April 14, 2025

Hebrews 10:24

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds

When life is full of difficulties and struggles, what is your gut reaction? Do you try to handle everything on your own? Do you run away and isolate yourself? How has that worked out for you? People were made to live in community. In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were meant to commune with God, each other, and their future children. Sin destroyed those relationships. Eve thought she could have wisdom without God. Adam blamed Eve for his sin. Their kids inherit the dysfunction as Cain kills Abel!

God repairs relationships that sin breaks. He lived, died, and rose to restore our relationship with Him. He discipled twelve men in order to establish the Church, which would reconnect all peoples with each other. If our relationship with God is so important to Him that He would die for us, then we too should desire relationships of that magnitude, with God and each other.

Written by Kyle Tucker

Prayer prompt: Lord, help me to love those around me better, and to spur them on toward love and good deeds.

April 12, 2025

1 Chronicles 17:16

16 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?

David gets it. He had a roller coaster spiritual life, with wonderful peaks and desolate valleys. David was among other things, a murderer, a liar, and an adulterer. David had nothing to offer God and no way to earn His favor, the good news is that God's love for us is not based on our ability to do good things.

When God sent His son, Jesus, to die for our sins, something amazing happened. Jesus took all of our sins from us and clothed us in His own righteousness. As a follower of Jesus, when you sin, God doesn't look at you as broken, gross, or disappointing. He looks at you with the same love and compassion as His own son. What a gracious and loving King we serve!

Written by Jacob Bonesteel

Prayer prompt: Lord, help me to remember Jesus’ sacrifice so that I come to You with my sin and for my joy.

April 11, 2025

2 Corinthians 5:15

15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Our rebellion against God is not just outrageous and horrible, it is also tragic. By choosing anything else to love and honor in the place of God, we gave up God. Not just God’s protection or God’s blessings, but God Himself. Every good thing you’ve ever enjoyed or heard of is only good because it comes from Him. How tragic that we walked away from that source and fountain of all good.

But Jesus didn’t leave us there and He doesn’t leave us there now. He died so we can look up from ourselves and enjoy God’s presence once again. He died and was raised so we can go through death back up to the only good there is! Will you do the hard work of looking up from yourself, seeing Jesus’ work for you, and choosing God?

Prayer prompt: Lord, conquer all the things that I choose instead of you so that I will know the joy that only comes from you.

April 10, 2025

Matthew 19:30

30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

In sports, every now and again, an innovator will come with a new look at the game and change everything. In the Brad Pitt movie Moneyball, data analytics brought whole new strategies to baseball and rocketed last place teams to first place. They found a new way to win. The heroes of the Christian faith were martyrs and those who often had very little money or comfort. They seemed to be playing a totally different game than all the people working for this life. Why do Christians have joy, peace, and willingly help enemies?

Jesus taught us to value the next life so much more than this life. The Kingdom that Jesus taught about keeps score in a totally different way. Have you thought through which game you’re playing? Are you seeking rewards now that will fade or with Him that will last forever?

Prayer prompt: Lord, teach me how to live in Your Kingdom rather than by the rules of the world.

April 9, 2025

Psalm 23:1

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

This is a famous opening to a famous poem written by King David from the Old Testament. David started life as a shepherd caring for a few smelly stupid sheep. He probably did a great job because when he met and learned about God, he saw God caring for him in exactly the same way. If God is your shepherd you shall not want.

Think of that moment after the big Christmas or Thanksgiving meal when all is right with the world and you push back from the table without a single want. Have you ever been that satisfied in your soul rather than just your belly? If you come to Jesus by faith and become one of His sheep He is promising that level of satisfaction. Won’t you seek Him for your pleasure today?

Prayer prompt: Lord, in You I will find true satisfaction. Please draw me to Yourself and reorder the loves in my heart.

April 8, 2025

Matthew 19:29

29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

We talk a lot at Hope Church about the proper motivation for serving God, and we should. It’s crucial that we be confident of God’s love as we serve Him. But it’s also possible for love to be enhanced by a gift. Every birthday, my wife shows her love with a thoughtful gift. I love those gifts because they are chosen for me and because I love the giver.

In this verse, God makes it clear that we do have to give things up to follow Him. It’s possible we will have to give up everything. It is necessary that we be willing to give up everything. But in return we get Him. Because He is so good, we can trust Him to give us what we need, and to reward those who seek Him lavishly. What else would a good Father do?

Prayer prompt: Lord, teach my heart to value the real gift you’ve given: Yourself.

April 7, 2025

John 14:26

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

After the Resurrection, Jesus’ disciples had a huge job. Jesus commanded them to take the gospel to every nation in the world, then He left. He’s gone and 2,000 years later, we have the exact same job. How do we do it?

