Daily Dose of Hope from New Hope

Daily Dose of Hope October 28, 2025   Scripture –  John 12:1-19   Prayer:  Holy God, We rejoice in your name today.  You are almighty and wise, the Alpha and the Omega.  You are the one who was, and is, and is to come.  We give you all the glory and praise.  Help us now, Lord, gather our scattered thoughts and focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, hear our prayers...  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 are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin John 12. There is a lot going on this chapter.  It begins with Mary anointing Jesus with an expensive perfume, much to Judas' dismay. The other Gospels don't name the woman who anoints Jesus' feet, but John says that it's Mary, sister of Lazarus and Martha.  By doing so, Mary is pointing to Jesus' identity as Messiah King, but also as Servant King.  She wipes Jesus' feet with her hair, a lowly position, but one that foreshadows Jesus' own actions at the Last Supper when he washes his disciples' feet and demonstrates love through sacrificial, humble service. Judas was all about the money.  Remember, he wasn't complaining about the "waste" because he truly wanted to help the poor but because he was skimming from the money bag.  He wanted more money for himself. One more quick comment about this.  I once had someone tell me that there was no real need to give to the poor because Jesus himself said the poor you will always have with you.  I think most of you know that context is everything.  Jesus took care of the poor all the time!  He was not telling us not to care for the poor in any way, shape, or form.  Rather, in this specific instance, he was responding to Judas' superficial complaint.  He knew that Judas didn't care about the poor but about his own pockets.  In that moment, Mary was caring for Jesus.  There would be plenty of time for her to care for the poor in her community and I'm sure she did because she followed Jesus' example.  But there is a time and a place for everything. There is a brief discussion, before the Palm Sunday passage, about the need to kill Lazarus.  The Pharisees are getting desperate.  It isn't enough to simply target Jesus, they also plan to target Lazarus because he is also getting attention for being raised from the dead.  These are men of God whose hearts have grown hard.  Fear has a tendency to do that. With that, let's move on to Palm Sunday.  As a little girl going to Sunday School, I can remember making palm branches and waving them. Jesus' triumphal entry was described kind of like a parade. Think about parades with their marching bands, large balloons, and dancers. They are often about celebration and national pride. But Jesus' entry into Jerusalem this wasn't that kind of parade, especially as the book of John describes it. Basically, we see Jesus being given a royal welcoming. The other Gospels go into even more detail.  The people are laying palm branches down for him. They are running ahead in the streets to give him this royal kind of treatment. This is the kind of welcome that the emperor or a high official of the Roman government would have received. Think of it kind of like the red carpet being rolled out---a sign that a very important leader, the new king, has arrived.  While the disciples appear to be confused, some of the Jews in the crowd would have known that this a fulfillment of prophecy.  John quotes Zechariah 9:9,Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. All the signs point to the fact that this Jesus is the king.  By making this announcement, Jesus knows what this means.  His death will be soon.  Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope October 27, 2025   Scripture –  John 11:45-57   Prayer:  Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, We give you all the glory and praise.  Thank you for being a God who provides.  Thank you for being a God who heals and cares.  God, we pray protection over Jamaica and the other Caribbean islands which are in the way of Hurricane Melissa.  Be with the people in the path of the storm.  Help them find safety.  And we pray that the storm will turn in the name of Jesus.  May there be as little destruction as possible.  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.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are finishing up John 11.   After Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, many believed.  In fact, he was getting to be quite popular.  As a result, the Jewish leaders were scared of Jesus.  That is the bottom line.  They were scared that too many people would believe in him and they would lose the limited power they had under the Romans. They think seriously about wanting him dead.  The high priest, Caiphas, even says that wouldn't it be better for one man to lose his life rather than a whole nation to be wiped out.    Caiphas' words actually have a bit of a double meaning, of which he wasn't aware of at the time.  However, John picks up on it.  Let's reread verses 51-52, He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.   While the Jewish leaders decide it would be better for Jesus to die, they had no idea the enormous truth that they set out to accomplish.  They didn't understand Jesus' mission at all.  Not only would Jesus' death be better for them, but it would open up salvation to all people, everywhere.  The Jewish leaders' vision was much smaller than Jesus' vision of his mission, but it was large enough to allow Jesus to do what he needed to do and accomplish what he needed to accomplish.   But what their plans did mean was that Jesus could no longer walk around publicly.  He had to be very careful.  He knew his time would come but he didn't to rush it.  There was still work to be done.   Tomorrow, we begin Passion Week.  Get ready.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope October 24, 2025   Scripture - John 11:1-44   Prayer:  Almighty God and Risen Lord, King of Kings, We come before you today with praise and a sense of awe.  Forgive us, for we struggle to keep a focus on you.  Help us gather our scattered and distracted thoughts.  Help us remember who and whose we 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 Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin John 11.   In today's text, we again meet Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.  This is a family that Jesus loves dearly.    Mary and Martha definitely know that Jesus had the ability to heal Lazarus.  They request his presence when Lazarus becomes ill.  After he dies, they still want Jesus to come.  