A life changing Sunday is approaching

The Great Commission in Matthew tells us that we need to go into all the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This Sunday we have the great privilege to have missionary Steve Shoop (check out his facebook by clicking on his name) with us. He is the director of an amazing ministry called Engage. Taken from the website www.engagemylife.com, this is how he explains this worldwide ministry:

Engage International is an Assemblies of God World Missions program for college-aged students. It is designed to give students the opportunity to respond to the call of God in their lives.

This is accomplished by immersing students into a new culture and by providing hands-on training. Engage students will have the opportunity to develop lifetime ministry goals, working together with career missionaries and assisting national pastors.

The mission of Engage is to provide opportunities for students to pursue ministry experience while acquiring higher education. It seeks to fulfill that mission by:

• Providing regionally accredited education through partner schools.
• Creating cross-cultural ministry experiences on the mission field.
• Mentoring students to be Christ-followers.
• Collaborating with national churches.

New Hope, we have a great chance to partner with this ministry. Please invite any young person who is even remotely interested in missions work to be at New Hope on Sunday. Visit the Engage website, have a look around and let's be in prayer for a life changing Sunday!

Looking forward to seeing you at 10am Sunday morning. Come prepared to be blessed and be able to bless Pastor Steve with an offering.

Bible Reading Plan

"A church that reads together stays together." Ok, that saying has been used for many topics. My 6th grade band leader used to say, "a band that taps together stays together." Well, I don't play trombone anymore, but the logic behind it still sticks. Since we are talking about Church unity in Ephesians 4, I know that reading God's Word together will help us stay together.

New Hope, and anyone else who wants to join in, will be starting a new Bible reading plan this Sunday. Here is how it works. We will be using an online Bible reading plan that may work for many of you. I know that several of you already use YouVersion on your phone, ipod, or on your computer. This is a great tool to have the Bible with you where ever you go. You Version offers many Bible reading plans to choose from. Ones that will take you through the Bible in a year to an array of different topics. These daily reading plans are tracked on a calendar for you to make sure you don't forget where you are. You can have the plan emailed to you each day or even put the app on your mobile device. If you want, you can even share with your facebook crowd that you what you read that day or just the occasional verse that may have jumped out at you during the day. You can even decide which of the many versions of the Bible you would like to read. If you need to brush up on your Hungarian, they have that available. So, go to You Version and start a FREE account with them if you haven't already. It's super easy and I think you will enjoy having the usage of this tool.

I know that for some of you holding the actual leather bound Bible in your hands is much easier and more enjoyable, so to help you with that we will have paper copies of the reading plan available to you at New Hope this week.

The reading plan this time will be on Prayer. A very important topic. These readings are fairly short and will cover prayers from Jesus, the apostles, and kings of the Old Testament. As we read these inspired words of God, we need to be asking ourselves how our prayers match the Biblical example we are reading. Learning how to pray in a godly manner is vital to our walk with Jesus. Click HERE to find this reading plan.

We will also be starting a facebook group (for those who don't facebook...come on!) so we can leave our thoughts to each days readings. Maybe you have a question or comment. Maybe just need to have us pray with you on something. Whatever it is, let's use this as one more way to encourage each other in love and good deeds. If you want to leave comments at the bottom of this post in regards to your reading, that works as well. Let's share with each other what we are reading and thinking. This is one more way to Connect with God's family.

I love you guys and I look forward to seeing you Sunday at 10am as we start our reading plan and as we continue in our understanding of Ephesians.

Bearing His torch

P. Eldon

April Happenings

Today is April 1st. And that is no joke.

Since April is upon us, this means that Resurrection (Easter) Sunday is coming up. Fast! I wanted to give you the schedule for this month so you can put it on your calendar as well as plan ahead for inviting at least one friend to New Hope this month.

We will be going through Psalm 23 this month. Our series title is Why Should I Follow Jesus? We will be seeing how Jesus is the shepherd (leader) that we need for our lives. What a great chance to reconnect with Jesus or maybe even connect for the first time.

