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  • July 8, 2025; Matthew 22:23-46

    July 8, 2025; Matthew 22:23-46
    2025/07/08
    Daily Dose of Hope July 8, 2025 Scripture - Matthew 22:23-46 Prayer: Lord Jesus, We come before you this morning, thanking you for a new day. Lord, you are good and we rejoice in your holy and powerful name. As we begin our day, Lord, help us focus on you. Help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on your Word and what you want us to learn today. We get so distracted and self-consumed. Forgive us for that, Lord. In these next few moments of silence, help us have laser focus on your voice... In Your Powerful Name, Amen. Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts. Today, we finish up with Matthew 22. In this chapter, we see the Pharisees and Sadducees are trying to trick Jesus. They are desperately trying to trap him in his words so they can discredit him and/or arrest him. These teachers of the law feel like Jesus is destroying the very fabric of their religious faith. He certainly is turning everything upside down! The first part of today’s passage is addressing Levirate marriage. The Sadducees, the intellectual aristocracy of the day, did not believe in resurrection. They were pressing Jesus on the topic, hoping to make him look foolish. If you will recall from Mark, levirate law was intended to protect widows without a male heir. When a brother died, leaving his wife without children, a surviving brother marries the widow with the sole intention of producing an heir. If a son is conceived, he is actually considered to be the deceased brother’s child. In ancient near-East culture, a widow without any connection to a male would either starve or be forced to beg or prostitute herself. Thus, the Sadducees question makes a little more sense even though it is a bit absurd. A woman’s husband dies and she marries a brother. That brother dies and she marries another brother and so forth until she has been married to all seven brothers. Then she dies. Whose wife will she be at the resurrection? Keep in mind, they ask this question knowing that they think the resurrection is false. Jesus basically tells them they are missing the point. In the resurrection, our bodies will be different – perfect and glorious. There will also be a change in our spiritual nature. Jesus is saying that in regard to marriage and sexual matters, we will be like the angels (note that he did not say we will be angels but we will be like them.) But the Sadducees were mistaken so significantly not because of this absurd question but because they didn’t believe in the resurrection. This is a fundamental aspect of Jesus’ teaching and they missed it entirely. The next part of today’s Scripture is in regard to the greatest commandment. Keep in mind, when asking about which commandment is greatest, the expert in the law is hoping to engage in some kind of debate. But the commandment Jesus chose was not one that could be open for debate–it was a commandment recited by pious Jews each and every day, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. But then, Jesus adds something new, as he often does. He says...and the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. A person cannot love God and treat their neighbor poorly. Love of God is not an intellectual or abstract claim. Rather, love of God is expressed in the way we love others. I John 4:20 speaks to this truth, Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. What’s interesting to me here is that Jesus says that the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments. If one loves God wholeheartedly, then they will observe the law. If someone loves God wholeheartedly, they will care for others as well. The prophets often proclaimed the need to worship God sincerely (not just go through the motions) and take care of those who were oppressed. One cannot split hairs about observing the Sabbath but then cheat your neighbor in the marketplace. Love of God and neighbor are intricately connected. This was true 2000 years ago and it’s true today. Think about this past week. How have you demonstrated love of God? What about love of neighbor? In the final portion of today’s Scripture, rather than allowing the Pharisees to try to entrap him, Jesus asks the hard question. He asks the group, “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They immediately respond, “The son of David.” How then, Jesus asked, could David call him by the Spirit ‘Lord’ when he said, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’ (Psalm 110:1). “If David”, Jesus said, “Calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” The Pharisees were unable to answer and “from that day on no one dared to question him...
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    7 分
  • July 7, 2025; Matthew 22:1-22

    July 7, 2025; Matthew 22:1-22
    2025/07/07

    Daily Dose of Hope

    July 7, 2025

    Scripture - Matthew 22:1-22

    Prayer: Holy God, We come before you this morning in awe of your blessings and love. Thank you, Lord, for the ways you continue to guide our lives. Lord, we want more intimacy with you. We are desperate to know you better. In these next few moments of silence, Jesus, please speak to us. We need to hear your voice... In Your Name, Amen.

    Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts. Today is the first day of Vacation Bible School (VBS) at New Hope. We are expecting close to 200 children. Please pray for every single child and their families, may they come to know Jesus.

    Today, we are starting Matthew 22. We are starting with the parable of the wedding banquet and it’s a hard one. Let’s remember that parables are not meant to be taken literally. Parables are intended to surprise the audience to make a point. What can we learn from the Kingdom of God from this parable? Let’s be careful not to make arbitrary links between the text and God. For instance, the king is like God in some ways, but he is not the same as God. Also, his son is not Jesus.

