New Hope Church

PROOF OF REPENTANCE  And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. —Acts 9:26-28  First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,…

IGNORANT OF THE TRUTH  And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.  But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. —Acts 8:1-3              After Stephen was killed, executed, there was a great persecution that broke out against the church in Jerusalem.  Saul was going from house to house to drag off to prison men and women that were following Jesus. …

 WHO YOU ARE… REALLY…  Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God. —Acts 5:4  But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men… And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him…”  Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. —Acts 5:29, 32, 42  I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.…

YOU ARE BOLD… OR SILENT…  But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,  and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.  —Acts 3:14-15  And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number…

EMPOWERED WITNESS FOR JESUS!  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. —Acts 1:8             God’s Holy Spirit gives us power.  He gives us power to be His witnesses.  So the questions I have are— “When was the last time you saw His power?  When was the last time you bore witness of Jesus?”  According to this verse above that is who we are to be— witnesses that are empowered by God’s Holy Spirit.             So today, who will you bear witness to?  How…

FALSE ACCUSATIONS HINDER NOT GOD’S PLAN  Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” —Luke 23:4  I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. I will therefore punish and release him.” —Luke 23:14-16  A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him. —Luke 23:22  Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with…

BE MORE OF A SERVANT LIKE JESUS!  A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. —Luke 22:24-27              Jesus, the Word that became flesh, the…

HE TEACHES THROUGH AFFLICTION—- LEARN!  Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts; their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law. It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes… I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. —Psalm 119:67-71, 75              When those who follow our Lord stray our Lord may afflict them as an encouragement to draw them back to keep His Word…

WE WILL GIVE ACCOUNT TO OUR LORD  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. —Luke 19:10  He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had…

PRAYER AND FAITH  And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will…