Afterall, when we are grieving, we desperately need those in our inner circle who will offer comfort and give us a shoulder to cry on.  The sisters knew that Jesus loved them and their brother, and that alone would have been enough reason for Jesus to come.   But it's precisely because he loves this family that we wonder why Jesus didn't rush to their side earlier.  We all know, based on his miracle-working skills, that Jesus could have healed Lazarus with the first sniffle.  But Jesus stayed.  He didn't go anywhere.  It was like he intentionally waited before heading out to go see the siblings.  But we soon learn that it is precisely because Jesus loves them so much that he waits.  He knows that his glory will be revealed in a tremendous way, and it will be one more sign that Jesus is Lord.   It isn't surprising that Martha does not hide her disappointment from Jesus.  She goes out to meet him an tell him that if he had only been there, then Lazarus would not have died.  At the same time, we can see in Martha a faith that is quite strong.  Even though her brother is dead, she knows Jesus can still do something.  But will he do it?   The short answer is yes.  Jesus has something much bigger planned.  But I do love that we see Jesus' humanity here in a very real way.  When an anguished Mary finally leaves the house to meet Jesus, along with all the mourners, Jesus himself is moved to tears.  Think about it.  Jesus knows that he will raise Lazarus from the dead.  That was his whole reason for delaying his visit.  But when he sees Mary's grief and the tears of the people around him, he is moved to weep as well.   When we see grief around us, when people are sobbing, and you can just feel their pain and anguish, it isn't unusual to begin to cry as well.  We can feel the pain of others.  It's called empathy.  Jesus loved Lazarus, he loves Martha, and he loves Mary.  He feels their pain.  He is pained that they are having to go through this.  And he weeps.    But there is also great dialogue here and I don't want us to miss it.  Lazarus has been in the tomb four days.  There was no refrigeration, no embalming.  The body would have deteriorated in that climate.  So, Jesus asks the sisters to remove the stone from the tomb where Lazarus was laid.  Martha protests that the smell is going to be really bad.  But that's when Jesus says this in verse 40, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?"   Don't we all want to see the glory of God?  Don't we want to see the beauty of God's Spirit?  Don't we want to see his goodness and his power?  It's here that Jesus says if we believe, we will, in fact, see the glory of God.   With that, Jesus prays to the Father and then invites Lazarus to come out of the tomb.  Lazarus did come out.  He was still bound up with grave clothes.  Before the body was placed in the tomb, it was wrapped with linen clothes and treated with various spices.  And Jesus says to unbind him.  Lazarus was alive.   How often do we live bound up in grave clothes?  We continue to be tied to old, destructive habits and attitudes.  Even though we may know Jesus, we still are bound by old patterns of behavior.  It's only Jesus that can remove those from us so we can experience new life in him.  Lazarus was alive but he still needed to remove the remnants of death.  He needed to be loosed.    Do you need to be loosed?  What aspects of your old life do you continue to hold onto?    Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope October 23, 2025   Scripture - John 10:22-42   Prayer:  The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.  Psalm 23   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish John 10.   In the second half of chapter 10, we find Jesus walking in the Temple.  It is the Festival of Dedication, otherwise known as Hanukkah, which celebrates the rededication of the Temple in 164 BC.  You may recall that in the 2nd century BC, King Antiochus IV Epiphanes tried to force the Jews to give up their faith.  A group of Jewish rebels, led by Judas Maccabeus, fought back and ultimately reclaimed the Temple. It's no accident that John speaks of Jesus walking through the Temple at this particular time.  He is pointing to an underlying theme that Jesus, like the heroes of Hanukkah, is coming to redeem Israel and relieve them all from their oppression.    But there are other themes in this short passage.  John is clear to continue the theme of Jesus' identity, pointing to divine images for Jesus.  He is a shepherd, and he is someone who is with the Father.  The shepherd imagery here is intended to remind the listeners of the Good Shepherd in the Psalms.  Remember, throughout the Psalms, God is seen as the shepherd of Israel and Israel as sheep.  Think of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want..."   The Jewish leaders are again livid that Jesus keeps using this divine language and saying that he has come from God and God is his Father.  They actually pick up rocks to stone him.  But Jesus challenges them.  He basically says, "For what good work from God are you stoning me?"  They tell him that it wasn't good works that led to this but blasphemy.  Jesus uses the Jewish Scriptures to speak out against that.  But they are blinded to truth.  Jesus slips out of their grasp, for there is still more Kingdom work to do before his time comes.   How often are we blinded to the work of Jesus right in front of us?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope October 22, 2025   Scripture - John 10:1-21   Prayer:  Almighty God, We come before you on this Wednesday, in the middle of our week, with both humility and gratefulness.  You are so powerful, so holy, and so wise.  We need you.  We seek you.  We are desperate to hear a word from you today, Lord.  We also know that we have failed over and over again.  Lord, forgive us for our sins, for the ways we fall short.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...Jesus, help us stay focused on you and your Word today.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that goes along with the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  As most of you know, we are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin John 10.   Today, we have come to our third and fourth I AM statements from Jesus, "I am the door of the sheep" and "I am the good shepherd."  Let's go deeper here.   Jesus begins the chapter with an analogy about sheep.  Most of us aren't going to get the deeper meaning because we generally don't know a lot about sheep.  From what I understand, a shepherd has a distinctive call for his sheep.  