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New Hope Baptist Church, 1621 Highway 128, Sparkman, AR (2026)

10/16/2026

Can These Dry Bones Live?
Scripture reading: Ezekiel 37:1–14

Sunday night, my uncle was driving home from church when he called Brady, concerned that there might be a fire near our house. What looked like smoke from a distance was actually a massive cloud of dust rising from the gravel road along our property line.

If you’ve driven down a gravel road or even a dirt driveway lately, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The back of your vehicle is probably like mine, covered in a seemingly permanent layer of dust and dirt.

Sitting at the ballgame last night, I watched as the players kicked up so much dust that it formed a cloud around the field, making it nearly unbearable to breathe.

It seems like no matter where you go around here, you can’t escape the dust. It’s in the air, on our vehicles, and settling on just about everything around us.

As I’ve watched all this dust settle over our little corner of the world, my mind keeps going back to Ezekiel standing in a valley full of dry bones.

In Ezekiel 37, God brings the prophet into a valley filled with bones. Not just a few bones scattered here and there, but a valley full of them, and they weren’t freshly fallen bones, either. Scripture tells us they were very dry.

There was no life left. No evidence of hope. No indication that anything could ever change.

Then God asked Ezekiel a question:

“Son of man, can these bones live?”

Think about that for a moment. “Um, no, they most certainly cannot live, sir.” would’ve been my answer. Dead bones don’t come back to life, and these weren’t just dead bones…they were dry bones, lifeless and beyond any natural possibility of restoration, but Ezekiel gave an interesting answer: “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” (Ezekiel 37:3, NIV)

Ezekiel didn’t pretend he could see how it was possible. He didn’t try to explain how God might accomplish it. He simply acknowledged that the answer rested with God. God told him to prophesy to those bones, and As Ezekiel spoke God’s words, there was a rattling. Bones came together. Tendons and flesh appeared, and skin covered them. The only thing missing was their breath of life.

Then God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath, and breath entered those bodies. They came to life and stood on their feet…an exceedingly great army!

What a picture of the power of God! But this vision wasn’t simply about a valley of dead folks. God explained that the bones represented the people of Israel. They had lost hope and believed their future was gone. They described themselves as dried up, with their hope perished.

God’s message to them was that He could restore what appeared to be beyond restoration. He could bring life where there was only death and hope where there was only despair.

And that brings me full circle, back to this drought. All around us, the ground is dry. Ponds are shrinking. Dust clouds rise behind every passing vehicle. The land looks tired, and the effects of this drought are becoming harder to ignore, but what happens when the dryness isn’t just in the ground? What happens when our hearts become dry, too?

Maybe we’ve prayed for something for so long that we’ve stopped expecting an answer. Maybe we’ve watched a situation get worse until we’ve convinced ourselves that nothing can change. Maybe we’ve looked at a person, a family, a church, or even our own spiritual lives and quietly decided that it’s too far gone.

We’ve reached the point where all we see are dry bones.

Friends hear this… our inability to see a way forward does not limit God’s ability to bring new life.

That doesn’t mean God will always restore things in the exact way we hope or on the timeline we choose. Ezekiel’s vision was a specific promise to Israel, not a guarantee that every difficult situation will unfold as we desire. However, it does remind us that God is NOT limited by what looks impossible to us. He is able to restore, renew, and breathe life into places where hope seems to have disappeared.

Today, I’m reminded that even when the ground is dry and the situation looks hopeless, God is still the giver of life.

So let’s not confuse what looks dead to us with what is beyond God’s power. Let us not assume that because we cannot see the possibility of change, there is no hope.

The question isn’t whether WE have enough strength to bring the dry bones back to life. The question is whether we will trust the GOD who holds the power of life in His hands.

Can these dry bones live?

Ezekiel’s answer still gives us a good place to start: “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”

Even when we don’t know what God will do, we can still trust who He is.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, the dryness around me has reminded me of the dryness within me. I see situations that seem hopeless, hearts that seem hardened, and places in my life where I can no longer imagine anything growing. Help me to remember that You are the giver of life. Teach me to trust You when I cannot see the outcome, to keep seeking You when my heart feel dry, and to believe that circumstances are never beyond Your knowledge or Your power. Send rain to our land, Lord, and breathe new life into our hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

— Stephanie Harmon

10/15/2026

Praying for Rain When Others Fear the Storm
Philippians 2:1–4; 1 Timothy 2:1–4

As we've been praying for rain this week, there’s a little ache in my heart when I think about how differently people might feel about the same forecast. Growing up in a logging family, rain wasn’t always a welcome friend. The same for Brady, whose dad was a brick mason.

