New Hope Baptist Church - HOPE Addictions Program

08/19/2026

19 Aug 26
Proverbs 19

Proverbs 19 covers a lot. Foolishness, integrity, anger, money, friendship, marriage, parents, laziness, correction, and the fear of the Lord.

All choices made, not accidents, but a choice made... by me.

I can be this or that. I can get wisdom, or I can be a fool. I can choose integrity, or live a lie. Choices by me determine everything.

I read wisdom means letting God's truth govern me instead of... impulse, feelings, pride or situation.

Acting before praying... before thinking...

Proverbs 19:2 — “he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.”

His feet, nobody makes me do anything... I do what I want to do.

If I want knowledge... Truth, I have to seek it.

BT #15 — Freedom must be maintained.

Is there help? Yes.
Are there people who care? Yes.
Is there people who love and will pray for you? Yes.

BUT in Christ I must maintain.

Nobody's going to make me have integrity, knowledge, discretion, not lazy, not angry, to fear the Lord, to respect my parents, to hear instruction, kindness, godliness... a walk with the Lord.

Everything God has to say is for now and later...
Proverbs 19:20

BUT... but... nobody's going to make me do it. My choice.

And my consequences if I do or I don't.

Proverbs 19 shows both sides of the right decision and a bad one. Lord help us to make the right one.

08/17/2026

Finished Genesis 42 this morning, and a few things really stuck with me.

Joseph had every human “reason” to be bitter toward his brothers. They had betrayed him, sold him, and caused years of hardship in his life. Now Joseph had the power and opportunity to get even. But he didn't let his feelings make his decisions. Even while being hard on his brothers, Joseph says in Genesis 42:18, “...for I fear God.”

That stood out to me. Whether Joseph was in Potiphar's house, in prison, standing before Pharaoh, or now facing the brothers who had wronged him, God was always part of his decision making.

Joseph's convictions weren't based on his environment or his feelings. His fear of God was his guide.

Another thing that caught me was Jacob saying, “all these things are against me.” From what Jacob could see, everything looked terrible. But what he couldn't see was that Joseph was alive, running Egypt, and God had already put him in position to save and provide for the entire family.

Don't judge what God is doing by the small pieces I can see.

Something I wrote while studying Genesis 41 still fits:
My responsibility is to have faith. The outcome belongs to God. Trust God's character.

And finally, Joseph's brothers were still dealing with the guilt of what they had done roughly 20 years earlier. Sin they thought was buried was still affecting their conscience.

Proverbs 28:13: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

My takeaway today:

Don't let feelings be the decider. Don't assume the worst because I can't see the whole picture. Fear God, trust His character, and let His truth guide my decisions.

08/12/2026

12 Aug 26
Proverbs 12

Verse one, I either love God's word or I hate instruction. I either receive God's instruction, or have it my way. My choice.

I'm not perfect, but am I correctable, do I allow God to correct me? A brutish person is someone who acts on pride and impulse.

I should have the attitude that correction from God is something “I need”, not something to resist.

Proverbs 12:15 says a fool is “right in his own eyes,” but listening to counsel is wise.

A wise person listens to the right counsel.

Pride is not a good listener. Pride has its mind made up. Pride is not open to counsel.

If something “feels right”, double check that—is that of God... or me?

Choices should be initiated based on Truth, not how I feel at the moment.

Devil works the feelings, God works the heart.

Proverbs 12 talked about the “root of righteousness.” God goes deeper than feelings.

Only righteousness can establish a person, settle or fix a person permanently.

Not a perfect person, but a righteous person that has fruit (12:12), forgiveness, joy (12:20), and a life worth living (12:28).

Speaking truth, and living a truthful life will show up (12:17) and bring meaning... purpose.

08/11/2026

11 Aug 26
Genesis 41

My responsibility is to have faith, God's is the outcome. Trust God's character...

First thing I underlined was "at the end of two full years." Joseph had to wait on the Lord. He had to wait 730 days.

The thought hit me, there's been times I didn't go a day, a lousy stinkin' day. It takes effort to wait on the Lord, to trust Him... to have faith. We are to exercise our faith.

James 1:3–4 — "...the trying of our faith worketh patience..."

Resistance is what makes the muscles strong, same idea with my faith, the difficulty is needed... everything is not exactly the way I want it, when I want it, and how I want it.

Sometimes I have to lose before I gain.

I have to trust that God is already working the solution.

All Joseph could see was that prison. He had to clean up and shave to see Pharaoh, so he didn't have it good, but Joseph kept the faith, cause he told Pharaoh in Gen. 41:16... it wasn't in him, but God could.

Joseph was still proclaiming the power of God, even from a jail cell. The situation and place did not break Joseph's faith in God. He still trusted the Lord for the answer.

I read:

"Faith isn't knowing how long I have to wait. Faith is trusting God today when I don't know what tomorrow will bring."

07/29/2026

29 July 26
Genesis 38

Felt like a side story to Joseph. Didn't know what to think of it at first, but I saw important things with Judah.

After what happened with Joseph, Judah separated from his brothers... his family. Started to live immorally. Make wrong choices, which affected his kids... who also made wicked decisions. God took two of his sons.

Judah compromised in his life. He saw and then acted on how he felt. Led with his eyes and flesh. How I gauged it, Judah went with his initial thoughts. He *saw* the Canaanite woman, and then Tamar, who he thought was a harlot, but he did what he felt like doing.

Judah was living a life of a hypocrite. There comes a point though in Genesis 38:26 that Judah admits he was wrong. He acknowledged and then said. Doesn't make excuses or shift blame, but admits it.

Bible Truth #5 – Sin destroys everything it touches.
Consequences Judah went through was compromise, deception, immorality, and hypocrisy. Sin affected his family.

But Judah did confess. Crazy, God's grace and mercy, because David came from the line of Judah. Perez led to David... to Jesus Christ.

First step in sinful actions (addiction) is admitting I'm wrong. Nobody else or anything else is the problem. Admit my own sin.

It’s wonderful how God can take a messed up situation and *STILL* use it for something great and even use it to help others. From Judah, even with what he had done… came David, and ultimately Jesus Christ.

Sin has consequences, God's grace is greater than my failures… if I humble myself and repent.

07/23/2026