His sheep know his voice and his call.  They aren't going to respond to a stranger, they know the voice of their own shepherd.  It's the shepherd that enters the sheep pen by the front gate.  He doesn't need to sneak in by climbing the fence.  He safely leads the sheep out to pasture.  He is the one that the sheep can trust.   Then, why does Jesus say he is the gate?  Afterall, we expect him to say he is shepherd, he has literally just given us this shepherd language that makes a fair amount of sense.  Why a gate?  This took some research.    In the middle east at the time, the sheep slept in a pen without a gate; there was just an opening.  The shepherd was literally the gate for the pen.  He would lay his body across the opening.  No sheep would step over him and a wolf couldn't get in without getting past the shepherd first.  He was literally the gate. If this is the case, we can see how Jesus could easily be both the gate and the shepherd at the same time.   Other scholars say that Jesus is speaking of a literal gate and they cite his use of the word doorkeeper as evidence.  Regardless of a literal gate or a shepherd using his body as the gate, I think the meaning is the same.  Jesus is protecting the sheep.  The thieves and robbers come to wound and destroy.  Jesus, as the gate, protects life at nighttime and offers life during the day by taking the sheep out to pasture.  It's all about living the life abundant.    If you haven't figured it out by now, we are the sheep and Jesus is our shepherd.  He is the voice we need to seek, he is the one who provides and protects, and he is one who offers abundant and full life.  And Jesus is a very good shepherd.  He laid down his life for his sheep, for us.  He wasn't coerced into this, but rather he voluntarily died for our sins.  There will be other religious leaders, hired hands as Jesus calls them, who will abandon their followers at the first sign of trouble.  But Jesus, on the other hand, is our eternal protector.  He is always with us and will always be with us.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki        

Daily Dose of Hope October 21, 2025   Scripture - John 9   Prayer:  Dear God, We come to you in repentance.  We are sinful and broken people.  We fall short over and over again.  Lord, how we need you.  Help us to grow closer to you.  Help us seek holiness.  Help us love others the way you love them.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, please help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you...  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  As most of you know, we are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we start John 9.   When we started the Gospel of John, we talked about how the author calls the miracles in his book "signs."  Each sign points to a deeper meaning about the identity of Jesus.  Turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana demonstrated that Jesus is the abundantly generous host of the messianic banquet.  The feeding of the 5,000 demonstrated that Jesus is a gracious provider who gives manna but also his own body and blood.  The sign in John 9, the healing of the man born blind, shows that Jesus is the giver of sight and revealer of truth.  Jesus restores the man's physical sight, and he also states that he is the light of the world in verse 5.  There is the literal sign and then deeper themes beneath each one.   Let's talk about the sign a little more.  We become quickly aware of an assumption that for a person to be born blind, someone must have sinned.  After seeing the man born blind, the disciples ask the blunt question – who is to blame?   Jesus makes the statement that neither he nor his parents sinned; he was born this way so that God's power could be revealed in him.  There is definitely a bit of debate about whether the words "born blind" were in the original Greek.  I don't think it's relevant.    The bottom line is that the Jews at the time believed that someone who was blind (born blind or not) must have some connection with deep sin.  Yet, this man expresses belief in Jesus.  He confesses faith.  He calls Jesus, "Lord."  On the other hand, the Pharisees who think they are morally superior are actually the ones who are sinful.  They may have physical vision but they are spiritually blind.   Things are not always as they seem.   What does it mean to be spiritually blind and live in darkness OR it's opposite, to live in the light of Jesus?  Depending on where you stand, it drastically affects your perspective.  Symptoms of spiritual blindness could include a hardened heart, trouble understanding the bigger picture of faith, being controlled by emotions rather than truth, or the feeling of being disconnected from God.  Other symptoms could be doubt, hopelessness, and a strong focus on rules (legalism) which can lead to judgement and self-righteousness.  When we live in darkness, we are also easily deceived when it comes to spiritual truth.  We can see this in the Pharisees.  The more important question is to we see this in ourselves?   When we walk in the light of Jesus with spiritual eyes open, we are changed people.  We seek to know Jesus more deeply.  We seek truth and we have clarity about those things that are not pleasing to God in our own lives.  We are filled with the fruit of the Spirit.  Living in the light also makes our identity very clear.  We are children of God.  We belong to Jesus and we are created to bring glory to God in everything we do.    One more thing from this chapter and the book of John: There are seven "I AM" statements in this book.  Keep in mind, that throughout the Old Testament, it was only God, Yahweh, who used the words I AM to describe himself.  Jesus is now using these statements to further emphasize who he is and where he is from.  We already encountered "I am the bread of life" in chapter six.  This chapter has the second "I AM" statement, "I am the light of the world."  Jesus says he is the light and then he proves it with the sign of healing the blind man.  Tomorrow, we will talk about "I am the door" in chapter ten.  Each of these statements tells us more about the identity of Jesus and his purpose.   More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki          

