Hope Archives | Page 3 of 13

July 2, 2026

July 2, 2026

My Heavenly Father

“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’” Romans 8:15 (NKJV) My father had a painful upbringing in his younger years. At eight years old, his parents separated, and his father found another woman. As a result, his mother and his siblings left our community, and he was given to another family to be raised by them. These painful events no doubt wounded his heart and soul and shaped his worldview in all things. Three things come to my mind: abandonment, love, […]

July 1, 2026

July 1, 2026

Gospel Good

“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Genesis 50:20 (NKJV) Joseph endured unimaginable hardship. His brothers hated him, plotted to kill him, then sold him as a slave. In Egypt, Joseph was wrongfully accused, and was thrown into prison. Undoubtedly, there were times when Joseph felt that God had abandoned him. Yet, in the end, we see that God had been with Joseph during it all. He was promoted to second in command in Egypt. In […]

June 30, 2026

June 30, 2026

A Servant Heart

“So He got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin. Then He began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel He had around Him.” John 13:4-5 (NLT) What a beautiful display of humility and love that Jesus showed for His disciples. Washing people’s feet in that time and culture was necessary, and usually done by the servant of the house. Sometimes, I find it easy to do things for people, but there are times when it is a bit hard to receive. I guess […]

June 28, 2026

June 28, 2026

The Old Ways

“Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim.” John 2:6-7 (ESV) The first miracle Jesus performed was at a wedding in Cana. The six stone water jars are said to represent the old order of Jewish law and custom. The old order of things said that you must use a stone jar when you purify yourself (stone jars didn’t catch impurities that made people unclean). But now the Lord was […]

June 27, 2026

June 27, 2026

The Great Mouse Scare

“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22 (NKJV) A friend of mine shared unexplainable things that were happening in her home. I immediately asked the question, “When you are awakened to noises, what do you do?” I was reminded of a similar thing happening to me when I was in Bible college. I moved off campus and rented a basement suite. My first night there, I heard banging in the boxes at the end of my bed. I thought it was a mouse that had got into a box and was trying to get […]

June 26, 2026

June 26, 2026

The Overgrown Trail

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17 (NIV) “So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10 (NIV) “Do everything in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14 (NIV) A while back I went walking down an old trail I hadn’t been on since I was a kid. I guess nobody else had been either because it was all […]

June 24, 2026

June 24, 2026

What’s In a Name?

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” Proverbs 22:1 (NIV) Humility is one of the characteristics of a godly person. It’s much better to have others speak highly of oneself than it is for us to do it ourselves! But a good and godly name is something to celebrate, and something to strive for. Notice that our emphasis is often on our last name rather than our first. If “Craig” is a good name, then it would mean me being measured up alongside all others named Craig. But it’s […]

June 22, 2026

Choices

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV) We’re surrounded by choices. I made choices this morning — what to wear and what to eat, how I am going to spend this day, and what kind of mood I am going to face this day with. Everyday living requires choices. Every choice we make is up to us. I talked with a young lady recently about some of the decisions she was making. She was making some pretty negative choices in the areas of addiction and […]

June 21, 2026

Gossip: A Source of Discord

“Six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look . . . and one who sows discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6:16,19 (NKJV) With Sophie and her friends, it’s playing cards every Saturday night. Each player places 100 pennies in “the pot” for a “winner take all.” But they seldom have a winner because juicy gossip always takes over. “Guess who’s getting a divorce?” Josie says. “Mrs. Better-and-Richer-than-Thou, Marcia. That’s who!” “You’re kidding me! After all that bragging about what her husband buys her? I bet that ‘diamond’ ring she flashed around was nothing but […]