March 15, 2021

Luke 9:23-24

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

It doesn’t matter how easy, or how difficult, the commands of Christ are. There’s still that moment of bowing the knee to Him, and I think that’s the hardest moment. True obedience to Christ starts by calling Him Lord and by laying your whole life before Him. His commands are to love Him with everything you have, so how could obedience require anything less?

At Hope, we’ve been confronting some stuff our culture has tremendous difficulty with. Yet, the hardest part isn’t the Bible’s teaching on sexuality or identity. The hardest part is handing God the right to be God over your life. As desperately difficult as this death sentence looms, God requires our life. Give it to Him. Then watch as He, being Lord of your life, gives it back to you abundance forever!

Prayer prompt: Lord, thank You for giving me life!

Daily Reading: Exodus 15, Psalm 65, 1 Samuel 16 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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March 12, 2021

John 18:8-9

8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”

Chesterton said, “Even a bad shot is dignified when he accepts a duel.” I’m not a fighter. Nobody considers my hands lethal weapons. But when something makes a bump in the night, and I get out of bed to check, shuffling around in my pajamas, I do take upon myself the grand mantle of Protector. God gave men that job, and when we accept it we regain something of that original spark and even reflected majesty that God intended man to have.

Adam failed as a protector, the snake slid right past him. I know I fail constantly to stop the lies of the world from getting to my children and wife. But Christianity isn’t built on teaching people what failures they are and pointing to what they should have done. Christ came to show us what a protector is and then to boldly protect us now and forever. He put Himself before His disciples like a shield, then He bled to shield them from the serpent, Hell, and death. Look to your Protector and gain the confidence to keep fighting.

Prayer prompt: Lord, You are my protector. I hide myself under the shadow of Your wings.

Daily Reading: Exodus 12, Psalm 62, 1 Samuel 13 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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March 11, 2021

John 6:11

11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.

Men are called to provide. When Adam sinned, God’s curse to Adam was on his ability to bring up food from the ground. It’s difficult to talk to a man without finding out what he does for a living; it’s just who we are, even to a twisted degree. There is something about God displayed when a man makes sure his family is satisfied.

Jesus models masculine provision in a staggering way. We have stories like this where He miraculously gives enough for thousands to be satisfied, but He goes much further. Jesus doesn’t just model a fatherly provision, but a heavenly self-sacrifice. He gives them bread in John 6 before teaching them that He is the bread of life. Don’t just go to Jesus for an example, go to Him for your life.

Prayer prompt: Lord, be my bread, what gives me strength and pleasure, all my days.

Daily Reading: Exodus 11, Psalm 61, 1 Samuel 12 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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March 10, 2021

John 13:5

5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Jesus’ style of leadership is just different. Everybody works hard at college in order to be the boss. Why get ordered around when you can do the ordering? Our culture likes to think “Unless you’re the lead dog, the view never changes.” But Jesus went in a totally different direction.

Jesus is the Lord over all by right, by competency, by goodness. By every conceivable metric Jesus should be the leader over everyone and everything. And being the highest, He went the lowest. The God who dwells in unapproachable light stooped to a servant’s role when He knelt to clean the feet of the disciples, even Judas. Look up and see not just your example for leadership, but the kind eyes of your Servant King.

Prayer prompt: Lord, teach me to lead by Your example of service.

Daily Reading: Exodus 10, Psalm 60, 1 Samuel 11 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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March 9, 2021

Ephesians 1:17

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him

Take a second and remember back when you were a student or a time when you were trying to learn a new hobby. What drove you to learn that new skill, subject, or sport? Now take a moment to evaluate your growth in the Scriptures and your closeness to Jesus. Do you desire to know God in the same way you sought to succeed in those subjects or hobbies?

There is no intention of a guilt trip here, just an honest look at the power of the Scripture to draw us close to Jesus. This verse promises that Almighty God will give wisdom and revelation to know Him. Paul prays this for the Christians in the Ephesian church and your Hope church leaders pray this for you. Come to the Scriptures hungry and you will be fed.

Written by Dan Jenkins

Prayer prompt: Awesome God, thank you for the power of your Word. How amazing it is to have access to read or listen to the Bible!

Daily Reading: Exodus 9, Psalm 59, 1 Samuel 10 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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March 8, 2021

James 1:17

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Is God Happy? We can imagine Him as stern, certainly angry, but Happy? In the West we rarely imagine His emotions as inconceivable and flatten Him from the Bible’s full picture to an angry, almost malevolent, Judge. Judge He certainly is and the Scripture is clear about His Holy hatred of what is hate-worthy (i.e. sin), but the picture of God we get when we really read with eyes open is of a God who is essentially happy.

