Daily Dose of Hope

March 24, 2026

Scripture: Romans 14

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the potter, we are the clay, and the work of Your hands. Mold us and fashion us into the image of Jesus, your Son. Father, may we be one in You as He is in You, and You are in Him. Glory and praise to you, forever and ever. Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan. We have been walking through Paul's letters, chronologically, and we are currently towards the end of Romans.

Today's reading is Romans 14. It is unclear exactly who Paul is speaking of in this chapter. Who were the "weak" and "strong" Christians in Rome? It's possible that the weak Christians were Jewish believers who still felt strongly about dietary restrictions connected to faith but that has not been verified. What is clear is that Paul doesn't judge either group but merely comes down on the side of unity.

The Christian church is one that includes all kinds of people, from all walks of life, from countless cultural traditions, with all kinds of personalities and dispositions. We are brothers and sisters and we are all part of God's family. But just like other normal human families, these differences can lead to conflict and disagreement. Paul's writing in this chapter demonstrates that these disagreements, over what we might describe as seemingly minor stuff, have been around since the beginning of the church. Paul is saying to accept one another and try to no judge one another for those differences of opinion.

An example: Many of you remember our mission trips to the Dominican Republic. The church in the DR has very different ideas about what's acceptable and not acceptable for Christians than we do in the United States. In many of their churches, women sit on one side and men on the other. Alcohol is forbidden, as is dancing outside of church. I have some pretty strong opinions about all of these things. But Paul is saying not to get too caught up in these disagreements. Accept your brother or sister with the different view and don't fall into judgment. What's most important is what unites us.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

March 23, 2026

Scripture: Romans 13

Prayer: Holy and Almighty God, We come to you today in humility but also with expectancy. We need to hear a word from you. We need to sense your presence and be reminded of how you walk alongside us. In these next few moments of silence, help us settle our mind and gather our scattered thoughts, focusing on you and you alone...In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that goes along with the New Hope daily Bible reading plan. We are currently journeying through Paul's pastoral letters and we find ourselves in Romans. This is our sixth letter.

Today's reading is Romans 13. This chapter begins with a text about submitting to the governing authorities. This is an interesting one, considering that most of the disciples and even Paul did not obey the governing authorities, continuing to preach the Gospel many times after being thrown in jail and told to stop. And throughout the ages, many Christians have boldly (I would say rightly) challenged their governments in times of war and persecution.

So remember, when something doesn't seem right on the surface when we read Scripture, we need to go deeper. I personally think that Paul is teaching that authority as a structure exists because God is a God of order, not chaos. In a perfect world (and we know that doesn't exist but stay with me here), government exists to provide law and order, to punish evil, and protect the innocent. Government is God-created and should be a good thing. But to honor or submit to the government does not mean never to question or even challenge it. This Scripture does not teach blind obedience, even though some might have you believe it. Why? Because our ultimate submission is to God first.

And Paul is not saying every command from every leader automatically equals the will of God. If that were the case, Daniel would have sinned by praying to God when the law said not to. The apostles would have been sinning when they preached the Gospel after being told not to. Paul would have been sinning when he continued to spread the Good News. We submit to God first. He is our ultimate governing authority. Thus, we can honor our leaders and pray for them, but the laws of God always trump the laws of man. Governments are intended to protect us and provide accountability but they never replace God's perfect laws of justice, love, and compassion. Respect for the laws of the land NEVER replaces the laws of God. Hope that helps.

Let's move on in the chapter. Paul goes on to say that love actually fulfills the law. When we say yes to Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes and makes a home within us, changing us from the inside out. We become new people and that change should be obvious in how we treat people, the words we speak, and how we behave. Paul is getting at this truth. He makes the point that because the day of salvation has come, we should behave accordingly. We should experience salvation to its fullest now as we will experience salvation in its fullness in the future when Jesus returns.

There is an urgency to this. We aren't supposed to sit around, eat bonbons, and think, "One day I'll get my act together." Rather, the time is now. Not only do we never know what the future holds, but we also know to whom we belong and who we represent. Of course, we will mess up here and there, but overall, our speech and actions should reflect mature Christ-followers, people who are striving for a life characterized by holiness. This isn't legalistic but comes from a true desire to look more like Jesus.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

March 20, 2026

Scripture: Romans 12

Prayer: Heavenly Father, We come to you today praising your holy name. You are a good God! Thank you for caring for us, for walking alongside us, but most of all thank you for Jesus, who died our death, so that we can walk hand in hand with you. Help us live like resurrection people in the way of Jesus. We don't want to get stuck in our religion. We want to live transformed lives in Jesus. How we need you, Lord. We are stubborn people. 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 Paul's letters. We are now in the book of Romans. Don't forget to let me know what you are learning. Offer feedback – let me know about your big takeaways.

Today, we read through Romans 12. Just so you know, Romans 12 is some of my very favorite New Testament Scripture! It is incredibly powerful. Paul is saying that because of this amazing gift of salvation, those who receive it should be truly committed to God. Christ-followers should dedicate their whole life in service to Jesus Christ, become living sacrifices.

This would have had significant meaning to Paul's audience, as the sacrificial system was still alive and well. But unlike the Old Testament sacrifices, Christ-followers voluntarily offer their living bodies, every part of their existence, to the work of Jesus in the world. They make Jesus not simply their savior but also their Lord. Doing this is the kind of worship that God finds right and pleasing. We might call this surrendering everything to King Jesus.

This clearly separates us from the surrounding culture. Living for Jesus rather than ourselves or things of this world is unusual. People notice. Paul urges the Romans to not fit so well into their culture but experience life change as Jesus transforms their thinking. Faith isn't just about the heart and emotions but also about the mind. God wants to change our way of thinking so that we better reflect Jesus. Do we fit into our culture? Be honest with yourself. Do your neighbors, coworkers, and other acquaintances know that you belong to Jesus? Is your thinking more influenced by Scripture and the things of God or the national news, politics, and social media? How easy it is to simply blend right into the culture around us. Paul's words to the Romans certainly ring true for us today.

Paul addresses several other concepts here too. He talks about spiritual gifts. Similar to the Corinthians, there is evidence the Romans also were arguing about which gifts were better. Paul makes it clear that all the gifts are critical. Plus, all believers belong to each other. The church cannot function without everyone and their various gifts. No one should be conceited – just keep in mind that by itself, your gift just isn't that great.

Finally, there is Paul's closing to the chapter. I just love this. He is talking about how to demonstrate love to other people. If we all simply took this to heart, what a different place our community would be! Paul emphasizes the Proverbs here, stating, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Let's be real, the church hasn't been so good at this. What would we as Jesus' church look like, what would we need to change, if we focused on not becoming overcome with evil but overcoming evil with good?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki