NewHope Community Church Ambridge

06/18/2026

Many believers love Jeremiah 29:11:
"For I know the plans I have for you..."
And rightly so. It is a powerful promise of God's goodness and purpose.
But we often stop reading there.

A few verses later God says:
"You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."

The promise is wonderful. The pursuit is essential.

God's plans for our lives are not discovered through casual interest. They are found through intentional seeking.
The good news is that God isn't hiding from us.
He invites us closer.

You can have as much of God in your life as you are willing to pursue. Not because His love changes, but because relationship grows through seeking.

Prayer matters.
Time in Scripture matters.
Worship matters.
Daily obedience matters.

Keep seeking. Keep growing. Keep pursuing the presence of God.

The promise of Jeremiah 29:11 becomes real in our lives as we embrace the pursuit of Jeremiah 29:13.

The reward isn't just God's blessing.
The reward is God Himself.

06/17/2026

06/17/2026

The Fight of Faith

Life is not lived on neutral ground.

Whenever you pursue God's purpose, resistance will come. Every marriage faces challenges. Every ministry encounters obstacles. Every believer experiences seasons where faith is tested.

The question is not whether opposition will come.
The question is whether we'll keep believing when it does.

Scripture tells us to "fight the good fight of faith." The greatest battles are often won or lost long before circumstances change. They are won in the heart when we choose to trust God's Word over what we currently see.

Faith says, "God's promise is still true even when I don't see immediate evidence."
Faith anchors itself in God's character rather than temporary circumstances.

A bad day doesn't cancel God's promise.
A difficult season doesn't erase God's calling.
A setback isn't the end of the story.

If God has spoken, hold on. If God has promised, keep believing. If God has called, keep walking forward.

The enemy wants you to quit. God wants you to persevere.
Today, choose faith over fear, hope over discouragement, and perseverance over surrender.
Your breakthrough may be closer than you think.

06/17/2026

New Hope Church Picnic 2026

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Psalm 133:1 kjv

06/16/2026

06/16/2026

Have you ever prayed for something and then quietly stopped praying because nothing seemed to change?

Many of us begin with great faith. We believe God is going to move. We trust His promises. But when days become weeks and weeks become months, discouragement can creep in. We begin to wonder if God heard us at all.

In Matthew 7:7, Jesus gives us a simple but powerful instruction: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Notice Jesus doesn't say ask once. The language implies persistence. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking.
Not because God is reluctant to answer, but because God is good.

A loving father doesn't ignore his children, and our Heavenly Father is infinitely more loving than any earthly parent. He invites us to bring our requests to Him again and again.

What have you stopped asking God for?
A prodigal child? A restored marriage? A breakthrough in your finances? Healing? A calling you once believed God placed on your life?
Today is a good day to pick it back up.

Don't allow disappointment to silence your prayers. Keep asking. Keep trusting. Keep believing. The God who made the promise is faithful to fulfill it.

06/15/2026

Dear New Hope Family,

This Sunday we continued our Kingdom Culture series by looking at the power of perseverance.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:7:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

One of the key truths we learned is that perseverance is not about trying to convince God to care. It's about refusing to let go of God's promises because we know He is good.

We discussed how life brings resistance whenever we pursue God's purpose. The question isn't whether opposition will come, but whether we will keep believing when it does.

A memorable illustration from the message was the story of the stone cutter. Swing after swing appears to accomplish nothing—until suddenly the stone breaks. In the same way, many breakthroughs come after long seasons of faithful prayer, obedience, and trust.

This week we challenge you to reflect on three questions:
• What have you stopped asking God for?
• What have you stopped seeking God about?
• What door have you stopped knocking on?

Don't allow discouragement to have the final word. Pick those prayers back up. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking.
We are grateful to walk this journey of faith together as a church family.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Rick & the New Hope Team

06/12/2026

Imagine This Kind of Church

Imagine a church where people aren't looking for faults but looking for ways to encourage.

Imagine marriages where spouses stop keeping score.

Imagine friendships where grace is given freely.

Imagine social media filled with encouragement instead of outrage.

Imagine Christians becoming known not for attacking each other but for loving each other.

Jesus said:
"By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

The world has enough critics.

What it needs is more people who reflect the heart of Jesus.

Let's be those people.
Let's choose grace.
Let's choose encouragement.
Let's choose love.
Let's choose Kingdom Eyes.

06/11/2026

David Refused the Judge's Seat

Saul spent years trying to kill David.

David had opportunities to strike back.
Opportunities for revenge.
Opportunities for justice.
Opportunities to settle the score.
But David refused. Why?

Because David trusted God.
He refused to take God's place as judge.

Sometimes spiritual maturity is not getting even.
Sometimes spiritual maturity is trusting God to handle what you cannot.
Some battles don't belong in your hands.
Some judgments belong to God alone.

If you've been carrying bitterness, anger, or a desire to prove someone wrong, maybe God is inviting you to release it. Trust Him.

He's a better judge than we are.