We started 2021 by kicking off our sermon series in 1 Peter and have asked our church family to consider reading through it one time each month, for two months.
It was such a gift to be able to hear what others were learning when we read through the Letter of James, and our hope is to continue that in the new year.
John-Matthew DeFoggi: 1 Peter 1:1-25
One of the things I love about the opening to 1 Peter is the immediate and imminent hope he has for our salvation.
Peter uses images of birth, permanence, and purity to encourage us that our salvation is secured and that we are protected by God. This leads to two responses: joy and devotion. Joy because we have salvation, and protection because of our faith and devotion to Christ because of this.
“Prepare your minds for action.” It seems to me that we rarely do this these days. Our minds are geared toward reaction – to the news, to social media, to whatever crosses our path. We as a culture embrace our passions.
Yet, Peter tells us that to be confirmed to Christ, to be purified, to be holy, we must practice discipline and love – both are rooted deeply in the nature of who Christ is and what he has done for us.
Read along with us! Check out the 1 Peter Reading Plan.
