Ken Friedrichsen - Ephesians 6:10-12

Resist Temptation Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.   Personally I love versus where we are reassured of his presence and strength and it also calls us to some action.   Thinking about the armor gives me the feeling that he is protecting us, it is very visual and we can relate to be being protected from an enemy with this description. The action of putting it on tells me that I have to acknowledge his lordship over me accepting that Christ died for me thereby giving me access to this protection. I also like the reference to being "strong in the lord" this makes me want to understand and read his word so that I can be prepared.   Verse 10 of this passage calls us to be "strong in the Lord", to me this implies that we are knowledgeable in his word and are applying it to our lives. The second part "Strength of his might" reassures me that he has the power to overcome anything according to his will. Verse 11 is comforting in that when I pray for help or forgiveness that I am getting his whole promise fulfilled through Jesus Christ and can feel confident he will protect me from whatever schemes of the Devil there are. Verse 12 further comforts me in that god has the power to intercede for us against those forces that without him we would crumble. It makes it clear that there are large forces dedicated to our downfall. The part of this verse that mentions "present darkness" is reassuring in that this world is only temporary and that Heaven will be an amazing place lit up by his presence.

Ken Friedrichsen has attended Hope for 46 Years, Servant Leader on your Elder Board.

Cindi Serenbetz - Ephesians 5:15-17

Direction - What does the Lord want you to do?

Ephesians 5:15-17 "So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do."

Flying upward? Spiraling downward? Going in circles? Spinning the wheels-going no where? Around and around the same mountain or maybe a little mole hill? Forward? Backward? Need direction?

I have spent far too many years looking backward. Rehashing the past, wanting to change history and or some of the people. In Luke 9:62 Jesus says: "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God." You probably know that in order to plow a nice straight furrowed field, one must look forward. Today, I can honestly report that God has given me the "serenity to accept that which I can not change, courage to change what I can and wisdom to know the difference." Now I am able to move forward and the lines are much straighter, more direct. Not so many bunny trails.

I am seriously, directionally challenged. Even with the help of a GPS I will often choose the wrong way. Proverbs 3:5 provides me with the direction I need: "Trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not in my own understanding, in all my ways follow Him and He will make my paths straight." This requires that I stop being distracted by circumstances and keep my eyes on Him. I am making it a daily habit to pray: Psalm 143:8b "Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life."

When I turned 60, I asked God for more direction! He directed me to Philippians 3:12-14 and I realized that Paul was talking about me too, when he said: "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward the day when I will FINALLY BE ALL that Christ Jesus wants me to be. No dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which Christ Jesus is calling us up to heaven." So with heaven as my final destination I have one more suggestion- get filled up. Ephesians 3:19 states: "May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be FILLED TO THE MEASURE with all the fullness of God." Now I know I am good to go! Are you?

Where are you? Stuck in a rut? Needing to move forward? Ask God to show you the way to go and then trust Him to lead you!

Cindi Serenbetz has attended Hope Church for many years, giving a good 20 years to the youth ministry program before becoming a long time leader in the Ridgefield- Wilton Community Bible Study Class. 

Amanda Farago - 2 Corinthians 2-12

Discerning God’s Leading

2 Corinthians 2:12

Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord has opened a door for me.

When I first read this passage I was amazed by the strong and very simple message that it had.  

Doors are for us to open, close or to be. They are opportunities.  They can be of any shape and size. They are there for us to walk through, to receive something, teach us lessons, challenge us, spread the Word to others, and draw us closer to Him. 

We need to keep looking for doors.  The more in tune we are the easier the path will be and the more doors will open or close.  The wider our eyes and ears are to his presence the more we are able to see and hear the Lord.  It is our job to search and seek out doors through service and worship.

In researching Troas, it was referred to as a city to carry the gospel from Asia to Europe. In other words, it is door to share God’s Word with others. God puts doors in our paths everyday that we can choose to walk through or not, close doors that were previously open, and use us as a method of communicating to others as we walk with the Lord.

This is reflected beautifully in the following song lyrics:

“With Every Act of Love” by Jason Gray.

God put a million, million doors in the world 

For His love to walk through

One of those doors is you

An "Open Door" by Circleslide 

The open door for me...

you are the Way, you are the Truth, you are the Life

You're the open door for me...