For some, rain would be a huge relief. We've got dry ponds, struggling wells, cattle and horses that need water, and dust everywhere. We need rain, and we need it badly, but I also know there are people in my family and community whose livelihoods will be affected when the rain comes. We’ve got three sawmills here in our little town, and all of us around here are connected to the “tree business” in some form or fashion.

When the rain does come, and it will at some point, there will be days when loggers won’t be able to get into the woods or haul logs through muddy roads. Sawmills depend on those logs coming in. There are people who have bills to pay and families to provide for, and a lot of rain will make their work more difficult.

So while one person goes out daily looking at the sky, praying to see a cloud, another person is hoping the rain holds off a little longer.

It makes me think about how often we look at life through our own circumstances. We know what we're struggling with. We know what we need and want. We know what we're praying for, but sometimes we forget that the people around us have needs and struggles of their own.

Philippians 2:4 tells us to look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others.

That's easy to say, but I think it takes intentionality to live it out. It's easy to pray about what's affecting our own lives. It's easy to focus on the problems right in front of us, but God calls us to care about more than just what's happening in our own little corner of the world.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't pray for rain. It doesn't mean we shouldn't ask God to meet our needs. It means we can pray for what we need while also remembering the people who may be affected differently…and I think this goes beyond the weather. We may be praying for a situation to change without realizing how that change could affect someone else. We may be so focused on our own hurt that we don't stop to consider what another person is carrying.

I don't know all the needs in our community, but God does. He knows the rancher watching his ponds dry up, the family worrying about their well, and the worker wondering how the weather will affect his paycheck. So today, I'm still praying for rain, but I'm also praying for the people who are worried about what that rain might mean for them.

May we never become so focused on our own needs that we forget to care about the needs of others.

Lord, help us see people the way You see them. Teach us to pray for one another, to be compassionate, and to remember that everyone we meet is carrying something we may not know about.

— Stephanie Harmon

10/14/2026

When the Well Runs Dry
Jeremiah 2:13; John 4:7–14

Here in good ole Pine Grove, over the last week, our horses and cows keep getting out. It took us a whole minute to figure out why they were suddenly so determined to break out of their pastures. Their ponds are drying up, and they’re getting out in search of water.

When you think about it, can you blame them? They’re thirsty, and they’re looking for what they need to survive.

This got me thinking about how thirst makes us search for something to satisfy it. When we’re thirsty, we go looking for an icy cold drink of water…nothing else will satisfy. We don’t just sit around hoping the feeling will go away. We know we need something, and we go looking for it.

I wonder how often we recognize that same kind of thirst in our spiritual lives.

In Jeremiah 2:13, God describes His people as having forsaken Him, the fountain of living waters, and digging their own broken cisterns that cannot hold water. In other words, they had walked away from the very Source that could satisfy them and were trying to find fulfillment somewhere else.

If we’re honest, we can do the same thing.

We search for peace in our circumstances, happiness in the things we have, and comfort in the people around us. We stay busy, keep ourselves entertained, and fill our days with all kinds of things…including “churchy” things, but none of those things can take the place of a real relationship with Christ.

In John 4, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman about the living water He can give. He offers something that goes beyond satisfying a physical thirst. He offers the gift of eternal life.

Those cows and horses can’t explain why they’re searching for water, but their actions tell us they know they need it, and I wonder if sometimes our own lives show that we’re searching for something, too. We just don’t always recognize what it is we’re really thirsty for.

I don’t want to spend my life searching for things that will never truly satisfy me when the Source of living water is right there, inviting me to come to Him.

As we watch our ponds dry up and our animals search for water, maybe it’s a good time to ask ourselves: What am I searching for to satisfy my soul? Am I going to the Source, or am I trying to fill a thirst that only God can satisfy?