He dwells in a place where every good and perfect thing remains in an unchanging state of perfection. From that perfect Heaven, He rains down gifts on us. If I want to know if God has some good thing to bring me too, if I want to be sure that Heaven is a lovely, joy-filled place, I just need to look at the whole picture. He is Holy, and He is loving with a steadfast love. He is delighted and delights to delight us. Look up to the Sovereign smile of God’s almighty Joy.

Prayer prompt: Lord, teach me to fight the lie that happiness can only be found in this world.

Daily Reading: Exodus 8, Psalm 58, 1 Samuel 9 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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March 5, 2021

Good Book Friday!

Is God Happy? Will God make you Happy? Should He? These questions are way more important than we realize. Sunday, we are going to dive into them in some depth to try and take one more argument away from the enemy and to enjoy the flood of joy that comes only and ever from God. One great book that helps put us on the right course is called Desiring God by John Piper. It’s a bit long, but each page has something to think about and the over all message is the key to everlasting joy! Look at this quote below:

“Christian Hedonism is a philosophy of life built on the following five convictions: The longing to be happy is a universal human experience, and it is good, not sinful. We should never try to deny or resist our longing to be happy, as though it were a bad impulse. Instead, we should seek to intensify this longing and nourish it with whatever will provide the deepest and most enduring satisfaction. The deepest and most enduring happiness is found only in God. Not from God, but in God. The happiness we find in God reaches its consummation when it is shared with others in the manifold ways of love. To the extent that we try to abandon the pursuit of our own pleasure, we fail to honor God and love people. Or, to put it positively: The pursuit of pleasure is a necessary part of all worship and virtue. That is: The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.”

John Piper, Desiring God

Prayer prompt: Lord, tantalize me with the Joy that only comes from You.

Daily Reading: Exodus 5, Psalm 55, 1 Samuel 6 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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March 3, 2021

Ephesians 1:15-16

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers

As a reminder for context, Paul is writing this letter to a young church in a town called Ephesus. The church there is growing and the gospel is spreading out from there. They are making disciples and seek to plant churches. What is the reason for Paul’s constant thanksgiving and prayers for them?

Paul is not actually in Ephesus, he writes this letter from a Roman prison. But, he has heard of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love toward all the saints. What a wonderful characteristic to be known for. Let this encourage you to be aware of your reputation and how that promotes the expansion of God’s kingdom.

Written by Dan Jenkins  .

Prayer prompt: Awesome God, help me to be like the Ephesians. Give me great faith in Jesus and love towards my brothers and sisters. Also, Lord, help me to be like Paul, to be constant in prayer.

Daily Reading: Exodus 3, Psalm 53, 1 Samuel 4 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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March 2, 2021

Philippians 2:3

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

The world is not how God wants it to be. People act in their own pride and after their own selfish interests. From that sin comes all kinds of oppression, lovelessness, pain, and isolation. As Christ’s followers, we should not only be different but salt and light, people who impact the world around us. But the way we go about it is very important.

We can speak the truth, but if we do it by looking down on other people, we are sinning. We are commanded to count others as more significant than ourselves. Every person is worthy of dignity and respect. Everyone, even those who are far from God, should receive our kindness and even our service as we seek to help them see the love of God. How do you view people who disagree with you?

Prayer prompt: Lord, thank You for loving me even when you can see my wayward heart.

Daily Reading: Exodus 2, Psalm 52, 1 Samuel 3 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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February 26, 2021

Good book Friday!

Below is a quote from Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul David Tripp. If we want to get serious about impacting the wrong thinking, believing, and acting around us, we have to look to our own hearts and be sure we’re leading people to Jesus. Listen to how Tripp says it:

“We all have [hostile people] in our lives, people who attack the borders of our comfortable lives. We have all had attempts at ministry blow up in our faces. We have all been torn between God’s calling and the fear of man, between compassion and anger, between love and bitterness. Given the messiness of sinners helping sinners, we need a model. And as God’s people, we do not have to stumble around. We have the example of the Wonderful Counselor. … Being an instrument of heart change means following Christ’s example and focusing on the heart—starting with your own. [A]ttacks and criticisms had filled me with the fear of man and caused me to forget my primary allegiance to God. These heart issues subverted my knowledge and skill, rendering them ineffective. This was a vivid demonstration of the way my heart shapes my response to the ministry opportunities God sends me. Paul said it to Timothy this way: ‘Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers’ (1Tim. 4:16). Starting with your heart means understanding and submitting to God’s calling, which will shape your life and relationships. God has called us to nothing less than incarnating Christ to others. I am to be rooted in the Word, and zealous to bring the living Word—Christ—to lost, blind, and struggling people. You and I are called to put flesh and blood on who Christ is and what he came to do.”

To read more from this excellent resource, pick up a copy here.

