Denise Miller - Romans 10:14-15

Romans 10:14-15 

Making Christ Known 

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

In this verse, Paul was writing to a church in Rome that he never visited. He wanted to share the love of Christ and that it is for everyone! Do you remember how you first felt after you were baptized and how you just had that wonderful glow about you. It was falling in love. You wanted to share the Good News and speak about your salvation from sin to others. Then life takes over and we tend to forget the love that is eternally given to us and must be given to others who do not know about Christ. As God remains waiting for us he is also waiting for those who do not know Him. Righteousness is a gift from God that needs to be shared!  We must continue to share our lives with people around us and tell them how we went through a trial or challenge leaning on God! This does mean everyone! Who can you tell? First your family, even those in your family that do not believe in God. Then your neighbor and people you meet during your day. Joel 1:3 spoke to the people of Judah to “Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.” In Deuteronomy 11:19 “You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Then in Psalm 66:16, “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.”

If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with our heart that you believe and are justified. It is with your mouth that you confess your sins and are saved.

How can someone believe that God is real if we do not tell them how God works in our lives today? How can you tell someone your testimony? How did God carry you through a trial and gave you all you needed once you surrendered your will to him? Invite someone to church, to bible study, to your home group or a mission event. Share your faith with everyone! For we are all set to tell the Good News.  Continue to worship, praise, confess your sins and pray to God for wisdom and understanding. Keep memorizing scripture, learn the promises of God, and then share them with other people. Make it a part of your language so you can be strong in speaking the truth of God’s word. Learn how to tell a Bible Story and relate this to today’s struggles and joy!  

As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Let us create new habits to be faithful to the one we will be spending eternity with. He is the great I AM!

Denise Miller has been attending Hope Church since January 2016, attends Bible Study, and just completed the Partnership Class at Hope. She lives in Wilton with her family and serves the homeless and poor in Norwalk.

Bill Duncan - Romans 1:16

Making Christ Known
Romans 1:16
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes, . . . . . "  Romans 1:16
 Is it really brothers and sisters, do you and I truly believe these words?  Is the truth of the gospel that powerful that it's message can erase a life time of sin, pain, and doubt?
Can this amazing story of Jesus who walked on this earth delivered the most beautiful words ever uttered on this planet, sacrificed his life to bring us into a right standing with a holy God be true?
 Well friends I believe this with all my mind, heart and soul, that Jesus is all He claims to be, and I am sure you do too.
How does hope Church live this faith out?  We do it through missions and personnel evangelism.  Personal Evangelism!  If you have never given it much thought, then it's time.  We know the truth we have seen it, felt it, experienced the changes Jesus has made in our lives, so share it.  It's that simple, if you've read a good book you talk about it don't you well . . . Let's see if these words truly hold the power to change a persons heart that they claim to be able to do.
 I was working at a home in Darien, a young family had just moved into town and needed my help.  I went to the home and made the repairs, but as I left I noticed she was decorating for Christmas and we began to talk about the holiday and she said to me something I will never forget " I just don't understand why we do all this". Her question shocked me here was a woman in her late 20s from the middle of the country and never heard the story of Jesus and why we celebrated this day.  I was so moved by her question that I put my day on hold and took some time to tell her the story of Christ birth, His life and sacrifice for His lost children and that faith Is the key to life.
When I had finished she looked at me and said that was the most beautiful story she had ever heard, and I told her that's Christmas.  I never did see her again but I pray for her and hope that the truth of the gospel has brought her and her family to salvation.
You can do the same thing share what you already know, look for opportunities to tell people the amazing truth of the gospel that is written on your heart.
"Always be ready to give an answer for the hope that lives in you"

David Llanos - Colossians 4:2-6

Making Christ Known

Colossians 4:2-6

2  Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.  3  And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4  Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.  5  Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  6  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Am I ready?  

Am I ready for God's working today?  

