Our Hope for New Hope

I am going to be preaching a series of sermons that I am calling, “Our Hope for New Hope.” The introductory sermon on September 27 will look at Romans 8:28. “God works together with those who love Him to bring about what is good.” How will we grow to love God more deeply and trust God to work together with us?

The first Sunday in October we will examine the story of Jesus telling his disciples not to prevent children from coming to him. He welcomed children and said, “To such as these belongs the kingdom of God.” I want us to see how we are welcoming children here at New Hope. We need to plan how are we going to serve their parents, especially those who are open to allowing our church to help them grow in God’s love and become better parents. How can we help people to have healthier families?

On Sunday October 11 we will look at Jesus’ interaction with the “rich, young ruler” who walks away from an opportunity to follow Jesus. I want us to think about what it means to be saved and how we are going to be helping people to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. How are we going to set before people the clear choice to believe in Jesus and give themselves to following Jesus?

The next Sunday we will look at what it means to serve others here at New Hope. In what ways are we already serving? How do you find your place of service in our church? How can we help those who want to serve to find their niche? What does a serving church look like in today’s world?

The final sermon in the Hope for New Hope series on October 25 will look at what it means for us to trust God to lead us into the future. What does God have in store for New Hope in the next 10 years? How can New Hope serve families with children and pass along a healthy church to them? How are we going to make an impact for God’s love in this lively, growing community of Port Orange? We will look at the future and thank God for giving us not a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.

When you pray, ask God to help me prepare this series of sermons. Ask God to use this series to give us a vision of New Hope Baptist Church loving and serving with joy.