“Saving Private Ryan” is a movie that showed in the theaters years ago. The opening scene shows an older gentleman who is visiting the cemetery at Normandy Beach. The family was visiting there in honor of D-Day. The man searches through the graves and, finding the one that he was looking for, collapses in tears. His family rushes up to him and frantically asks what is wrong. He answers, “Did my life count for anything? Did I make a difference?” It is a very poignant moment in the movie. Everyone asks themself at some time or another if they made a difference. In our study in 2 Peter, Peter focuses on whether or not our lives will count for eternity.
Facing the Adversary of Our Soul (1 Peter 5:8-11)
I grew up in a time when the devil was painted for us as a fairy tale. He was pictured as an individual running around in a red suit. He was red all over and had horns, a tale, and carried a pitchfork. He was always featured during Halloween and was the subject of great stories and poor movies. But the Bible tells us that he appears as an angel of light and his primary goal is to hinder or stop the plans of our Lord and overwhelm believers to the point that they do nothing for the Lord. Today’s message challenges us to really know whom our adversary is and be prepared for the attacks that are coming.
“How Can I Experience “Peace” and “Happiness” Wherever I Am? (1 Peter 5:5-7)
We live in a culture that bombards us with messages today that emphasize and promise peace and happiness and yet they never deliver. How do we get “peace” and “happiness” in this upside-down day that we live in. The feeling and the hope that we want will never come when we seek it on world’s terms. It will only come as we seek it on God’s terms Who created us and knows what we need. The message today speaks to how we can have true “peace” and “happiness”.
“How to Be a Good Minister” (1 Peter 5:1-4)
Whenever we hear the term “minister” we immediately think of the pastor or the church we attend. But, what if the term actually referred to anyone who oversaw someone else for the purpose of encouragement or spiritual growth. It doesn’t depend upon size or organization, it depends upon influencing someone else regardless of their age for the purpose of becoming more like Jesus Christ. Today’s message challenges each one who influences others as to their responsibility to be a good “minister” of Jesus Christ.
How to Face the Fire (1 Peter 4:12-19)
If you watched the news at all in the previous few days, you are very aware of what has happened in Afghanistan. I received a posting about believers in the underground church who were living moment by moment with the expectation of being caught by the Taliban and executed. What if that was us here in the United States? What if we lived daily with the fear of paying a terrible price for being believers? Peter addresses believers who are living under the daily fire that tests their belief. He gives sound counsel on how to face the fire.
How to be An End-Times Believer (1 Peter 4:7-11)
How to Be An End-Times Believer (1 Peter 4:7-11)
Debbie and I had the opportunity to travel out of the country and experienced “culture shock.” It was interesting. We were in Mexico and found ourselves in a place where no one spoke English. We had to be creative in sharing what we were looking for and they had to be creative in answering us. We eventually got directions for our destination but struggled to get them. The Bible says that we are strangers and aliens here. Our home is in heaven. As a matter of fact, we should be looking for Christ to come and establish the kingdom. Our problem is that sometimes we become so comfortable with where we are, we don’t consider where we are going and we don’t impact the world around us. Today’s passage speaks about being an “End-Times” believer. Peter ran into that same issue with the believers of his day.
How to Shock the World (1 Peter 4:1-6)
During World War 2, thousands of young Americans went to Europe as GI’s to help liberate those impacted by the Third Reich. Being thousands of miles away from home, these young men and women had a tendency to live and act in ways that they would never if they had been home. The same is true for Christians today. We are not home and we develop the attitude that it doesn’t really matter how we live while we are here on earth. For the GI’s, the term was coined “Dirty Americans” and for the Christian, it can be just as bad. Today’s passage challenges us to live for Jesus no matter where we are.
How to Handle Things that Don’t Go Our Way (1 Peter 3:13-17)
Are you one of the lucky people that have gotten everything you ever wished for? If you are, you are in the extreme minority. As a matter of fact, I don’t know if I even know anyone that has gotten everything that they have ever wished for. So, we really are a people who have a lot of unfulfilled dreams and unmet goals. How do we deal with that in our lives? The message for today helps us to see how we can handle things that don’t go our way.
How Far Have I Come? (1 Peter 3:8-12)
Don’t you just love summer. Typically, summer is the time that we take vacations. We pack the car and the kids and head out for destinations that, often, we have never been to before. But, how do we get there and how do we know when we have arrived? In my earlier days, we used to carry this large book in the car called a Road Atlas or Road Map. Remember them? Today, we travel with the maps or GPS on our phones. We type in our destination and the phone tells where to go. It ever offers us alternatives if they are available. Our spiritual lives are a journey also. But, how do we know where to go and how do we know if we are evening going the right direction. Peter gives us so great indicators of where we are and where we should be going in the passage today. The question is: “How far have I come?”
How Does God Reflect His Grace to the World Today? (1 Peter 3:1-7)
God is still active today all around us. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like it when we see all the evil playing out around us. But, God is still active and constantly revealing His grace all around us. God’s ways are not man’s ways. However we would choose to reveal God’s message of grace, God has a different and better way. Today, He has chosen to reveal much of His grace through the marriage relationship of a man and a woman. Today’s marriage foundations continually seem to crumble but God still reveals Himself through marriages that honor and glorify Him.