Have you ever had that question?  Have you ever doubted yourself and what you are capable of as an ambassador of Christ?  I know that over the course of my life I have had this question many times.  Many times my doubts have won out and I have hesitated or even shied away from reaching out to people that God has put into my life.  As I reflect on why this happens, Colossians proves to provide the perfect solution to our worries and doubts about reaching out to a lost and hurting world.  

Prayer.  

Preparatory Prayer!

We all do it casually and sometimes mindlessly.  We whisper prayers and utterances that are borne from necessity or peril, but how often do we intentionally pray for preparedness?  

Colossians reminds us to be devoted to prayer, to be prepared by prayer for watchfulness and readiness.  When we pray intentionally God can not only work in us but he can open doors, and, help us to speak clearly with His thoughts.  He can help us to walk with discernment, tempering every rough edge of our sin prone flesh, giving us the grace and love that the world so desperately craves and needs to see from us.  

He can give the most timid of us the boldness and the courage to be able to share the good news with even the toughest of skeptics, the hardest of hearts and the most unloveable of people. That is our mission!

Through prayer that is intentional preparation, ask the good Father to give you a heart for the lost, the words to say, the doors to open, and the courage to walk in obedience and love!

David Llanos has been a member of Hope church since 1998 and serves as an Elder and as a co-director of the CARS ministry at Hope.

Nicole Marron - Romans 12:9-13

Romans 12:9-13

Living in Christian Love

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (NIV)

In these short five verses God is showing us through Paul’s teaching that before love is shown in action, it is first a feeling that is pure and sincere. Our motive to love originates in our hearts, without pretense or thought of self.  That is a pretty tall order in this “me-centered” society we live in.  Most of us would rather serve ourselves and our agendas than look outward to what someone else might need at a given moment. But it does start with us, or better yet, it starts with us asking God to help us, because if our motive is anything less than pure, what we bring is not pleasing to the Lord.

What follows in the remaining verses is really a to-do list! I love lists!  Please do not misunderstand me here, our relationship and walk with the Lord is not a list of things we check off and then kick back and relax. Sometimes, however, these small groups of verses can show us the way to some wonderful and practical Christian living. Recently my husband, daughter and I were the recipients of hospitality when a couple in the church invited us over for dinner. We had just returned from dropping our boys at college, feeling road weary, and maybe a little sad too. This was just what our spirits (and stomachs!) needed. The fellowship and meal were such a blessing and we felt loved.  Another “to-do” in these verses is to be faithful in prayer and in 1 Thess. 5:17 it says to “pray continually.” We can sincerely love each other by our faithful, consistent and persistent prayers! Do this on your own or join us Wednesday nights for corporate prayer.

These are just a couple of examples how we can give and receive love. Is there a to-do on this list that you might begin to work on today that would deepen your love for Jesus and show your love for your fellow sisters and brothers in Christ?

Nicole Marron lives in Norwalk, has been at Hope for 9 years and serves on the worship team and as director of the serving and care ministry.

Richard Brzoska - Colossians 3:12-14

Living In Christian Love Colossians 3:12-14 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  The old man within us is one of rebellion. As this is true, it will seldom be put to death without a fight. It will strive to remind you of what you are giving up and how much you are sacrificing as you try to live out this new life. It will attempt to draw your attention inward instead of upward. It is when our focus turns to ourselves that loving others becomes nearly impossible. When we are mainly concerned for ourselves, it becomes difficult to empathize, to  put others first, to put on a servant's heart, and to be patient when someone else's actions inconvenience us.             However, when we rightly focus our attention and affections on Christ, all falls into place. It is in such a mindset that we start to see others as Christ sees them. Our hearts break for the lost and we long for their redemption, we want to love, serve, and seek after them because Christ loved, served, and sought after us. We are no longer easily frustrated because portraying Christ through our thoughts, actions, and speech becomes more important to us than our own agendas.             From where does this love flow from? Is it not from God himself? Therefore, instead of looking at these characteristics of such perfect love with hopelessness or as a list to be checked off through personal effort, let us look to the author and perfecter of our faith from whom come all good things. Is your focus more inward or upward? Examine how you treat others, how easily do you get frustrated (yes even in the car or with your family), it may serve as a good barometer as to the wellbeing of your personal relationship with Christ.

