God put people in your past to inspire you, instruct you and give you wisdom. There are also things in your past that will betray you; memories that will give you hurt and pain. Remembering is important, but more important is remembering correctly. Memory is a gift you must steward. You can remember wrong things or you can remember right …
The Truth About Money
The word “greed” is simply defined as keeping everything we get. When greed begins to obsess or control us, there is no flow through. Even though we do not use certain things, we become greedy and begin to accumulate them because the accumulation is an end in itself. Then our value, our identity and everything is wrapped up in possessions …
The Cross
The cross was rugged — a place of offense where blood was shed. It’s where Christ died for your sins and mine and for the rest of the world. In 1 Corinthians 1:23, Paul says, “But we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness.” To hang on the cross was horrid enough. However, historians say that …
The Power of Words
How we relate to one another with words is vital. Words can be powerful and deliver death or life. Words can heal or words can kill. We experience the power of words when we have been dealt a death blow by someone’s misfired words. Conversely, we experience that same power when we have been encouraged, motivated or ignited again by …
A Season of Remembering
We must never, ever forget the miracles, the times God provided and the times when God brought something impossible to pass. Throughout the Old Testament, God told the Israelites to remember. He delivered them out of slavery in Egypt by working many miracles. Then He moved them into a new land that would be strange to them. And God knew …
We Should Be Amazed
Grace, sometimes juxtaposed against wrath or judgment, makes you realize how precious it really is. Because we have all sinned, the Bible says that God legally doesn’t have to bless you. But if God were legalistic, we would all perish. We would not make it through one day. We would all be finished. So God came and did something that …
Overcoming the Giant of Depression
Today, depression is known as the “common cold” of emotional ills. One out of every four people in America suffers chronic depression. The leading medications sold in America have to do with stress reduction and depression reduction. Some people struggle with depression because of a chemical imbalance or a physiological problem, but for most people, it is really more of …
The Reason for Our Faith
God met with Abraham and said, “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of the night and you will become a nation of faith.” Abraham said, “I will enter into that agreement.” “So He said to him, ‘Bring Me a three year old heifer and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, …
A Season of Harvest
We are called “a church without walls.” We don’t have the traditional church, a building with a steeple or stained glass. The common conception is that when people think of a church, they identify it with a building. But the church isn’t a building. This church—New Hope—is YOU! Church services are not the extent of our Christianity. As wonderful as …
Taking Time to Enjoy Life
“You will make known to me the path of life, in thy presence is fullness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures forever” (Ps. 16:11). God is saying to have a life filled with joy is not a distasteful thing. It is something that is pleasurable in a right, godly and spiritual way. It is one of the ingredients …