Reflecting on God's Goodness

Below are just a few of the testimonies shared by our church family members as they reflected on God's goodness in their lives. It is stories like these that fuel our desire to see Hope Continued, and to live and give generously!

Jess Marshall

Many of you have heard the story, but others who are newer to our congregation might not know.

In January of 2023 our house caught fire, and as God allowed it the firefighters were not able to get the fire out before it burned down almost completely. This was a very jarring experience and loss, but it has allowed some of the greatest blessings in my life. On so many different levels through the pain and loss God showed me his goodness. And today, just over 3 years from this trauma, I can say it has truly been an unbelievable blessing to have experienced God's goodness through the love of God's people at Hope, through many caring hearts of strangers who sent us their love and prayers, and through those touched by our parents lives who gave to us in our loss.

I can't imagine my life now having never gone through such an experience. God is so good. Lamentations 3:21-24 says:

21. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

22. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Erin Cheedie

As I reflect on the 40 plus years being a member at Hope, there is and are so many memories that come to mind… Hope has always been a giving generous body of believers and growing up I had seen it through our family, working to help others in need as a church..

But I never knew what true generosity was till God allowed me to go on our journey with cancer..

I heard so many times in my life how giving and sacrificial Gods people were, but our family witnessed it first hand when we were facing the trial God had placed us in..

There are stories after stories how God provided for us, with some being miraculous, but mostly through our church friends/family. There are no words..

We desire to be a giving, loving family and show others Christ, in their need, just as we experienced.

Knowing we can never repay everyone for their abundant sacrifice, it allows us to see how good our God is and the body of Christ that surround us.

Rick and Cindy Sowell

A Blessed Memory

I remember when the Lord impressed upon my husband to quit his job managing the Lions men's shoe stores in Toledo and to become the full time pastor of Hope Baptist Church. We had not many members (less than 25 as I recall) and no promise of an adequate or any salary from the church. It denied all logic!

But believing that the Lord would take care of our needs, we followed the leading of the Lord.

The church did manage to give us a very small salary, and we were on the receiving end of a few food/gift baskets for Christmas from a couple of local churches that year…a humbling experience.

But the church grew exponentially that next year, and our bills always got paid, and we were fed physically and spiritually just fine. It was a very great blessing to us and to the church to see how God took care of us when it seemed an impossibility. This is a testimony to our great God's generosity!

Amy Doering

I accepted Christ as my Savior in 2004 at Hope Baptist Church.  Jesus Christ saved my marriage and gave me 3 beautiful children that I pray will always follow Him.  I've learned the true meaning of friendship at Hope because Jesus is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.  I've learned how to serve at Hope because ..."even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister."  My husband and I have experienced the generosity of Hope, and the people in it, first hand.  Some of the examples are the following: someone shaking our hand and placing gas money in it (just because), people providing time and meals when my husband had cancer,  people praying for us, children taking time to make cards for me to show appreciation, or people providing advice to us as young growing Christians that needed to stay in church.  I think 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 resonates with me because I have experienced it through the members of Hope Baptist and I have attempted to live by it.

"But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:"

God has provided abundantly, whether it be through His Word or His people.  I don't deserve any of it but I sure am glad that I have experienced it.  Glory to God!

Dave Kowalski

Where to start ?  God has blessed me so much!

After graduation from college I was looking/praying for a godly wife, God literally led me to meet Mary and we got engaged after two dates.. I knew God had put us together!

We enjoyed 53 years together, raising our family and being blessed with 7 grand kids and 2 great grandchildren.

We  actively served the Lord at another church and came to Hope where we grew even more under Pastor Sowell!  The Lord blessed us throughout even though losing jobs, He gave me something better each time.  We began tithing many years ago and the Lord has blessed us more and more.  It's true that you can't out give God!  As we gave to missions and special projects, each time praying for what the Lord would have us to give, Mary would ask " how much of a blessing do YOU want?"  That answered our prayer question because!!

Even when Mary suddenly passed away,  I count it a blessing that He took her in her sleep and without suffering.  How wonderful would it be to go to sleep one night and wake up in Heaven with your Savior ?!!!

Even today, God is still blessing… including a recent negative blood test for cancer that is now 10 years free … plus NUMEROUS other answers to prayers !

I'm so blessed to be able to contact and hear from our missionaries … trying to be uplifting to them yet I'm often the one getting blessed hearing about their stories of people being saved and baptized.  One missionary who was discouraged and even said ". Does anyone even read our prayer letters or care? ". As I tried to be an encouragement to him, the next day he messaged me to say that he somehow found a message from Pastor Sowell that totally uplifted him!!  So many other stories or reports from various missionaries have been a blessing to me and touched my heart.

LindaAGardner

I became a widow unexpectedly at 38 years old. I had 2 teenage girls to raise myself. I had no family here to help. We didn't have home owners insurance.  But God took care of us. I was a widow for 25 years then married again. After 11 years I became a widow again. God has taken care of me and my daughters. We have never lacked anything. Great is thy faithfulness. Than you Jesus.

Christa Entenman

When I was 5 years old my mom was cleaning out our motor home. I was asking questions concerning salvation and my mom knew I wanted to get saved. She quickly got my dad and they sat me down answering my questions and showed me how to receive Christ. You may think what sins did a five year old do? Well, I knew I was a sinner and needed saved. I was in love with Christ from that day forward. I remember being so concerned about it that I walked over to the neighbors house with a gospel track because I knew they needed saved too. That was the first gospel track I passed out.

Jeffrey Rains

God has been extremely good to me. I have the most amazing wife and six healthy children.  God's generosity has shown over the years in providing our every need in our lowest moments.  He has been generous to allow me to experience great joy with my family and church family. My wife is the most generous person. I know it would take very long to provide all the reasons amongst my church brothers I often reflect on how Brother Tom Dooley would invest in others, especially younger men in our church along with his faithful giving. I also learned through your brother Gary lynFesty that financial generosity shown even when finances are not an issue make a huge impact. And also i often recall the generous and giving attitude, brother Gopp had towards children at Hope the last year of his life

Gabriel Nehmer

My life's verse concerning finances has been Proverbs 30:8-9. I do not want to be rich to the point where I trust money instead of the Lord. I do not want to be poor so I do unethical things to get by. He has honored that request; He has always taken care of me. Even though there have been struggles, He has never let me down; He has always provided.