Oscar Wilde once said, “I can resist anything except temptation.” Temptation is all around us. It can be as simple as a tasty looking dessert when you’re trying to eat healthy, or as devastating as trying to resist an addiction to substances, pornography, gambling etc. Temptations have been around literally since creation. After all, wasn’t Eve tempted by the serpent in Genesis 3? Her failure to resist set a precedent for humanity. And unfortunately in today’s world of technology, temptation is just one click of the mouse away. We need to be following Matthew’s advice – “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
Whatever our temptations may be, physical or emotional, our responses to them are a barometer of our love and obedience to God, who calls us to resist. And listen to what He does for us when we do! “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.” (James 1:12-13 NLT) Remember that it is Satan who tempts us and God who tests us. May we succeed in resisting and look forward to that crown of life!
Taming temptation…….Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Eyewitness News (The Book of Luke)
Luke decided to interview and record those who had witnessed Jesus’ life and words and to write down the story in an organized matter. He presents some themes in his work (like Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy and the bringer of salvation). He makes it a point to show how those normally on the outside of society are invited into the kingdom. But perhaps the most important reality to this Gospel is that Luke carefully collected first-hand accounts from those who had seen Jesus with their own eyes and heard him with their own ears. We get to be assured of the details of the story, but we also get the amazing privilege of listening in ourselves!
The Bible Is Certain (Luke 1:1-4)
Many people who are not Christians look at the Bible as a book that holds religious teaching but not a book that is to be trusted unless you choose to believe it. Christians can also struggle with how to view the Bible when it seems to teach something that science or our culture rejects. Yet the Scriptures do not really leave us room to decide if they are true or not. They claim to be words from God Himself. As such, they carry the weight and authority of the Creator. Luke begins his book by talking about writing this so that his readers can be “certain” of the story of Jesus. As we begin our journey in Luke, we will start here with the idea that we can trust God’s Word as certain for our lives.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY: Biblical Doctrines
Have you ever thought that you really don’t know what the Bible teaches? While we all can probably learn more about the Bible, there are some main doctrines in Scripture that are basic. We’re going to take the month of March and go through about 8 of them. We’ll look at the Bibliology, Theology, Christology, Pneumatology, Soteriology, Ecclesiology, Eschatology and even Angelology. Don’t worry if you don’t recognize those names – we’ll actually learn what they each talk about. Join us to be better equipped to know some of the systematic doctrines in the Bible! Come out at 6:30 for coffee & donuts followed by our study at 7:00. We’ll have HopeKids! and Hope Youth programs for kids 0-12th grades!
SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER:
Anyone can join us Sunday mornings at 8:30 in Pastor Mark’s office to pray for that morning’s services. Contact Bob Baumiester for more information (rbaumiester@gmail.com).
ANNOUNCEMENTS
This March, we are supporting True Women’s Center (formerly Choices of the Heart) with our annual Baby Bottle Fundraiser! Pick up a baby bottle from the back of the auditorium on Sunday and fill it with loose change — return it by the end of the month. Every donation helps provide vital resources for mothers and families in need and saves lives. To learn more about True Women’s Center we encourage you to watch this video.
WONDERMOMS: This Thursday!
Our group for moms of preschoolers (0-5) meets monthly on the 2nd Thursday from 10:30-noon for a time of fellowship, study, and prayer. Childcare is provided by our HopeKids! volunteers and there’s always a hot cup of coffee and treat ready for you! At our next study we’ll be debunking the myth that “Good moms don’t get angry!” Join our Facebook Group for all the details, or contact Emily DiLorenzo with questions.
HOPE YOUTH BAKE SALE: This Sunday!
This Sunday our teens will be selling baked goods to raise money for World Vision – an organization that works to eradicate hunger across the globe! Come support them before and after each service. Grab a tasty treat and a hot cup of coffee! They will be accepting payment via cash and Venmo.
WOMEN OF HOPE:
The Women of Hope are springing into a new season – and we invite all women to join us for a Monday night of fellowship, food and fun. We’ll be celebrating the end of our study at our “Kickoff to a Souper Spring.” We’ll be sharing soup & salad, enjoying some great conversation, and digging into a special devotion. If you want to check out WOH – or if you’re just in need of a night out with the girls – please join us in the GoZone on March 17 at 6:30. For more information please contact Mary LeBeau at (856-316-6301) or Michele Gabriel at (856 340-1028).