    This particular parable is somewhat complex and difficult to make sense of. Why did the king not invite everyone to his banquet from the beginning? Why did the invited guests reject the king’s invitation? That would have been unheard of in their culture! And then, the king’s violence against the guests who didn’t attend does not make a lot of sense. What is the radical message of this parable?

    One possibility is that Jesus is actually continuing the parables of the Two Sons and the Wicked Tenants by making the point that there is nothing more important than doing God’s will. Even though people are called or invited to do God’s work, they may neglect or refuse it, consumed with their own needs and self-interest. But God isn’t giving up on his work of saving people and calling others to join him in that task. The subversive message might be that the position and status of religious leaders, such as the Pharisees, will not last forever. God is going to achieve his purposes no matter what. It may mean breaking traditions and doing new things.

    And then we have the passage about paying tax to Caesar. The Jewish leaders are really trying to find a way to trap Jesus. By this point, they can’t stand him and they simply want him out of their way. He threatens their authority and what they find important. Thus, they ask him about the poll tax. We discussed this in Mark too. This was a flat tax that every person living in the Roman Empire was forced to pay. To the Jews, it was a reminder that they were far from free. If Jesus had responded with a positive remark like “yes, definitely pay it!” then he would have turned off a lot of his audience. If he had said, “don’t pay it!” then he would have been seen as turning against Rome, a dangerous thing. The way that Jesus answered the question blew everyone away!

    More tomorrow.

    Blessings,

    Pastor Vicki
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    5 分
  • July 4, 2025

    July 4, 2025
    2025/07/04
    Daily Dose of Hope Happy 4th of July everyone! It is our prayer that God bless America and that we will never take for granted the freedom and many blessings we enjoy in this great nation. Matthew 21:28–46 Jesus tells a story: A dad says, “Go work the field, boys.” Son #1: “Nope.” Then later... shows up sweating. Son #2: “Yes, sir!” Then... disappears like socks in a dryer. Which one obeyed? The one who actually did something. Catch this: God’s not impressed with your churchy “yes” if your life says “no.” Talk is cheap. Action? That’s where the faith grows. Stone Cold Truth: Jesus Doesn’t Do Fake Next, Jesus drops a parable about a vineyard (again). God plants it, hires folks to care for it, sends people to check on it… The tenants beat the messengers, kill the heir (which represents… Jesus), and think they’ll get away with it. Spoiler: They don’t. This is a wake-up call for anyone playing landlord with God’s stuff, your life, your time, your talents. It all belongs to Him. Steward it. Don’t steal it. " The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." (Matthew 21:42) Don’t toss Jesus out of your plans, He’s the only foundation worth building on. Here are some practical truths: • Be the sweaty son. Even if your start was slow, finish strong. • Faith is more than a bumper sticker. Obedience is louder than opinions. • You’re not the owner of the vineyard. Just the manager. Use it well. • Don’t reject the Stone. If Jesus isn’t the center, the whole thing cracks. This might be funny but trust me, it´s true: If saying “yes” was all it took, gym memberships would make us all fit, and Bible apps would make us saints. But showing up daily, faithfully, that’s what changes things. Prayer: Lord, help me obey with more than my lips. Let my life say “yes” where my pride once said “no.” Keep me grounded in Christ, the Cornerstone. And make my life a vineyard that gives You glory. Amen. Challenge: • Say “yes” to God and follow through. Make the call. Send the text. Serve the need. • Ask: Where have I said “yes” to Jesus but acted “no”? Repent and reset. • Identify a place in your life where Christ isn’t the Cornerstone, just yet. The Daily Dose of Hope is a devotional intended to provide context and reflection to the New Hope Church Bible Reading Plan. It’s our goal to read the Bible in a year together as a family of faith. Five days a week we read. Two days a week we either rest or catch up. Reading the Bible is the number one way to grow in our walk with Jesus. We have to know God’s Word to live God’s Word. Now for our Daily Dose of Hope… https://www.findnewhope.com
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    4 分
  • July 3, 2025

