Daily Dose of Hope

May 4, 2026

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3

Prayer: Almighty God and Risen Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, We come before you today with praise and a sense of awe. Even though you are incredibly mighty and take care of us in such fundamental ways, we struggle to stay focused on our faith. Help us gather our scattered and distracted thoughts. Help us take a moment of silence and remember who you are...Holy Spirit, speak to us today. We want to hear your voice. In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan. We are almost done with our letters from Paul. What a journey it's been! I would love to hear what you have learned from these thirteen letters. We will finish this reading plan on Tuesday, and then go directly into the names of God. If you were in worship today, I hoped you picked up the new reading plan. If not, or if you live outside our geographical area, then there will soon be a link on our website and our Facebook page.

Today's reading is 2 Timothy 3. In this third chapter, we find Paul giving Timothy advice about staying strong in the faith. The world will always be a source of temptation and evil, there will be false teachers, and there will be many challenges. He tells Timothy to stay grounded in what Paul taught him and in Scripture.

In order to not be swayed by the winds of the world (no matter what century one lives in), we have to be grounded in God's Word. God's Word is authoritative and offers us a basic instruction manual of sorts. While we don't understand every story and verse, there is a purpose for every single word.

Some of my favorite Scripture from Paul is Colossians 2:6-7, So then, just as you received Jesus Christ as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Just as in Paul's time, the world will bear down on us, providing all kinds of temptations and distractions. We have to commit to grow our roots down deep into Scripture so that we won't be uprooted and swayed when hardship, challenges, and temptation enter our world. Obviously, we need to do this as individuals but we also have to commit to do this as a body of believers. We meet Jesus on the pages of Scripture AND God's Word provides a metric by which we can measure everything in our lives. It's essential. Together, rooted in Scripture, we will be immovable.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

May 1, 2026

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are Lord of all. How often we forget that. There are times we even put ourselves in your place. Forgive us, Lord. Help us to remember that you are God and we are not. Help us simply live the way you have called us, serve the way you have called us, and love the way you have called us. We know that we fall short over and over again. We need you. All the time, we need you. 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 have been journeying through Paul's letters and we have made great progress. We are now in our final pastoral letter, 2 Timothy.

Today's reading is 2 Timothy 2. Besides the outside persecution that the church in Ephesus was experiencing, Paul also addresses another serious issue: in-fighting. There were quarrels and fights within the Ephesian church, literally translated "word battles", that threatened to unravel the young church. The church members were battling over doctrinal viewpoints and had formed factions.

Paul encourages Timothy to plead with the Ephesian believers to basically remember who and whose they are, to remember what was most important, and to explain how arguments within the church have the potential to damage the Kingdom.

How often have modern day churches been unraveled over word battles? It's amazing to me how easily distracted we get. We forget who we represent and get pulled into doctrinal arguments that really don't matter that much. We read books, we listen to podcasts, and we think we know a lot. Others think they know a lot too and we get pulled into debates that really aren't that important. It's then that it's helpful to remember Paul's admonition in this chapter which is basically, "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel." Succinct, clear, confident. And we remember again that the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is not a bunch of words or slick interpretations but is about resurrection—the powerful and loving act of God—remaking our world into the place he always intended it to be.

We major in the minors as some people say. Are you currently engaged in any word battles with other believers? It's time to put them to rest.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

May 6 – YHWH, The Self-Existent One – Ex 3:14-15, 6:2-3 • Ps 83:18 • Is 42:8

May 7 – Elohim – The Mighty Creator – Gen 1:1, 1:26-27 • Ps 90:2 • Ecc 12:14

May 8 – El Shaddai – Lord God Almighty – Gen 17:1-2, 28:3, 35:11, 43:14, 49:25 • Ps 91:1

May 11 – El Elyon – The Most High God – Gen 14:18-20 • Ps 7:17, 52:2, 78:35 • Dan 4

May 12 – El Olam – The Everlasting God – Gen 21:33 • Is 40:28, 26:4 • Jer 10:10 • Ps 90:1-2

Daily Dose of Hope

April 30, 2026

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1

Prayer: Almighty God, We come before you with awe and humility. Help us remember all you have done for us. We are nothing without you. We need you desperately, Lord. Help us gather our scattered thoughts today as we focus on you. In these next few moments of silence, help us remember that we belong to you. Help us lay our worries and cares on the throne of your grace...We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus, 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 journeying through Paul's letters and we have made great progress. Today, we are actually beginning our final pastoral letter, 2 Timothy.

