New Hope Bible Church

Matthew 5: 13  “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again ? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. Thank you David for bringing God’s word this past Sunday. God is always faithful. God is always good. This past Sunday you reminded us, that we are “the salt of the earth”. That Jesus used a life essential mineral, as a personification of a Christian’s life. You helped us understand that salt has a number of benefits associated with good health, safety, seasoning, and food preservation. While somewhat plentiful and ordinary, the use of salt is essential to life. Health experts tell us that our salt intake, due to the presences of sodium has to be in balance. To little or too much will affect our health even to the point of death, so awareness is key. In a sense, the balance of a life essential mineral is critical to our condition of life. I find...

Those who know me know my interest over the last several years has been to look at the Christian experience and calling through the lens of 'one anothering'. That is, fulfilling all of the many ways we are told to support one another in the fellowship through our prayer, gifts, love, forgiveness, encouragement, service and so on. And so through that same lens I have been thinking of the last sermon, not just in the context of Christians impacting the world as salt but as it applies to our relationships with one another. And I think that the admonition for Christians to be salt to the world has that additional, equally meaningful application, that each of us as Christians need to be salt for one another too. How does that happen, though?  First we need to see ourselves as family. All of us as members and fellow believers worshiping at New Hope Bible Church need to consider ourselves and value one another as family (people related to one another by birth and by blood, which Chr...

Matthew 5: 16  Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Ephesians 2:10 10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Why do Christians work so hard hiding their light when our world is living in darkness? That was a question, which came to my mind while listening to David this past Sunday. David reminded us that every Christian has a “light”, one, which is burning brightly. The Bible instructs Christians to openly place their light for the betterment of others to the glory of God. As a Christian, God has “conscripted” each into an agency of good works. Maybe not exactly as the world perceives good works, but how God defines as good works. In Galatians 5:14,   “…You shall love your neighbor as yourself”, reading further Galatians 5:16 “…not carry out the desire of the flesh…” Wit...

Matthew 9: 9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him. Thank you Trenton for your words this past Sunday.  My father-in-law, several months ago, was not feeling well and, through a series of tests and observations, was diagnosed with cancer. Once discovered and the specific type of cancer infecting his body identified, a plan of action to “fight back” was implemented. Knowledge is power and as with any fight, knowing the opposition, understanding it’s characteristics, and an inventory of our assets is the foundation for a great defense.  Dean has an opportunity to “fight back”, because someone took the time to discover, observe, explain, and then provide a defensive plan of action.  Trenton your message on “the call”, was a great charge to the “Commission” that Jesus gave to every Christian (Matthew 28:18-20).  “Make disciples of a...

Matthew ​ ​ 16: ​ ​ 13 Now ​ ​ when ​ ​ Jesus ​ ​ came ​ ​ into ​ ​ the ​ ​ district ​ ​ of ​ ​ Caesarea ​ ​ Philippi, ​ ​ He ​ ​ was ​ ​ asking ​ ​ His ​ ​ disciples, ​ ​ “W ​ ho do ​ ​ people ​ ​ say ​ ​ that ​ ​ the ​ ​ Son ​ ​ of ​ ​ Man ​ ​ is ​ ?” Wow those people!!!! What is our world coming to? Ever expressed the feelings, thought the  thoughts, ​ ​ or ​ ​ listened ​ ​ as ​ ​ others ​ ​ tell ​ ​ tales ​ ​ about ​ ​ “those” ​ ​ people?   The “sadness” of our daily news “plays out” the “hopelessness” of humanity. It highlights the follies of others and infuses frustration over self centered attitudes spewing, “My rights”, “My way”, “My life”, “My entitlement” as some take from others without regard. An audio video presentation of other’s actions brought about by the desires of their hearts (Psalm 51 10-13). What is my world coming to is an important question, but more convicting is, do I really care enough? “The ​ ​ only ​ ​ thing ​ ​ necessary ​ ...

       I really enjoyed David’s sermon on knowing and living out God’s plan in my life. The notion of God having a personal plan for each of us has come up a number of times lately in my Bible study, quiet or listening time and in prayer. So, hearing yet another perspective was perfect timing.               Just recently I was emailing back and forth with a friend and she asked how things were with me. So after a few short blurbs about some of the things of absolutely little or no importance that I spent time on, I shared with her a change in how I was looking at the whole personal spiritual question of, “God, what is your plan for my life?” A few weeks prior I had listened to a podcast interview of a young pastor who was asked that same question. He said that he was no longer caught up in knowing God’s plan for his life, rather he puts time and prayer into knowing God’s plan for that day. He we...