Daily Dose of Hope October 20, 2025   Scripture - John 8:12-59   Prayer:  Holy God, We pause before you.  We become still, recognizing that you are God.  You are Creator, you are Provider, you are Sustainer.  Thank you, Lord.  We repent for how we have failed you.  We repent for our pride, our anger, our bitterness, our flawed view of others.  We repent for not putting you first.  Forgive us, Lord.  We are broken and sinful people.  Lord, use us anyway.  We pray that you can lead us to a place of healing and peace so that we can then be useful to your Kingdom.  Help us be your servants, open to your leading and direction.  We are yours.  We belong to you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  As most of you know, we are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish up John 8.   This chapter is an interesting and complex set of narratives about Jesus' identity.    In verses 12-30, Jesus attempts, unsuccessfully, to explain that he does not need the two witnesses required by the Law in any testimony because he already has them: his own and the Father's. To the Jews, this would have been impossible. No one could testify on their own behalf. Afterall, the Law, to ensure fairness and objectivity, required at least two witnesses. But let us not forget that the gospel is not necessarily historical but theological. We are reading the account of an early Jewish-Christian community engaged in heavy theological debate with the synagogue, a sort of family feud if you consider that everyone here is Jewish.   Beginning in verse 31, John states Jesus is speaking to Jews who had believed in him.  I think the tense is important here.  These were once followers of Jesus but now they are not.  Jesus tells them that if they hold to his teachings, they are his disciples.  And Jesus continues to say that it is then that they will know the truth and the truth will set them free.  But this gets them all confused.  But why in the world would they need to be set free?  They are Abraham's descendants and they have never been enslaved.  Jesus explains that they are, in fact, slaves to sin.  Keep in mind, that this is a group who thinks they will go to heaven simply because of their blood line.  They are Jews, they are God's chosen people.  How they think and behave is far less important than to whom they are related.    And yet, Jesus pushes up against this.   As the text continues, in verses 37-59, Jesus and the Pharisees and other Jewish authorities throw accusations at each other. Jesus says they are being children of the devil; they accuse him of being demon-possessed and a Samaritan. One can hardly think of a worse situation. No one was listening to one another.   But John is making a point.  He is leading up to Jesus saying in v. 58, Before Abraham was, I am.  Of course, he is speaking of himself using the Biblical way of referring to God.  He is saying that he is God.  This escalates things.  The Jews begin to pick up stones to begin to throw at him but he slips away.    Jesus is God.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope October 17, 2025   Scripture – John 8:1-11   Prayer:   Almighty God, We give you glory and praise.  Thank you for the ways you care for us.  Thank you for the ways you care for our church.  Lord Jesus, help us set aside our scattered thoughts.  Help us push away distractions and truly focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...Holy Spirit, guide our reading and devotional time today.  May we hear a word from 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 are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are starting John 8.   Today's passage is one of the most beloved in the Gospel of John.  The line, "he who is without sin can throw the first stone", has become a common part of our vocabulary.  And the story itself is amazing.  The Pharisees have brought a woman caught committing adultery to Jesus.  Notice the man was not brought.  It always makes me think the whole thing was planned.  They were trying to trap Jesus and this was one more opportunity.  And the woman was just collateral damage.  She probably would have been naked or partially dressed and the whole situation was dehumanizing for her.   While the Torah did say that stoning was punishment for adultery, my understanding is that it was not actually carried out often.  But it could have been.  So, these Pharisees brought the woman to Jesus to ask what should be done.  Keep in mind, they didn't really care Jesus' serious thoughts about the situation, but they did care to catch him saying the wrong thing.   What did he do?  He started writing on the ground.  I always wonder what he wrote.  Was he writing the men's sins?  Was he listing the things the people in that group had done?  It would be fascinating to know for sure.  And that's when he said that very famous line, ...let he who is without sin cast the first stone.  And they all started to walk away, the oldest first down to the youngest.    And Jesus asks the woman, "Who has condemned you?"  Of course, no one had because they all left.  "Go and sin no more."  Jesus saw into the hearts of both the accused and the accusers and dealt with the situation accordingly.    Probably, for many of you, this passage is in italics in your Bible.  The reason for this is that there is significant debate as to whether this passage is original.  In fact, most scholars agree that it was added at a later date.  The first manuscript of John to include this story is Codex Bezae (D), which dates to the fifth century.  There is also an argument that the way the story is written seems to be contrary to John's vocabulary and grammar.   So, if this text isn't from John, where did it come from and how do we handle it?  It's very possible the story is historical but was part of the oral tradition and just stuck in the Gospel of John later on.  Other scholars I read said that the style looks like Luke's handiwork.  There is also the possibility that the story is absolutely true but was left out of John by early scribes because they thought Jesus was too lenient and grace-filled.  Despite all of this, the church fathers often taught on this passage.   I personally think there is a lot to learn from this passage.  We see Jesus' compassion and boldness.  It seems consistent with the kinds of things Jesus did and said.  We also know that there were many things that Jesus did that were originally omitted from the Gospels.  Could this be one of them?  I don't know.  I would love to hear your thoughts on this.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope October 16, 2025   Scripture – John 7:25-53   Prayer:   Holy God, Help us sit and reflect on your presence. Jesus, we need you.  We go through our days distracted, sometimes even forgetting to pray or acknowledge you.  