http://www.nhcf-bedford.org New Hope Christian Fellowship Podcasts en New Hope Christian Fellowship Podcasts New Hope Christian Fellowship no New Hope Christian Fellowship it@nhcf-bedford.org ℗ & © 2010 New Hope Christian Fellowship 720 As we begin today, I’d like to share with you a devotional thought I had read this past week. It is written as a reflection on Romans 12:3-13 by David McCasland, a writer for RBC Ministries, dated 27 September 2010. It goes like this: In the New Testament, hospitality is a hallmark of Christian living. It is listed as a characteristic of church leaders (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8) and is commanded for every follower of Jesus as an expression of love (Rom. 12:13; 1 Peter 4:9). But its meaning goes deeper than being a gracious host or opening our homes to guests. The Greek word translated “hospitality” means “love of strangers.” When Paul speaks of being “given to hospitality” (Rom. 12:13), he is calling us to pursue relationships with people who are in need. It is not an easy task. Writer Henri Nouwen likens it to reaching out to those we meet on our way through life—people who may be estranged from their culture, country, friends, family, or even from God. Nouwen writes: “Hospitality, therefore, means primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place.” Whether we inhabit a home, a college dorm, a prison cell, or a military barracks, we can welcome others as a way of showing our love for them and for Christ. Hospitality is making room for people in need.[1] We at New Hope Christian Fellowship believe it is of vital importance to be involved with ministering to our community. Hospitality is certainly one of the ways we can be God’s effective instruments to our hurting and needy community. Considering that we have been addressing the mindset of God’s plan for His children over the past two weeks, let’s entertain the question of “What is God’s plan for our community?” Our message today will give some excellent answers as to how we can obediently carry out God’s plan for our community. http://www.sermoncloud.com/new-hope-christian-fellowship/gods-plan-for-your-community http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/1403/gods-plan-for-your-community.mp3 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 15:58:40 GMT Bob Kruger As we begin today, I’d like to share with you a devotional thought I had read this past week. It is written as a reflection on Romans 12:3-13 by David McCasland, a writer for RBC Ministries, dated 27 September 2010. It goes like this: ... There are two things that every human being experiences in this life in which we live. Every human is born into this world through the birthing process designed by God. Secondly, every person will face death at some time in the future, unless God brings the time line of this world to a halt. Many understand such a day to be Judgment Day. In reality, this day that the Bible tells us about is unknown to man. It could be tomorrow. The question for every human being is “When Judgment Day comes, what will my future hold for me?” Ecclesiastes 9:1-9 highlights the truth concerning everyone’s future, Christian or not (read text). If you are a believer in Christ, you have reason to celebrate about your future. If you are not a believer in Christ, listen closely to what Jesus is going to do for those who believe in Him! http://www.sermoncloud.com/new-hope-christian-fellowship/gods-plan-for-your-future http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/1403/gods-plan-for-your-future.mp3 Sun, 26 Sep 2010 16:04:38 GMT Bob Kruger There are two things that every human being experiences in this life in which we live. Every human is born into this world through the birthing process designed by God. Secondly, every person will face death at some time in the future, unless God ... GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE Life for a teenager can be quite stressful. I remember one of the greatest stressors in my teen years was answering the question adults often asked, “So, what are you going to do with your life?” “What is the plan for your future?” The truth is I really didn’t know. The fear of stepping out on my own from home at the age of 18 was quite gripping. There are others who determine to construct a plan for their lives, only to change their direction after they have been in college a year or two. Unfortunately, there are also those who set out to complete a well executed plan for their lives, only to have their plan cut short due to an untimely death. The question begs “what is the best plan to follow for life, not knowing if you will live to see tomorrow?” Our message for today will help to understand the best plan every person should adopt. It is a plan that cannot fail and offers eternal benefits. Such a plan can only be offered by God. http://www.sermoncloud.com/new-hope-christian-fellowship/gods-plan-for-your-life http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/1403/gods-plan-for-your-life.mp3 Sun, 19 Sep 2010 15:57:44 GMT Bob Kruger GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE Life for a teenager can be quite stressful. I remember one of the greatest stressors in my teen years was answering the question adults often asked, “So, what are you going to do with your life?” ... OVERVIEW OF CHURCH POLITY FOR NEW HOPE CHIRSTIAN FELLOWSHIP As we look into God’s Word today, we are taking a temporary turn from the Gospel of John. We, as New Hope Christian