Lord, help us recognize our need for You. Forgive us for the times we’ve looked everywhere else for what only YOU can give. Draw us back to You and teach us to find our satisfaction in Your presence.

— Stephanie Harmon

Do you know Jesus?
If you've never accepted the salvation He offers, you can respond to Him today. Rain can bring relief to dry ground, but only Jesus can reconcile us to God and give us the hope of eternal life. If you haven't responded to His invitation, don't wait. Turn to Him today.

The ABCs of Salvation
A – Admit you are a sinner.
B – Believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again.
C – Confess Jesus as Lord and call on Him to save you.

The Roman Road (key verses from the book of Romans)
1. Everyone has sinned. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”— Romans 3:23
2. Sin’s penalty is death, but God offers the free gift of eternal life. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”— Romans 6:23
3. God showed His love by sending Jesus to die for us . “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”— Romans 5:8
4. Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”— Romans 10:9-10
5. Anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved. “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”— Romans 10:13

Example Prayer of Salvation
You can pray something like this from your heart:
“Dear God,
I admit that I am a sinner and that I fall short of Your glory.
I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and rose again from the dead.
I confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
Please forgive me, come into my life, and save me.
Thank You for the free gift of eternal life.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

If you prayed this sincerely, trusting in Jesus alone, the Bible says you are saved (Romans 10:13). Tell someone about your decision and begin reading the Bible (start with the Gospel of John) and talking to God in prayer.

10/13/2026

When the Roots Run Deep
Jeremiah 17:5–8

If you know my family at all, you know how important trees are to us. Yesterday, I was studying the trees on the way to Little Rock, and it's hard not to notice how much this drought is affecting them. There are no pretty fall colors this year. Some are still trying to hang on to the green, but most leaves are already dead and crunchy. The longer we go without rain, the more everything seems to struggle

It got me thinking about the roots of a tree. We can look at a tree and see its trunk, its branches, and its leaves, but we can't see what's happening underneath the ground. We don't know how deep those roots go or where they're finding their water.

Jeremiah 17:7–8 describes a person who trusts in the Lord as a tree planted by the water, sending its roots out toward the stream. When the heat comes, the tree doesn't have to be afraid. Its leaves stay green, and it continues to bear fruit even when the rain doesn't come.

Notice that the Scripture doesn't say the heat will never come. It doesn't say the tree will never experience a drought. It says the tree has roots reaching toward a source of water.

Ok, I hear you, Lord…

Sometimes we think that if we're following God, life should be easier. We pray, we go to church, we try to do what's right, and we wonder why we're still going through difficult seasons, but following God doesn't mean we won't experience droughts in our lives. We will have times when things don't go the way we planned, when prayers seem unanswered, and when we just don't understand what God is doing.

The question is, where are our roots?

Are we rooted in God's Word? Are we spending time with Him when things are going well, or do we only start reaching for Him when everything around us begins to fall apart?

It's easy to look like we're doing fine on the outside. We can show up at church, smile at people, and carry on with our daily lives while we're struggling underneath the surface, but God sees what's happening in our hearts.

I don't want my faith to depend on whether life is going the way I want it to. I want my roots to run deep enough that when the heat comes, I still know where my strength comes from.

We can't control how long this drought lasts. We can't make the rain come, but we can make sure we're drawing near to the One who sustains us through every season.

Maybe today is a good time to ask ourselves: Are my roots deep in the Lord, or have I been depending on things that won't sustain me when the heat comes?
Lord, help us grow deeper roots. Help us spend time in Your Word and learn to trust You, not just when life is good, but when we're walking through the hard seasons, too.

— Stephanie Harmon

Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NIV):
5 This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6 That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”

10/12/2026

When the Ground Is Thirsty
Psalm 63:1–8

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the drought we’re experiencing here in south Arkansas. This weekend Lauren Franks reached out to churches in our community, burdened by the dry conditions and asking us to join together in prayer for rain. Yesterday at New Hope we had a beautiful time of prayer, lifting up that very need. It’s been heavy on my mind ever since.

If you’ve been outside much at all, you know just how bad things have gotten. Ponds are drying up. Wells are struggling. Cattle and horses are suffering. Even the playground is so dead and dusty that after recess duty my feet are filthy, and the kids are covered in dust.