Be adventurous and keep your eyes and ears open wide during your journey.  Stretch and challenge yourself to grow closer to God. 


Amanda lives in Wilton. She has been attending Hope Church since 2006. She has been involved in children's and woman's ministries for many years. Teaching in children church and helping with events and hospitality.

Kim Karus - Ephesians 1:15-19

Discerning God’s Leading

Ephesians 1:15-19

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,  I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,  having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.”

In this passage, Paul is speaking to the church in Ephesus, a church he continually gives thanks for and prays for. Paul’s relationship with Christ was deep, and intimate.  He knew Him in such a personal way, and specifically knew how to discern His will, and that was his desire and prayer for the church.

Is there a person in your life that knows you better than anyone else knows you?  It might be a spouse, a parent, sibling or friend?  This person knows when you are happy or sad, and they know the strange little habits that you might have.  This person would even know what you would expect of them (a clean home, to be remembered on your Birthday, quality time…).  The only way this person would know any of these things is by spending time with and getting to know you.  I can have hopes that someone would get to know me, and can even ask the person to do so, but it won’t happen unless they actually try, they have to put in the effort. 

The church in Ephesus had faith and a love for Christ.  Paul’s prayer was for them to deepen that relationship. His prayer was for them to have a better understanding of God’s will for their lives. Are you having trouble discerning God’s will and his leading in your life?  If so, take time to spend in his word and in prayer.  Take time to get to know JESUS!

Today, take the time to personalize the prayer that Paul prayed for the Ephesians.  “Heavenly Father, give me the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in your knowledge,  having the eyes of my heart enlightened, that I may know the hope to which You have called me, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints,  and the immeasurable greatness of Your power toward all who believe, according to the working of Your great might.”  In Jesus name.  Amen

Kim lives resides in Wilton.  She has been attending Hope Church for 8 years.  She is director of Children’s Ministries at Hope, the director of First Step Preschool and she also volunteers in the youth ministry at Hope.

Bill Duncan - Acts 13:1-5

Missions

Acts 13: 1-5

Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.  While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.  When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.

   Wow!  What a picture of the early Church, while their together the Holy Spirit sets apart 2 men to go, to be sent out from among them for the sole purpose of sharing how their lives were changed by an act of love that can not be repaid.  So why go out then if it's not to repay the amazing gift they have received?  They were called to this job, this way of life that the gospel of Jesus should so fill them that their every waking moment is filled with the desire to know Jesus and make Him known.

   We have just concluded our celebration of missions and heard from men and women who have accepted this call.  Hearing their stories of lives changed and people pulled out of the path of death to the path of life inspires me every year to again reevaluate and see how I can join the fight.

   Missions and the act of going will be very different in the future.  Our need to send people around the world will not be as necessary as it once was.  Not because there are not people to reach of foreign birth but because they are here all around us, you just need to look.  You are the missionary of not only the future but the now.  My prayer for Hope Church is that we begin to look at the world around us and not go but act!  Reach out with that same power that sent Paul and Barnabas out to the world in your own slice of the world.  There are people all around you on the path of death, won't you reach out?  Won't you pray?  Won't you know Him and make Him known.

   That same power, the Holy Spirit is working in you and me, won't we listen for His voice, His call and then like Paul, and Barnabas go out our door and to the people we see everyday and show the love we've been shown.

Bill Duncan lives in Norwalk, CT and has been a member of Hope Church since 1999. He serves on the worship team playing Bass.

Lori Duncan - Acts 17:16-20

Missions

Acts 17:16-20

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.  So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would this idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Preaching to the Choir”?  I believe it is much easier to talk about our faith around people who share in that faith. Don’t you agree?  That is why I find Paul so courageous. In this passage we see Paul was provoked by “the city full of idols” so he began reasoning with Jews, and God fearing Greeks and anyone else that just happened to be there. 

Then these philosophers began to debate him.  I love how Paul did not shy away from any discussion; he was willing to bring the Gospel to everyone who was willing to talk to him  We as believers need to be prepared to talk about these issues of faith whenever possible. I think it is important that we be ready to give an answer for why we believe what we do. You never know when you will be called to to share your faith or at least have a conversation about it.  Or maybe something wrong in our culture will cause us to dialogue with someone and bring our faith into the conversation. It seemed through out Paul’s ministry his approach may have changed a little bit depending on the audience he was speaking to, but Paul was willing to fulfill the Great Commission we see at the end of Matthew and move beyond the safe space of “Preaching to the Choir”. 

