<- Back Safe Through The Water: Lessons From The Flood Myles Hester January 19, 2025 Safe Through The Water: Lessons From The Flood Myles Hester 00:00 / 38:55 Download Outline File Download Presention File Request a File Looking for an outline or powerpoint file for a specific lesson? Let us know! Request Now The Flood, Flood, Grace, Faith, Saved, Corruption, Cleansing, Calm, Covenant

<- Back Why Be a Part of a Local Church? Tim Torno February 5, 2023 Why Be a Part of a Local Church? Tim Torno 00:00 / 01:04 Download Outline File Download Presention File Request a File Looking for an outline or powerpoint file for a specific lesson? Let us know! Request Now assemble, assembly

<- Back My Father's Business Benjamin Lee October 25, 2020 My Father's Business Benjamin Lee 00:00 / 01:04 Download Outline File Download Presention File Request a File Looking for an outline or powerpoint file for a specific lesson? Let us know! Request Now jesus, work, father, son, ministry, spiritual, intention, motivation, jesus's mission, gospels

When studying a book of the Bible there are certain questions that need to be answered upfront. Knowing the answer to these questions will give you a better understanding of the book. Here are three simple but important questions as you think about books of the Bible, particularly in the New Testament. Who wrote the book? Who is the audience of the book? What is the purpose of the book or letter? Certainly, there’s more to consider than these three questions, but this is a start. I want us to consider the short epistle of 1 Peter . Let’s begin by answering these questions and then consider a few thoughts about God’s Grace. Who wrote the book? The apostle Peter did. “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ…”   1 Peter 1:1 . Who is the audience of the book? Saints of God who are scattered. 1 Peter 1:1-2   “To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.” What is the purpose of the letter? Peter is writing to encourage these Christians who are going to face persecution. They are to stand in the true grace of God. “Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.” 1 Peter 5:12 .   The apostle emphasizes the need for holiness, endurance, and the grace of God throughout the letter. Let’s consider some thoughts Peter helps us to see understand regarding God and His Grace. 1 Peter 5:10 : “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”  Notice where grace comes from: God! Our God is gracious in every way. He’s always been gracious. Some think God in the Old Testament was not gracious, but that’s not true. In both the Old and New Testament God demonstrates His grace toward man. There is such a thing as “True Grace.” We are to stand or abide in the true Grace. If there’s a true grace, then there’s a false grace or concept of grace. Some view God’s grace as a get of jail free card when it comes to sin. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, Peter reminded the saints in 1 Peter 2:16 “…Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.”  We are not to continue in sin so that God’s grace may abound, Romans 6:1-2 . We have God’s grace because of the appearance, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus appeared for our sake, 1 Peter 1:20 . We were redeemed by His precious blood, 1 Peter 1:18-19 . There was nothing we could do to earn or merit this amazing grace. Yet the God of all grace has provided it for us. As a result of God’s grace Peter urges the saints to live excellent lives. By that, he emphasizes that their behavior is to be excellent among the people of the world, 1 Peter 2:11 . But why should Christians strive to live holy and righteous if we’re already saved by God’s grace? It’s because this great gift God has provided should be motivation for our conduct. Because we have tasted the kindness of God through the salvation He’s given us, this should be the natural response. Peter reminds the saints that because of who they are in Christ, they are to “…Proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” 1 Peter 2:9 . There’s much more to consider about God and His grace from the apostle Peter. One last thought. God has given His people commandments to know, to follow, and to live. While we have His grace, it doesn’t nullify obedience. His commands are rooted in His grace. Therefore, let us stand in the true grace of God. Let us be obedient children to Him.