It’s fall, and instead of the leaves turning those beautiful, slow-changing colors, everything has gone straight from summer green to dead, crunchy brown. Everywhere you look, what should still be living and vibrant is withering and dying.

Wildfires have become a real threat, and the county-wide burn bans can’t seem to relay the seriousness of the situation. Every day, I hear over Brady’s police radio that there’s a fire somewhere close, and my volunteer firemen friends are getting called out to another grass fire (Thank you for your service).

When I stop and think about the drought, I get emotional…and for a while I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. Now I think I understand…

It’s hard not to feel how thirsty this land is, and this has me thinking about spiritual thirst.
David wrote in Psalm 63 about thirsting for God in a dry and weary land where there was no water. He understood something we sometimes forget…our souls can be just as thirsty as the ground beneath our feet.

We can go to church, raise our hands in worship, read our Bibles…”when we have time”…and still find ourselves spiritually dry. We can get so busy living life that we don’t even recognize how far we’ve drifted from the One who gives us life. Maybe we’ve been trying to satisfy our thirst with everything except the Living Water.

I don’t know when the rain will come…I pray it comes soon, but I do know this: I don’t want to be more aware of the dryness in my yard than I am of the condition of my heart.

So today I’m asking myself a question…and maybe you’ll ask yourself the same one: Am I thirsting for God as desperately as this dry land is thirsting for rain?

Lord, make us thirsty for You again. Help us recognize our need for Your presence, Your Word, and Your grace. Let the dryness around us remind us to draw near to You.

— Stephanie Harmon

Psalm 63:1–8 (NIV)
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
¹ You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
² I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
³ Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
⁴ I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
⁵ I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
⁶ On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
⁷ Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.

10/11/2026

Applying The Ways Of God
Life is, for anybody including the Christian, anything but easy. We not only encounter regular garden variety struggles but sometimes it’s the people that are closest to us that provoke and challenge us the most.

The good news is that there is an answer to working through these challenges. The bad news is, however, that we will never resolve the issues within our own strength, wisdom, or limited graces. For the believer, resolution only comes by applying the ways of God and the wisdom of God. And these things are found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. For example, He says, ‘But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you’ (Luke 6:27–28).

I thank God that I’ve experienced rejection, misunderstanding, injustice, and slander against me by many people, including my best friends, which surprise, surprise, has given me a great understanding and compassion for other Christians and a love for the church. I believe that Jesus didn’t just want me to take these relationships from negative to neutral but to swing them through to positive.

Can I encourage you to study the life of Jesus Christ in the New Testament and take His words to heart? Firstly, pray for your enemies and, dare I say, bless them. And entrust your life and reputation to God. Do life His way and let Him vindicate you.

Written by JOHN SCOTT

10/10/2026

The Storage Room
To one side of my office is a small storage room. It’s home to a growing collection of urns that contain the unclaimed ashes of people who have passed away. All were well known and loved here (Wayside Chapel), but for some, we have no idea where to begin looking for family. Sadly, the collection continues to grow. About once a week I find myself introducing a new urn to the rest of the group. This growing community of the unclaimed has a hold on my heart in ways that are hard to describe.

Our usual mode of operation isn’t to see others as ‘they are’, rather, we tend to see others and the world, as 'we' are. Being lost in a culture of self-improvement, it’s easy to assume that others would benefit from the accumulated wisdom of our discontented strivings for impossible goals and standards. Most of our modes of being in this world involve some kind of impulse to fix or control.

To someone in a world full of pain and suffering, we can offer the gift of tears. Tears can cleanse our eyes and provide a renewed clarity of vision to help us truly see the person before us, and that we cannot fix anyone. Tears can help to release a burden. When this happens, a miracle can occur, enough space is opened up for God to work. How’s that? When we surrender our agenda we are open to God’s.

On a bad day when I’m with my gathering of 'urn companions', I simply place my hands on them and pray for a world where every heart can find a resting place.

Written by JON OWEN

10/09/2026

Prayer In Challenging Times
Earlier this year, I noticed that the sink in my bathroom was taking some time to empty – which, I was certain, was an indication that something was blocked in the bend underneath the sink. With very limited DIY know-how, I looked up some YouTube videos that suggested drain cleaner could be a good option, or I could undo the bend myself to find the source of the blockage. I decided to follow instructions for the latter which was a success... until I had to reattach the bend. Try and try again, I could not get it to line up and reattach, and now there was water leaking out of the pipe!