Prayer prompt: Lord, teach me to fight for holiness and humility that I may be a useful instrument of change for our world.

Daily Reading: Genesis 48, Psalm 48, Ruth 3 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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February 25, 2021

2 Corinthians 2:10-11

10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

Wait, what are his designs? How many people, who aren’t total weirdos, do you think would confidently claim to know Satan’s designs? Yet, it’s here in black and white. Paul assumes believers know what the enemy is doing, which means we would also be preparing ourselves to fight against him.

When you take a moment to think about it, we really do know some things about the enemy’s designs, at least in a broad-strokes kind of way. In the situation referenced above, Paul stops the enemy from pulling the church apart. We must certainly fight for unity. We also know that the enemy speaks a language of lies. When the Bible contradicts something our culture holds dear, are we ready to fight there too?

Prayer prompt: Lord, please teach me to love You with all my mind, so I’m ready to identify the lies of the enemy.

Daily Reading: Genesis 47, Psalm 47, Ruth 2 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

Click or tap here to join a Bible Reading Plan to read the Old Testament in a Year

February 24, 2021

Romans 14:17

17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Inside or outside? We don’t stop asking that question at Hope Church. Does the way you act make you a Christian or does becoming a Christian effect the way you act? Is being part of the Kingdom about keeping Kosher or the way you dress? Does the gate to heaven swing wide for people without righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit as long as they avoid bacon?

The Kingdom of God is only for the holy and the perfect, and that’s not us. If we want in, we go in through Jesus. The question now is do we have Him? Has His love and has the Holy Spirit begun to change us? If it has and He has then we start to see righteousness, peace, and joy invade our lives. That’s what we are working toward in the Kingdom of God.

Prayer prompt: Lord, please work through me and allow me to see your work from the Inside Out.

Daily Reading: Genesis 46, Psalm 46, Ruth 1 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

Click or tap here to join a Bible Reading Plan to read the Old Testament in a Year

February 23, 2021

Proverbs‬ ‭3:7-8‬

“Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”

Why obey? It’s so much easier to roll your eyes, wink at your friends, and go about whatever you want to do. We can follow the commands of God that make sense like loving people (at least some of them) and caring for the poor, but why follow the awkward ones? What about commands to stand up to our culture and proclaim God's truth?

Obedience is like good food, disobedience like poison. Each have huge effects not just in the mouth but in the belly. There's no question that it will be very difficult to not only stand with God but to stand against the wisdom of our age. But take heart, obedience will bring healing to your soul and refreshment to who you really are.

Prayer prompt: Lord, thank You for making me strong through obedience and warning me against what will surely hurt me.

Daily Reading: Genesis 45, Psalm 45, Judges 21 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

Click or tap here to join a Bible Reading Plan to read the Old Testament in a Year

February 22, 2021

Matthew 22:36-38
36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment.

How do you confront people about their sin? All throughout the Bible, people’s disobedience leads to death. Sin, like poison or new lead waste, isn’t something to play around with. But how do you talk to someone about it without being high and mighty or judgmental?

The verses above make it so much easier to have the right approach. When I confront someone, I have to remember how much I break the greatest command. I’m not a good person condescending to a bad one; I’m a recovering law-breaker working at loving better. I speak from love of God that is newly growing in my heart, always hopeful of the same process in my friend.

Prayer prompt: Lord, teach me to speak with truth and love to my brothers and sisters in sin.

Daily Reading: Genesis 44, Psalm 44, Judges 20 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

Click or tap here to join a Bible Reading Plan to read the Old Testament in a Year

February 19, 2021

Good Book Friday!

Below is a quote from Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton. It’s an excellent argument for the Christian faith with humor throughout to lighten the reading. The quote below helps to correct our culture’s difficulty in calling sin sin.

“[The ancient masters of religion] began with the fact of sin--a fact as practical as potatoes. Whether or no man could be washed in miraculous waters, there was no doubt at any rate that he wanted washing. But certain religious leaders in London, not mere materialists, have begun in our day not to deny the highly disputable water, but to deny the indisputable dirt. Certain new theologians dispute original sin, which is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved. Some followers of the Reverend R.J.Campbell, in their almost too fastidious spirituality, admit divine sinlessness, which they cannot see even in their dreams. But they essentially deny human sin, which they can see in the street. The strongest saints and the strongest sceptics alike took positive evil as the starting-point of their argument. If it be true (as it certainly is) that a man can feel exquisite happiness in skinning a cat, then the religious philosopher can only draw one of two deductions. He must either deny the existence of God, as all atheists do; or he must deny the present union between God and man, as all Christians do. The new theologians seem to think it a highly rationalistic solution to deny the cat.”