IRON MEN:
All fathers of children up through high school age are invited to join this small group with intention to cultivate strong relationships with one another, build trust and grow a robust community of men who are not afraid to be vulnerable and support one another through life’s challenges big and small. We will be navigating through the book and study guide of “The Jesus Style”. We meet on the 1st & 3rd Mondays of each month. No need to sign-up, just show up! If you have questions, please contact Bob Esser (856-889-7939) or Chris James (856) 693-9061).
BAPTISM: Sign-Up to Participate
Baptism is an important symbolic opportunity to declare your testimony, and decision to follow Christ, in front of the church body! We’d love you to participate if this is something you’ve yet to do in your journey of faith. The baptism service will be held on Wednesday, April 9th at 7:00. To participate, you’ll need to attend two classes – each will be held after the second service on Sundays March 30th & April 6th. Sign-up and grab a booklet at the front of the auditorium! Any questions can be directed to Pastor Mark.
COFFEE HOUSE: Sign-Up to Attend
We’re getting ready for the upcoming Easter & spring season and we want to kick it off with a Coffee House right here at Hope! This evening will be filled with curated live musical performances on Wednesday, April 2nd at 7:00pm. We’ll have a coffee bar with lattes, hot cocoa, and cold drinks along with some yummy treats for you to enjoy. You don’t need to bring anything, but it would be so helpful if you’d sign up at the Connection Center so we can be sure to save you a seat. Feel free to bring the whole family, or leave the kids home and make it a date night! There will be no HopeKids! programs (or nursery) for this event, but nurseries will be open for those who may need to use them. Pease plan to join us for a fun night and feel free to reach out to Dana Ott with any questions.
SEEDS OF HOPE RUN FOR A LIFE:
We love to partner with Seeds of Hope! They are holding a 5K to raise funds and awareness for those battling addition and wanted to extend the invitation to our Hopers! The run will take place on April 12th at 9:00 at the Camden Athletic Complex. To register and learn more about the event, visit their site here.
MEN’S RESURRECTION BREAKFAST:
Men of all ages are invited to attend the 27th annual Men’s Resurrection Breakfast happening on April 12th at 8:00 at Masso’s Catering in Glassboro. Tickets are $35 and include a hot breakfast, and an opportunity to hear top athletes share their journey of faith. This is a great opportunity to invite a friend and have an encouraging morning of fellowship! For questions, contact Bob Kerr at 856-362-0378. Purchase tickets here — seating is limited.
YOUNG ADULTS
Meets the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays at 7:00P
Here at Hope, our Young Adult group provides a place to connect, serve, apply God’s Word to real life, and live in relationships with others. Hope’s Young Adults is a great way to grow your faith and find help to navigate the big decisions on the horizon. Open to anyone post high school through their 20s!
MARCH 18TH: The Dating Game + Nacho Bar!
We have all kinds of relationship statuses in Young Adults. We have single people, couples who are dating, and married folks. That reality gives us such an advantage to talk about dating. Those who are not currently dating have a unique and important perspective on the topic as well as a chance to make decisions with a clear head about how they will approach their next relationship. Those who are dating can give a report from the field about the real-time challenges and choices that come while dating. And those who are married can look back with 20/20 vision and assess what they learned (or wish they had learned) in the process. There’s also the truth that all of us probably will have to help our children navigate these waters someday. So this is an important discussion that will help us all see more clearly as we look at it together. Join us and help us sort out this important topic!
For any questions about Hope’s Young Adults contact Mark & Dana Ott.
HOPE YOUTH
Sundays from 6:00-8:00P
Through varied lessons, small group, worship, and fellowship we teach students 6th-12th to see how much God loves them, how valuable they are, and the peace that a relationship with Jesus can lead them to.
CURRENT SERIES: Flowing Through Scripture
Every year Hope Youth challenges the world’s tendency to turn Scripture into bite sized sayings by doing a survey of the entire Biblical narrative! This year we’ll be focusing on the theme of water. Whether it’s the parting of the Red Sea or the miracle of Jesus walking on Water, God has used this powerful element to communicate key truths about His character time and again. Join us on Sunday nights as we journey from Genesis to Revelation, explore key stories along the way, and apply God’s grand message to our own lives!
