This has been quite a journey through 1 Peter, one that I hope you have found challenging and encouraging for the issues we face in our daily life. To listen to the whole series please go to Sermons for the archives.

The picture scripture paints about being a true follower of Christ is really not a glamorous one, in fact, it doesn’t make much rational sense at all. Peter tells us that if we are going to be identified with Christ then we will have to be ready to suffer all kinds of things. Peter is referring to suffering not because of what we have done, but who we represent.

We will be talking about the balance and rhythm we must find in our relationships as husband and wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, and as fellow believers in Jesus Christ. This does not come easily, but by applying a few simple principles, it will go a long way in improving your relationship goals.

1 Peter 2:13-17 talks about respecting people in authority; funny how the bible always seems to touch on things in our time. There are two parts of these verses; the first talks about our submitting to the ruling authorities that are over us. The second part talks about God’s will for how we should live our lives.

When you became a Christian, your life, for better or worse, is now open to scrutiny. But that’s not fair! I know, it’s no, but that’s just how it is. When you read through the gospels, who else’s life was under the microscope? Jesus. This was just the beginning for believers everywhere around the world.

His encouragement was that after they have been refined by the fire of adversity, that their faith would be worth great value when Christ is revealed again to the world at His Second Coming.

This is a powerful truth that we need to hear because it is referring to the trouble we will encounter in this life. God is protecting us! If God is for us who can be against us? “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you Must endure many trials for a little while.”

As churches (Christians), we tend to lean the other direction: We favor stability over change. Often our greatest unspoken goal is to arrive at a good place and stay put. The implication is that we like the familiar, we like to be comfortable. If a program is working today, then of course, it will always work tomorrow, next year, we get into a groove. The temptation/danger becomes to stop striving and challenging ourselves to do better or try new things, and we settle into a rut. A rut is a groove we have stayed in for too long.

Healthy relationships are something that we all talk about but do we really know what they look like, feels like, or sounds like?

Adam Trask preaches on the Parable of the Wedding Banquet this Sunday out of Matthew.