Is there something in your life that doesn’t honor (or bring glory to) God? To honor means to hold in high respect or reverence. It could be a relationship you know should end, a habit that needs to go, language, an attitude, a poor work ethic……. you get the drift. We all have things we do that don’t give God the honor He deserves. One of my frequent morning prayers is to ask God to help me bring honor to Him this day with my thoughts, words, and actions. Are you wondering why we need to honor Him? Listen to this declaration found in Revelation 4:10-11 – “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” We need to because He is worthy of it! Honoring God involves living a life that reflects His character through daily obedience. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) By loving others because it puts His greatest commandments into action. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) By the stewardship of our finances. “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.” (Proverbs 3:9) With the care and keeping of our bodies. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) The things in our lives that don’t honor God will eventually be removed. We have a choice. Either we can release them, or He will remove them. May today be the day we choose to release and to honor.
He alone is worthy…..Lois
SPIRITUAL CARE
Misunderstood Greatness (Luke 9:46-55)
Many people throughout history have claimed to be ‘great.’ Names that come to mind are Catherine the Great, Peter the Great, and of course, Alexander the Great. A boxer claimed to be ‘the greatest.’ Each time, the understanding of greatness was based on the idea of domination, power, influence, and fame. That is our default understanding of what it means to be amazing as a human. As Jesus teaches the apostles, especially James and John, He confronts this idea and corrects it. True and eternal greatness is not defined by the things we generally assume make us great. Instead, Jesus points to different ideas, different responses, and a different economy surrounding what it means to be great.
FAMILY NIGHTS: Coming September!
We’re so excited to announce that starting Wednesday, September 9th we’ll be having fall Family Nights here at Hope! Join us at 6:15pm for FREE dinner for the whole family before we head into our classes at 7:00pm. We know weekdays can be hectic with school and work – so consider your Wednesdays taken care of! Come feed your stomach and your soul! We’ll have HopeKids! Programs for all our our little ones, starting from nursery up through 5th grade. Hope Youth will also have a class for our teens.
BIBLE STUDY: And When You Pray
Does prayer ever feel like a burden or an unfulfilling duty? Join us for a 4-week Bible study beginning September 9th at 7:00pm as Pastor Gregg digs into scripture and helps us rethink what it means to talk with God and discover the purpose, benefit, and joy behind our prayers.
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
The HFFFL (Hope Fella-ship Fantasy Football League) is back for it’s 5th season! We can’t wait for another year of fellowship and connection through fantasy football. Whether it’s your first time playing Fantasy or you’re a football savant, we’d love to have you join us for this FREE league centered around community, camaraderie, and chasing that Championship Ring! The draft will be held on August 28th at 7:00pm in the auditorium! Register here by August 23rd – if you have any questions see Dylan Ott or Conor Ball!
MEN’S RECOVERY GROUP:
Our Men’s Addiction & Recovery meeting happens here at Hope on the 2nd & 4th Monday of each month. All men are invited to join us this Monday, August 24th at 7:00pm. For any questions, contact Bob Baumiester.
MEN’S BOWLING LEAGUE:
All men 18 and older are invited to join our Hope Men’s Bowling Team. We bowl Monday nights starting September 14th at 6:20PM at Bowlero Deptford, for 32 weeks of fun and fellowship. Cost is $20 a night. Contact Bruce Clark at 609-820-4858 if interested and sign-up at Connection Center.
YOUNG ADULTS
If you are post high school through your 20s, our Young Adult group provides a place to connect, 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. We meet the 1st & 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00P!
COOKIE KICKOFF: September 1st
Young Adults is back! Jump in for our Cookie Kick-off and join the fun and conversation! If you’d like to bring a batch of a favorite cookie (store-bought or homemade), we’d love it! Let Dana know and we’ll look forward to sampling some yummy treats! We’ll be discussing freedom – our ideas of freedom are pretty unique to our own time and culture. In America, freedom is deeply connected to our ideas of individual rights but is it the way that God defines freedom? If we’re mistaken about what true freedom is, we may be chasing something that isn’t actually freedom! Come join the conversation and let’s see what the Bible says about true freedom.
Follow us on Instagram here!
For any questions about Hope’s Young Adults contact Mark & Dana Ott.
HOPE YOUTH
Youth Group meets weekly on Sundays from 6:00-8:00P beginning September 13th. Open to all 6th-12th graders!
FINAL POOL PARTY: August 30th
Looking for one last hurrah this summer? Don’t miss out on Hope Youth’s final pool party of the year! All 6th-12th graders are invited to join us for an afternoon of swimming, yard games, and delicious grill food on Sunday, August 30th from 3:00-6:00pm. Whether you’re new to Hope Youth, a regular, or just visiting you can come down to 973 Johnson Rd., Sicklerville for an iconic summer send off! Bring a towel, bring your swimsuit, and bring a friend. We’ll see you there!
YOUTH GROUP KICKOFF: September 13th
Hope Youth is coming BACK! We had such an amazing summer but we couldn’t be more thrilled to get back together and back in the Word with you! That’s why we’re starting the year off in style with a night FULL of team competition. We’ll duke it out in a series of exciting challenges as students learn about commitment to community this year! Kona Ice will be free for everyone who attends, but our winning team will get their choice of treat while everyone else will get to enjoy a free kiddie cup. All students from 6th-12th grade are invited to be a part of this epic comeback. Bring a friend and we will see you there!
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.
Check out our social media (and more) here!
For any questions about HopeKids! Ministry contact us at: kids@hopechristianfellowship.org
Note: If you do not wish to continue receiving Hope Notes, simply reply to this email and I will remove your name from the list. Any correspondence for Hope Notes goes to Hopenotes Email.