HOPE YOUTH ON WEDNESDAYS:
The book of Daniel follows a young man who was kidnapped from his home land and exiled to a foreign country. Far from home and surrounded by ungodly influences, Daniel had to find a way to remain true to his faith. Join Hope Youth on Wednesday nights as we study the book of Daniel and see how this young man not only held fast to his faith, but stood out and stood up for what he believed. Most teens struggle with that familiar desire to fit in, but in a world growing further away from God, He seems to be asking us “Are you willing to stand out?” Come find out how at Wednesday Night Bible Study from 6:30-8 and enjoy some complimentary coffee and donuts while you’re at it.
30 HOUR FAMINE:
Every 30 hours roughly 7,000 people die of starvation. We don’t think that’s right, so Hope Youth is teaming up with World Vision to make a change and we need your help! We will be raising money for World Vision by gathering sponsors for our 30 Hour Famine fast taking place March 28th-29th at right here at Hope. Your job will be to reach out to friends, family, and trusted adults and invite them to be a part of this life changing mission by donating to your cause! Use this link to register and join our team! Open to all teens 6th-12th.
LAUNCH EVENT:
Jump into Spring with us at the annual Hope Youth Launch event! In place of our normal youth group, we’ll meet at the Deptford Launch Trampoline park for a night of frantic fun! Trampoline basketball, foam pits, arcade, and so much more! Fill out the sign-up here and meet us at Launch Trampoline park of Deptford on April 6th from 6-8pm!
HOPE YOUTH CALENDAR:
Parents, stay up to date with everything happening on our calendar here!
JOIN OUR TEXT THREAD:
Stay in the loop for all of the most important notifications! Text “”hopeyouth” to (856) 420-6078 to start receiving updates this week!
For any questions about Hope Youth contact Pastor Dan at: danlein@hopechristianfellowship.org
HOPEKIDS!
SUNDAY MORNING PROGRAMS:
We offer childcare and classes from our littlest Hopers to our 5th graders every Sunday morning at both services. Each classroom is staffed with friendly, enthusiastic, background-checked team members to ensure your child’s safety. Our WonderZone! serves our youngest children from infants through Pre-K, who are full of wonder about who God is! K-5th graders gather in the GoZone! where we GO for God, GO for growth and GO forever.
WONDERZONE EASTER JAM:
We’re excited for this year’s egg-stra special WonderZone Easter Jam event on Saturday, April 5th from 10:00-Noon! This year, we’ll be hosting all of our WonderZone-aged children (infants-PreK) and their grown-ups for songs, games, the Easter story, the Easter Bunny, and an Easter egg hunt (weather-permitting). You won’t want to miss the fun! Click here to sign-up today!
GOZONE EGG-STRAVAGANZA:
Sign up to join us for a special Easter celebration at HopeKids! Hangout on Sunday, April 6th from 6PM-8PM. Our GoZone kids (K-5) are getting eggstravagant this Easter with an all-new event including intense competition, energetic music, delicious snacks, and lots of candy-filled Easter eggs as we dig into the story of how Jesus rose from the grave and conquered death itself! Register here!
HOPEKIDS! HANGOUT: Sundays from 6:00-8:00P
All K-5th graders are invited to join us for special snacks, games and activities that expand upon what we’re learning on Sunday mornings. We’ll continue studying “The Heart of God” to see how we can reflect God in our everyday lives, this year and every year!
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS IN WONDERZONE:
Our Nursery 1 team is excited to care for your infants (0-18m) while our Nursery 2 team loves on your toddlers (18m-2yr). As we start a new year, our Preschoolers (3-5yrs) will dive into a brand new “Growing with God” study designed to help preschoolers learn about the reality of God’s love through play and apply it in their daily lives! You won’t want to miss out on this awesome opportunity to prioritize and pour into the foundation of faith for your little ones — we hope to see you there!
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS IN GOZONE:
GoZone Remix is back for 2025! K-5th graders will love our fun and exciting midweek program, where we review Sunday morning’s Bible story with new video, new games, and new small group activities to remix the experience. Plus, a WEEKLY Scripture Memory Verse Challenge with prizes to reinforce the Bible story of the week! You don’t want your elementary kiddo to miss out on this opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the Bible and fellowship with other HopeKids!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org