Peter has been reminding us of the very blessed state of the believer in this portion of his letter to the church. In spite of our troubles, we have an inheritance that makes this short time on earth just a moment in our eternal life of blessing from God. These demonstrations of God's care help us endure and remind of us the precious nature of our salvation.--Last week we covered the fact that prophets promised our salvation, a testimony to God's sovereignty and personal intention to give us this great gift, and the fact that Christ confirmed our redemption, by His personal promise and work done on the cross. Today we'll discover two more blessing as we listen to that second half of today's message

The blessed state -or state of blessedness- of the believer is something we eagerly accept as true. We remember, after all, that Jesus Himself told us about this in His Sermon on the Mount. But remembering those blessings, when trials surround you, isn't always our first reaction. In fact, we might see ourselves more as -the abandoned- or -the cursed- when we encounter hardship. We're excellent at self-pity.--Today, Peter does his part to remind us of just how truly blessed we are as followers of Christ. We'll suffer at times during our short stay on the earth, but we have something to look forward to that is always much better, as we'll learn from today's message

If you're struggling in life, facing hardship, disease, heartbreak, or stress, the last thing you want is someone to tell you those are really blessings in disguise. In fact, it might take some measure of self-control to not punch them in the face.--But Peter tells the early church that there is a reason we face trial and temptations and it's not all bad. We want to think bad circumstances only accompany bad people, but in life, affliction plagues us all. The good news is that God has a purpose - a good a purpose for hard times in our lives, as we'll learn from today's message

Trouble is part of life. It affects the believer and the unbeliever alike. But believers look at difficulty differently, or at least they should, according to Peter. But why----God's amazing gift of salvation is what makes all the difference. It's what changes our minds and hearts. It's what gives us a new perspective on the events we experience in our lives. And it's what gives us hope - because we have a future that is full of glory and eternal life. The practical affect of our salvation is the ability to endure difficulties and still have hope, as we'll discover in the first part of today's message

The Apostle Peter packs a lot of theology into his short letter and this portion in the beginning is no exception. He's concerned about the trials and troubles Believers are about to face, and in some cases, are already facing. So, he quickly turns his focus to the essential truths that make all the difference to Christians.--Our salvation is no small thing. It's what regenerates us -Something spiritually dead people desperately need-, it's what preserves us -saving us from death and God's righteous judgement-, and it's what will lead to our eventual glorification. Understanding our salvation matters, as we'll discover in the first part of today's message

The Apostle Peter wrote his letter to the church spread throughout Asia Minor, what now lies mostly in Turkey. Our brothers and sisters in the Lord, the Believers of the first century, faced many challenges that are really quite foreign to us. But we do share some things in common. For example, we all face troubled times.--Peter begins with a greeting that demonstrates just how rich the Word of God can be. In just a few sentences, he describes 5 glorious realities of our salvation. We covered the first three last week and today we'll discover two more as we listen to the last half of today's message

Pastor Pierre Rosa begins his preaching through the book of 1 Peter in the New Testament. In some ways, this is a book of practical application of the lessons learned from Esther.--The Apostle Peter wrote his letter to the church spread throughout Asia Minor, what now lies mostly in Turkey. Our brothers and sisters in the Lord, the Believers of the first century, faced many challenges that are really quite foreign to us. But we do share some things in common. For example, we all face troubled times.--Peter begins with a greeting that demonstrates just how rich the Word of God can be. In just a few sentences establishing his authorship and credentials, he describes 5 glorious realities of our salvation.

The story of Esther never mentions God by name. But God is there at every twist and turn. And God is using the lives of Esther and Mordecai - and Haman and King Xerxes - to demonstrate His character. How else would we see God's faithfulness if life didn't challenge the promises of God to protect and preserve His people----That means of course, that Believers should expect to face hard times - but never to face them alone. And while the difficulties of life might take our possessions, our loved ones, and even our lives at some point, God's promises and His faithfulness will never leave us

As the story of Esther is drawing to a close, we see God tying up loose ends. Esther and Mordecai are saved from death and shown great favor from the King. Haman is rewarded for his sinister plotting by losing everything, including his life. And the people of God, the Jews in Persia are given the right to defend themselves from any attack that might come from antisemitic aggressors.--There are clear lessons we might gather from this, but then again, there are some lessons that might slip by the casual observer. Today, we'll finish uncovering 5 aspects of God's Providence in these last events. They remind us that nothing escapes God's control and that we have a role in God's sovereign plans

As the story of Esther is drawing to a close, we see God tying up loose ends. Esther and Mordecai are saved from death and shown great favor from the King. Haman is rewarded for his sinister plotting by losing everything, including his life. And the people of God, the Jews in Persia are given the right to defend themselves from any attack that might come from antisemitic aggressors.--There are clear lessons we might gather from this, but then again, there are some lessons that might slip by the casual observer. Today, we'll start to uncover 5 aspects of God's Providence in these last events. They remind us that nothing escapes God's control and that we have a role in God's sovereign plans