The New Year is here. It’s Thursday, January 2, 2025—just days after celebrations and resolutions were made to start fresh. Did you make a New Year’s Resolution? If you did, you’re not alone. Many people create resolutions this time of year—but here’s a sobering truth: statistically, 25% of people give up on their resolutions within the first week, and only 8% will succeed by the end of the year. That’s a sad statistic. Only 8% of people keep the commitments they make. Let me ask you a deeper question:What if only 8% of people who made a commitment to God actually kept it? Would you be in that 8%? While I don’t know the exact percentage of people who will successfully enter the kingdom of God, Jesus said something worth reflecting on: “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” ( Luke 13:24 ). Isn’t that a sobering thought? Many will try to enter the kingdom of God, but few will succeed. Hopefully, each of us will be among the few. But that’s not going to happen by accident. It requires effort, planning, and a daily commitment. Do You Have a Plan? If you’ve set a New Year’s resolution, ask yourself this: Do you know what you are going to do every day to move closer to your goal? Do you have a strategy for when it gets difficult or when you feel like giving up? The reality is this: The 25% who give up quickly often don’t have a plan. They start with enthusiasm but don’t know where to begin, so they give up. The people who fail to finish strong lose sight of their goal. They forget what they are working toward and don’t make it a daily priority. This principle applies to our spiritual lives as well: Do you have a plan for your walk with God? Do you know how to stay focused when challenges arise? Are you reminding yourself daily of the ultimate goal? Succeeding in any goal—especially our walk with God—requires deliberate effort. It takes conscious decisions to stay on the narrow path Jesus spoke about. Stay Focused on the Goal Jesus made it clear that few will enter the kingdom of God. That’s why it’s essential to always know where we are heading and to make a plan to stay on course. The path is narrow, and if we aren’t careful, it’s easy to drift away. The Apostle Paul gives us a perfect example of the mindset we need. He wrote in Philippians 3:14: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Paul pressed on daily. He reminded himself of his goal and kept his eyes on the prize. Every decision he made and every step he took was directed toward that eternal goal. We need to adopt the same attitude. Press on toward the goal. Make a Resolution That Lasts As you step into this New Year, don’t let your commitment to God fade like so many resolutions do. If you need to make a change—if you need to commit or recommit your life to Him—don’t wait. This isn’t just about a resolution for 2025; it’s about living for God every day for the rest of your life. Let’s strive together to be among the few who keep the most important commitment of all: living for God. What steps will you take today to press on toward the goal? Let’s make 2025 a year of deliberate growth, focus, and faith.

Have you ever had a friend or a loved one “fall away” from the faith? Maybe for a while, you did. What does this look like? How does it happen? And what can we do to help?   Paul warns Timothy of this possibility in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 :  “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.”   Unfortunately, people leaving the faith is something that has been “expressly” told to us by the Holy Spirit in His Word. It is helpful, however, to know that this can and will happen, and have some identifiers as to what this looks like early, so hopefully we can “nip it in the bud,” whether for ourselves, our loved ones, or our brethren.   The first thing Paul lays out in this passage is the means by which people will depart from the faith: primarily by “devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teaching of demons.” He speaks of false doctrine earlier in this letter in 1:3-4 , telling Timothy to “charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.” While “different” in general is not always necessarily a bad thing, when it comes to the teaching or “doctrine” of Christ, that is not something that can be diluted or adapted in any way! While teachers, evangelists, and leaders have a special responsibility as far as what they teach, each individual has a responsibility as well to have Berean-like fervor as they learn about the Scriptures, “examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things [are] so” ( Acts 17:11 ). If we are not careful of the sources we are listening to and checking everything we hear or read with the Scriptures, we may find ourselves being sidetracked or taken off-course by “different doctrine!”   Paul also makes clear that there are many types of “myths and genealogies” that are fruitless. Part of staying on course is that we listen to sound doctrine and continue to study more deeply, but another part is making sure we do not get “lost in the weeds,” so to speak. There is so much depth to be found and understood in scripture, and sometimes there is a lot of nuance and detail for us to discover, but sometimes what started as harmless curiosity can consume us in a way that simply is not helpful. Titus 3:9 specifically says, “avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.” We want to focus on the “meat and potatoes,” not things that are “unprofitable and worthless!”   Paul also warns Timothy about listening to those who have a “seared conscience.” We can clearly see why this would be detrimental to our growth and development as Christians and students of the Word. The Bible is meant to impact, change, and teach us constantly. If we are not growing, we are coasting, and like a car in neutral, we are likely coasting downhill or somewhere else we do not want to be.   Finally, Peter gives us some daily practical advice on how to be on guard from “departing” from the faith, and that is “practicing” and “adding to” our faith! Just like our physical health, spiritually, we may need some “supplements”!   “… make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” ( 2 Peter 1:5-10 )   May we always be growing, supplementing, and confirming our faith, never departing from the Lord, just as He never departs from us!