    July 3, 2025
    2025/07/03
    Daily Dose of Hope Matthew 21:1–27 Jesus Enters Like a King… on a Donkey? Let’s be honest, no one writes a heroic movie scene with the hero riding on a donkey. But that’s exactly how Jesus enters Jerusalem. No stallion. No sword. Just humble power. But, why? Because Jesus isn’t here to impress; He’s here to redeem. He doesn’t need a parade, He is the parade. "See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey…” (Mattew. 21:5) Real Power doesn’t shout. It serves. Do you want to be great? Grab a towel, not a title. Show up in the quiet moments. Say yes to the donkey path. Then we have the Curious Case of the Fig Tree Fail. Jesus rolls up to a leafy fig tree, it looks promising but bears no fruit. What does He do? He curses it. What’s going on here? It’s a parable in real time: Lots of leaves, no fruit = a life that looks good but lacks the goods. Jesus doesn’t just want leafy Christians; He wants fruitful ones. The kind that produces love, grace, patience, kindness, generosity… you know, actual evidence that He's alive in us. Fruit check! Are you all leaves or is there fruit under there? Then Jesus walks into the Temple courts and starts flipping tables. Why? Because God’s house was being used as a market instead of a mission. He doesn’t play with fake religion. He doesn’t tolerate holy-looking hustle. He wants a house of prayer, not a room of profit. Let’s be a church that flips comfort for calling. Let’s be people who trade profit for prayer, and flash for fruit. Here are some takeaways (or “Hope Nuggets”) • Ride donkeys, not drama. Humility carries the King. • Flip what’s fake. Jesus did. So can you. • Don’t just look good. Be good. Leafy isn’t fruitful. • Faith isn’t a temple tour, it’s a table-turning lifestyle. Prayer of the Day Lord, teach me to walk humbly and serve faithfully. Flip the tables in my life that don’t honor You. Grow real fruit in me, not just leafy fluff. And help me follow You, even when it means riding a donkey. Amen. Today: • Do something humble, quiet, unseen, for someone else. • Identify one “table” in your life that needs flipping (attitude, habit, distraction). • Bear fruit: Say sorry, forgive, give generously, love well, be the real deal. Tomorrow: • More Hope. More Jesus. Less drama. The Daily Dose of Hope is a devotional intended to provide context and reflection to the New Hope Church Bible Reading Plan. It’s our goal to read the Bible in a year together as a family of faith. Five days a week we read. Two days a week we either rest or catch up. Reading the Bible is the number one way to grow in our walk with Jesus. We have to know God’s Word to live God’s Word. Now for our Daily Dose of Hope… https://www.findnewhope.com
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    4 分
  • June 30, 2025; Matthew 19

    June 30, 2025; Matthew 19
    2025/06/30
    Daily Dose of Hope June 30, 2025 Scripture - Matthew 19 Prayer: Holy God, We come before you with humility and expectation as we start a new week. Thank you for another morning, another day, another chance to be a change agent in our world, your world. Guide us, Lord. Guide our words, actions, and thoughts. We want to be more like you. Help us see others as you see them. We love you. Amen. Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts. Today, we dive into Matthew 19. Jesus and his disciples have begun to make the journey to Judea; they are heading to Jerusalem. And Jesus is using this time to teach about what it means to follow him. Jesus is turning everything upside down in his teachings: to follow him means renouncing the things that the world values. In this chapter, we see Jesus touch on how following him will affect how we behave in the most fundamental parts of our lives. He starts by teaching on divorce, making the point that marriage is not simply a contract, but it’s a creation of God and both men and women are equal partners in the marriage. The Pharisees are trying to “test” Jesus, meaning they ask a leading question designed to trap him into saying something that will discredit his public reputation. They ask whether a man can legally divorce his wife for any reason at all, and this was actually a specific debate that was happening among first century Jewish rabbis. In Deuteronomy, the law allows a man to divorce his wife if he finds some “indecency” or “something offensive” in her. That’s a bit vague. Something offensive could include gaining weight during pregnancy or finding someone more attractive. And while the different rabbis argued over this, the bottom line was that men could divorce women for basically anything. But, not shocking, women did not have the same rights. Now, the Pharisees want Jesus to enter this specific debate. He’s God and he can see through their words. Jesus goes back to God’s original intent on marriage, in the Garden but before the fall. The two become one. It’s a strong and intimate bond. Thus, there isn’t an easy or painless way for this bond to be broken. It’s going to cause tremendous pain. God’s will is for marriage to continue without this breakage. Jesus is basically saying that, in God’s Kingdom, marriage is a covenant between the man, the woman, and God. It’s a sacred commitment that can’t be flippantly broken. Please know that by making this argument, Jesus was protecting women. They were the ones hurt by the previous arrangement. Jesus goes on to teach about children–parents were bringing children to him to be blessed and the disciples scolded them. Jesus intervenes and says to let the little children come to me and then makes this stunning point that we all must become like little children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a point that Jesus repeatedly makes! Children, in those days, weren’t seen as having any value. But Jesus places tremendous value on them. Jesus’ point is that to follow him, we have to become like little children–vulnerable, powerless, needing someone else to provide safety and sustenance. Again, he is turning things upside down. Then, we come to the last portion of the chapter. This will seem familiar, as we also covered this story in Mark. A man comes up to Jesus and asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus says, “Well, you need to follow all the commandments.” He then lists out the various commandments and the man simply says, “Yes, I’ve done all those things since I was a boy.” Then, Jesus looks at the man and says that to be perfect, he must go and sell everything he owns and give it all to the poor. The text says that the man’s face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth. This is the irony. The children who possess nothing are not told that the kingdom of God is theirs; yet this man who possesses everything still lacks something! Only when he sells all he has—only when he becomes like a vulnerable child—will he possess everything. But he isn’t willing to do that. He decides to walk away from Jesus. The man wasn’t expecting to have to make that kind of sacrifice. He had no idea following Jesus would be so hard. The disciples are really confused by this. At that time, most people believed that being wealthy was a sign of God’s blessing. Here, Jesus is saying that this man has to sell everything and give it to the poor. And that’s when Jesus says the really, really hard thing...It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And the disciples ask “then who possibly can be saved?” Jesus says, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” I don’t know about you but I find it very unsettling to ...
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    9 分
  • June 27, 2025; Matthew 18:21-35