Are you willing to have those tough conversations about God, Faith and things in our culture that are out of whack?  What will call you to stretch out your borders

Lori Duncan lives in Norwalk, CT and a member of Hope Church since 1999. She serves on staff at Hope as the Communications Director.  She also co-teaches a Women's Bible Study on Tuesday's.

Laura Gaus - 2 Corinthians 8:1-4

Missions
2 Corinthians 8:1-4

And now, brother, we want you to know about the Grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability entirely on their own. They urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.
In this verse God is relating to us the importance of generosity through all circumstances. To trust fully in God in which He will supply your daily needs. The Macedonians had little and had overflowing joy and gave what they could without being prompted. They were willing and saw the greater picture of God's kingdom and not their situation.
Tithing joyfully has been a struggle for me. My attitude can be on self preservation rather than jubilation. At times, I'm still concerned how my weekly and monthly bills will be met. Having one income, I tend to put myself as (CFO) and not GOD. When I do sit in that chair, my life becomes chaotic that leads to roads of frustration and worry. God always comes through if I only just Let go, so I can grow. He is in charge of my money and my life. In scripture he says, Mt 6:24b "you cannot serve serve God and money." This is my godly reminder that everything belong to HIM.
Question: Are you willing to be a jubilant giver and sacrifice some earthly pleasures to have the gospel be sent to the far away places?

Laura Gaus, Rowayton, 14 yrs. at Hope, serving with Youth Ministry team.

Lisa Stevens - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Prayer
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  1

This is such a beautiful passage that Paul wrote in one of his early letters to encourage believers in Thessalonica to continue to stand strong despite the persecutions they were facing. “Rejoice always”, is to have a joyful attitude in all things, to “Pray without ceasing,” always be in communication with our Father in Heaven.  Unceasing prayer is communion with God. “Give thanks in all circumstances” is thanking the Lord for what he has done.   Rejoicing and being thankful during difficult circumstances is a tough one to swallow but I don’t believe this is asking us to be jumping for joy over our hard times.

Notice that right in the middle of ‘rejoice’ and ‘give thanks’ is ‘prayer’, unceasing prayer.  When we pray in this way we are living in constant awareness of His presence in our lives. When we are in constant prayer with the Lord it is taking our eyes off of our circumstances and on to our Almighty powerful God!

“For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you,” it is God’s will for us to rejoice, pray and give thanks.

Several years ago I struggled with a series of health issues and it propelled me to a deeper more intentional prayer life. I am not happy that I had to go through that but Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” 

Are you in the spirit of  ‘praying without ceasing’? How can you be more intentional in your prayer life to encounter the peace that we can only have by being present in His presence daily?

Lisa Stevens lives in Wilton,  has been a member of Hope Church for 4 years and serves on the Women's Ministry and Youth Group Leadership.

Clarissa Zapata - Romans 8:26-27

Prayer
Romans 8:26-27

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

In Romans, Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit helps us in ways that we can’t comprehend because He knows us and our needs better than we do.  As I meditated on today’s scripture, I was brought back to a time when I was a young twenty-something living in NYC and working at a large ad agency, straight out of Mad Men.  My days were consumed with staying current on the happenings in the media, knowing the status of J Lo’s love life, and stressing over how a “Bennifer” break-up would have a colossal impact on the launch of her new fragrance.  My dreams and my prayers were solely focused on me.  On my career path.  My professional life.  I remember praying that I would quickly climb the corporate ladder, but those prayers seemed to fall on deaf ears and I didn’t know why.  I was weak, frustrated and lost.

Paul explained that we don’t always know what to pray for because we don’t have God’s omniscient vision, yet we should take comfort in the knowledge that the Holy Spirit is there for us, interceding on our behalf and helping us in our weakness.  Or, as the great country music “theologian” Garth Brooks put it, some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.  Thankfully, the Holy Spirit interceded on my behalf in those trying days, and led me toward a path of true happiness.  I am now blessed with a wonderful husband, a beautiful daughter and a lovable yet mischievous dog. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I work hard to be the best Mom and wife that I can be.  I am thankful to now have a truly rewarding job and I am appreciative of the blessings God has given me.

