Real Hope Conversations

How well do you know the most well-known verse in the Bible? In this limited series, two New Testament experts explore and explain the build-up, detail and consequence of John 3:16. Cass Kwakye from Whitley College in Melbourne, Australia, and Tom Habib from Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia, share a passion for John’s gospel and the impact it has upon everyone and everything, forever. In conversation with Hope 1032’s Ben McEachen, Tom and Cass guide us through the riches and promises flowing from “For God so loved the world…” We hope the John 3:16 podcast will resource your faith with powerful truths about belief in God’s Son that leads to eternal life. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. MORE ABOUT CASS Cass is a lecturer in New Testament at Whitley College, Melbourne. Previously, she lectured at Morling College in Sydney for more than 14 years. Cass is an ordained minister and has served for more than 20 years in roles such as church planter and associate pastor. MORE ABOUT TOM Before serving at Moore Theological College as a New Testament lecturer, Tom was an assistant minister at Yagoona & Condell Park Anglican church. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Psalm 23 Podcast. Get into the delight and detail of The World’s Most Famous Psalm, as Ben McEachen (Hope Mornings) joins theologian and author David Hohne (Moore Theological College, Sydney, Australia) for three helpful conversations. Explore Psalm 23 and discover what this ancient poem meant when it was first written, how it still relates to our everyday lives and who the Good Shepherd truly is. David Hohne is a lecturer in Christian Thought at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia. His book The Last Things offers a deeper understanding of the Kingdom of God, through the lens of the Lord's Prayer. Ben McEachen hosts the Morning Show on Hope 103.2 in Sydney, Australia. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends, and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” NEHEMIAH 8:10 (NKJV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. NEHEMIAH: BUILDING COMMUNITY The book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament of the Bible is more than an account of the wall of Jerusalem being rebuilt. It’s an invitation to all who read it to be inspired by one person’s faith and passion to rebuild a community of people. The story can speak to each of us today as we engage in a desire to rebuild communities of faith and hope in the wake of the discouragement and vulnerability that world events have caused in the past few years. Come with us as we consider how compassion for others can become inspirational action. We’ll also consider how we can do our God-given part without taking on more than is ours to do. Working with others in a common purpose has a profound effect in building community and is one of the main messages of Nehemiah. There’s also the honest realisation that opposition to positive community building will often come from those who are onlooking as well as those who you hoped would join in and help. Finally, Nehemiah recognises the importance of celebrating the stages of completion and, although there always seems to be more to be done in building healthy communities, it’s important to stop and remember the good things that have been built together. We pray you’ll be inspired and encouraged to believe again that God has made us to be in community with others and to work together for a common purpose. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends, and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. GENESIS 1:10-13 (NIV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. THE WONDER OF THE LORD’S CREATION Oh Lord, my God When I, in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds thy hands have made I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder Thy power throughout the universe displayed How Great Thou Art, Stuart Hine When a sculptor or artist creates something, they imprint part of who they are into the thing they’re creating – that’s what makes these items so precious and incredible – they carry the essence of their creator within them. This is true of the world that God created – we can see Him in every created thing. From the creation of light to the stars, to the land and the seas, ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands’ (Psalm 19:1 NIV). Join us each day this week as we take a different aspect of God’s incredible creation and explore a little more of what it says about who God is and how that truth impacts our lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends, and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) ‘Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song! Arise, Barak! Take captive your captives, son of Abinoam.’ JUDGES 5:12 (NIV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. LESSONS ON LEADERSHIP THROUGH DEBORAH A study by Heidi Wysman Israel had many judges, but one of the memorable and prominent ones was a woman named Deborah. Not only was she notable because she was a woman, a mother and grandmother, but also because she was a woman who knew the Lord. Deborah was a prophetess who knew battle strategy, and she became a renowned judge and leader in Israel. We see through her story in Judges 4 and 5 that she had gained great prominence, distinction and importance on her own merits of character. Her love for, and faithfulness in, her Lord was one that brought her into her destiny of greatness. God is no respecter of persons for He gives equal and unconditional love to all as He searches out the matter of the heart, male or female. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends, and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. REVELATION 7:16–17 (NIV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. HOPE Hope is called the anchor of the soul because it gives stability to the Christian life. But hope is not simply a ‘wish’, (I wish that such-and-such would take place) but rather it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made. - RC Sproul Hope is a word that Christians and non- Christians use every day. In moments of sadness, grief and loss, hope is the word used to encourage and spur people on. But we know that hope has an eternal meaning. It’s more than just a word of encouragement or a wish but is a real certainty that God holds our future in His hands. It’s a hope and strength anchored in Christ. This week, together we’ll dive into the understanding of the eternal meaning of hope and how this hope we hold in our hearts has the power to impact a world in search of it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends, and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) Then they gathered around him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them: ’It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. ACTS 1:6-9 (NIV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. ACTS The body is God’s temple, but we are to worship God, not the temple. - MARTIN LUTHER KING JR The Temple. Throughout the Bible it’s a location where God’s desire to meet and be with His people is realised. However, with Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, a new temple was established within us, His people. What does it mean to be God’s temple? How are we then to live our lives and how does that mean we are to commune together as brothers and sisters in Christ? We trust that, as you explore the temple both old and new, that the desire of God to be in relationship with you is not an afterthought but a desire that was born in the garden of Eden and still continues thousands of years later. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends, and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. JAMES 4:8a (ESV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. VISION Knowledge is love and light and vision. HELEN KELLER The year 2023 is here. While many people start the year with resolutions, we wanted to start the year with vision: the vision that God has for His people and the calling He has placed on every one of our lives. Let’s start the year not with things to fix or improve, but with the vision to see past the ordinary day-to-day and to look to the future God has set for us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends, and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. PSALM 9:1 (NIV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. ALIGNING OUR HEART WITH GOD’S Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. PROVERBS 4:23 (ESV) The end of a year brings time to reflect upon all that was and all that God has done, and to start to prepare and hope for all that is to come in the new year. It’s also a time for us to think about where our heart is when it comes to God and His will and purpose for our life; to perform a heart check, if you will – to put things in place and align our heart to Him as we step into a new year. Over the next week, we’ll spend time reflecting on our heart when it comes to gratitude, our trust in His plan, where our joy is found, when a season ends, and practical ways to continue to cultivate a heart that aligns with our heavenly Father’s heart for us and His people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends, and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) Jesse was the father of David the king. Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen; from David to the Babylonian deportation, fourteen generations; and from the Babylonian deportation to the Messiah, fourteen generations. MATTHEW 1:6a,11,16,17 (AMP) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. THE JESUS GENEALOGY: WHAT’S THE POINT? A Series by Bob Mendelsohn In this series Bob Mendelsohn, national director of Jews for Jesus here in Australia, opens God’s Word to us from a very unlikely source, the genealogy of Jesus as shown in Matthew, the first chapter. In fact, the entire first chapter speaks Gospel truths clearly and Bob could unpack those as well. Let’s be honest… most of the time when we see a long list of names, most of which we cannot even pronounce, we glance at the names and skip to the end. Is that what you do? Bob will show us why Matthew spends so much ink on this list of 42 generational names, why he leaves out so many generations, and why he, and only he in the entire Bible, includes 5 women in the list. What is the Gospel author saying by saying and by not saying? You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to appreciate the stories that unfold. You just must enjoy story itself. Don’t we all love a good story? Whether in the form of a movie or a great novel… and Matthew understands that. Each reference conjures up images and dialogue, most of all, story. Let’s see where those stories take us. And learn what God has to say to us as 21st century people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends, and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) Silent night (silent night) Holy night (holy night) All is calm, all is bright Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child Holy Infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace - Silent Night by Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. O COME LET US ADORE HIM The great challenge left to us is to cut through all the glitz and glam of the season that has grown increasingly secular and commercial, and be reminded of the beauty of the One who is Christmas. - BILL CROWDER Every year, during the Christmas season (and at times outside of the season) Christmas carols can be heard on high rotation in shopping centres, on the radio, in homes and churches. Songs that are so familiar that friends and family who are not Christians still know the lyrics and the melodies. These Christmas Carols have become so familiar in society that sometimes it can seem like we are singing them by rote, forgetting the message of the Gospel that inspired the words we are singing. As we get closer to Christmas and the celebration of our Saviour King, we hope that through this week’s devotionals you’ll hear some of your favourite Christmas carols anew and will have time to reflect on the lyrics of these songs that bring joy, hope and life in the Christ. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends, and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you. DEUTERONOMY 16:17 (ESV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. ALL IN He wants all or nothing. The thought of a person calling himself a ‘Christian’ with being a devoted follower of Christ is absurd. - FRANCIS CHAN The decision to accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour is not one to be made lightly. God does not ask us to only follow Him when times are good. He does not ask us to only obey Him when we feel like it. He does not ask for half of our heart. No, He asks for all of us. For us to deny ourselves and pick up our cross and follow Him. What does a life that is ‘all in’ for Christ look like? This week, through the following five devotions, we will be looking at just that. How we can live lives that are ‘all in’ for Christ and how can we encourage one another as we run this race of faith? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. EPHESIANS 3:20-21 (NIV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. ABUNDANT PROVISION We have all things and abound; not because I have a good store of money in the bank, not because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because the Lord is my Shepherd. - CHARLES SPURGEON It’s so easy to be exhausted by the world – by the confusion, chaos, the constant striving for more, the constant push for success. In the constant noise, it’s easy to lose sight of all we have to be thankful for – all the things our amazing Father has provided to us over and above what we deserve. As you go through this week’s devotionals, use this time to stop. Take a break from the noise around you and meditate on our Saviour King and the abundance of His care, love and provision for you and your life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, ’I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, “If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.”’ 