I had made matters far worse for myself.

Thankfully, my Dad was only a phone call away (with far superior DIY ability), and was able to drop by and solve the problem with some plumbing tape. Who knew such a magical fix existed!

When we are faced with challenges, we often respond in despair and take things into our own hands. And when we do, things can end up worse than before! Yet, our heavenly Father is there for us. Our God wants to hear from us, to cry out to Him when we are feeling stuck, acknowledging that without Him we are helpless. I am reminded of David’s words when he was in a far more precarious situation, with his life under threat. He acknowledges that his God is his help in times of trouble, and prays for help.

When we feel out of control, we can know with certainty that He is in control, and wants to hear from us.

Written by SAM ROBINSON

10/08/2026

God Is Not Overwhelmed
On the hardest days of our lives, it can be hard to see God. Our minds are crowded with thoughts of pain and uncertainty, and perhaps anger or frustration at the situation we find ourselves in.

It’s very difficult to see anything other than the dilemma we’re facing because it’s just so all-consuming.

In those times of hardship though, it’s important we learn to find moments of stillness. Be it 30 seconds to breathe at our desk, or a brief pause in the car before we move on to our next appointment.

Why?

Because, although we may not feel Him, God is there, and it’s in those times of stillness we refine our awareness of Him and let His ‘higher thoughts and higher ways’ become the ones we live by.

When we listen to Him, fear is displaced by peace, and despair with hope. Confusion and worry are overtaken by clarity and trust.

In the greatest times of my feeling overwhelmed, I’m reminded of the words of a dear friend who said, ‘God sees the whole picture and He’s not overwhelmed.’ So our prayer is, ‘God give me Your perspective.’

Amen.

Written by LAURA BENNETT

10/07/2026

Mindset of Gratefulness

As I look back on the days of COVID, I remember how uncertain and unsettling life felt. Lockdowns, restrictions, canceled plans, separation from family and friends, and the constant uncertainty of what might happen next created a kind of stress many of us had never experienced before. At the time, it felt as though life had been turned upside down. We lost freedoms, routines, opportunities, and a sense of normalcy. Yet, looking back now, we can see that even seasons we never would have chosen can teach us something about what truly matters.

When situations are challenging, it’s easy—almost natural—to focus on the difficulty. And it doesn’t take a global crisis for that to happen. Today, our challenges may look different. We can become consumed by the demands of work, family responsibilities, financial pressures, relationships, health concerns, the constant stream of news, or simply the busyness of everyday life. Focus on those things long enough, and they can begin to shape the way we see everything else. What we continually focus on eventually becomes the filter through which we experience life.

One of the best ways to combat that downward spiral is by adopting a mindset of gratefulness. Gratitude doesn’t mean pretending that life is easy or ignoring the things that are difficult. It means choosing to recognize that even in difficult circumstances, there is still goodness to be found.

Maybe we begin with something as simple as our ability to see, to hear, to breathe, to think, to love, and to experience another day. Then think about the prayers God has answered, the doors He has opened, the people He has placed in your life, and the victories and breakthroughs you’ve experienced along the way. Think about the times you were certain you couldn’t make it through something—and yet, here you are.

What’s next? Can you add to the list?

If you kept going, how long would it be?

I can’t help but think that the Apostle Paul understood something about the human heart when he wrote to the Philippian church:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” — Philippians 4:8

Paul wasn’t writing those words from a life free of hardship. He understood suffering, uncertainty, disappointment, and difficulty. Yet he encouraged believers to intentionally direct their thoughts toward what is good, true, and worthy of praise.

We may not be living through a pandemic today, but we are still surrounded by plenty of things competing for our attention. We get to choose what we allow to occupy our minds.

So today, instead of allowing what is wrong to become the loudest voice, pause and remember what is right.

Look for the blessings.

Remember the victories.

Give thanks for the ordinary things that are actually extraordinary gifts.

And then, as Paul encouraged us, fill your mind with what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

What we choose to focus on may not change our circumstances, but it can change the way we walk through them.

New Hope Baptist Church

10/16/2026

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