Help us to be aware of your presence, knowing that you walk with us every step of the way, guiding us and leading us in all our words, actions, and decisions.  We belong to you, Lord. Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are finishing up John 7.   Today's reading is challenging.  We are still in Jerusalem at the Festival of the Tabernacles.  If you remember from yesterday's reading, Jesus has come to the festival later, trying to be discreet, but after a few days, he does begin to preach and teach.  The comments are flying.   I want to draw our attention to several verses that might be easy to skip over.  Verses 37-39 read, On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."c]">[c] 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.   Let's talk context.  According to the Mishnah, part of the oral tradition of Jewish law, water ceremonies are an important part of the festival celebrations on the last day.  A priest would draw water from the pool of Siloam, with a special golden pitcher and then take it back to the temple to pour into a silver bowl next the altar.  As the water was poured out, the priest would pray to God to send rain.  In some traditions, the water-drawing at the Festival of Tabernacles was interpreted as the drawing of the Holy Spirit.  So please know this was a really powerful moment.   It is hugely significant that Jesus, on this same day, says that whoever is thirsty should come to him and drink.  He continues that anyone who believes in him will have rivers of living water flowing within them.  Basically, and make sure you get this, Jesus is saying that those who drink of the water he gives will become sources of this living water.  It is similar to what he told the Samaritan woman in chapter 4 when Jesus tells her that those who drink of the water he gives will never be thirsty because he offers water that leads to eternal life.   In chapter 6, if you recall, Jesus called himself the bread of life.  Now, he offers living water that leads to quenches the deepest spiritual thirst.    What's kind of fascinating to me here is John's comment about the Spirit. He makes this connection between water and the Spirit.  John makes other connections between water and the Spirit (remember his discussion with Nicodemus in which he spoke of being born of water and the Spirit.). John says in this passage that up until this time the Spirit had not come because Jesus hadn't been glorified.  But John makes this strong suggestion that the living water Jesus is referring to is the Holy Spirit which is to come.  Believers will soon have the Holy Spirit in their physical body and that will fulfill all spiritual thirst.    Think about that.  If you have said yes to Jesus, then that means that the Spirit of the Living God is in you.  The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in you.  That means the Spirit that fulfills all spiritual thirst is in you.  How does that sit with you?  Do you see how huge that is?   One small but important note.  Just because the Spirit had not yet come did not mean the Spirit did not yet exist.  We know that the Holy Spirit was with God in the beginning.  As the third person of the Trinity, the Spirit was present at creation, we see his presence throughout the Old Testament, and we see him descend like a dove on Jesus during his baptism.  But he would not be offered to the church until after Jesus was glorified and ascended into heaven.  Of course, it was on Pentecost, Acts 2, in which the Spirit comes, making an incredible scene, and indwells the believers.    As the chapter progresses, we see the Jews are debating amongst themselves.  We can sense the conflict rising between those who reject Jesus and those who believe he is Messiah.  The true conflict boils down to who is the most accurate in their scriptural interpretation.  We see this back and forth debate.  John, as author of this Gospel, is basically joining the debate, defending Jesus and making it clear that he is Messiah.    But the Jewish leaders are frustrated.  They want him arrested.  They want him out of their way.  They feel incredibly threatened by Jesus' claims and they want to shut him down.   More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope October 15, 2025   Scripture: John 7:1-24   Prayer: Dear God, We come to you today with sorrow.  We know that we are sinful and broken.  We know that we have fallen short.  Lord, how we need you.  Help us to grow closer to you.  Help us seek holiness.  Help us love others the way you love them.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, please help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on 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 are currently working our way through the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are starting John 7.    This is kind of the beginning of the end of Jesus' public ministry.  He has been doing a lot of teaching and a lot of miracles.  At the beginning of chapter 7, we learn that it is the Festival of Tabernacles, one of the most important Jewish festivals.  Jerusalem would have been filled with visitors for this important event.  His brothers want him to come and essentially show off at the festival.  He can come do miracles and make a bigger name for himself.  A mocking tone is implied here.  They are not supportive of Jesus, they are goading him.  We can assume these are Jesus' half-brothers, the biological sons of Mary and Joseph.    Jesus decides the timing isn't right.  He has his brothers go ahead and he comes later, presumably to be more discreet.  But by this point, it was hard for Jesus to do anything discreetly.  People begin talking about who Jesus is.  And Jesus begins to teach several days into the festival.  His teachings are not well-received by the Jewish leaders.  He says that his teachings are not his own but the Father's.  That does not go over well.  He speaks of the ridiculousness of Sabbath-keeping without keeping to the spirit of the law.  Again, not well-received.  What were the intentions of the law vs. what it had become?  A person's intentions are always more important than evidence or reason.    The Jewish authorities had turned the law into something that God never intended.  It became a way to entrap people and an obstacle to people coming to God.  Keep in mind, that by Jesus criticizing their interpretation of the law, he was hitting at the core of who they were.  There was nothing more sacred to them.  But what Jesus is essentially saying is that their refusal to believe him was a rejection of the Scriptures that point to him.  