How Can We Help Our Country? (2 Chronicles 7:11-22)
We live in the greatest nation on the face of the earth. We are facing times that are growing increasingly difficult. Today is the birthday of our great nation. But, we are facing enemies within our country that want to shred and destroy the country that we were and are. Unless we stand up for Christ, we face dark times for the Gospel. God warned Solomon after he dedicated the temple to stay focused on God and His blessings because when God’s people forget and wander there was a price to pay and there will be a price to pay.
How to Look Beyond the Negative (1 Peter 2:13-25)
We live in a extremely challenging time. For those of us in my age bracket, we are quickly becoming the last of a dying breed. I remember a time when Christianity, morals, and pastors were held in high regard. That is not the case today. We have moved into a time when evil is called good and good is called evil. I don’t believe that it is going to get any better. If the Lord continues to wait in coming back, it will get worse. How do we hold up under the mounting pressure? Peter challenges us to look beyond the negative and project Jesus to a world that needs to see Him.
How to Be God's Man (1 Kings 2:1-3)
How to Be God’s Man (1 Kings 2:1-3)
Happy Father’s Day! I find it interesting that we often praise and hold up high “mom’s” on Mother’s Day but we have a tendency to dump on dad’s on Father’s Day. I confess that I have probably done that in the past as well. In today’s message, King David is about to die. He has passed the throne on to his son, Solomon, and he gives Solomon some very sound and practical advice for being a “godly man”. God desires that we all would be “godly men”. May the Lord bless you with His wisdom as you listen to this message.
What Does God Think of Us? (1 Peter 2:4-12)
What is your view of God? How do you see Him? Many people see God as a detached deity somewhere a million miles away in outer space in heaven. How could He be interested in mere mortal like me when He has to oversee all the events of this huge world. After all, I am small and insignificant. But, God cares of each one of us deeply. Today’s message speaks of God’s care and thoughts for each one of us.
Why God Wants Us to Walk Together (1 Peter 1:22-2:3)
People really want to find something to hold on to that has reality. They want to find a place to belong where they can find people that are real. The church was designed by the Lord to be that place. Somewhere the church lost its way. Peter gives us instruction on why and how we are to walk together so that we can impact the world for all eternity. Unity is the key and love is the catalyst.
How to Stay Clean When Everything is Dirty (1 Peter 1:13-21)
I remember it just like it was yesterday. My mother worked really hard to get my sister and me ready for church. We had on our Sunday best. The last thing she said to me, “Don’t get dirty, we’re going to church.” As any little boy would do, I said, “Ok!” But, as fate would have it, it had rained during the night and the mud puddles were so inviting. Within moments I had fallen into the mud. Needless to say, my mother wasn’t happy. Our spiritual lives are much the same. God says, “Don’t get dirty!” And, we say, “No problem!” But, the mud of the world is so inviting. How do we stay clean when everything around us is dirty? Peter addresses that very issue in today’s passage.
The Most Powerful Force on the Earth (2 Timothy 1:1-5)
God has blessed every one of us with a mother. God designed the mother to be a very powerful and impacting influence in the lives of her children. As a matter of fact, a mother is the “most powerful force on the earth”. She has the unique ability to influence and shape the generations to come. Today’s message talks about Timothy’s mother and grandmother. They really impacted his life for all eternity. They serve as wonderful role models for all of us.
How to Look Up When Things Look Down (1 Peter 1:1-12)
We come from a variety of backgrounds. If you look at any crowd, you can see how different we all look. Some are tall. Some are short. Some and thin and some are thick. And, everyone comes in a variety of colors. There is one thing that is common to us all, we all experience and pain and difficulty from time to time. Peter addresses his letter to a group of believers that have been scattered because of persecution. He wants to encourage them. The reason that we can keep our eyes on Christ is because He has done so much for us. Today’s message reveals some of the Lord’s special blessings for His children to hang onto when they are going through difficult times.
What Does Jesus Want from My Life? (John 21:17-23)
If you know the Lord as your personal Savior, there will eventually be a “Come to Jesus” moment in your life when the Lord calls on you to move from salvation to commitment. It happens at different moments for every believer. Maybe you have experienced that moment maybe yours is still coming. Peter’s “Come to Jesus” climaxes with his walk with the Lord away from the beach and fire which I believe is symbolic for Peter moving from his old life to his new. When your moment comes, will you be ready?
Coming to Terms with Your Calling (John 21:1-17)
When you accept Christ as your personal Savior, you receive a life-long calling to follow Him, love Him, and tell others about Him. Sometimes we lose sight of that call and even the love that we felt when we first came to know Christ. But, Christ never gives up on us. Peter had denied the Lord three times. This is a very moving scene where the Lord addresses Peter again and calls him back into service and into following Him. Have we ever been like Peter? This is message is for each one of us who has questioned that calling.