Fellowship, have been moving in the direction of discerning God’s direction for our church polity, and have been moving to create the documents that will enable us to bring Him glory. In doing so, we have already prayerfully constructed a document that gives clarity to what we, as the body of Christ, believe. This document is New Hope’s Statement of Faith. The statement of faith is what establishes the unified beliefs of an individual church, beliefs that everyone adopts as foundational to their faith. Over the next several weeks, we, as a church, will be working through our Statement of Belief to clarify to everyone attending our church what we believe. After we have worked through New Hope’s Statement of Faith, we will work through New Hope’s church covenant, clarifying what it means to be a part of this church in regards to each other. In other words, we will be looking at principles that will govern our behavior toward each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Once completed, we should be ready to review the church constitution, which will govern how the church will operate. Once we have completed our review of the constitution, we will have completed what we will call our “New Member’s Orientation,” and then move in the direction of establishing an official membership. As we begin, we will be looking at three to four statements within our statement of faith each Sunday. We respectfully ask that you prayerfully consider being present through this time of orientation so that you will have the clearest understanding of what it means to be e member of New Hope Christian Fellowship. http://www.sermoncloud.com/new-hope-christian-fellowship/who-is-god http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/1403/who-is-god.mp3 Sun, 12 Sep 2010 16:25:34 GMT Bob Kruger OVERVIEW OF CHURCH POLITY FOR NEW HOPE CHIRSTIAN FELLOWSHIP As we look into God’s Word today, we are taking a temporary turn from the Gospel of John. We, as New Hope Christian Fellowship, have been moving in the direction of discerning ... GOD’S LASTING JOY FOR YOU INTRODUCTION Joy is something that I believe everyone longs to possess. When I think of the absence of joy, as the world understands it, I think of physical pain, broken relationships, and the loss of a valuable possession. In today’s economic situation, such joy doesn’t seem to be prospering or sustaining the lives of those who believed they could not lose it. However, God’s Word, the Bible, gives us a different understanding of joy. According to the Bible, there is a joy that can be experienced through knowing God that can never be matched by the world. King David, the writer of Psalm 32, gives some reason to be joyful (Read Psalm 32:1-2, 10-11). When we consider the forgiveness of our sins we have in Christ and that joy grows out of striving to live righteously before God, we should always be full of joy! How can we develop a stronger determination to be joyful in the circumstances of life in which we live? http://www.sermoncloud.com/new-hope-christian-fellowship/gods-lasting-joy-for-you http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/1403/gods-lasting-joy-for-you.mp3 Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:34:17 GMT Bob Kruger GOD’S LASTING JOY FOR YOU INTRODUCTION Joy is something that I believe everyone longs to possess. When I think of the absence of joy, as the world understands it, I think of physical pain, broken relationships, and the loss of a ... TRANSFORMING SORROW INTO JOY How do you deal with sorrow, when it comes your way? Do you ignore it? Do you find yourself sometimes asking why you have to be a bearer of it? David Brenon, a writer for Our Daily Bread, provides some insight into recognizing what can make us sorrowful. He says: One of my friends was in tears on a beautiful summer day, unable to deal with life’s difficulties. Another could not look beyond the life-altering sadnesses of her past. Still another struggled with the closing of the small church he had pastored faithfully. A fourth friend had lost his job at a local ministry. What can our struggling friends—or any of us—do to find hope? Where do we turn when tomorrow offers no happy promises?[1] http://www.sermoncloud.com/new-hope-christian-fellowship/transforming-sorrow-into-joy http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/1403/transforming-sorrow-into-joy.mp3 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:00:36 GMT Bob Kruger TRANSFORMING SORROW INTO JOY How do you deal with sorrow, when it comes your way? Do you ignore it? Do you find yourself sometimes asking why you have to be a bearer of it? David Brenon, a writer for Our Daily Bread, provides some ... GOD’S GUIDE INTO ALL TRUTH As I was growing up, I was taught the importance of telling the truth. I was told that telling the truth is always better than lying about something. If you tell a lie, it won’t be long until you have to tell another lie to cover the previous one up. I have observed a number of times on television as well as in life itself that it pays to tell the truth. Unfortunately, the world in which we live does not always give us the truth about situations we face or to the questions we ask. What’s the solution? Is there a truth that we can count on? Is there a truth that will not only enable us to be set free from deception, but will also contribute to our eternal future?!! The Word of God has the answer to this question. The reality is that there is only one source of truth in which we