive but rather to be prepared for a defensive battle.  Stand firm in doing good and obeying God's will.  Stay faithful.  When you do that, you are pushing back darkness. Don't be surprised if the enemy tries to trip you up and make you ineffective.  Keep proclaiming Jesus but expect opposition.  Anytime we do something significant for the Kingdom, expect opposition.    -God will give us the equipment and strength we need to stay strong.  God provides us with everything we need, the Bible, the armor, the protection, and the prayer connection.   -Be careful not to open yourself up to things that are not of God.  There are some things that we think are kind of harmless, like psychics, tarot cards, Ouija boards, crystals, a lot of the new age stuff.  While some of it might have no power, some of it does.  I've known of people who had really powerful and scary experiences with some of this.  At times, it can be really accurate.  Please know that power doesn't come from God.  As Christians, we should not be exposing ourselves to anything that is remotely evil; it isn't something to play around with.  It's serious.    I truly think Satan's attacks are getting more intense at the same time that many western Christians are not taking spiritual warfare seriously at all.  Satan rejoices in self-centered Christianity.  Satan loves the fact that so many of our churches could care less about leading people to Jesus.  But we are at war – we are at war for the souls of our children, our grandchildren, and our greatgrandchildren.  If the Kingdom of Darkness makes the church ineffective, then they are winning the battle.  And the casualties are really huge.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

In this message, Jesus will issue two sobering warnings concerning the path to the Kingdom of Heaven: those who will seek to deceive us concerning salvation and that of our own self-deception. In doing so, we'll consider the implications of those warnings and find encouragement to remain steadfast on the path of Jesus and His righteousness that comes by grace through faith.   Scripture: Matthew 7:15-23

https://newsongpeople.com/messages/suffered-crucified-dead-buried-descendedWhat really happened at the cross—and why does it matter for your Monday?In this powerful fourth message of our Life Blood series, we walk deep into the heart of the gospel: the suffering, crucifixion, death, burial, and descent of Jesus. This isn't just history—it's your story. The cross isn't something that just happened to Jesus. It's something that happened because of us—and for us.Pastor [Your Name] unpacks Matthew 27 and the Apostles' Creed to show how Jesus didn't just die for sin—He died for you. To reconcile. To restore. To make you whole. From the brutal reality of the crucifixion to the soul-thirst of spiritual separation, this message shows how Jesus went through hell so you don't have to.Whether you're feeling broken, distant from God, or just going through the motions—this message is an invitation to receive what's free, belong to what's real, and let the gold of grace fill your deepest cracks.