Today's reading is 2 Timothy 1. In this second letter to Timothy (and his final New Testament letter), Paul again wants to encourage Timothy, who has now been ministering to the churches at Ephesus for four years. Paul is writing this letter from a dank Roman prison cell and he knows that his death is imminent. Paul also seems to know that Timothy's ministry will only get harder once Paul dies, as the persecution is now severe and the challenges for the young churches are many.

Knowing the context in which this book was written helps us better understand it. Paul wants Timothy to continue his ministry without fear and there was much to fear. Paul mentions just a few of his challenges: abandonment by friends, persecution and imprisonment, physical pain and suffering. Paul knew that Timothy may eventually face similar trials. But living fearlessly in the midst of hardship requires more than some encouraging words of advice. The only way Timothy (and us for that matter) can survive in such difficult times is through the power of God which lives within us.

Remember, if you have said yes to Jesus, the Spirit of the Living God dwells within you. On our own, even on our best day, we aren't that powerful but God always is. Paul reminds Timothy that it is the Holy Spirit within him that provides the power, love, and self-discipline needed to persevere in the faith and to live abundant and joy-filled lives in the middle of puzzling and difficult times. I don't know about you but this was a message I needed to hear today.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

April 29, 2026

Scripture: Titus 3

Prayer: Abba Father, We come to you today in awe of your love for us. Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice. Thank you for sitting high and looking low. We give you all the glory and praise, Lord Jesus. Help us to be less selfish and more like you. On our own, we mess it up. We need you, Jesus. We need you minute by minute. Guide our thoughts today, Lord. Guide our words and guide our actions. May we look more like you today, Lord, than we did yesterday. 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 have been journeying through Paul's letters and we have made great progress. We are currently finishing up the book of Titus.

Our reading for today is Titus 3. In this chapter, we see that Paul didn't want the Cretans to cause a scene and stir up political discontent. What was most important was the spread of the Gospel. Creating political conflict would not help the cause of the young church and Paul wanted to be sure they understood that. Again, they were not to get involved in quarrels and arguments that simply weren't that important. They needed to show the world that there was something different about them: humility, gentleness, and kindness. Rather than get involved in political messes, they should get involved in doing good in their community. It simply wasn't about them and their personal preferences; it was about reaching people for Jesus.

How much more could we all do for the Kingdom if we worried less about personal preferences and politics and focused more on spreading the Good News of Jesus? Wow! We get so distracted with things we have very little control over. Again, don't major in the minors. Keep laser focus on what truly matters – Jesus.

I wrote this list of questions for myself but thought I would share:

-How much time do I spend thinking about politics and conflict rather than Jesus Christ and sharing the Gospel?

-How often do I get frustrated or angry over politics and things I can't control instead of focusing on loving others and things I can control?

-Do people know me for what I'm against or for what I am for?

-Am I viewed as someone who is humble, gentle, and kind? If not, then why not?

-Is Jesus central to my thoughts?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

April 28, 2026

Scripture: Titus 2

Prayer: Lord, Oh, how we need you. Cleanse my heart, cleanse my speech, cleanse my actions. I want the world to see that I belong to you and you alone. More of you, Jesus, and less of me. 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 have been journeying through Paul's letters and we have made great progress. We are currently in the book of Titus.

Our reading for today is Titus 2. In this chapter, Paul gives very specific instructions to young and old as to how to behave and conduct themselves as followers of Christ. As opposed to the false teachers in chapter one, Paul wants Titus to teach sound doctrine, which includes that behavior should be consistent with belief; there are certain virtues that Christians should live up to. Doing otherwise damages their witness in the community. Titus himself, as the leader, must also be an example of living a blameless, virtuous life. Unfortunately, we have all seen the consequences when a Christian leader fails to live righteously and it almost always has terrible ramifications for the Kingdom.

Bottom line: There should be a direct link between theology and ethics. If we truly believe that God has been revealed and salvation has come, that those who believe are freed and cleansed from sin because of the blood of Christ, and that receiving Christ makes us new creations, THEN we should act accordingly. We are no longer slaves to the mess of the world. We have the ability to change, to act differently, to behave in a way that demonstrates the Spirit within us.

Our behavior, our ethics, our speech should all testify to who and whose we are. How are you doing in this right now?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

April 27, 2026

Scripture: Titus 1

Prayer: Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, That my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, That my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, That I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, To defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, That I always may be holy.

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 journeying through Paul's letters and we have made great progress. Today, we are starting pastoral letter #12 out of 13.

Our reading for today is Titus 1. This is a letter from Paul to his dear friend, Titus. Paul had left Titus on the island of Crete to organize the church there and carry on the work that was started. One of his main tasks was to appoint elders or overseers for the local churches; this means basically choose some pastors. There were specific characteristics for the pastors that Paul outlines in this chapter, including being blameless, being faithful to a single wife, and not being prone to anger or drunkenness. These are consistent with the lists for elders in Paul's other letters as well.