1 KINGS 2:1–4 (ESV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. FINDING HOPE THROUGH THE LIFE OF DAVID – Part 2 A series by Heidi Wysman Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, ‘Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, “You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’’’ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 2 SAMUEL 5:1–4 (ESV) David was anointed king three times. First by Samuel the prophet (1 Samuel 16:1–13), then anointed king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:1–4), and then over all Israel. He was anointed king at the tender age of 17, but only sat on the throne at 30. That’s a long gap but during those years David learned how to handle crises, love his enemies, honour authority, do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with his God. It was an important refining and training time. By the time David became king of Israel, his security was firmly rooted in God’s goodness and justice. God had proved Himself to be faithful time and again in the past, and now David’s confidence in God was unshakable. David was the king to which all the future kings of Israel would be compared. Our God raises up leaders and will use everything we walk through to grow us in to the position He’s calling us in to. PRAYER: Lord help me to be patient while I’m waiting. To trust You even during moments when I feel negative emotions. Deepen my understanding of what You’re doing in my life. Stretch my faith and refine me in the midst of the wait, just as You did for David. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again… HEBREWS 11:32–35a (NIV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. HISTORY MAKERS History is a story written by the finger of God. - CS Lewis The message of the Gospel is one that has impacted generations throughout history, transforming the lives of individuals, families, communities and nations. History is being written even today, through the message of the Gospel, a message we all play a part in. As we journey through the next series of devotionals, we pray you’ll see that your life is a part of the story being written by God’s own hand. A story that tells the history of Christian faith and proclaims the saving grace of God offered to all who come. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share real hope with your family, friends and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them. EXODUS 39:42–43 (NIV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. AND… END SCENE The end to our study of Exodus The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. EXODUS 14:14 (NIV) The final chapters of Exodus are the final scenes of an epic story of freedom, promise, covenant, details and ultimately God’s unconditional love for His people. As we finish our study on Exodus (see previous editions of the Real Hope devotional) our hope is that you will not only reflect on all you have learnt as we have journeyed through this amazing book of the Bible, but that you will also see God’s heart for His people, and His heart for you. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You [God] have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? PSALM 56:8 (ESV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au Or connect with the Hope 103.2 community via Facebook or Instagram. GRIEF A series by Kath Henry We grieve deeply because we have cared deeply. Grief is something we will all experience in this lifetime. The word grief is often used to describe the emotion of deep sorrow felt when someone we love has died. However, grief can also be a response to the loss of anything that has held meaning and significance in our life. The emotions of grief are often complex and varied and are also likely to impact many other dimensions of an individual’s sense of being. These might include physical, behavioural, social and spiritual to name a few. So how can we find our way in our own times of grief and how can we walk as a compassionate friend alongside others who are grieving? I hope these five devotions may be a starting point for you as we look at some verses from the Bible and share some reflections. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that you can reach out for help for yourself and others. Your community of support may already include friends and family. Remember you can also connect with well-trained people who have learned how to listen and how to help the grieving. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. EPHESIANS 2:8–9 (NIV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au Or connect with the Hope 103.2 community via Facebook or Instagram. EARTHEN VESSELS ‘Take me, mold me, Use me, fill me, I give my life to the Potter’s hand.’ - Darlene Zschech We all have flaws. Not a single one of us is perfect and many of us have cracks and breaks that are evidence of seasons of wilderness, loss, grief and confusion. But despite these cracks and flaws God, in His love, puts us back together in His only perfect way, and uses us to continue to bring Him glory and share experiences of His love with those around us. As you navigate the next five days of readings, may you be filled anew with comfort and hope that your flaws, cracks and breaks have been made perfect through His sacrifice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ROMANS 12:1–5 (NIV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au Or connect with the Hope 103.2 community via Facebook or Instagram. THE TEMPLE The body is God’s temple, but we are to worship God, not the temple. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR The temple. Throughout the Bible, it is a location where God’s desire to meet and be with His people is realised. However, with Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, a new temple was established within us, His people. What does it mean to be God’s temple? How are we then to live our lives? How does that mean we are to commune together as brothers and sisters in Christ? We trust that, as you explore the temple both old and new, the desire of God to be in a relationship with you is not an afterthought but a desire that was born in the garden of Eden and still continues now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. PSALM 23:1–2 (NKJV) Send the Real Hope team a message Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au Or connect with the Hope 103.2 community via Facebook or Instagram. PSALM 23 I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. - PSALM 23:6 (NIV) Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known psalms. If you grew up in Sunday school, every verse was a memory verse and when you hear the start of verse 1 – ‘The Lord is my shepherd’ – for some, the rest of the psalm just rolls off the tongue because it’s so familiar. However, we all know that familiarity sometimes brings loss of meaning – a rote recitation of a passage that contains a message of hope and comfort in a season of wilderness and loss. As we dissect this psalm verse by verse over the next five days, we pray that it won’t just be familiar but that it will take on new depth and new meaning in your life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.