Hope Crossing Community Church

10/12/2026

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
When things are tough, I call on the Lord and lean on his mercy and grace. Deep in my heart, however, I fear I may have made him into my rip-cord Savior — the one I go to only in times of trouble. When I'm reveling in my blessings and things are going well, I am much like the Israelites. I forget to acknowledge that all my blessings and opportunities have come because of the Lord's grace. In my joy and success, I must learn to acknowledge him and not rely on my own wisdom and strength. The wisdom of Proverbs challenges me to honor God and acknowledge him "in all my ways," not just call on him in hard times. I must trust in the Lord and acknowledge my need for him in the good and the bad times, the easy and the challenging circumstances. I invite you to join me in committing to trust the Lord and acknowledge him "in all your ways".

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

10/11/2026

Hope Crossing Community Church (Carson City, NV) - Welcome to our Sunday Worship Service! -11OCT26 (CCLI 21971937/

10/11/2026

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Most of us find it very difficult to share the innermost secrets of our hearts with anyone. We want to keep our secret failings, worst embarrassments, and hidden sins unknown to those who know us. We fear others might reject us if they know, or think we are evil or hypocritical. We worry that we could disgrace ourselves and our families if anyone knew the secret sludge in our hearts. The truth is clear, however: Hidden sin is hidden from us only through self-delusion. It is not hidden from our Father. Hidden sin festers in our hearts and drives a wedge between us and the God who would forgive and empower us to triumph over these things. Sooner or later, the sins we have tried to keep hidden rise to the surface and become known. If only we would pour out our hearts to God, asking for his forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:8-9). When we pour our hearts out to our Father in heaven, we no longer fear him. We trust him with our secrets. We accept that he will forgive and cleanse. So then, God does not become our fear, but our refuge and source of acceptance and strength!

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

10/10/2026

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Long ago, Thomas à Kempis declared, "Man proposes, heaven disposes." Most of us rush to give advice and make grandiose plans. The Wiseman of Proverbs, likely Solomon, reminds us that wisdom comes from submitting to instruction and good advice — that requires discernment! Then, after a significant time of listening and considering, we can begin to align our hearts to the Lord's purposes. If you are like me, you would do much better to let your plans ripen a bit more in the light of the Lord's truth and wisdom from others before launching into living out those plans. I am comforted that James, the wisdom writer of the New Testament, reminded us that God will give that wisdom if we seek it and do not doubt (James 1:5-8). As we pray for wisdom, let's also pray for patience to listen, recognize, understand, and align our hearts with the Lord's truth, so we can recognize godly advice and good instruction as wisdom the Lord wants us to hear.

Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

10/09/2026

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
So many people want us to follow their lead, validate their choices, approve of their opinions, and follow their voice. Only God alone has proved himself faithful and loving through the ages, worthy of our devotion as we follow and obey him. In his might, he is to be revered. But rather than seeing reverence only as a "church thing," Moses reminds us that reverence is also a daily "life thing." We are to obey and keep God's commandments. We are to serve him and depend upon him in our daily lives. We are to worship God in the way we live each day. Rather than just silence in the worship assembly, reverence must also be a committed action in our daily lives as we follow the Lord's guidance and obey his commands, while we serve others to God's glory!

It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.

10/08/2026

Thursday, October 8
Tempted as We Are

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 4:15

The New Testament clearly teaches that Jesus was “in all points, tempted as we are, yet without sin.” “In all points” means Jesus was tempted with every temptation we are. He was tempted in the wilderness of Judea by the devil, but He resisted each of the three temptations by quoting Scripture, “It is written…. It is written again…. For it is written” (Matthew 4:1-11). And He suffered when He was tempted, just as we suffer (Hebrews 2:18). Because He is able to identify with our sufferings, He is able to help all who are tempted. And His temptations had the same purpose as do ours: “Yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).

Recommended Reading:
Matthew 4:1-11

God wants us to learn obedience and to gain maturity. And although we know from James 1:13 that He doesn’t tempt us to sin, He does use temptations to help us learn and grow. Not so we will sin but so we will depend on Him and His provision for resisting temptation.

Temptation always promises more than it produces.
John Blanchard

Read through the Bible:
Matthew 18–20

10/08/2026

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Peter reminded us that we are here as God's chosen people, his witnesses, to "declare the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9). We have experienced God's saving work in our lives. We know he is the Lord. We are the recipients of his blessings and grace. We know our God is the true God. We are the people who anticipate his mighty deliverance yet to come. Our God is the God of the first and the last, the one who is and was and is to come. So, how can we remain silent? How can we remain bitter, pessimistic, or discouraged? The God who made the tomb empty and made the co**se of Jesus our living and exalted Lord is also our Father in heaven. He is mighty to save. We are witnesses that he alone is God!

"I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed — I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God."

10/07/2026

Wednesday, October 7
The Way of Escape

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

We read the story of the Hebrew slaves coming out of Egypt as history. But the apostle Paul told the Corinthians that within the story there is found an example—an example for us about the dangers of yielding to temptation (1 Corinthians 10:6-11).

Recommended Reading:
1 Corinthians 10:6-13

The Israelites had the opportunity to avoid sin in the wilderness, but they failed to take advantage of it. Paul warned the Corinthians to be careful: If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall (verse 12). We, like the Israelites in the wilderness, will be tempted to sin. Also like the Israelites, God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to endure but will provide a way of escape. It is up to us to take the way of escape that He provides.

Do not be surprised when you face temptation; every person is tempted. Look immediately for the way of escape God has provided.

Wherever temptation is, there is God also.
Hannah Whitall Smith

Read through the Bible:
Matthew 14–17

10/07/2026

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Addiction has sometimes been defined as "God-hunger directed to the wrong source of soul satisfaction." Psalm 63:1 reminds us this is true. Deep in us is a desire to seek after God because he is not far from us and longs to be known by us (Acts 17:26-28). Unfortunately, far too often when our souls crave God deeply, he is the last place we turn for satisfaction and fulfillment. Let's earnestly seek God, have our souls thirst for him, and recognize when our bodies long deeply for him. Then let's refuse false substitutes for our soul-thirstiness and seek God above all things, because God is our God. When we earnestly seek him, and our souls thirst for him, and our bodies long for him, we can find satisfaction in him!

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

10/06/2026

From my "Grace for Today" devotional:

Tuesday, October 6th, 2026

Our Wonderful God

"To our God and Father, be glory forever and ever." -Philippians 4:20

The words "Praise the Lord" are repeated often in the Scriptures. There are many Christians who praise and thank Him daily. Unfortunately, there are also many who take His goodness for granted.

It will be worthwhile to become quiet for a while and consider what your life would have been like without God's love and faithful care. What would have happened if you had lost your job and were left without an income? How would you have felt if nobody loved or cared for you?

As a Christian, you know that you don't have to worry because your heavenly Father knows exactly what you need. He loves you and will take care of you. Praise Him for it.

Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits (see Ps. 103:1-2). Amen.