New Hope Church - Podcast

We are surrounded by a wide variety of options when it comes to direction in our life. The Bible is God’s manual to give us wise and clear direction, so that we don’t find ourselves lost and off track.

God doesn’t want us to merely survive, but to be active and strong as we face life head-on. The Bible shows us how to grow strong and to persevere with courage.

According to the Guinness World Record, the Bible is the most printed and distributed book in history, at approximately five billion. While this is good, what’s even more important is the amount of truth within its pages that can impact our lives.

Few people in history have sparked a movement like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His call to end racial injustice has been a light in the darkness. His message was all the more powerful because it was rooted in Biblical truth and his faith in Jesus as his Lord and Savior. As a society, we’ve come a long way, but we still have much work to do. Our church-wide study late last year gave many of us a gr...

Happy New Year! For many of us, it’s time to consider the many ways we can be, do and look different than we did the year before. We resolve to make sweeping changes and proclaim them as New Year’s Resolutions. While self-improvement is almost always an admirable goal, it’s worth the time and energy to identify who we’re improving for. What if we looked at resolutions through God’s eyes? Our choic...

Unprecedented times can leave us asking a lot of questions. Things that might have seemed preposterous a year ago are suddenly our every day experience. Wearing masks, teleworking, home schooling, social distancing, and more have redefined how we function and relate to the world around us. While things are feeling a bit flipped upside down, this is hardly the first time history has seen such an up...

The current climate in our nation is pretty fractured. Many people are angry, disappointed, afraid, fed up and disillusioned. As a big election draws near, how should followers of Jesus prepare? In this new series, we will examine some key Biblical principles that offer us wisdom, clarity and hope. We don’t need anyone to tell us who to vote for, but we can all use some practical guidance and remi...

As things continue to open up, two things will be apparent. First, we have a bunch of new faces joining us. Second, some of the familiar faces may seem new because it’s been a while since we’ve been together. It will be great to bump elbows, wave, smile, chat, and get to know you! All of these things help us know each other better. The Bible introduces God by many different names – each displaying...

For many years, we’ve wrapped up summer at New Hope with a series called, At the Movies. We use recent Hollywood releases to highlight important Biblical truths, similar to the way Jesus taught using parables. Given the lack of new releases over the past year, we’ve chosen to switch gears and look at what shows many of us have (binge) watched at home. Each week, we’ll look at a series that was ver...

The Christmas story is so much more than a baby in a manger with a supporting cast of characters. It is the unfolding of the single most important event in history. It is God coming to save a lost world. Not wanting us to miss the importance of this historic event, God orchestrated four written accounts to document the essential details and meaning of Christ’s coming. Each of these four accounts h...

Every day you and I are faced with decisions to make. Some seem relatively small and others monumental. Over time we discover that some of the small ones had big-time ramifications we didn’t anticipate and the larger ones less so. At the end of the day, good decision-making is the result of latching onto a wise process. This wise decision-making process is one that can be employed regardless of th...

Simon was a partner in a family-owned fishing business. Everything changed, though, when Jesus invited him to join His team. Jesus gave him a new name, Peter, and as we follow his life in the Bible, we see him transform from a man often driven by his emotion and passion to a leader with great wisdom, courage and conviction. Peter’s life is an example for us all of the way God invites us as we are...

Love. It’s a word that we hear a lot. Often, it’s a simple expression of sentiment toward someone or something. Other times “love” is a statement of devotion and commitment to the needs of someone else. This is the highest form of love and is what makes relationships strong, resilient and genuinely fulfilling. Expressing love is not mechanical or one-size-fits-all. Instead, it requires understandi...

At the Movies is a long-standing tradition at New Hope. Each summer we take a deep dive into a handful of blockbuster movies to discover spiritual truths for our lives. As crowds finally return to the theaters, we’re seeing a lot of sequels to some of our old favorites. What is it about these original movies that has us longing for more of the story?

It doesn’t take a degree in counseling or medical training to recognize that many of us feel stressed, tired, and struggling to find ways to cope with what feels like ever-changing demands on our lives. Followers of Jesus are not immune to the challenges, but we have resources that can give us perspective, power, and real hope as we face life head-on. In this message series adapted from a book cal...

New – it’s a simple word that conveys things like change, improvement, and hope. Often this word is used to persuade us to buy products, vote for a candidate or change jobs. When our lives become cluttered with disappointment, frustration, confusion, and heartache, the longing for something new is strong. But there is an even bigger story here. The Bible gives us a real and honest picture of how o...

Jesus taught in a way that people of all ages, backgrounds, and education could grasp. He often used parables, which are simple stories with profound spiritual truths. After telling a story, Jesus would explain what He meant to those who truly wanted to understand. In this series, we’ll look at eight stories and discover the practical and timeless truth they give that can shape and change our live...

When Jesus came to live among us, it seemed our troubles were over. After all, the Son of God came to conquer evil and rescue us. To say His followers were stunned when He died on the cross is a massive understatement. They were shocked, shattered, and lost. Their hopes and dreams were set on Jesus leading them immediately into a “happily ever after” life. Too often, we can fall into the same trap...

The Ten Commandments were given to us by God to show what He wants for the lives of those who follow Him. They provide a picture of faithful devotion to Him and others. If we are honest, none of us obey them faithfully, which is why we need a pathway to God. That is what Jesus provides us. Accepting Him as our Savior and Leader creates a new life fueled by gratitude and His Spirit. There’s more to...

Do you ever wonder what God thinks of you? Or if He even thinks about you at all? The Bible tells us that not only does He think about us (a lot), but when we accept Jesus as our Savior, He delights in us as a father for his child. You were uniquely created with great love and purpose. God’s plan for you already takes into account the mistakes you will make along the way. He has seen every moment...

We don’t know every detail about the night Jesus was born. We do know it was in a barn on the outskirts of town, free of the noises of a crowded city. We also know it was dark and clear enough to see the stars. Aside from the sounds of a few farm animals, a historical and miraculous thing happened in the still of the night. He was the answer to the prayers of many, wrapped in a bundle that didn’t...

We live in a world filled with fear, waiting, and brokenness, yet the story of Christmas reminds us that God has not left us there. In the birth of Jesus, God stepped into our ordinary lives with extraordinary hope. From those who waited for years, to those whose lives were disrupted, to those who felt unseen, the message is the same. Hope has come for all people. This Christmas we will rediscover...

A new year invites us to a new way of thinking. Our minds are the control center for our beliefs, values and attitudes, shaping how we see ourselves and the world around us. This is a moment to pause and look honestly at the thoughts that have been guiding us. When we begin to replace false information with truth, rewire unhealthy patterns, reframe our perspectives, and rejoice in what is good, we...

A woman had been dragged into public view accused and exposed with no mercy. Religious leaders gathered around her using her shame as a test and her life as leverage. A crowd stood ready to condemn. But when Jesus exposed their self-righteousness, the stones began to fall. Each one hitting the ground became a picture of grace overcoming judgment. Jesus invites us to respond the same way by letting...

We want growth without loss and change without surrender. But real transformation often begins where something ends. What looks dead is not always finished. Sometimes it is the space where new life is just beginning. Letting go creates room for renewal, and release can lead to growth that would never happen if we kept holding on.