Remember the power He has given us to do the impossible. He hasn’t left us alone, He has sent the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to dwell in our hearts. Far from leaving us, God is now inside us, reminding and teaching us all that Jesus said to us. We are sent to change the world and God Himself is with us every step, every breath, every thought. In Jesus God came close, but with the Spirit, He’s made us His home.

Prayer prompt: Lord, convince me of the power you have given your people by giving us the Helper so we will work with joy and confidence!

April 5, 2025

John 3:30

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

This seems like a really simple verse, but take a minute to look at what it’s really saying. John the Baptist, Christ’s herald and cousin, said Jesus must increase and John must decrease. Isn’t the point of joining up with a movement to increase? Follow organization influencers to more space and contentment, follow leadership gurus to more productivity, follow diet fads to drop 20 lbs! Why would following Jesus lead to decrease?

Again, read it carefully. I must decrease. The way of following Jesus leads to calling God God and calling yourself His creature and His servant. It’s good because that’s what He is and that’s who we are, but can you see how it’s a decrease from our normal opinion of ourselves? Let the humility of John lead you to anxiety-free, humble acceptance of God’s place and His love.

Prayer prompt: Lord, give me the blessing of humility so I can trust you to run things and work for your Kingdom and not mine.

April 4, 2025

James 4:14

14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Mist does just one thing: it disappears. It gets burned away with the sun or blown away with the breeze. Why would James say that about us? Aren’t we God’s people? Don’t most of these God Time posts make us feel special and loved? In Him, we will live again, but this life is incredibly brief.

That’s just it, your life is a mist that is incredibly loved, emphatically loved. But this life is still just a mist. We have to both accept God’s love and lay down any pretension to being God, being like God, or even just lower case g gods who go about doing our own thing. Look up from your own life, short and fading, and worship the one who will never diminish.

Prayer prompt: Lord, help me to enjoy knowing that you are God and I am your creation.

April 3, 2025

Luke 4:43

43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”

Purpose is a tricky word. We all need to have meaning in our lives, it’s why the incredibly wealthy keep working, why Manning or Brady played so long. There has to be a ‘why’ down at the bottom of all our effort because we are meaning-making beings. What was Jesus’ purpose?

As followers of Jesus, we should have His same purpose. It is not for us to die for the sins of the world, but we are to take up our cross and sacrifice that others may know God’s love. We can’t preach or heal like He could, but we are to take the good news of the Kingdom to other towns also. Have you committed yourself to the work you’ve been given? What small first or next step can you take today?

Prayer prompt: Lord, teach me to see and get excited about the purpose you’ve made me for.

April 2, 2025

Romans 8:33

33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

If you stop to think about it, how much of your daily activity is devoted to making sure you’re really somebody? We have these ideas of success that are somewhere out there in the world. If we can just take some real steps towards more money, more respect, more power, more attractiveness, more expertise then today can be a success and one day we will really have it. We can finally be there. We can finally be done, beautiful, good, full.

That will never work. It is only God who justifies; only He can say you are good, only He can make you full. If, through Jesus, God says you are good, what could your parents, the world, or even your own soul argue back? Who can bring any charge against you if God says you’re free? Go to Him and start putting your effort into enjoying His grace and glorifying His name.

Prayer prompt: Lord, please help me to believe that you have really made me free.

April 1, 2025

1 Peter 2:9

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Some bible verses are so full, each phrase is worth taking your time over. Peter is calling us a chosen, holy, royal priesthood. He is calling us God’s possession. He says we get to feel the excellency of moving out of darkness into God’s marvelous, glowing presence. Then He tells us what we are supposed to do with all of this overflowing joy and honor: talk about it.

The verse turns on that idea of being a link. A priest is a link between God and the rest of humanity. We are a link because we are both God’s people and just plain regular people. We can take what we’ve been given and show it, proclaim it, to those around us and bring them into that same joy. Today, commit to being someone’s link to Jesus.

Prayer prompt: Lord, please make me a link between you and the world. Show me someone today I can tell about you.

March 31, 2025

Psalm 150:6

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Breathe in, breathe out. Have you ever thanked God for the breath He gives you? God is the Author of life, Creator of heaven of earth. He designed our bodies and created the atmosphere that we breathe. He gives us life, yet how often do we praise Him for what He’s done for us? Even more so, how often do we praise Him simply because of who He is?

The rest of Psalm 150 says to praise God “in his sanctuary” and “in his mighty heavens”, to praise Him for “his mighty deeds” and “according to his great excellence”, to praise Him with “lute and harp” and “tambourine and dance.” It doesn’t matter where you are, who you are, or what musical talent you may or may not have. If you have breath, praise Him for how great and good He is!

Written by Kyle Tucker

Prayer prompt: Lord, help me to praise You for how wonderful and awesome You are!

March 29, 2025

Genesis 50:20

20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

How can evil be good? Is it possible for God to take what is one thing and make it into its opposite? Is it like a Judo master who takes attacks and turns them back against their attackers? Is it like a miracle where water turns to wine? We step into some heavy mystery here.