Questions to Consider:

1.   How can you submit yourself to God through the Holy Spirit, letting the Holy Spirit guide you?

2     .How can you be more thankful for all that God has given you?

Clarissa Zapata lives in Westport with her husband and daughter, and has been attending Hope since 2015.

Dr. M. R. Irvin - Philippians 4:6-7

Prayer

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Someone has said that the average person worries

• 40% about things that will never happen
•  30% about the past that can't be changed
• 12% about criticism by others, mostly untrue
• 10% about health, which gets worse with stress
• and only 8% about real problems that have to be faced.

But that 8% can cause anxiety.

Family problems, financial difficulties, employment uncertainties, health issues, these and other personal matters can cause us to worry. We can even be stressed over civil unrest, terroristic threats and/or international turmoil.

God wants a Christian to be delivered from anxiety. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything.” Author Walter Kelly has written, “Worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles.” Charles Swindoll has said, “Anxiety pulls tomorrow’s clouds over today’s sunshine.”

This does not mean, of course, that we are not to take proper precautions against dangers that are around us. This does not mean that we should not lock our doors at night or fastened the seatbelts in our cars. This is not saying that we should not prepare for possible contingencies, that we should not study for upcoming exams, not take out insurance policies, not put away funds for the future. What this verse does say is that we are not to be full of worry, not continuingly stressed out by our concerns.

The normal human reaction to anxiety is to fret and stew. Or we may pour our concerns into the ear of a spouse or friend. But Philippians 4:6 offers an alternative. In my home church when I was a boy, we sang a little chorus that said, “Why worry when you can pray.” That’s exactly what this text suggests, that when we are feeling anxious about anything that we take the matter to the Lord in prayer.

There is some important teaching about the nature of prayer in this passage. The scope of prayer is suggested. We are to pray about anything and everything. The style of prayer is indicated here. The, first word, prayer, in the original Greek language, refers to worship or meditation. The second word, petition, means making specific requests to the Lord. The spirit in which we are to pray is taught here. We are to pray with thanksgiving, with an attitude of gratitude and praise. The simplicity of prayer is set before us with the words, “present your requests to God.” Though we will always approach God reverently, we are invited to simply tell him what we would like him to do.

But however we go about it, we are urged by Philippians 4:6 – 7 to take whatever is causing our anxiety and turn it over to the Lord.

Dr. M. R. Irvin, Norwalk, was interim senior pastor at Hope Church in 2001-2002 and again in 2005-2006. Attendee since 2011. Leads the mid-week prayer service. Occasionally fills the pulpit.

Lori Duncan - 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." (NASB)

When I read these verses in the context of 1 Corinthians 12 I picked up on this awesome truth that God has done so much to help us in our Christian life.  I realized that God wants us to know we are part of a bigger picture here, the body of Christ.  He wants us as part of His body to become agents of His love, His hands and feet and His voice where ever you are and whom ever you talk to.  This is such and awesome responsibility!

When I was young in Lord it was so difficult to know where I fit in.  My question was where does God want me?  What does he want me to do.  As I attended church on regular basis, I felt like I just wanted to fit in, the same way I fit in at home or with my friends.  The cool thing is once you’ve attended long enough, you start to know where you fit in.  But there is still that process of figuring out, things change our lives and you have to re-figure it out over again.  God continues to refine what we do and how we do it.  The real issue here is making sure you are doing what God is calling you to do.

Every year I am privileged to go to Nairobi, Kenya, I never wanted to go anywhere in Africa period.  God had to work on me for years by sending me out of comfort zone to Belize, New Orleans and even serving in the most craziest positions inside my church.  I learned that if I obey God in the little things and serve him wherever asked, that I am doing what he wants me to do in the body.  One of the these lessons I learned is that he kept on throwing me in these teaching positions.  And I kept on doing it but complaining to Him that I’m not a teacher.  I laugh at that now because I tend to do that a lot in the body of Christ.  But the biggest lesson that I have ever learned in serving is just to serve where ever needed. There is a song by Casting Crowns that says it all, and here is the Chorus:

But if we are the body

Why aren't His arms reaching?

Why aren't His hands healing?

