Daily Dose of Hope

February 25, 2026

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8

Prayer to the Divine Tutor from St Clement of Alexandria (150–215):

Be kind to Your little children, Lord; that is what we ask of You as their Tutor, You the Father, Israel's guide; Son, yes, but Father as well. Grant that by doing what You told us to do, we may achieve a faithful likeness to the Image and, as far as is possible for us, may find in You a good God and a lenient Judge.

May we all live in the peace that comes from You. May we journey towards Your city, sailing through the waters of sin untouched by the waves, borne tranquilly along by the Holy Spirit, Your Wisdom beyond all telling. Night and day until the last day of all, may our praises give You thanks, our thanksgiving and praise to You: You who alone are both Father and Son, Son and Father, the Son who is our Tutor and our Teacher, together with the Holy Spirit.

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

We are working our way through our fifth pastoral letter, 2 Corinthians.

Today's reading is 2 Corinthians 8. There is significant need among the believers in Jerusalem and Paul is imploring the churches in Macedonia and Greece to give, not out of obligation but truly out of love for their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Those in Jerusalem were Jewish believers who the Gentile Corinthians had never met. This offering would not have been part of a tithe, but rather over and beyond their normal giving, in order to help those who needed it. While the Macedonian churches were located in a fairly wealthy and prosperous area, that doesn't mean all the churches were affluent. There were some among them who were wealthy but many more were just working class or poor. And yet, Paul is calling them to give anyway.

He has called all the Macedonian churches to give; this includes Corinth but also Philippi and Thessalonica. He is asking the Corinthians church to finish up their previous collection, keeping in mind the extreme need in Jerusalem. This is not a command, by any means, but rather encouragement to do what is right.

Giving does not come naturally to human beings. We seem to have this need to keep things for ourselves. We tend toward selfishness over sacrifice. Generosity is something that God nurtures in our hearts. Jesus taught often about being generous. Think about Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The beauty in the Scripture is that it demonstrates that when we invest in the things of God, our heart will be pulled in that direction as well. We start by giving sacrificially and God changes our heart.

What's been your experience with giving? Do you tithe? If you don't, then what keeps you from giving on that level? Have you ever given above and beyond the tithe, as Paul was encouraging the Corinthians to do? What motivated that giving? How has God blessed your giving?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

February 24, 2026

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 7

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 daily Bible reading plan. We are currently walking through Paul's letters.

We are working our way through our fifth pastoral letter, 2 Corinthians.

Today's reading is 2 Corinthians 7. Paul continues to express his love and dedication to the Corinthians. Despite their disobedience and their lack of confidence in him, Paul has confidence and love for them. In fact, Paul says that he would live or die with them. He is making the point that their relationship as brothers and sisters in Christ will not end with physical death. They are united for eternity. This means something!

Have you ever considered that you are united with your fellow believers for eternity? This usually brings me great joy. I've met Christians all over the world who I know I won't ever meet again in this earthly life. But yet, we will be together in heaven forever. At the same time, there are believers who I know with whom I've never quite gotten along. Guess what? I also will spend eternity with them. Our bonds as Christian brothers and sisters are strong, friends. Is there a Christian brother or sister with whom you have disagreed, and you need to make amends? Our allegiance to Jesus should always trump our individual disagreements. I'm not saying to be a doormat. However, think about the disagreement, pray about it, and see how God wants you to proceed.

There is one more concept in this chapter I wanted to mention. Paul rejoices that the Corinthians have experienced Godly sorrow and repentance. 2 Corinthians 7:10 distinguishes between godly sorrow, which produces "repentance leading to salvation," and worldly sorrow, which leads to death. Godly sorrow is about remorse for hurting God and others, while worldly sorrow is often just regret over being caught or facing consequences. Have you experienced Godly sorrow or worldly sorrow? Can you see the difference?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

February 23, 2026

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6

Prayer: Abba Father, We come to you today in awe of your love for us. Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice. Thank you for sitting high and looking low. We give you all the glory and praise, Lord Jesus. Help us to be less selfish and more like you. On our own, we mess it up. We need you, Jesus. We need you minute by minute. Guide our thoughts today, Lord. Guide our words and guide our actions. May we look more like you today, Lord, than we did yesterday. 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 pastoral letters chronologically. We are now in the middle of 2 Corinthians.

Today's reading is 2 Corinthians 6. Paul wants the Corinthians to know that there are boundaries surrounding the behaviors of the covenant community. As we have discussed in previous chapters, most of Corinth consisted of individuals who worshipped multiple gods; idolatry and sexual immorality were a part of the pagan existence. Now, people are coming to know Jesus and entering the Corinthian church. This requires a huge shift in thinking about what is acceptable. Paul continues to teach that while they have freedom in Christ, that is not an excuse for behavior that displeases God. They are called to holiness.

It is from that place that Paul tells the Corinthian believers not to be yoked with unbelievers. A yoke refers to the wooden crosspiece that was fastened over the necks of two oxen and attached to a plow or cart that they are to pull. When one animal is yoked to another, generally the stronger animal can help make up for the inadequacies of the weaker animal. Think about Jesus' words in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." When we are yoked together with Jesus, he helps lighten our load and provides rest for our souls.

But Paul is saying not to be yoked with those who are not Christ-followers. As in the reference from Matthew, being yoked with someone suggests a close, almost intimate relationship. Do not yoke yourself with someone whose values, attitudes, and behaviors are fundamentally different from your own. Paul is referencing marriage but also other relationships. Do not bind yourself to people who have a worldview that is opposed to your own.

I want to be clear; Paul is not saying that Christians aren't to associate with unbelievers. Frequently, Paul encourages believers to eat with those who don't yet believe and build relationships with those who need to know the hope of Christ. But having an unbelieving friend or acquaintance is totally different from an unbelieving spouse, business partner, or bestie. Set your boundaries.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki