We will wrap up our 10-week series called Dare to Hope this Sunday. Our verse-by-verse journey through 1 Peter has been a challenging and inspiring look at how to live as Followers of Jesus when we find ourselves pushed to the margins of culture as exiles. Peter gets to the heart of the matter, not by telling us to take a stand for our rights but by taking the same approach Jesus took when He walked our planet. He served those who spoke against Him and treated them with kindness and dignity – even though He was persecuted and robbed of His dignity.
Peter wrote to people who were exiles and outcasts because of their faith in Jesus. His purpose was to embolden them to stand firm in the face of adversity and opposition and to live as people of enduring hope. Grab your Bible, join us for this series, and learn how to be a hope-filled counter-cultural.
Rather than blending in and accepting the values of the culture around us, God calls us to live differently by trusting and obeying Him. He calls us to stand against the flow of culture. When we do, we may experience ridicule, marginalization, and possibly even suffering and persecution. At the same time, we have the promise that even though things may be difficult, we can also experience joy, purpose, and hope. Just as Peter wanted to encourage his readers, I believe we can be encouraged as well, whether we are facing persecution because we follow Jesus or because we are facing times of suffering because of the brokenness of our world.
Make sure to bring your Bible with you this Sunday as we walk verse-by-verse through 1 Peter 5:1-14. The title of the message is Standing Firm With Resistance.
I love you and can’t wait to see what God does in our church and for our community this Sunday. I will talk more about our transition dates as we make this huge transition to embrace and welcome our new Lead Pastor, Eric Wayman. If you missed Sunday, here is a link to the end of our gathering, when I announced the exciting news! What a special day that was.
Here are the links you’ll need to prepare for Sunday’s Service:
Joyfully living on mission in intimacy with Jesus and others,
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