Why aren't His words teaching?

And if we are the body

Why aren't His feet going?

Why is His love not showing them there is a way?

There is a way, there is a way

So I close with this question, what do you need to do?

Use your gifts, talents and abilities. Don’t hide them from the world. Let God be glorified in them daily. Meet needs as they are presented to you. If a need is made known to you,  God intended for you to do something about it. Ask God for opportunities to minister and watch in amazement as your life becomes a life of empowerment in ministry.  Seek Him first!  (Matt. 6:33)

 Ask God ~
“Lord what do You want me to do for You?”
“Lord how can You use me to build Your kingdom?
“Lord who can I serve today for You?”

These are pretty simple questions, but if we are willing to stop and listen to what God is trying to tell us, then we will come to understand where he wants us to serve HIM!

Perhaps a thought to ponder can be summed up by this saying (author unknown), "God gave each of us the precious gift of life, what we do with that life is our gift to Him.”

Lori Duncan lives in Norwalk, CT and a member of Hope Church since 1999. She serves on staff at Hope as the Communications Director.  She also co-teaches a Women's Bible Study on Tuesday's. 

Tom Mustico - Galatians 6:9-10

Serving
Galatians 6:9-10 

“So let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not
lose heart. So then, as we have ʻopportunityʼ, let us do good to all, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (New RSV)

Throughout our lifetime surely special opportunities come about.   Not just a random or chance experience, but for followers of Jesus Christ, a set time designated by God. The  apostle Paul spoke of such an opportunity in Galatians. In this case, a time to “do good  to all”. (and also to honor and “glorify your Father who is heaven”. (cf. Matt. 5:16;
Proverbs 14:31).

He knows our gifts, our talents, our lifeʼs experiences and our passion to serve Him,
and He calls upon us (makes those special opportunities) to exercise our gifts to serve
Him by serving those in need through our good works.
A special opportunity came my way 10 years ago in Ethiopia, when I visited an
orphanage in Addis Ababa. I saw great need and a unique opportunity to “do good”.
HOE Ministries (Hope for Orphans of Ethiopia) is now in its 10th year, with the support
of Hope Church, is serving and honoring God by serving and honoring the needy
children of Ethiopia.

I suppose the thought to ponder can be summed up by this saying (author unknown),
“God gave each of us the precious gift of life, what we do with that life is our gift to Him.”

Tom Mustico lives in South Salem, NY and a member of Hope church for 23 years. He has taught Sunday School, led a Men's Bible study for 7 years and Missions Director for 8 years. And for the past 10 years Director of HOE Ministries (Hope for Orphans of Ethiopia).

Jennifer Gish - 1 Corinthians 15:58

Serving                                                                                                1 Corinthians 15:58

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

In this verse, Paul is telling us that whenever we are weary of serving, we should persevere with the knowledge that God is at work even when we don’t see it. 

He is also telling us to always give ourselves fully to the Lord. When we trust in him and we are fully dependent on him, that is when we can experience a level of commitment, and success like never before.

I feel personally that God has given me gifts that I can use to help others that I never in a million years thought I could do. I never thought I could decorate anything or put a flower arrangement together or even teach Sunday school. I pray that I can be God’s hands and feet, and I pray that he will use my gifts to glorify him in some way.  We all have gifts that God has given to us to serve him, whether it is teaching Sunday school, greeting, making a meal for someone, helping with VBS, encouraging someone, praying, even helping someone clean up. These are all things that we can do to come along side each other in the body of Christ and spur one another on. We all have different gifts that he has given us and thank goodness for that,so when we come together everyone works as a team so that we can make an impact on this world so they will know we are Christ followers.

I encourage you to pray on a daily basis that God will use you in some way, and that he will reveal to you what your gifts are, so that you can find that sweet spot where you’re serving him, but also doing what God intended you to do with the gifts he has blessed you with.

So even If what you are doing seems so small and that you are not making a big impact, God rewards your effort based on your attitude and your heart.

Pray that God will give you the strength and He will, don’t try and do it on your own, you will usually fail. He is right there, encouraging you. When we a fully dependent on him, that is when we can experience a level of commitment, and fulfillment and success like never before.

Jennifer Gish, lives in Wilton, she is currently as a mentor mom for Mops and is serving in hospitality and on the decorating team.