There is no shortage of advice these days about love, sex, marriage, and family. The Bible also has advice that we ought to pay attention to — because as the creator and designer of marriage, God knows better than anyone how it works best. We look at what the Bible has to say about how husbands and wives can relate to one another in order for a marriage to flourish.
Read MoreOne of the most common descriptions of God in the Bible is as our Shepherd. It’s a comforting metaphor, but what does it really mean? How is Jesus our Good Shepherd?
Read MoreWe all want as much personal autonomy as possible, which means that we often struggle with human authority. Peter acknowledges this struggle by discussing at length how Christians should respond to the authorities in our lives. He challenges us to follow the example of Jesus by not rebelling but instead submitting to human authority, while trusting in the ultimate authority of God.
Read MoreHow should Christians respond to government authority? Surprisingly, Peter challenges us to submit to governing authorities and to honour the king. That’s the opposite of what most of us want to do, especially in the midst of our current political environment. So why does he ask us to submit, and what does that look like? What if the government is corrupt or the leadership is evil? What then?
Read MoreWe don’t usually invest much in something we know is only temporary. Naturally, we want to invest our time and energy into things that we know will last. The challenge for Christians, who Peter calls we are just “temporary residents and foreigners” is to invest in what will last for eternity.
Read MoreThere is very little in life that we can accomplish by ourselves. But when a group of people are all committed to the same purpose, they’re able to do the impossible. If the church will collectively embrace a lifestyle of prayer, generosity, and mission, then God will do the impossible.
Read MoreIn every society, there are a select few individuals that function as a Holy Man. But Peter tells us that as Christians, we are all now God’s ‘holy priesthood’, which means we all function as holy men/women. But what does that mean? How do we live as God’s holy priests? To answer that, we need to understand the qualifications, duties, and rewards of a priest.
Read MoreWe all have cornerstones in our lives — things which, if removed, would cause our lives to crumble. But Peter invites us to make Jesus the cornerstone of our lives. But what does it mean to make Jesus your cornerstone and how do you do it?
Read MoreThe quality of our faith is best revealed by how we love others. But loving others the way God has loved us is hard. It’s a supernatural standard that requires a supernatural power that is only possible through a constant and growing relationship with Jesus.
Read MoreWhat if you woke up tomorrow to find that your biggest struggles were gone? The addictions, the bad habits, the shameful vices, all gone. You would be relieved, overjoyed. That’s what God desires for us when He calls us to a lifestyle of holiness. The key to a life of holiness is recognizing that we cannot make ourselves holy through our own effort. Instead, Jesus has made us holy through His death. Therefore, we don’t have to become holy, we are holy.
Read MoreThe issue of suffering raises all kinds of questions for Christians. But Peter tells us that there is a redemptive purpose for our suffering. Our trials reveal us and they refine us to be the people God has called us to be.
Read MoreEvery Christian faces the temptation to live for this life only, but Peter calls us exiles and foreigners in this world. When we remember heaven is our ultimate destination, it changes our priorities and perspectives on this life.
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