Daily Dose of Hope

March 9, 2026

Scripture: Romans 3

Prayer: Everlasting Father, We thank you that you are a God of hope. You are a God who keeps his promises. You are a God who always has our best interest in mind. Forgive us for those times that we want things to go the way we want things to go. Fill us with your wisdom and discernment. Help us try to think about things from a more eternal perspective. How difficult that is for us! Lord, we submit to you our lives, our families, our jobs, our burdens, our physical bodies. We give them to you and we trust 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. My prayer for each of you is that as we move through this season of Lent, you will make plenty of time to read, interpret, and pray over the Scripture. What is God teaching you through Paul's letters? We have now reached Romans, which I think is fascinating but one of the most difficult of Paul's letters to understand. I would love to hear your thoughts. What is God teaching you? What are you gleaning?

Today's reading is Romans 3. Paul continues to discuss the sinfulness of human beings. No one is righteous, no matter one's religious upbringing (Jew vs. non-Jew), occupation, or station in life; every single person is a sinner. It sounds a bit hopeless but Paul is leading up to something very important. Yes, all people are sinners and all people fall short of God's standard BUT we can be saved through the gift of grace that comes with believing in Jesus Christ. It's pretty incredible really. We are all a broken mess. We are born inclined to sin and this sinfulness creates a barrier between God and us. But Jesus' sacrifice on the cross atoned for our sins.

What in the world does that mean? When Jesus died on the cross, our sins and the sins of all humanity died up there with him. If you think back to the Old Testament sacrificial system, the priests would sacrifice animals to atone for the sins of the people and the community. And the people could not sacrifice their sick and lame animals, only the strong, healthy ones. They needed to feel the sacrifice. And then, the animal's blood was shed to demonstrate that sin has consequences. It wasn't pretty at all but it wasn't supposed to be. Now, Jesus is the final, perfect sacrifice. It was his blood that was shed to atone for the sins of all people, for all time.

Let's go just a little deeper here. As God himself, Jesus was holy and totally without sin. He gave his life to be the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. His death on the cross created a bridge between God and us. No more barrier. If we have said yes to Jesus, then when God looks at us, he doesn't see our sinfulness but rather Jesus' sacrifice. The blood of Jesus essentially covers us or atones for us.

Now, because of Jesus' sacrifice, we are free to walk hand in hand with a holy God. And we did nothing to earn this or deserve it. As Paul writes, it was a gift of grace. Grace is God's unmerited, amazing love that is freely given to all those who believe.

How have you experienced God's grace?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

March 6, 2026

Scripture: Romans 2

Prayer: Holy God, We come before you today rejoicing in your powerful name. Thank you for who you are and all you do. Thank you for loving us. Help us gather our scattered thoughts, help us set aside distractions, and truly focus on you right now. In these next few moments of silence, Lord, 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 journeying through Paul's letters. We are now in our sixth pastoral letter, the book of Romans.

Today's reading is Romans 2. Through the end of chapter one and most of chapter two, Paul points out the sinfulness of humanity and the righteousness of God. Whether Jew or Gentile, each person will have a day of reckoning, in which they will stand before God.

But then, Paul's words take a turn as they are directed specifically at Jewish listeners. He doesn't mince words. The Jewish audience may think they are better than the Gentiles because of circumcision and the law, but truly actions speak louder than words. What good is the law if they don't obey it? Paul accuses the Jews of judging the Gentiles for not doing things "right" but really they should be judging themselves. Their faith was superficial and all about outward appearances, so they look good in front of other human beings, not God.

What God values is the work of the Spirit in our hearts. What's going on in your heart right now? Unfortunately, it is too easy for us to make faith about a list of things that make us look good to others: attending church regularly, serving and volunteering, being part of a small group or Bible study, making moral choices, being a good person, you get the idea. But if our heart isn't right with God, all those good things are worthless. What God values is the work of the Spirit in our hearts. And God knows what's there – he can see through us right to the core.

When God looks at your heart, what does he find?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

March 5, 2026

Scripture: Romans 1

Prayer: Almighty God, Thank you for a new day and a new chance to give you glory and praise. You are an amazing God. How incredible it is that you, who created everything, know my name. You know every hair on my head. While I am so grateful for your love and care, it is sometimes difficult for me to adequately wrap my brain around your expansive love and mercy. Help me be a better reflection of you, Lord. Help me see others through your eyes. Help me be merciful, kind, and good. Lord, I know I fall short. So often. But I want to do better. In these next few moments of silence, Jesus, hear my prayer... 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 journeying through Paul's letters. We just finished our fourth letter (2 Corinthians) and today we are beginning Romans.

Today's reading is Romans 1. Romans is probably one of the most impactful books of the Bible. Much of our Christian doctrine is rooted in this book. My own experience in Romans is that sometimes I need to read a chapter more than once to understand its meaning. Don't be discouraged if that is the case for you too. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide your reading and reveal what God wants you to know in each chapter.

Romans is written in the form a letter. Paul starts by identifying himself: he is a servant of Christ, an apostle, and one who is set apart for the Gospel. He is writing to a church in Rome that he did not establish and has not yet visited. He wants to be clear from the beginning who he is and what he believes. He is clear that the purpose of his writing is Jesus. Really, it's all about Jesus Christ, and we will see that theme woven throughout the entirety of Romans. It's certainly a good reminder for us–it is simply all about Jesus. We get quite distracted but Jesus is what matters.

In the middle of the chapter, Paul is clear about his purpose - sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Take a look at some of the statements that Paul makes:

-I am obligated to both Greeks and non-Greeks, to those who are wise and foolish.

-I am eager to preach the Gospel to those in Rome.

-I am not ashamed of the Gospel.

Paul knows who and whose he is and that defines every other aspect of his life. He is a person sent to share the Good News to all people, he is looking forward to preaching Jesus to the people of Rome, and he is totally unashamed, unembarrassed, and ready to be a minister of the Gospel.

What are your thoughts about this? We live in a time and culture in which people are hesitant to share their faith, worried about people's reactions, and content to just leave things be. Paul was anything but content. He felt obligated, eager, and totally unashamed! Spend some time in prayer asking God to speak to you, specifically what God wants you to learn from Paul and our new study of Romans. Ask God to open your heart and mind to new concepts and challenges.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki