Pastor Jeff's Blog https://www.myhopefellowship.org Interesting links, articles, book reviews, and information for the people of Hope Fellowship Sun, 10 May 2026 16:41:28 -0400 http://churchplantmedia.com/ It's November, so it must mean Christmas music! https://www.myhopefellowship.org/resources/blog/post/its-november--so-it-must-mean-christmas-music https://www.myhopefellowship.org/resources/blog/post/its-november--so-it-must-mean-christmas-music#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2023 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.myhopefellowship.org/resources/blog/post/its-november--so-it-must-mean-christmas-music Already listening to Christmas music.  I love it!  Even when I was in Phoenix last week it was good! It was great to travel with Chris Spano to the Acts 29 Church Planter's conference and find out that he likes Christmas music almost as much as me!

 

Amazon has a Christmas Music sale going on right now with some excellent music on sale for $5 per album

 

 

Here is this year's haul of new Christmas music: (all for $5)
Chris Botti  "December"  (a great jazz trumpet Christmas album)
Harry Connick Jr.  "Harry for the Holidays" 
Tony Bennett  "A Swinging Christmas Featuring the Count Basie Big Band"  (this is a newer album and is great!)
Relient K "Let it Snow Baby...Let it Reindeer"  (This might be slightly out of your musical genre, but it has some fun and original songs-- but it is more alternative in style, so buyer beware).

 

So, for $20 you can be listening to a lot of good music for the holidays!
And, the FYI, the best album I bought last year was Bebo Norman's Christmas from the Realms of Glory not $5 but possibly the best Christmas album in the last 10 years.

 

 

 

]]> Already listening to Christmas music.  I love it!  Even when I was in Phoenix last week it was good! It was great to travel with Chris Spano to the Acts 29 Church Planter's conference and find out that he likes Christmas music almost as much as me!

 

Amazon has a Christmas Music sale going on right now with some excellent music on sale for $5 per album

 

 

Here is this year's haul of new Christmas music: (all for $5)
Chris Botti  "December"  (a great jazz trumpet Christmas album)
Harry Connick Jr.  "Harry for the Holidays" 
Tony Bennett  "A Swinging Christmas Featuring the Count Basie Big Band"  (this is a newer album and is great!)
Relient K "Let it Snow Baby...Let it Reindeer"  (This might be slightly out of your musical genre, but it has some fun and original songs-- but it is more alternative in style, so buyer beware).

 

So, for $20 you can be listening to a lot of good music for the holidays!
And, the FYI, the best album I bought last year was Bebo Norman's Christmas from the Realms of Glory not $5 but possibly the best Christmas album in the last 10 years.

 

 

 

]]> Looking for a Good Book? https://www.myhopefellowship.org/resources/blog/post/looking-for-a-good-book https://www.myhopefellowship.org/resources/blog/post/looking-for-a-good-book#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2023 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.myhopefellowship.org/resources/blog/post/looking-for-a-good-book Collin Hansen recently reviewed Laura Hillenbrand's new book, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption  on The Gospel Coalition's book review site.  

]]> Collin Hansen recently reviewed Laura Hillenbrand's new book, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption  on The Gospel Coalition's book review site.  

]]> Be a Gospel Detective https://www.myhopefellowship.org/resources/blog/post/be-a-gospel-detective https://www.myhopefellowship.org/resources/blog/post/be-a-gospel-detective#comments Wed, 21 Aug 2013 10:00:00 -0400 https://www.myhopefellowship.org/resources/blog/post/be-a-gospel-detective As I was reading Romans 8 this morning, I remembered a phrase I had handwritten on the side of my sermon notes and mentioned last week about how when we read our bibles we need to be "gospel detectives." Like detectives, We need to be looking for connections between what we are called to do as Christians, and the gospel that is the foundation and power to complete these commands. I gave us a few examples on Sunday.

But it's not just individual passages that show us how critical the gospel is to obedience, whole letters of the New Testament have the gospel as the foundation for commands that follow. I can think of two in particular; Romans and Ephesians. In Romans, the first eleven chapters are filled with gospel.

Here's a choice passage:

"If God is for us who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all how will he also with him graciously give us all things. Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies." (Romans 8:31-33)

Then, in Romans 12, the Apostle Paul transitions to commands that flow from this gospel that he has just expounded for 11 chapters. "I appeal to you therefore brothers, present your bodies as a living sacrifice... do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your minds." (Romans 12:1,2)

Ephesians is the same way. For three chapters Paul explains the grace of God and its implications in the gospel, then in 4-6 he applies it to how we should respond in our lives, marriages, parenting, speech etc.

As you read the Word this week seek to be a gospel detective. Be looking for the glorious truth of Jesus' death and resurrection, the implications that flow from it, and the call on our lives as a result.

]]> As I was reading Romans 8 this morning, I remembered a phrase I had handwritten on the side of my sermon notes and mentioned last week about how when we read our bibles we need to be "gospel detectives." Like detectives, We need to be looking for connections between what we are called to do as Christians, and the gospel that is the foundation and power to complete these commands. I gave us a few examples on Sunday.

But it's not just individual passages that show us how critical the gospel is to obedience, whole letters of the New Testament have the gospel as the foundation for commands that follow. I can think of two in particular; Romans and Ephesians. In Romans, the first eleven chapters are filled with gospel.

Here's a choice passage:

"If God is for us who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all how will he also with him graciously give us all things. Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies." (Romans 8:31-33)

Then, in Romans 12, the Apostle Paul transitions to commands that flow from this gospel that he has just expounded for 11 chapters. "I appeal to you therefore brothers, present your bodies as a living sacrifice... do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your minds." (Romans 12:1,2)

Ephesians is the same way. For three chapters Paul explains the grace of God and its implications in the gospel, then in 4-6 he applies it to how we should respond in our lives, marriages, parenting, speech etc.

As you read the Word this week seek to be a gospel detective. Be looking for the glorious truth of Jesus' death and resurrection, the implications that flow from it, and the call on our lives as a result.

]]>