it's coming...

    May 30, 2013

    1 Peter 4:11 Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you

    Yet, we are, or I am at least. I know that God will absolutely hold me and lead me through any valley or trial I face. I know that He has authored each of them for my good and growth (as hard as that is to accept it’s absolutely true), but who really wants to head through the trial. Who looks forward to them? I don’t. I know that they will come. I know that they will be challenging. I know that God will lead me through…but I don’t look forward to it.

saying yes...

  May 29, 2013

     1 Peter 4:10-11

     V 10 As each has received a gift use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace

  

    My prayer is that God would help me to know how to and when to serve as He has enabled me. Recently I taught a lesson on our serving life and how to manage it godly. Many times we say “yes” without praying about it and end up with more on our plate than we can handle. More times than not we say “no” simply because we don’t want to do something or it might require more than we are willing to give. Both are wrong. Both are not living our lives according to God’s will. God has a plan for us that includes serving others; we simply have to ask Him and be willing to do what He says.

to everybody....

  May 28, 2013

    1 Peter 4:9 show hospitality to one another without grumbling

    This is easy, sometimes. I love to have parties. I love to have people over. I hope that my home reflects my love of others and makes anyone who enters into it comfortable. However, are there some who I would have trouble opening my home up to? I want to say no, of course not, but I might be lying. God doesn’t only call us to be hospitable to the easy, but to the hard and difficult as well. Something to remember and ponder over…

we all need it...

May 24, 2013

   1 Peter 4:8 Above all keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins

    Did I miss the part where God tells us this only applies to the loveable? Yeah, I didn’t think so and good thing to since sometimes I’m not very loveable. We all are like that. We all have moments where we are pretty unlovable as a matter of fact. If you think differently you’re deluding yourself. So, on those days where we are a little less than loveable don’t we want people to be more understanding, to be forgiving? Shouldn’t we do the same for them??

being ready...

    May 20, 2013

    1 Peter 4:5 but they will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead

  How happy I am that I know at that judgment God will look at me and see His son’s sacrifice? He will look to me and see that my sin debt is paid. How many around me can say the same? How many of my friends and loved ones can say the same? I should be shouting from the rooftops that this judgment is coming and everyone should prepare. Yet, the fear of man is a snare ready to entrap even the most devoted believer, right?