Prayer prompt: Lord, please give us the light of Your word to see through the darkness of our world.

Daily Reading: Genesis 41, Psalm 41, Judges 17 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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February 18, 2021

Psalm 36:7-8

7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

To become a Christian you have to give up a crown. Right at the heart of our rebellion against God was a desire to be like God, even to be Him. We traded paradise for a crown, even if it was a crown of fig leaves in a tragic game of make believe. In bowing to God, we take off our crown and recognize God’s authority as the true Lord. But what do we get in return?

If we go back to Him, repentant then forgiven, we don’t become simple slaves cursed to depressing work forever. This Psalm tells us it’s more like walking into a home where we are welcomed to a table weighed down with more food than we can eat, showered with a love that never leaves us, where delights flow with the unending torrent of a river. He says in another place, “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” When we wonder if He is worth serving, remember a God who has challenged you to find the end of His unending love!

Prayer prompt: Lord, thank You for overwhelming any temptation with the goodness of Your love.

Daily Reading: Genesis 40, Psalm 40, Judges 16 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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February 17, 2021

John 14:1-2

1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

On the list of top 5 most stressful events, moving is listed just between divorce and a major illness. Rachael and I felt that stress this week as we sold our home and bought a new one with a little more space for friends and the girls. As we lost the comfort and relative stability of our home, we kept switching between idolizing some perfect home and imagining getting swindled into homelessness. Through it all, God has been so kind to remind us that we’re not home yet.

I imagine Jesus smiling when He told His disciples not to be troubled. I know big things are coming, “in this world you will have troubles,” but if you could see what I’m preparing for you, you’d run through any fire to get there. It doesn’t matter if the new place is a money pit or everything we hope for, it’s still only a place to leverage for the Kingdom of God. It’s still not home. We pray God would keep teaching us and everyone at Hope to keep our hearts set on what’s coming instead of fretting over what is.

Prayer prompt: Lord, teach me to keep my eyes up on the home to come.

Daily Reading: Genesis 39, Psalm 39, Judges 15 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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February 15, 2021

Romans 5:5

and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

What’s going to get you through the day today? Monday mornings start another week of drudgery and difficulty that can leave us dreading the alarm. What we need is a little hope. A little hope for morning coffee can get you out of bed, a big hope in a big God can take you anywhere.

Christian hope is a powerful thing. Hope is not just a vague optimism that good things can happen, but the conviction that good things will happen to me. For the believer, the good can’t be oversold either. God’s goodness goes well beyond what we could ever ask or imagine.

Prayer prompt: Lord, thank You for being so good, my Hope in You can overcome anything.

Daily Reading: Genesis 37, Psalm 37, Judges 13 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

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February 12, 2021

Luke 19:5-8

5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”

For God Time on Fridays, I’m going to start highlighting excellent portions of excellent books. If you’re a reader, be encouraged to check out the books highlighted for a great read! Today’s quote comes from J.D. Greear’s book Gospel (p. 62):

“Zacchaeus went from being a man who sold his soul to the god of money to a man who got a buzz from giving it away. What caused that change? The focus of the story is on how Jesus treated Zacchaeus, the sinner. Jesus called Zacchaeus down from the tree when everyone else shut him out. We also know that Jesus went to eat with Zacchaeus before he repented. In that day, to share a meal with someone was a sign of acceptance, even of intimate fellowship. To eat with someone meant that you were embracing them. The Jewish leaders understandably objected: “What is He doing eating with a guy who is a known sinner? How can He communicate love and acceptance to that guy?”

Every other religion in the world would have said to Zacchaeus, “If you change, you can find God. If you change, you can find acceptance and salvation.” But the gospel is the opposite of religion. Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Zacchaeus, salvation has come to you. You didn’t go out and find salvation. It has found you.””

February 11, 2021

Luke 18:41-43

41 "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me recover my sight." 42 And Jesus said to him, "Recover your sight; your faith has made you well." 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Jesus didn’t just come to destroy Rome, He came to destroy death. When people needed to eat, Jesus miraculously fed 5,000 people full to bursting and gave them Himself as the bread of life. When the blind man asked for sight, he opened His eyes and his sight was filled with the face of God. When we say God is good, I don’t think we understand just how good He is.

God hasn’t just promised Heaven, He’s proved and hinted at it 1,000 ways in Scripture. Your hope for today rises or falls on your trust in God’s goodness. Your obedience when it’s hard hinges on God being better than temptation. He has a treasure trove of joy ready for you. Open your eyes on His face.

Prayer prompt: Lord, teach me to turn my eyes upon Jesus.

Daily Reading: Genesis 33, Psalm 33, Judges 9 (Click or tap the Verses to read them on your device)

Click or tap here to join a Bible Reading Plan to read the Old Testament in a Year