Daily Dose of Hope

November 19, 2025

Scripture - Acts 3

Prayer: Almighty God, We come to you today with humble hearts. We are broken and we need you. Help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you this morning. Help us set aside distractions so we might hear your voice. In these next few moments of silence, Lord, help us just focus on Jesus...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. This week, we have just started the book of Acts, after walking through all the Gospels. What a great spiritual journey this has been and I'm so glad you have joined us! Today, we walk through Acts 3.

The chapter starts with Peter and John heading into the temple in the afternoon. There is a disabled man there, who could not walk, and was brought into the temple every day to beg for money. This passage always makes me smile. Peter says something like, "Look, we don't have any money but we have something better." And he heals him. The man wasn't expecting it at all. He was expecting more of the same – begging, barely making it, having no dignity, simply existing. And what Peter and John offered him, through the power of the Holy Spirit, was so much better. The man jumps and leaps throughout the temple courts and praises God. People are standing there, jaws dropped, shocked. They recognize him as the same man who used to beg at the temple gate, and now they are filled with wonder and amazement.

And then the two men use this as an opportunity to preach about Jesus. Peter says, "Why does this surprise you?" He talks about Jesus. He makes sure the people don't think this is a magic trick or something that happened by Peter's own power. This is totally, completely, a result of the power of Jesus Christ.

What I find interesting is that Peter tailors his witnessing to the people around him. These are Jewish people. Thus, he goes way back to the Jewish fathers, explaining how Jesus was always part of God's plan. Yet, he was killed and then resurrected. Peter continues by telling them that Jesus is the one God sent, Jesus is the one that the prophets were speaking of, Jesus is the one you should have recognized! It's really fascinating to me that Peter, throughout Acts, does such a great job, balancing human culpability for the death of Jesus with the inevitability of Jesus' death as part of God's plan. This death was necessary and God knew it had to happen. Prophecy said it would happen. But, at the same time, it only occurred because human beings sinned and ensured that it would happen. God didn't force anyone's hand. He didn't make anyone do anything.

One aspect of Peter's message that is critical is repentance. I don't think we talk about repentance enough. Let's look at verse 19, Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord... Peter tells the Jews who are listening that, regardless of what has come before, regardless of the mistakes of the past, it is time to repent. Now is the time to turn to God and allow him to cleanse your sins so that you can be refreshed and be made white as snow.

Life is different with Jesus. Allow him in and experience new life.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki