Moses, before sending the people into the Promised Land, commissions them, reminding them of the events experienced over the past 40 yrs or more. Resetting our identity and the truths to which we are called seem to be a common themes in Scripture.

Christ came to CONQUER our brokenness but we can still have a Merry Christmas because Christ has come! We can face the realities of our brokenness in this moment and still experience JOY.

The power to live and experience the Christian life is inextricably linked to our deference to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus modeled this for us. It is the offer He gives us to humbly follow Him.

Humility cannot help but come with gratitude. Recognizing all the blessings, help, and promises of God well up a spirit of gratefulness to God and others. Pride rejects giving others credit. Humility embraces the role of others and is joyful for it.

Our focus reveals so much about us. Who or what we focus on lets us see the hold pride has on us and the evidences of humility in us.

Humility isn't something static, nor something that defines you without evidence. Humility must be expressed to be grasped and observed. Being teachable is great evidence of humility. Being open to learn is essential to rejecting the pride of the smug "know-it-all."

You can't exhibit humility without surrender. Surrender is the mechanism by which God yields a heart of humility. As we consider a path toward humility, it must begin and end at the Cross.

We will never be able to deal with pride until we hold God in His rightful place as God. Revelation 4 is a reminder that there was no question of the One worthy of our worship, praise and obedience. God is not like us... we need to remember that moment by moment in our battle against pride.

If we in any way desire humility, we must not only understand its opposite, but also be able to recognize it in ourselves! These messages have be preached to give us not only a glimpse of pride's origins but also how to recognize it in our own lives!

Humility isn't the most popular of terms these days. More so, we are taught to be proud of ourselves,  to believe in ourselves, to fight for our prerogatives, and to be number one in everything. That's certainly not humility. But humility is not to be confused with thinking poorly of yourself either. Rather, true godly humility is God's design and is the beginning of the best path you can take!

Sometimes we are rather thick headed and we need to be told or shown something several times before we understand. This weekend we used three instances in Peter's life where he got the point in threes. Three quarters in 2020 are done, what lessons have you learned?

In Galatians 6, Paul reminds us of the mutual responsibility of pulling our own weight while helping other believers carry their burdens as well. Doing this spiritually well projects Christ both within and outside the community of faith. It's a call to biblical community!

The Lord's Supper is something we celebrate on occasion as a church family. In doing so we are called to "remember" the Last Supper and the events which would immediately follow, the Cross and Resurrection. Looking at Matt 26, we think through several truths the Lord's Supper helps us to remember.

Peter finishes his first letter with a simple truth and a final command. This is the true grace of God, stand firm in it. As he closes he gives us examples of others who along with us are striving to do the same.

What a great contrast to the adversary who seeks to devour... a God who triumphs over it all! Peter gives us the proper perspective on our faith walk so that we can face the roaring lion with God's strength and promises.

With all the pressures from outside and inside the church, Peter reminds us that there is another force pressing against us spiritually, Satan! It's nothing to be ignored, but its also nothing to be feared. The balance is vital as we engage a spiritual adversary!

Central to the well-functioning of the Church, the response and submission of a congregation to its elders is just as important as the servant leadership of those in leadership. Humility is the key for both!

The calling of the pastors/elders of a church are lofty and challenging. Having the right "stuff" matters a whole lot. Peter give us a glimpse into the right motives, guidance and goals each of the elders should have. 

Facing adversity and push-back should come at no surprise. It's part of being a believer in an unbelieving world. God uses all things to bring about a knowledge of Himself, our confidence in our salvation, and judgement upon those who choose to reject His Son.

Living in light of the end means we must be intentional and empowered to persevere. Peter offers us some essentials as he reminds us our time is short.

Being focused, as Christ was focused, leads us to live our lives differently. It is to be so different that the world takes stock of that difference!

Sometimes it gets really tiring seemingly being the push-over. As Christians, we are called to submit in so many areas that often we wonder if we are even on the winning team. But, in this passage Peter reminds us that even in His death, Christ was proclaiming victory over all our enemies!

How do you ground yourself in the midst of intimidation, fear, struggle and heart ache? Peter offers us one of the biggest keys to success in walking in the Christian life!

When it boils down to it, believers have a calling toward one another and the world which calls for a reflection of the attitude of Jesus Christ. Peter this week sums it up and we are certainly the wiser to listen and obey!

Women are called to the very high calling of submission in the home for the Lord's sake, but Peter reminds his readers that husbands, especially Christian husbands, are called to just as high a standard in honoring their spouses and demonstrating Christ in the home.

Marriage is tough as it is, and having two divergent understandings of the world doesn't make it any easier. Living with an unbelieving spouse can be very difficult, but letting your light shine may make all the difference in eternity for an unbelieving spouse!

The Centerpiece of our faith is also the example in our suffering. Suffering with eternity in view allows us to trust God and know there's always a bigger and better plan being worked out in light of Him.

There are certain relationships in which we find ourselves which are either impossible to get out of or unbiblical to walk away from. Sometimes, those relationships may present us with authority figures which are not easily followed. How are we to respond in times like this?

The passage in 1 Peter gives some general guidelines for submitting to governmental and institutional authorities placed over us. But what does that look like in the US where we as Christians have the right to participate and affect change in political and governmental policy and action? 

Living our faith in the context of our society can be tricky. Living out our faith as it relates to our human governing authorities can also present us with its own set of challenges. Divine sovereignty over our governments reminds us that how we relate to our governments is a reflection of how we are relating to our God.

Times of ongoing trial can certainly wear us down, especially when we aren't able to keep the temporal and eternal things straight! But God's Word helps us remember the call to do just that!

Living in response to the Resurrection, Jesus invites us into a relationship with Him and continues to focus us on the mission ahead.