Sunday, April 3 - Coffee and Pastries - 10am - New Hope

Why Should I Follow Jesus: He is our Righteousness

Wednesday, April 6 - NO KIDS OR YOUTH SERVICE (Spring Break)

Sunday, April 10 - Why Should I Follow Jesus: He is our Strong Tower - 10am

Sunday, April 17 - Why Should I Follow Jesus: He is our Resource - 10am

Friday, April 22 - Community Good Friday Service - 7pm - New Hope

Sunday, April 24 - Community Resurrection Morning Service - 8am - City Park

Breakfast Potluck - 8:30 - CE Building (Northport Presbyterian Church)

Why Should I Follow Jesus: He was the Perfect Lamb - 10am

I look forward to seeing you at these great times of Praising God and Connecting with God's family. If you have any questions please shoot me an email at northportnewhope@gmail.com.

Bearing His torch

Pastor Eldon

Study Helps

I wanted to pass along a couple helpful study items for you.  As we talked about on Sunday, it is important for us to study out and apply what we learn on each Sunday. 
I know that many of you already have great study tools that you use often, but maybe these will be something you can add to your arsenal.  If you don't use anything yet to help you study, these will be a good start. Either way, I highly reccomend these tools.

www.esvonline.org
www.youversion.com
www.e-sword.net

Are there ones that you use that you would like others to know about?  Put them in the comments so we can all see them.

Bearing His torch
Pastor Eldon

Change

Living in a state of constant change is part of life anymore. As it has been said, the one constant in life is that there will always be change.

The good news is that Jesus never changes! However the time does. In fact this Sunday is the start of Daylight Savings Time. It is time to set your clocks ahead 1 hour...that's right spring ahead.

So, before you go to bed on Saturday, set your clocks ahead so you make it to New Hope on time.

We will be getting to hear from Scott Pratt on Sunday. This will be an exciting time to hear the Word of God shared with us. Scott is from Suncrest Worship Center, which is where Pastor Eldon and family will be.

Have a blessed weekend. Don't forget to set your clocks ahead an hour.

How do we survive the darkness

"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take."

How many countless people have prayed this prayer. And so often half-heartedly. Maybe because it's the only prayer they know aside from "God is great, God is good now we thank Him for our food."

The times in which we are living right now calls for far greater prayers and far greater comfort than what these afford us. We are faced with a time in history in which we must totally be assured that the living God, who is our Creator, is actively involved in our lives. We must walk in the truth that He is the security and peace that we need.

Now is NOT the time to fall into the trap of fear, half-truths, gossip and frustration. Now is the time to have a TRUE peace of mind. Peace of mind that only comes from trust in the Living God who is more that abundantly able to take care of the present and the future.

The author of most of the book of Psalm is King David. He knew darkness, fear and uncertainty. He was chased by the mad man King Saul; pursued by his own son who had murder on his mind; led the nation of Israel through many a fierce battle; fell into a destructive pattern in life that led to adultery, lying and murder...just to name a few things he went through in life. Yet the man knew where his peace, comfort, rest and certainty truly came from.

These are a few things that the distressed Psalmist found that worked for him during his times of darkness.

Psalm 1:1, 2 - Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 16:7-9 - I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.

Psalm 42:8 - By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 63:5-8 - My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 119:55, 56 - I remember your name in the night, O LORD, and keep your law. This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts.

Psalm 119:148 - My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.

I recommend that you visit the ESV website to read the full passage of these verses.

What is the darkness you are facing?

How can you be like the Psalmist and turn that night time experience into one that ends up rejoicing in the LORD?

Bearing His torch

Pastor Eldon

Killing Lions in the Snow

In 2 Samuel 23:20 it says, "And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen."

I am guessing that no one is planning on being like Benaiah and jumping into a pit to fight and kill a lion, and especially not on a snowy day. In case that was a possibility for you, it's not a good idea. Leave the cougar be!

However, Northport is expecting more snow tonight through Monday. Around a foot or so is what the news says.

Just as jumping into a pit with a lion on a snowy day is not real wise, neither is taking unneeded chances on the road while driving. As much as I want to see you at New Hope tomorrow, I would rather you made a smart decision and not risk the roads if it's not safe.

So, be careful out there. No wrestling cougars and no driving unsafely on the roads. I love each of you that much! If you can safely make it, I can't wait to worship Jesus with you at 10am.

Have a blessed week...have fun being the Church!

Bearing His torch

Pastor Eldon