Their rejection of Jesus' message was a rejection of the law which he fulfilled.   The leaders want to silence Jesus.  They begin their conniving to find a way to get rid of what they see as a blasphemous nuisance.  And they are not kidding.  They feel so threatened by Jesus that they begin to plot his death.    The leaders then continued to miss the point, over and over again.  It's easy for us to point fingers but how often do we miss the point?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope October 14, 2025   Scripture – John 6:25-55   Prayer:  Holy God, We come before you today with such gratefulness.  You are a good God and you love us so very much.  Thank you, Lord.  Help us seek holiness. Help us set aside our worldly distractions and focus on you today, Jesus.  In your name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/podcast that goes along with New Hope Church's daily Bible reading plan.  As most of you know, we are in the middle of a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are finishing John 6.   We mentioned this briefly in yesterday's devotional - the people have come looking for Jesus.  They don't know how he got across the lake but when they discover where he is, they go seeking him. They want more food!  Honestly, we can't blame them.  They were very hungry people.  But Jesus can see in their hearts.  He knows that they need so much more than physical sustenance.    Jesus tries to explain that what he offers is better than the manna that God provided Moses and the people in the wilderness.  He offers the bread of life.  Not surprisingly, this doesn't make a lot of sense to them.  Of course they want this bread.  It sounds amazing.  To never be hungry would be a huge thing to this group.    But Jesus knows that this group of people isn't quite ready for what he really means by bread of life.  They aren't ready to understand the kind of salvation that Jesus offers.  They can't quite get it that Jesus, as manna, is the true source of life.  And the theme of Jesus as manna from heaven continues through the chapter.   Here is where things start to get hard.  Some of the Jews in the crowd start grumbling.  "Isn't this Jesus, Joseph's son?" they ask.  How could he be from heaven?  The grumbling is possibly intended to echo the grumbling of the Israelites in the Exodus story.  They have experienced God's salvation – it's right in front of them – but they don't fully trust in God's provision.   Jesus is different from manna in an important way through.  The ancestors died in the wilderness but those who eat Jesus' bread do not die.  Jesus as manna is redeeming the sin of the previous generations of God's people.  Jesus is providing nourishment that endures and saves.   But this was really hard teaching.  Many people stopped following Jesus.  I think this is a good lesson for us.  When we get discouraged because people we know and care about refuse to follow Jesus, we can think about all the people who had Jesus directly in front of them and they still did not believe.  Flesh and blood Jesus Christ walked among them and they walked away.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope October 13, 2025   Scripture - John 6:1-24   Prayer: Holy and Almighty Father, We come to you today with humble hearts.  We know we are broken and need you.  We are weak.  We are vulnerable to temptation.  Lord, fill us with your strength.  Give us your stamina and wisdom.  We can't do this life without you, Lord.  It's in the powerful name of Jesus we pray, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin a deep dive into John 6.    We start with John's text describing the feeding of the 5,000.  Jesus has taken his disciples away, trying to find a quiet place to rest.  That doesn't happen.  People follow them.  Jesus was probably quite a sight.  He said things people had not heard before and he did miracles.    The crowd that followed Jesus this time was quite large.  Thus, they sit down on the side of the mountain and Jesus asks Philip (mainly to test him), "Where in the world are we going to get food to feed all these people?"  Of course, Jesus already knew what he would do.  The interesting thing to me is that Jesus didn't get annoyed with the crowds, he was never exasperated.  He took it in stride and everything was a learning lesson.  Everything was a Kingdom lesson.   Jesus had tremendous compassion for the people.  If you think about Jesus' ministry, he was often interrupted, probably on his off day.  He would frequently be planning to do this one thing but pulled away in a different direction.  But it was in those interruptions, those distractions that Jesus did amazing work, that we get to see God at work in amazing, miraculous ways.  He heals the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years because she "interrupts" him on his way to the Roman official's home.  Think of the man whose friends created a hole in the roof to lower their friend in front of Jesus and "interrupt" his teaching.  He was interrupted by a demon-possessed man at the synagogue and he heals him.  I counted something like 35 "interruptions" and it was in those interruptions that Jesus healed, taught, loved, and demonstrated God's glory.    And I'm wondering if it might be the same for us.  We get so busy, so task-focused, but might it be in the interruptions that God is calling us to demonstrate HIS compassion toward others?  Sometimes, the most important things in our lives happen in the interruptions.  I think God wants us to pay attention to the interruptions because interruptions involve people who Jesus loves.  God uses individual people to bless others, to take care of the needs of others.  But let's get back to the feeding.  Exactly how it happened, we don't know.  What we know is that it happened.  Jesus took a little and turned it into a lot.  In that moment, we see God's Kingdom in all its fullness.  In God's Kingdom, there is no sickness so Jesus healed.  In God's Kingdom, there is no hunger so Jesus fed.  Most of us in here are pretty well fed but that was not the norm in first century Palestine.  People did not get enough to eat.  That's why in the Lord's Prayer we say, "give us today our daily bread" because daily bread was not a given.  Those 10-15K people that Jesus was caring for that day (the men plus their wives and children), these were peasants.  They were hungry people.  There was a huge disparity between rich and poor in the Roman Empire and some argue, quite convincingly, that was intentional.  But Jesus fed everyone until they were full (probably something they were not accustomed to at all).  