Richard Brzoska, Cambridge, MA, 7 years at Hope, Collegiate Ministry at Boston University

Anne Koproski - 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (NIV)

Living in Christian Love

13 If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I was at a wedding recently and heard these versus yet again. It’s one of those chapters that is easy for me to think I know what it means and not take the time to see how it applies to me now. I thought of the newlyweds starting out and so totally in “love.” A bit envious, over the next few days I reflected on this. I remember my wedding day- my face hurt from constant smiling I was so happy. Now we’ve been through better and worse, sickness and health, rich and poor; and we’re not done yet. Wanting to recommit, I meditated on this passage and personal vows.

If I have all the spiritual gifts but no love – what’s the point? God is love – is there anything bigger than that? I can pretend to be a certain way, act as if, usually in hopes of becoming that which I am pretending. To actually be that way, from the inside out, I need love as the motivator, AND supernatural help! To have that kind of love, I must receive the love God gives me. It is so much bigger than my early, naïve, notions of love. I need a better measuring stick of how I am to love others. 

The love described in verses 4-7 are the characteristics of the Holy Trinity. The perfect example I want to follow, internalize, experience from God and reflect and give back. It can be a feeling; but it is also an obedient choice, independent of feeling. 

These verses list activities, behaviors. These I can practice whether I “feel” love or not. Love is patient – it endures offenses and does not nurture resentment. It absorbs the negative and persists in doing good. Love is kind; I know what that is and I know when I’m not.  Love doesn’t envy – no envy because we are content in what God made us – no boasting because we are His creation so no credit to take.

Love doesn’t keep a record of wrongs – love is forgiveness. Love does not delight in evil – no sanctimonious judgment, no gossip. Rather, love grieves for those in sin and rejoices in another’s success. Love is sacrifice – putting another above our own comfort or safety. 

My takeway is to focus on love behaviors. I am given a list of actions I can take which are love, and I have a perfect example to follow. I know God wants me to persist in learning and expressing that kind of love. “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34). If I pray for it, practice it, he will deliver it. 

What love activity can you focus on today? What can you do/pray for that will take you closer to that activity and make you more loving? Do you need to forgive? Do you need to pray for another? Do you need to hold your tongue? Do you need to perform an act of kindness? Look for an opportunity to express your love today.

Anne Koproski lives in Wilton.  She has been a member of Hope for 20 years.  She is the church business meeting secretary and she is a church counter. 

Mark Linder - Romans 8:18

Trials

Romans 8:18 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  

Earlier in Romans 8 Paul is talking about life through the Spirit and being guided by the Spirit instead of our sinful nature.

This passage, I believe God is telling us to persevere through our trials and stay focused on Him, because the promise of His glory is so much more than we could ever imagine.  James 1:2-3 tells us to “count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance”.

I have learned that the “joy” is not necessarily from the trials, but the fact that I know He is there with me while I am going through the trials. The hard part for me was always giving it over to Him, I felt like a child seeking a parents approval by getting through it on my own. It was a humbling experience when I finally realized that I couldn’t do it without Him, but even more humbling knowing that I no longer want to do it alone.

So, how do I do it with him, you ask. Good question.  First and foremost, I have learned to have continuous conversation with God through prayer.  The enemy knows how to attack each and every one of us, because he knows the weaknesses of our flesh.  By reading and listening to God’s word, and continually seeking & speaking to Him, it makes it much easier to recognize when you are being tried.  Recognizing that you are being attacked makes it easier to let Him take control and be at peace.  James 1:12 says “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those that love Him.”

So now it is your turn to decide, are you going to go through it alone? How will you let God get you through the trials that you face?

Mark Linder, lives in Norwalk and has been attending Hope Church for 4 years.  He serves on the Men’s Ministry Team and the Board of Trustees.