Daily Dose of Hope from New Hope

Daily Dose of Hope December 18, 2025 Scripture – Acts 20 Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, We are so grateful that your mercies are new every single morning. No matter what our week has been like, we can come to you today afresh and anew. Lord, forgive us for our many failings. We want to do better. 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 and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan. We are getting close to finishing this reading plan after going through the Gospels and now the book of Acts. Today, we walk through Acts 20. We start with more of Paul's travels. He stops by a number of the churches to encourage them but also has to take a number of circuitous routes to avoid those who wished him harm. Paul relies so much on the Spirit here. He knows where to go and when to go, based on where God is leading him. At his stop in Troas, Paul spends a lot of time preaching. I mean, he basically preaches all day and night. One young man, Eutychus, nods off and then falls out of the third floor window and dies. Paul sees this happen and rushes outside, grabs him, and through the power of Jesus, brings him back from the dead. Then, Paul keeps on preaching. Does not miss a beat. Anyone who ever thinks I preach too long needs to read this passage. Towards the end of the chapter, Paul is leaving the elders at the church of Ephesus, people he has worked and preached alongside for quite some time. These are people he has grown to love and who love him dearly. They are brothers and sisters in Christ. They are family. And they know they will never see one another again in this earthly life. When I was traveling in Germany with my Doctorate cohort in 2018, I met a pretty extraordinary South African couple who dedicated their lives to witnessing to Syrian refugees in some of the most dangerous places on earth. Our little group shared, prayed, laughed, and cried with them. My own life journey is forever changed because of the one day I spent with them. I say all of that to make this point. As we left each other's company that day, we were sad because we knew that chances were we would never see each other again this side of heaven. But, we also rejoiced because we knew that we knew that we would spend eternity together. I think about this as I read about Paul leaving his dear friends. They know that life circumstances will never allow them to be together again in this world. But friends, we aren't simply citizens of earth, we are citizens of heaven! Our time apart is short compared to the eternity we will spend together in heaven. I try to remember this when I officiate a funeral of a loved brother or sister in Christ. Yes, it is very painful to say good-bye. We miss them. But if we know Jesus, then it isn't really good-bye. It's simply "See ya later! Until we meet again!" The pain and sadness are real. We must acknowledge that. But we can trust that God will turn our mourning into dancing. Thank you, Jesus. Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope December 17, 2025 Scripture – Acts 19 Prayer: Lord, We come to you today with humble hearts. As we venture towards Christmas, 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 and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida. We have been on a great journey of reading the Gospels and Acts. Today, we are covering Acts 19. Paul's extended time in Ephesus has obviously made a huge impact on the region. Many people are coming to know Jesus, miracles are happening, and people are no longer participating in the local idol worship. They aren't buying the trinkets! Interestingly, the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus was considered, in its final form, to be one of the seven wonders of the world. It was extraordinary feat of how human beings can create beautiful idols to try to replace the one true God. If the worship of Artemis had been fulfilling and life-giving, then the Ephesian businessmen would have had nothing to worry about. But the worship of idols, two thousand years ago and today, always leaves one feeling empty and wanting. Paul preached the Word of God, taught about the salvation and abundant life that comes from walking with Jesus, and created a community of people who loved God and each other. That was attractive to people who were desperate for something more. I can't help but relate this same scenario to our society today. What/Who are our modern Temples of Artemis? Which idols have we sought after, leaving us feeling empty and wanting more from life? Just a reminder: Jesus is still in the business of transforming hearts and lives! Who in your life needs to know the abundant life that only comes from a living relationship with Jesus? Who needs to experience a community of Christians who will love and accept them as they are? Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope December 16, 2025 Scripture – Acts 18 Prayer: Dear Holy God, Your love is amazing. Thank you for the way you care for us. In these next few moments of silence, Lord, help us focus on you...Lord Jesus, help us set aside every distraction and take this time to lean on you. We want to hear your voice. Amen. Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida. We are currently working our way through the book of Acts and today, we dive into Acts 18. Here, we read more about Paul's missionary journey. He heads to Corinth, where he almost throws in the towel when it came to preaching to the Jews. But God encourages him and we continue to see his pattern of heading to the synagogue first, debating with the Jews, and then bringing the message to the Gentiles. While I'm sure it was frustrating for Paul, he did see a lot of fruit. Jews and Gentiles alike from all walks of life are beginning to believe the Good News. Priscilla and Aquilla appear on the scene and they are a huge support to Paul, as Apollos will be as well. What I admire so much about Paul is how he traveled around frequently, built networks of believers (which become churches), and he seems almost fearless. He doesn't get too attached to any place, although he stays some places longer than others. And yet, he builds deep relationships. There had to be a lot of hard good-byes. Another thing I noticed in today's reading is Paul's ability to disciple people in the faith. He disciples Priscilla and Aquilla. He stops by all the different churches where he has built relationships, discipling them and encouraging them. His various pastoral letters, while they addressed specific problems, were definitely letters intended to disciple and mentor those working under him in the name of Jesus. He doesn't lead someone to Christ and then just leave them in that infancy stage. He truly does everything he can to build people up in the faith and help them grow. Discipling others is hugely important and I think it's something we don't do very well in the Western church. For so long, our emphasis was getting people to say yes to Jesus. While that is not a bad thing, Jesus teaches us in the Great Commission to go make disciples. Remember, a disciple is an apprentice, someone who is truly working to be like Jesus. This doesn't mean someone who has intellectual belief in Jesus but someone who is doing all they can to be like Jesus in thoughts and actions. What are some ways that we could do a better job discipling other Christians at New Hope? The bottom line was that Paul was totally and completely sold out for Jesus and he was willing to make any sacrifice to advance God's Kingdom. How many of us can say that? Wow. Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope December 15, 2025 Scripture - Acts 17 Prayer: Holy God, Almighty Father, the Great I AM, throughout all time, you are good. Your ways are perfect. Teach us your ways, Lord. Help us to know you better, to know you more. Lord, on our own, we are powerless. We are desperate for your wisdom, love, and mercy. More of you and less of me, Jesus. Amen. Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan. We have now walked through the Gospels and we are in the second half of the book of Acts. Today, we will discuss Acts 17. In this chapter, Paul preaches in Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens. At each place, he tailors his message to his audience but it's still clearly the Gospel. The reception he receives at each location is different too. In Thessalonica and Berea, he starts at the synagogue, which has been his pattern. He preaches the Gospel to the Jews first. Some Jews believe in Jesus, as did a number of prominent Greek men and women. But things turn south pretty quickly. A number of Jews in Thessalonica are jealous at Paul's success and they raise up a mob to stop him. They actually go to home in which they are staying and drag out Jason and other believers, arresting them and forcing them to post bond. Paul and Silas were being helped by other believers, who were aiding their travel to Berea. In Berea, they were accepted warming at first. People believe. But the troublemakers from Thessalonica find out that Paul and Silas are there and they try to get hold of them there. But Paul and Silas are helped once again by believers who help them get to the coast. In Athens, things are different still. The philosophers are interested in what Paul has to say and he shares the Gospel and there are varied reactions – belief, sneering, and wanting more information. But they aren't beaten up or thrown in jail, so that is quite a relief. In each city, as different as they are, there are some people who take to the Gospel message right away and others who have more questions. I think this is such a great model for us. We share as God leads us and we tailor the message to those who are listening. If we are telling the Jesus story to Jews, then we will focus on the Old Testament and the various prophecies about Jesus. If we are telling the Jesus story to Gentiles, then the story will be spoken in a way that makes sense to them. Paul appealed to what they knew – think about his use of the altar to an unknown God in Athens. In our world, I present the Gospel to someone who grew up in the church differently than I do to someone who has never heard of Jesus. I guess the theme here is know your audience and listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope December 12, 2025 Scripture: Acts 16 Prayer: Holy God, We come before you this morning with humility. You, Lord of all Creation, Almighty God, came down to earth to become one of us. You didn't come because you needed to, but because we needed you to. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the gift of incarnation. As we continue through this Advent season, help us prepare our hearts for your coming. Help us remember who and whose we are. In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen. Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan. We have been walking through the Gospels and now we are mid-way through Acts. Today, we are in Acts 16. There are two parts of this passage I want us to discuss. The first is when Paul meets Timothy and decides to bring him on his missionary journey, he circumcises him. Wait? Didn't Paul just argue at the Council of Jerusalem that circumcision and the law were an unnecessary burden for Gentiles? Yes, he did. Now he circumcises Timothy. Is he contradicting himself? I don't believe so, but there are some layers to unpack. Timothy's mother was Jewish and his father was Greek so he would not have been circumcised. Now, Timothy and Paul are going to be visiting many young churches, some filled with Jewish believers. While circumcision wouldn't be required, it probably gave Timothy a bit more authority in the eyes of those new Jewish converts. It was probably also a debate they just didn't want to have. They wanted the focus to be on salvation through Jesus Christ and they wanted to avoid anything that would be a distraction. Of course, I'm thinking – was there a circumcision check at the door? How would they even know? But I digress. The other part of the passage that is fascinating to me is how the Spirit of God discourages Paul and crew from going one way so that they would end up in Macedonia. I mean, they had a route already planned out and they were prevented from taking that route. And then Paul has a dream about a man calling to them and begging for them to come to Macedonia. So they head in that direction. When they go into Macedonia, it opens up a whole new area to the Gospel. They head to Philippi, where they meet a woman named Lydia and she accepts Jesus. She welcomes them into her home, which later becomes a house church. This is only the beginning! By listening to the Spirit and not insisting on their own way, the Gospel was advanced. How often do we want to force our own way with God? Yet, the Spirit is always trying to guide us, if we let him. I can't finish today's devotional without at least addressing the prison story. Paul and Silas are arrested after a debacle of sorts with a servant girl. She had a spirit in her that told the future. Keep in mind, this spirit would not have been of God, so most likely the power was demonic. She followed the men around and was really wearing on Paul's nerves so he cast out that spirit. But she was quite a money-maker for her owners. When they find out the future-telling spirit is gone, they are livid. They drag Paul and Silas into the public square and have them beaten. Then, they are put in prison. It feels a lot like a local mob gone crazy. But God is always up to something. An earthquake basically opens up the prison so the men could have theoretically walked out. But they didn't. I don't know why they didn't leave. Maybe the Holy Spirit impressed upon them to stay, we don't have that information. But because they stayed, the jailer is saved and so is his family! One door opens another. God is always opening at doors, always at work, but we have to be paying attention. How have you seen God working behind the scenes in your life this week? Blessings, Pastor Vicki