What scares you? How have your fears changed as you get older? I would assume financial security is now more fearful than your night light not being turned on after dark. As believers we should not struggle with fear yet we all still do. Even telling ourselves not to fear often does not seem to help. So here is your reminder of where true hope comes from as we continue the Stand Firm series. No matter who wins election, which nation is on the rise or fall, the trajectory of economy... THE KING has ultimate authority. So why mope as if we don't know the end of this story? King Jesus wins!!

Peter does not make friends when it comes to wives and husbands relationships when reading from todays view. However, when Peter was writing about "submissive wives" and "loving husbands" the culture and society was drastically different from what it is today. So let's learn together what God teaches about husbands and wives in I Peter 3.

Common lies believed in society today is, "If my heart wants it then it must be good" or, "follow your heart" or, "do what makes you happy." While this belief may make us feel empowered in it does not live out well in real life scenarios. Work places would be a mess if everyone followed their heart rather than their job description. Road systems all over the world would be absolute mayhem if each driver followed their heart rather than rules of the road. Law enforcement and public servants would be overwhelmed with emergency calls if every person lived for their hearts desires rather than the laws of their land. Scripture teaches how to follow Christ and be able to guide our hearts desires to align with Jesus rather than self.

What do you think of when you hear the word church? Many picture beautiful cathedrals, tall auditoriums, steeples, stained glass and so on. Peter knew the physical Temple was being destroyed and the new temple would be God's people. So how do we live as the temple according to Peter?

Peter tells readers in 1 Peter to "love with brotherly love" because the word love was a buzzword used to describe feelings rather than commitments. He is saying to Love Sincerely which is more than affection. So how does truth affect how we show love or live out love? Can Truth inform us how to love and love well?

Holiness is a word that is thrown around a lot in church life culture. However, most of us don't truly understand holiness. We treat holiness as something we can't or shouldn't do but holiness is more than that. Holiness is "set apart" living and Peter reminds us that it starts with mindset rather than action.

Culture is constantly shifting around us. Some shifts are obvious while some shifts are subtle. However, both shifts are unbiblical and if we aren't careful we will follow culture on some fronts & fight culture on others. So, how should we stand firm in the faith and what does that even mean? Fortunately for us we aren't the first generation of believers to face changing culture.

Who have you discipled since you have become a believer? Who has discipled you since you have given your life to Christ? Could it be that believers are more concerned with their own problems and spiritual struggles that we don't take opportunity to encourage and lift other believers up. Not because we don't have the knowledge but because we don't have the desire to.