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There is so much that militates against our praising of the Lord, whether the busyness of life, heartache, depression, trials, or simply distractions. The psalmist commands us to praise the Lord and enter his presence. We are not to do this simply out of willpower or guilt. The psalmist teaches us that the reason we are to praise God amid all that we experience is because of who he is. Our praise is to be rooted in and motivated by the very character of God as seen supremely in the life of Jesus Christ.

We serve a God who works through agents, and who makes use of means by which we receive grace. As we focus on another of Scripture’s “hidden figures,” we will see how the Ethiopian eunuch received grace and went on his way rejoicing because he was in “the way of grace.” We will try to draw some lessons from his baptism so that we too can rejoice as we receive grace by putting ourselves in the way of grace. We consider these verses under five broad headings:

1. The Eunuch was in the Place of Grace (vv. 26–27)

2. The Eunuch was Reading the Word of Grace (vv. 28–29)

3. The Eunuch Enjoyed the Fellowship of Grace (vv. 30–35)

4. The Eunuch Eagerly Embraced the Obligations of Grace (vv. 36–38)

5. The Eunuch Went on His Way Rejoicing (v. 39)

Trials come in all shapes and sizes and are meant to test our faith. They give us a chance to prove our love for God through action. It is often easy to say we love God and to be faithful to him when things are going very smoothly. It is during challenging periods that many people turn away from God. Instead, we need to view trials as a provision for us to grow. Do you have a true saving faith? How do you respond to trials? How are we supposed to react? Why are we to react like this? We consider James 1:1–18 under the following headings:

1. Be Joyful (vv. 1–4)

2. Be Prayerful (vv. 5–8)

3. Be Humble (vv. 9–12)

What do you fear? What do you long for? How does your expectation of those things influence the way you live? Second Peter 3:14–18 highlights that, whether we are aware of it or not, our expectation of the future has a significant impact on the way we live. Peter presses this truth by calling us to live with an expectation of the coming judgement of Christ. Expecting his imminent return should produce in us:

1. a pursuit for holiness (vv. 14, 17)

2. a consideration of the Scriptures (vv. 15–16)

3. growth in Christ (v. 18)

In chapter 2, Peter exposed the false teachers and plainly told of their end. As he moves into chapter 3, he continues addressing false teachers, but now shifts focus slightly to reassure his readers that, despite its delay, Christ’s coming was certain. There would be a tomorrow and, more significantly, a brighter day after tomorrow, despite the protestations of the false teachers. We consider these verses under four broad headings:

1. The Denial of the Day After Tomorrow (vv. 1–7)

2. The Delay of the Day After Tomorrow (vv. 8–9)

3. The Definiteness of the Day After Tomorrow (v. 10)

4. The Difference of the Day After Tomorrow (vv. 11–13)

In the birth narrative of the prophet Samuel, we find a wonderful example of God-honouring prayer from the lips of Samuel’s mother, Hannah. In the narrative before us, we learn at least four significant lessons about prayer:

1. Our prayer life can be formed through our life circumstances

2. Our prayer life can be filled with emotion

3. Our prayer life should be faithfully ongoing

4. Our prayer life should be filled with praise

Having examined the presence and punishment of false teachers, we return to 2 Peter 2 to examine the character of false teachers. We see from vv. 10b–22 that they are insolent, ignorant, insatiable, and impotent, and the tragic result of rejecting the only Saviour for sinners in favour of a different gospel. We will examine these verses under two broad headings:

1. The temperament of false teachers (vv. 10b–19)

2. The tragedy of false teachers (vv. 20–22)

Psalm 38 is a song of sorrow. It is “a petition.” David was severely chastened over a long period, by the Lord for his sin. He suffered because of his sins. The struggle between our sinful nature and our holiness can often lead to confusion, resulting in emotional and spiritual baggage. Many Christians find themselves grappling with this baggage, hindering their journey with the Lord and their pursuit of sanctification. Psalm 38 helps us to understand how we have been rescued from the baggage of our past. We examine this psalm under two broad headings:

1. Some barriers preventing us from “feeling forgiven”

2. The solution

As we move into 2 Peter 2, Peter, for the first time, makes explicit reference to the false teachers who were “secretly bring[ing] in destructive heresies.” In this chapter, he is not concerned with refuting the “heresies” of the false teachers but with denouncing them in the strongest terms. The chapter involves a threefold movement. First, Peter warns of the presence of false teachers in their midst (vv. 1–3). Second, he addresses the punishment of the false teachers (vv. 4–10a). Third, he discloses the character of the false teachers (vv. 10b–22). We will consider the first two of these movements in the time we have in this study as we consider the truth that God’s rescue plan

1. assumes the presence of false teachers (vv. 1–3); and

2. assures the punishment of false teachers (vv. 4–10a)

In Luke 8:1–3, some women are mentioned whom only Luke mentions this early in his Gospel: Mary, Joanna, Susanna and “many others.” These same women witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion (23:49), burial (23:55), and resurrection (24:1–3). They stuck with him till the end and were there at the new beginning. Their only reason for doing so was that they were healed by Jesus and had now committed to following him. By considering these hidden figures, we’ll learn that, if we have received grace, we will graciously give in return.