And when all were fed, the leftovers were collected and there were twelve basketfuls remaining.  Amazing abundance.  Jesus demonstrated the abundance of God's Kingdom.  To these people following Jesus, there was a lack of food, so it made sense to demonstrate abundance that way.  For most of us, we typically eat until we are full so maybe that wouldn't make sense to us.  But for many of us, we still operate our lives from a SCARCITY mindset.  We've talked about this before but it's worth revisiting.  A scarcity mindset means we worry that there won't be enough, we are fearful of running out, that there won't be enough for me.  We live always thinking, "well, what if this happens or that happens?"  But if we view our lives from the lens of scarcity, then we will always be fearful and anxious.  And we will miss so many of the blessings that God has in store for us. And Jesus wants us to operate from the ABUNDANCE mindset.  He wants us to trust that he will provide all our needs and then some.  There were 12 baskets left over.  Jesus wants us to have a stewardship mentality, recognizing that all we have, God has generously put into our hands.  All our resources – they are a gift from God, our health – gift from God, our children/grandchildren/friends – all a gift from God, our time – a precious gift from God.  Just as Jesus was asking his disciples to do in this miracle, he is asking each of us to do --- look beyond what's in front of you.  Look up from this physical, earthly reality and see that there is so much more.  I've got you.  I'm here for you.  Trust me.  The world tells us to be afraid, hold on tight to whatever you have, send the people away.  But Jesus is saying, "Look beyond the world.  Look beyond what's right in front of you.  Look at my Kingdom." One thing I like about John's Gospel is he gives us a little more detail.  He writes about how, after Jesus feeds all the people, the disciples cross the lake back to Capernaum.  The people follow him again and ask for more bread.  Afterall, they were hungry people.  But Jesus wants them to go deeper.  He knows their needs are deeper.  All of our needs are deeper.  Anyway, Jesus says to them later, in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life."  Whoever comes to me will never go hungry…   Of course, he is no longer talking about bread.  Those places of scarcity in our soul – the fear, the anxiety, the anger, the doubts, the pain, the past trauma, the bitterness, the insecurity, the emptiness, the bondage to things of this world – Jesus takes all of that and if we let him, will fill us, heal us, strengthen us, nourish us.  Christ, the bread of life, satisfies the deepest longings of our life.  And friends, I need that.  You need that.  We have a whole community who needs it, yearns for it.  The last part of our reading is Jesus walking on water.  Keep in mind that Jesus had the ability to defy the laws of nature.  His miracles included healings but they also included the calming of the storm and walking on the Sea of Galilee.  When the disciples see him do this, they are afraid.  How often are we afraid when we see Jesus act in unexpected ways? Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope October 10, 2025   Scripture – John 5   Prayer: Holy God, How amazing it is that we can come before you today.  You are God of all things, Lord of everything, and yet you care about each of us.  We give you glory and praise.  We thank you most of all for Jesus, who made it possible for us to walk hand in hand with a holy God.  Help us see today's Scripture through fresh eyes.  Keep teaching us, Lord.  Continue to reveal yourself to us.  We are open and grateful.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  As most of you know, we are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we dive into John 5.   The chapter starts with a narrative about the disabled man who had not been able to walk for thirty-eight years.  There are a couple reflections I had from the text.  You may have noticed them too.   First, when Jesus asked the man if he wanted to get well, the man did not say yes.  Instead, he blamed his circumstances for why he was disabled.  "Well, no one will help me into the waters and then people go ahead of me."  He takes no responsibility, and he puts all his trust in this mystical pool.  How many times have we done the same thing?  Maybe we haven't put trust in a pool, but we have wanted to blame others or blame the whole world for our deep-rooted problems.   Second, when the religious leaders find out Jesus healed on the Sabbath, they become angered.  They say nothing about how this man experienced healing after thirty-eight years of disability.  How crazy is it that all they care about are the rules?  They have no concern for individual people.    Jesus turned social and religious norms upside down.  He was less concerned with convention and more concerned about the souls of people.  The Pharisees totally were missing the point.  How often do we miss the point?    Healing on the Sabbath only makes Jesus more of a target for the religious establishment.  This begins a discourse of Jesus' authority.  One of the more important questions we have here is – what is the relationship between the authority of the Father the authority of the Son?  Jesus says that the son can do nothing on his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing.  This is where we have to be careful in our interpretation.    What can we learn from these verses? The Son doesn't operate independently of the Father. The Son is in constant touch with the Father. The Son does what he discerns the Father is doing. The Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing.   The key to Jesus' Sonship is constant communication with and obedience to the Father. Thus, he is the perfect expression of the Father here on earth. In chapter 1 we read, "No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known." (1:18)   The chapter ends with testimonies about Jesus.  The reality is that anyone could come and make claims about divinity and sonship.  Jesus knew this.  He says if it were just his personal testimony, then basically no one should believe what he has to say.  But Jesus says there are other witnesses that can attest to who he is.  First, there is God the Father.  He comes in his Father's name.  Then, there is John the Baptist.  Next, there are many signs and wonders which attest to his divinity. There is plenty of testimony that Jesus is who he said he is.  Basically, everything in the Scriptures points to Jesus.  