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Faithful to the Finish
Peter's final call to a young and growing church
Grace and Glory
A short series through the highlights of 1 Peter
Entrusted
Gifts, risk, and the return of the King
THE CADDY Two golfers stepped up to the first tee on the St. Andrews course in New York. The older golfer was a kindly man who played a thoughtful, deliberate game. The younger golfer was full of pride and impatience. On the first hole he sliced, lost his ball in the tall grass, hit another one, ...read more
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Tags: Gratitude, New Year
WHYTE IN PRAYER Scottish minister Alexander Whyte was known for his uplifting prayers in the pulpit. He always found something for which to be grateful. One Sunday morning the weather was so gloomy that one church member thought, "The preacher certainly won’t think of anything for which to thank ...read more
Tags: Gratitude
INTENDING TO GROW In the 1920s there was a young African American child who was growing up in Cleveland. One day a famous athlete named Charlie Paddock, came to his school to speak to the students. At the time Paddock was considered "the fastest human being alive." He told the children, "Listen! ...read more
Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:6-10
Tags: Growth In Christ
LUTHER ON SWEEPING STREETS LIKE MICHELANGELO Martin Luther was approached by a working man who wanted to know how he could serve God. Luther asked him, "What is your work now?" The man said, "I’m a shoemaker." Much to the cobbler’s surprise, Luther replied, "Then make good shoes and sell them at ...read more
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31
Tags: Servanthood
THE LIFE VEST The USS Astoria (C-34) was the first U.S. cruiser to engage the Japanese during the Battle of Savo Island, a night action fought 8-9 August 1942. Although she scored two hits on the Imperial flagship Chokai, the Astoria was badly damaged and sank shortly after noon, 9 August. About ...read more
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:58
Tags: Action
HOW MUCH LAND? In his 1886 short story "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" Leo Tolstoy shows how a continual desire for more can ultimately cause us to lose everything. The main character of the story is a peasant named Pahóm, who at the beginning can be heard complaining that he does not own ...read more
Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10
Tags: Greed
NOT ENCOURAGING A young couple, very much in love, were getting married in church. However, the bride was very nervous about the big occasion and so the preacher chose one verse that he felt would be a great encouragement to them. The verse was 1 John 4:18 which says: "There is no fear in love. ...read more
Scripture: 1 John 4:18
Tags: Weddings
WHAT DO AMERICANS LOVE MORE THAN MONEY? Most Americans love money, but we love something even more: security. According to a 2009 survey by the Pew Research Center, 59 percent of U.S. adults prefer a job that offers better security over one that offers higher pay but less stability (33 percent). ...read more
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
Tags: Security
ONE RASCAL AMONG HONEST MEN A king visited a slave ship, and there was a slave galley where they chain men to the oars and they row and a man beats the drum and another man has a lash to make them row. And they would take the prisoners of the state and put them to use, pulling on the oars. The ...read more
Scripture: 1 John 1:8-10
Tags: Confession Of Sin
THE EAGLE AND THE MOUSE There is an old story of an eagle who, on an early morning during the spring thaw, soared high above the forest looking for something to eat. As he followed the course of a river he looked down and spied a small rodent, trapped on a piece of ice that had broken free and was ...read more
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Tags: Temptation Power
HOPE OF MARIA Hope weans God’s people from seeking and trusting this world. The story is told of Maria. She lived in a small town in southern Kentucky. She did not see or hear from her husband for years. Edward was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean war and captured when the ...read more
Scripture: 1 John 3:2-3
Tags: Pleasing God, God Brings Hope
Denomination: Nazarene
NO FAITH, NO POWER When I was growing up in Oklahoma, there was a lake my family and I frequented a lot called Keystone Lake. Keystone was not a natural lake; prior to its creation in 1962, there were towns located there, one of which gives the lake its name. The town was to be flooded to make a ...read more
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3
Tags: God Brings Hope
GIVING UP THE WORLD A man once said to D. L. Moody, "Now that I am converted, must I give up to the world?" "No," answered the evangelist, "you need not give up the world; if you give a ringing testimony for the Son of God the world will give you up pretty quick. They ...read more
Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17
Tags: Christian Witness
WINNING THE LOTTERY Christmas night 2002, Jack Whittaker had five out of five numbers in the West Virginia Power ball drawing. Jack Whittaker had just won $314 million, the largest undivided lottery jackpot in history. He took the one lump payment and received $113 million after taxes. Listen ...read more
Tags: Money
HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED? According to the Barna Research Group, the average American adult believes he needs an additional $8,000–$11,000 per year to live comfortably. Tracking studies show, however, that even when adults reach or exceed the income levels to which they aspired, they still claim they ...read more
Tags: Materialism
GOD WANTS TO LIVE IN YOUR HOUSE C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity: "Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs ...read more
Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-5
Tags: Sanctification
THE IMPACT OF FATHERLESSNESS Several years ago the TV show 60 Minutes ran a segment that tells us something important about fatherlessness. The park rangers at a South African wildlife preserve were concerned about the slaughter of 39 rare white rhinos in their park. It turned out that the rhinos ...read more
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21
Tags: Father's Day
CLOSED FOR ALTERATIONS Billy Graham tells a story--a simple illustration--that I want to borrow. A preacher once passed a shop which was no longer open for business. A sign hung in the window that said, "Closed for Alterations." The owner had closed shop for a while in order to remodel the store. ...read more
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:35-58
Tags: Rapture
THE IMPACT OF OPTIMISM Just a few years ago (2004), Fox News reported on a study that came from the Archives of General Psychiatry. Researchers studied 1,000 people aged 65-85 trying to determine the importance of a positive attitude in dealing with life. After almost 10 years of follow-up, these ...read more
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-5
Tags: Attitude General
DAVID TRUEBLOOD ON DISCIPLINE David Trueblood: "The one who wants to be an accomplished athlete must discipline his body by regular exercise and a strict diet. Otherwise, he or she will not be free to excel on the playing field or the tracks. The athlete who fails to train rigorously denies ...read more
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-16
Tags: Disciplines General
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