must abide. http://www.sermoncloud.com/new-hope-christian-fellowship/gods-guide-into-all-truth http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/1403/gods-guide-into-all-truth.mp3 Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:49:41 GMT Bob Kruger GOD’S GUIDE INTO ALL TRUTH As I was growing up, I was taught the importance of telling the truth. I was told that telling the truth is always better than lying about something. If you tell a lie, it won’t be long until you have ... A HEALTHY WALK WITH GOD I’d like to begin this message with a brief thought from a devotion written by Bill Crowder concerning a believer’s confidence in serving God. He writes: “While walking through a home-improvement store, I saw a man wearing a bright red T-shirt bearing this melancholy message: “Confidence: The feeling you have just before you understand the situation.” I laughed at this humorous concept, but I also realized that the shirt carried a sane and sound warning. It’s a reminder to all of us who try to get things done through confidence in our own ability or credentials but without consciously trusting in the strength of God. If we think we can accomplish life’s tasks in our own strength, that false confidence will inevitably become our undoing—and we’ll collapse under the weight of our own failings.”[1] Based upon the context of the passage we will be studying today, the disciples were not displaying the greatest confidence in the testimony of Jesus. http://www.sermoncloud.com/new-hope-christian-fellowship/a-healthy-walk-with-god http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/1403/a-healthy-walk-with-god.mp3 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:04:43 GMT A HEALTHY WALK WITH GOD I’d like to begin this message with a brief thought from a devotion written by Bill Crowder concerning a believer’s confidence in serving God. He writes: “While walking through a ... Do you ever think about what it must feel like to tell someone about Jesus? I recall a number of opportunities to tell someone about Jesus, and chose to pass up the opportunity. Why would I do that? After all, when you think about it, a person, according to scripture, is separated from God because of his or her sinful state. If that person doesn’t recognize the state he or she is in and make the decision to accept the gospel, they will pass on from this life into utter torment for eternity. However, I have been afraid, at times, to speak due to the possibility of rejection and / or being subjected to verbal abuse. At other times, when I recognize the opportunity and feel fear, I pray that God will give me the courage to share His gospel. The result is God’s enabling me to use the fear to move me to do what I must, and often times God gives me the privilege of leading people to Christ, in spite of my weakness and fear. Fear strikes at the heart of many, when the opportunity to tell others about Jesus becomes available. What is one to do? How can a person have confidence and courage in such circumstances and be willing to boldly share the truth of Jesus with others? Scripture has a powerful answer to these questions. http://www.sermoncloud.com/new-hope-christian-fellowship/telling-others-about-jesus http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/1403/telling-others-about-jesus.mp3 Sun, 08 Aug 2010 01:01:07 GMT Bob Kruger Do you ever think about what it must feel like to tell someone about Jesus? I recall a number of opportunities to tell someone about Jesus, and chose to pass up the opportunity. Why would I do that? After all, when you think about it, ... THE FRIENDS OF JESUS What does it mean to be a friend? The Merriam Webster Dictionary on line relates that a friend is defined as “1 a : one attached to another by affection or esteem b : acquaintance; 2 a : one that is not hostile b : one that is of the same nation, party, or group; 3 : one that favors or promotes something (as a charity); 4 : a favored companion. As noted, a friend is someone who cares about you, and, in many respects, your feelings are mutual. Such friendship normally grows or struggles depending on the degree of contact between friends. A good example of a true friendship is presented in 1 Samuel 18-20. The context of these chapters reveals that Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a strong friendship with David, the son of Jesse. The context also identifies that Jonathan’s friendship with David was so strong, he took action to protect David from being murdered by Saul. Their relationship demonstrates what it means to be a true friend with your fellow man, but what about being friends with God? Is it possible to be friends with the maker of heaven and Earth? What does it mean to be friends with someone you cannot see nor have interactive communication? Our study today in the Gospel of John will enable us to see how we can establish friendship with God. Additionally, we will discover some powerful blessings that await those who actively participate in being friends with God. http://www.sermoncloud.com/new-hope-christian-fellowship/the-friends-of-jesus http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/1403/the-friends-of-jesus.mp3 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:04:53 GMT Bob Kruger THE FRIENDS OF JESUS What does it mean to be a friend? The Merriam Webster Dictionary on line relates that a friend is defined as “1 a : one attached to another by affection or esteem b : acquaintance; 2 a : one that is not hostile ...