We all face change and change can be hard. In this message, Dr. Scott Wenig shows from Prov. 3:5-6 how God wants us to grow in our trust in Him in the midst of change. When we learn what “trust in the Lord,” “lean not on your own understanding,” and “in all your ways acknowledge Him” really mean God’s promise for us is sure. He does not promise the absence of difficulty but to give us direction, purpose, fulfillment, a positive impact in our world and then when we die God will lead us straight into His presence to spend an eternity with Him.
While Christians suffer in different ways, the recipients of this letter were suffering because of their faith in Jesus. In this message we discover that suffering for Christ is an essential part of God’s plan for His people in this world. Yet suffering is not the end. Just like the birth of a baby, a spiritual conversion and every good Hollywood movie, so we follow the pattern of Jesus; to suffer, die and rise!
The Apostle Peter had heard Jesus describe this era as “the end of the age.” Peter, like all of the early Christians, believed Jesus. Even though it has been 2,000 years, it is still the end of this age and this carries certain responsibilities for those of us who are followers of Jesus. In this message we learn about three relational priorities: love for God, love for our neighbors and love for one another while we anticipate Christ’s return.
Sometimes it is hard to follow God’s ways when friends in our culture are critical of us. In this text, Peter reveals reasons to chose God’s will over people’s pressures even if we have to suffer for it.
If you are a Christian there are times when you will be criticized. Sometimes the harsh words come from those we love the most. When we feel attacked we have clear marching orders. God has called us to bless and to do good to those who revile us. In this message we discover God’s ways to cultivate this habit of blessing those who criticize us.
Marriage is a gift from God but sometimes it can be difficult. In this passage we discover that God’s strategy for marriage is wiser than ours. Here we specifically learn how Christian wives are to honor their husbands (even those who do not yet believe) as well as how Christian husbands are to honor their wives.
While there are many challenges we face in our employment, one of the most difficult is when we are treated unjustly. In this message Dan Kaskubar points out that, except for rare situations, God’s general pattern is for Christ followers to follow the humble example of our Lord Jesus who “did not revile … and did not threaten… but entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
Though it can be tempting to skirt around the laws of our land, God does not want Christians to overlook the impact it has when we honor our government’s leaders and laws. When Christians submit to governing authorities they both honor God and are used to help some who do not yet believe stop their criticisms of Christ and in some cases, eventually come to know and glorify God.
Where does your identity come from? In this passage we discover that for those who are in Christ, we are royal and holy in God’s eyes. The purpose of this new identity is that we may do what we were made to do… proclaim the praises of God!
When it becomes hard to follow Christ in the world God has blessed us with community. This message proclaims the greatness of the union that all believers have through the gospel which has been planted in us as well as our responsibility to cultivate our relationships with one another.