This first chapter highlights that the false teachers have made it to Crete as well. The circumcision group refers to Jewish Christians who are vehemently promoting the idea that to be a Christian, one must be a Jew first, which includes becoming circumcised. Paul wants this group silenced. They are teaching against the Gospel, which clearly states that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. All that is required for salvation is faith; anyone who adds to this is a false teacher.

Think about the world we live in. False teachers are everywhere. They may not be promoting circumcision as a prerequisite for salvation but other ideas that are equally damaging. How important it is for us to grow our roots down deep into God's Word so that we won't be swayed by the many ideas out there, the many voices that are vying for our attention. One voice matters-Jesus.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

April 24, 2026

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Help us be productive members of your Kingdom. I know we fall short. I know we mess up. Call us, let us hear your voice, and we will respond. We will say yes. Give us the courage and boldness to be the people you called us to be. We love you, Lord. In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan. We are currently walking through the letters of Paul and today, we are finishing our eleventh letter, I Timothy.

Today's reading is 1 Timothy 6. As we close Paul's first letter to Timothy, we find more advice reflecting the time, place, and culture of Paul and Timothy, specifically regarding slaves having respect for their masters. Paul's words in NO WAY justify or encourage slavery. Slavery was certainly a reality in the Roman Empire (scholars estimate possibly a third of all people living at the time were slaves). People sold themselves and their families into slavery simply to have access to food. It was an ugly existence. But throughout Scripture, including Paul's letters, there is much talk of freedom and equality in Christ. While Paul was pretty revolutionary in many of his teachings, as far as we know, he didn't tackle the institution of slavery. He did try to create parameters around it, however, but his primary objective was to spread the Good News of Christ. I'm grateful for the many Christ-followers who came hundreds of years after Paul and did make a stand against the institution of slavery. Their courage and determination also came from their faith in Jesus and they used Jesus' teachings and also many of Paul's writings to oppose the ownership of other humans.

Slavery is still a reality around the globe. The Global Slavery Index estimates that over 40.3 million people are currently trapped in modern day slavery, the vast majority being women and children. (globalslaveryindex.org) This includes what we typically think of as human trafficking but includes forced labor around the world, including in many of our supply chains. It is a multi-billion-dollar industry. As Christ-followers, we should be actively working against human trafficking and other kinds of slavery. Slave owners and human traffickers prey especially on the poor and vulnerable. Jesus clearly taught and demonstrated that every single human life has value. He lifted the status of women and children and demonstrated extraordinary love toward the poor and oppressed. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28, There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Paul closes the letter with another warning about false teachers. Anyone who teaches something contrary to Jesus, then they are "conceited and understand nothing." Those are Paul's words. He also says to beware of people who encourage conflict and quarrels, or those who are overly interested in financial gain.

And then there is a final charge to Timothy. He wants Timothy to focus on righteousness and encourage others to do so as well. Again, Paul emphasizes that Timothy command those who are rich to not be arrogant and to put their trust in what has eternal value.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

April 23, 2026

Scripture: 1 Timothy 5

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I come before you today with humility. You are holy, you are perfect, and I am painfully flawed. Forgive me, Lord, for the way I fall short over and over again. Forgive me for not being loving, patient, and kind. Jesus, I want to follow your example. I want to have a clean and pure heart. How I need you. Create in me a pure heart, Lord, and renew a right spirit within me. I love you. Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan. We are currently walking through the letters of Paul and we are in 1 Timothy, our eleventh letter.

Today's reading is 1 Timothy 5. Paul is back to giving very specific instructions for how the church is to treat its people. Again, this is culture-specific and seems to be in reaction to particular situations. He wants to be sure seniors are respected, that there are specific guidelines around the care of old and young widows, that the elders/pastors are given proper reverence, and that Timothy drinks a little wine to settle his upset stomach.

Overall, Paul is demonstrating that he cares. He loves Timothy and he loves the church. He wants the church to deal with its conflicts and problems in an effective way. Sometimes, Paul's solutions seem a little odd to us in 2026 but we can be assured that Paul was quite revolutionary in his thinking. Finally, his primary motivation was to lead more people to Jesus.

A few questions for us:

-Do we have this kind of love and care for those in our church family? What do we do well and what needs to be improved?

-What kinds of advice do we give today that might seem really strange to the early church?

-What is our primary motivation as we deal with issues at church? Is it to lead more people to Jesus or something else?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki