A couple weeks ago, Pastor Mark confessed his love of food and his frequent visits to the snack section of our office. I must also confess, I visit that part of our office just as frequently (maybe more!). I love food. I love cooking it. I love eating it. I love sharing food with others. I love trying new foods. There is just something about it that makes me happy.
Going to the scriptures, we see food mentioned a lot. The disciples often broke bread together. Jesus fed crowds multiple times. There are lots of feasts and banquets referenced. So my love of food is Biblical, right?! Maybe I’ll table that for the time being.
There is another mention in scripture that talks about food, but not in the way I have been.
From John chapter 4:1-4 --
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
While food is good and necessary, Jesus wants to give us spiritual food, the food that feeds more than just our bodies. He wants us to be hungry for the Word of God. The picture accompanying this weeks’ newsletter is from one of Hope’s first trips to Cuba. The gentleman featured was tangibly showing his hunger for God’s Word. He had a hunger to learn more about the Gospel and the person of Jesus. He was so excited to receive the materials, he was literally trying to eat them!
This picture makes my heart so happy. I’ve seen this same hunger for God’s Word and the Gospel in Ecuador, Romania, Uganda as well as Cuba. But guess what? There are people with this same hunger right here in Andover. Your friends, your neighbors, the people you pass in Dillons, maybe even in your own family. Who in your life is hungry? Ask the Lord to reveal that to you. God has placed them in your life for a reason, I promise.
This coming Sunday is Missions Sunday, where we'll celebrate 10 years of partnering with World Impact and pastors and believers in Cuba, Colombia, El Salvador, Ecuador and Mexico to train pastors in sound biblical theology that they can take to go plant churches and spread the Gospel across Latin America. We’ll also share about the other mission efforts we partner with at Hope and invite you to some opportunities to get involved. Opportunities for us as a body to continue taking the Gospel to those who are hungry.
I hope to see you this Sunday.
Blessings,
Charlie
Going to the scriptures, we see food mentioned a lot. The disciples often broke bread together. Jesus fed crowds multiple times. There are lots of feasts and banquets referenced. So my love of food is Biblical, right?! Maybe I’ll table that for the time being.
There is another mention in scripture that talks about food, but not in the way I have been.
From John chapter 4:1-4 --
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
While food is good and necessary, Jesus wants to give us spiritual food, the food that feeds more than just our bodies. He wants us to be hungry for the Word of God. The picture accompanying this weeks’ newsletter is from one of Hope’s first trips to Cuba. The gentleman featured was tangibly showing his hunger for God’s Word. He had a hunger to learn more about the Gospel and the person of Jesus. He was so excited to receive the materials, he was literally trying to eat them!
This picture makes my heart so happy. I’ve seen this same hunger for God’s Word and the Gospel in Ecuador, Romania, Uganda as well as Cuba. But guess what? There are people with this same hunger right here in Andover. Your friends, your neighbors, the people you pass in Dillons, maybe even in your own family. Who in your life is hungry? Ask the Lord to reveal that to you. God has placed them in your life for a reason, I promise.
This coming Sunday is Missions Sunday, where we'll celebrate 10 years of partnering with World Impact and pastors and believers in Cuba, Colombia, El Salvador, Ecuador and Mexico to train pastors in sound biblical theology that they can take to go plant churches and spread the Gospel across Latin America. We’ll also share about the other mission efforts we partner with at Hope and invite you to some opportunities to get involved. Opportunities for us as a body to continue taking the Gospel to those who are hungry.
I hope to see you this Sunday.
Blessings,
Charlie