This verse was Joseph’s response after spending decades as a prisoner and slave. God then used Joseph to provide food for all of Egypt and Canaan during a 7 year famine, raising the man to be second in command of all Egypt. It is a dangerous game to try and figure out how God will turn evil to good, but today, look at Joseph and remember that He can. Better, look to the cross and remember how the Lord took Jesus’ death and gave life to us all!

Prayer prompt: Lord, teach me about your goodness and your wisdom so I can trust even when I can’t understand.

March 28, 2025

Genesis 25:31-34

31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

It is possible to make any deal. If someone is desperate enough or foolish enough, you can even sell your birthright for a bowl of lentil soup. It’s worth taking a minute to think about that. Before we are too hard on Esau, what will you give up for small, perishable pleasures?

In Jesus, we are adopted into God’s family and have the pleasure of His presence, the joy of working hard for a cause that won’t perish, and the community of His people. What does it take for you to turn your back on all that and go your own way? A little money? A little lust? A little pride?

Prayer Prompt: Lord, please show me some of the places I sell you out for small pleasures.

March 27, 2025

John 1:4

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

The best part of a beach vacation may be the first moment of stretching out in the warm, bright sun on the sand or by a pool. It feels like life is finally perfect, for maybe 45 minutes. Then you need to find a bathroom, or the sun is too hot, or the sand starts to itch, or more likely, the children need 5,000 things. Like the sun, Jesus gives us both life and light.

He gives life to the full. Not just more of our average life but help to really start living as we were meant to. He wants to show you what life really is, what you were made for. And He isn’t a guide like the hotel employee who shows you to your room then, hopefully, leaves. That life is in Him. Are you looking to Jesus and your relationship to Him to find your life?

Prayer prompt: Lord, please show me the real life that can only be found in you.

March 26, 2025

Galatians 2:20

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Is there something you would leave everything for? Like a letter confirming you are the heir to a vast fortune, or the only true heir to a throne and a kingdom in some paradise far away. It would take a minute to confirm it, and believe it, but then how quickly would the new better life wash away the old?

The Gospel story is one of God leading you from a dark dungeon into stunning light, then into His presence and joy forever. We fail to enjoy our new life when we go back to old ways of thinking and living. Paul, the writer of Galatians, saw clearly that his old life was over, crucified with Jesus, and now a new life with Jesus has begun. Why trade that life for anything else?

Prayer prompt: Lord, remind me of the promises, blessings, and hope so that I live for your Kingdom.

March 25, 2025

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I can’t imagine how someone could achieve the goal of praying without ceasing. It seems like prayer would get in the way of the million other things you need to think about in a day. And yet, here is the command: pray without ceasing. Reading the whole sentence really helps.

Right before we are commanded to pray all the time, we are told to rejoice always and to give thanks in all circumstances. It is somehow possible to experience God’s presence in such a way that you rejoice and give thanks always. We know God is in control of everything from the horrible to the sublime. As we speak to Him, we can look up and see Him in all His grandeur and know, by Jesus, that we can rejoice. Why wouldn’t we want to speak to Him without ceasing?

Prayer prompt: Lord, help me to think, all day today, about what I am thankful for so I will rejoice always!

March 24, 2025

2 Timothy 1:12b

… I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

There are two things to see and feel in this verse. Start with the fear of losing what has been entrusted to you. The first things that come to mind are our kids, spouse, job, house, stuff, and cars. Of course we feel the fear of losing those things. But this verse is focused on Paul’s ministry. He fears that the people he is leading to Jesus will fall away or that the Kingdom work he’s done won’t last.

Then comes the relief: God is big enough to guard what He gives us until He brings us home. What are the things you’ve done for the Kingdom? It can feel like a house of cards that keeps falling. Why not just quit? Spend time this morning resolving to go all out for the Kingdom because you can trust God to protect what He entrusts.

Prayer prompt: Lord, let me focus on your strength and trust you to guard what you have entrusted to me.

March 22, 2025

Genesis 1:1

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

What is standing against you today? Is there some big dream you had for your life, some amazing vision of a better world that you were going to make a reality? That kind of thing gets squeezed out of us pretty early. We fail at small things and never seem to attempt the big ones. As soon as school is out and you step into the real world horrible things like debt, ineffectiveness, and apathy drain motivation. It seems like the world is only fine with us moving in one direction: a slow slide toward feebleness.

But that’s a lie. This world is broken, no doubt, and there are people who want you to quit working for the Kingdom. That’s when you have to remember, this world isn’t theirs. This world is God’s. He made it, He owns it, He rules it. Start today by knowing, deep down, that this is God’s world. Working with Him and for His glory is always worth it. Commit to hope today.

Prayer prompt: Lord, give me the faith to see you behind, above, and beyond my enemies