Living Stones
By nature, most of us are builders. Just look at little children who are let loose with a box of Legos. Watch how creative they are. But did you know that God is building a building with us? You are like a part of a living building being built into a spiritual house! To Learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 2:5-6
Rejected But Precious
I remember being in grammar school. There was a student that some of the boys avoided. They sometimes poked fun at her, and I suppose they were bullies. But as she grew older, she became very popular. Some of the boys who poked fun at her now wanted to date her, but it was too late! To Learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 2:4.
Taste For a Good Life?
I recently saw a recipe to becoming a millionaire. Basically, you cut expenses, control your desires and save! The idea is that you will then lead “the good life”. I think a better way to lead the good life is to cut poor thinking, study the scripture, and trust in God! To learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 2:1-3
Get Rid of Junk in Your Life
When people no longer have use for something they often give it a charity or to the church. Our church is over 100 years old, so we have a lot of stuff. Some of it is better called junk. We periodically run out of space for the good stuff, and have to “declutter”. That is we need to get rid of the junk. The same is true in our lives. To Learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 1:23-2:1
Like the Grass
Have you noticed that your years are flying by? I sometimes feel like an old car. I can still move, but not like I did when I was new. The harsh reality is that we all get older. The joyous reality is that God gives eternal life to all who believe. To Learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 1:23-25
Purified
I have allergies and asthma, so I run a high efficiency particulate air filter in my bedroom. Now this kind of filter does an amazing job of removing 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria. Of course, the problem is that .03 percent still gets through. It’s a tough job to make air pure. Living a pure life is also important. In fact, we often fail. But Christ is there to help. To Learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 1:22
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.1 Peter 1:22
The Precious Blood
I was looking at my car the other day. My once new car is now 12 years old! The once perfect car has a few scratches, the interior is let’s say, “noticeably broken in.” A reminder that we live in a world where decay is the norm. But I do have something that is imperishable thanks to Jesus. To Learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 1:18-21.
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:18-21
An Impartial Judge
During my early days, my father was a judge. The ironic thing about being a judge is that there was no room for pre-judging, snap judgement, or judgement by appearance. What counted was to judge impartially! The Bible tells us that our Heavenly Father is an impartial judge. To Learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 1:17-19
17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 1 Peter 1:17-19
Be Holy
Holy is one of those mysterious religious words. I heard someone say to another person, “You act as thought you are holier than thou!” I think they meant ‘You feel you are superior to all.” Another said a group was “holy rollers.” Perhaps to say, they were so holy they seemed fanatical. I hear people say they want to be holy. But just what does it mean? To Learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 1:15-16
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16.
Set Your Hope on the Grace
I know a man who is in and out of jail. He never does anything you might consider terrible, but constantly does things that might be considered foolish—all revolving around his appetite for drinking and recreational drugs. He gets sober, then immediately goes back to all of his old friends. The real issue is that he still thinks that he can handle it. To Learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 1:13-14
13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 1 Peter 1:13-14
Even Angels Long
Even though I have been a Christian and studied the Scriptures for many years, I am often surprised to find new insights into the Scriptures. The Word of God is living and active. The Lord speaks to us through these Scriptures and prayer. So much co that even the Angels “long to look into these things.” To Learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 1:10-12
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. 1 Peter 1:10-12
Inexpressible
Years ago, I visited a woman who had incurable cancer. Instead of being down she was filled with an incredible joy for she knew that she was about to experience the “end result of her faith, the salvation of her soul.” To Learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 1:6-9
In all this you greatly rejoice, thought now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even thought refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Thought you have not seen him, you love him; and even thought you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9
Shielded by God’s Power
A lot of people think that you are safe driving a car in an electric storm because a car has rubber tires. You may be surprised to learn that it is actually the layer of metal in the car that shields you from a sudden bolt of lightning. So it is with God. He shields us from the “spiritual forces of darkness.” To Learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 1:5-6
who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, thought now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. (1 Peter 1:5-6)
Living Hope
In the early days of computing there was a game that gave you three chances to win. After three mistakes you had to start all over. Few people got very far in the game. That was until an enterprising person modified the system to give themselves unlimited chances to win and then published the system changes. So now you anyone could make unlimited mistakes and still win. Did you know that Jesus changed the system so that all your mistakes would be forgiven? To Learn more, listen to today’s thought based on 1 Peter 1:3-4
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,” 1 Peter 1:3-4 NIV