    June 27, 2025; Matthew 18:21-35
    2025/06/27

    Daily Dose of Hope

    June 27, 2025

    Scripture – Matthew 18:21-35

    Prayer: Holy God, Thank you for your incredible mercy. Your compassion is never-ending and your love is powerful. We are overflowing with gratitude. Help us demonstrate this same compassion and love toward others. May we become people of grace and see people through your eyes. In Your Name, Amen.

    Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts. I just want to remind you all of our amazing worship night tonight at 7:30pm AND our special guest on Sunday. Dr. David Wilkinson is giving the message in the English-speaking service. He is a PhD in both astrophysics and theology and his life’s work has centered on the intersection between the Christian faith and science. After the 9:30 service, he has also agreed to a Q&A in the social hall, where a pancake and sausage brunch will be available by donation. All donations will go to the Residing Hope Children’s Home.

    Today is part two of Matthew 18. Here we have this very uncomfortable parable on forgiveness. Peter wants to know how far should forgiveness be extended. I mean, Jesus had just offered this conflict mediation model for churches to ensure that justice is upheld. But what about mercy? Jesus’ answer is really fascinating. He basically is saying, “Stop keeping count!”

    Let’s talk a bit about the parable itself. A servant owes his master a huge sum of money, something like 10,000 bags of gold. The servant was facing both imprisonment and the sale of his family to compensate for the debt. He goes to the master and asks for mercy. The readers are totally surprised – the master shows tremendous compassion and mercy. He totally forgives the huge debt. Unheard of and an act of extravagant compassion.

    That same servant then goes demanding payment of a debt that a fellow servant owes him. This isn’t a big debt, but something smaller and more manageable. When the fellow servant asks for more time, the forgiven servant refuses, denies compassion, and has the poor guy thrown in prison.

    Seeing the injustice of all of this, there are whistleblowers that see what happens and let the master know. The master is enraged and reinstates the man’s debt. How could he fail to show compassion after such great compassion was shown to him. He is imprisoned and tortured.

    While the ending is really horrific, Jesus is once again making a point. Forgiveness is critical and yet it is very hard. If we look at the whole of Matthew 18, we see the need of both holding people accountable and offering extravagant compassion and forgiveness. How do we even begin to reconcile this as a church? Upon doing research on this topic, one scholar suggested that the most powerful and instructive model is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa, guided by Bishop Desmond Tutu. Reconciliation entails both the offer of forgiveness and the naming and acceptance of responsibility for wrongful, wounding conduct. This approach to mercy and justice is congruent with Jesus’ call in Matthew 18 as a whole: while the faith community prioritizes grace and mercy, it also holds its members accountable for what they do to others.

    But what else might Jesus be saying in this parable? Pay compassion forward. God has been extraordinarily compassionate toward us. He gave his Son for us, so we might live abundantly now and in the future. Our sins are forgiven, our slate has been wiped clean. We owe Him a debt of gratitude. And yet, here we see what that looks like in a practical way. Show mercy, demonstrate compassion, love well, and forgive.

    Blessings,

    Pastor Vicki
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    5 分