New Hope Church

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. —I Corinthians 11:1              This is a pretty clear statement of what we are to be doing.  Look at Paul’s example.  As he followed Christ, so we are to follow his example of following Christ.  Wow… that is an amazing statement from Paul.  I wonder… can I encourage others to follow Jesus as I am following Jesus?  Or, would I not want people to follow my example because of my distant relationship and lack of faithfulness to Jesus?  Paul had no problem saying “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” because he was seeking to follow our…

Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. —I Corinthians 10:14 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. —I Corinthians 10:24 For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. —I Corinthians 10:33              Anything that takes the place of or anyone that is considered more important than God is idolatry.  This, obviously, is true of ourselves.  If we think that we are more important than God, well yes, that is idolatry.  When Paul says in Romans 12:3 to “not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment”…

You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. —9:22 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. —I Corinthians 9:19 I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. —I Corinthians 9:22-23 I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.  I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.  Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name…

…for the joy of the Lord is your strength. —Nehemiah 8:10 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. —Nehemiah 9:20              From where does true joy come from?  It is from the understanding that God’s Holy Spirit reveals to us.  This brings us “the joy of the Lord” which is where our strength comes from.  If we truly did understand the truths of God’s Word that His Holy Spirit has shown us, then we would not have any Godly Joy.  But when we know what God has to say, joy wells up in our hearts.  Thank You, Dear Father for Your unfailing love to me even when I fail in my…

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. —Nehemiah 6:15 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. —Psalm 33:6 The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.  But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. —Psalm 33:10-11 The wicked crave evil; their neighbors get no mercy from them. —Proverbs 21:10              When our Lord put it on the heart of Nehemiah to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, there was opposition.  Surely, “wicked crave evil; their neighbors get no mercy from them.”  There were…

So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. —Nehemiah 4:6 The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. —Proverbs 21:8              We are to be diligent in the plans our Lord has for us.  Yes, truly, our prayer should be— “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:17).  Why would He not favor us in His work?  After all, “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good…

You were bought at a price… —I Corinthians 7:23 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. —Psalm 31:24              How valuable are you to God?  Consider what He has done for you— “You were bought at a price.” “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” —I Peter 1:18-19              Jesus, Eternal Son of God (John 1:1), equal with God (John 5:18) and truly, “He is the atoning sacrifice…

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. —I Corinthians 6:9-11 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not…

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? —I Corinthians 5:1-2 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone…

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. —I Corinthians 4:1-2 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And…