John says that if we fail to recognize that, then his Word doesn't dwell in us.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope October 9, 2025   Scripture - John 4:43-54   Prayer:  Lord, our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth!  We magnify your precious and powerful name.  How often we forget how mighty you are.  You created all.  You created us.  Thank you, Lord, for who you are.  Most of all, thank you for loving us with all our flaws and brokenness.  In all we do, in who we are, help us to be more like you.  We pray for humility, mercy, and compassion.  Help us see others through your eyes.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are finishing up John 4.   Today, we read about one of only three healing miracles in the book of John.  But in this Gospel, Jesus is careful to call them signs, not miracles, and there is an important distinction.  A sign is something that is not only a miracle but it also reveals Jesus' divinity and his mission.  They point to who Jesus is as the Son of God and Messiah.  Jesus himself functions somewhat like a sign in the book of John.  We read in chapter 1 that he was with God in the beginning, he was the Word made flesh, and he makes the invisible God known.   John is really unique from the Synoptic Gospels.  He very intentionally shares seven specific signs that Jesus performs and each one reveals something about Jesus' identity and why he is here.  We already read about Jesus turning the water into wine in Cana, sign #1.  Jesus made a tremendous amount of wine and it was the very best at the wedding, showing the amazing abundance of God in Jesus Christ.  Now, we have Jesus healing the son of an official, demonstrating his willingness and ability to restore health and life.  It's interesting that Jesus ignores the official's first plea and instead kind of talks down to him for his need of signs.   Jesus wasn't crazy about turning the water into wine either.  Each sign so far has been met with what seems like reluctance or ambivalence. Could it be that Jesus is concerned about how these signs will be interpreted?  We know from the other Gospels that signs and miracles often led to Jesus being following by thousands of people.  Might they get caught up in the sign and miss the importance of the one who actually allowed the signs to happen?  Or maybe Jesus doesn't want people to simply come to him for signs of God's favor.  What were God's intentions here?  I do find the wording interesting in John.  I tend to think of all of these signs as miraculous.  Why not call them as such?  I'm wondering if God wants us to see past the miracle here.  God is present in so many other ways in our lives.  Yes, he is present in the miraculous.  But he also gives us many, many other signs.  God gives us signs, nudges, or strong feelings that indicate he is at work in our lives.  He gives us signs about whether or not to take a job, signs about which direction to head in educationally, and signs about how to continue in a relationship.  God is always giving us signs, showing us he is right here, pointing us to him.  It might not seem miraculous, like water into wine, but it's still real and powerful.  Regardless of the sign, God is always trying us to point us toward his love.  Whether he is healing a friend, directing us to a certain job, or giving us the words to say to a friend in need, it's always signs pointing us toward his love.  He loves us and he wants to be involved in our lives.  Is Jesus an everyday presence in your life?  What signs does he give you? Blessings, Pastor Vicki          

Daily Dose of Hope October 8, 2025   Scripture – John 4:1-42   Prayer:  Holy God, You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the one who was and is and is to come.  We love you and give you praise.  We rejoice in your powerful name.  Thank you for how you call each of us.  Thank you for how you provide for us and equip us with everything we need.  You don't need to use us but you do; you allow us to be part of your work in this world.  Thank you, Lord.  Help us to see the blessing of serving you.  We pray this in your name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts which will last through the end of 2025.  Today, we begin John 4.   This is the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.  Many of you are familiar with this passage and it is an extraordinary one.  Let's try to look at it with fresh eyes.  There are some really fascinating aspects to this narrative:   ·      Jesus did not have to go through Samaria; he chose to.  He was making a statement here.  As we have mentioned before, the Jews and Samaritans hated one another.  Usually, Jews went the long way around Samaria so they didn't have to be contaminated by the people who they called dogs and half-breeds.  Remember, the region of Samaria was once the Northern Kingdom.  They set up their own capital and their own temple.  After the Assyrians conquered them, many people moved out and others moved in.  Thus, the people who lived there during Jesus' day were a mix of cultures and nationalities.  ·      Jesus initiates a conversation with the woman at the well.  Jews and Samaritans didn't have conversations.  Honestly, men and women didn't have conversations.  So many things about this situation were taboo.  But Jesus doesn't care about social conventions, he cares about individual people. ·      The woman was at the well in the middle of the day.  That tells us that she was trying to avoid others.  It was really, really hot at that time of day.  Most women would have drawn water in the cool of the morning.  This woman was avoiding the town women because she was probably the focus of their gossip.  She had been married many times and she was, at the time, living with a man who wasn't her husband. ·      We don't know much about this woman, but my guess is that she had a life filled with hardship and trauma.  Jesus knew that.  He saw her needs and her struggles and he offered her living water.  She was open and receptive.  ·      This woman turns out to be one of the best evangelists in the New Testament.  She goes and tells the townspeople about this man who knew everything about her life.  Remember, these are the people who don't like her but she is boldly sharing about Jesus anyway.  Thus, many of the Samaritans believed and became committed to following Jesus.  ·      Jesus is in the business of changing lives and whole communities.  And he uses all of us.  Our past does not matter to Jesus, only our hearts and desire to change.     Blessings, Pastor Vicki