In a world of constant interruption and input, it is extremely difficult to discipline your mind to focus. The immediate distractions of media, email, advertisements, and cell phones make it difficult to set your mind upon those things which are eternal and godly. Yet we who live in the digital era are not alone in our struggle to focus upon those things which matter most. In our passage for this week, Peter is encouraging the church to rid their minds of distractions and addictions so that they may set their minds upon the truth of the gospel message. Do you find yourself struggling to focus on the things that are most important? Do you feel that the immediate needs of this world push out the eternal concerns of salvation and holiness? You are not alone. All Christians need a reminder to push aside those things which distract and confuse so that we may set our minds upon Christ. Reading: 1 Peter 1:13, Psalm 27:4 and 86:11, Luke 12:35-40, Ephesians 5:15-18, Hebrews 12:1-2, and Westminster Confession of Faith 13.

How might we have confidence in the message of the gospel? How do Christians know that the message of the gospel is from the Lord Himself? There have been several different attempts to answer this question of authenticating the message of the gospel. In the Roman Catholic tradition, their trust of the gospel is based upon the authority of the church itself. Since the church declares the gospel is true, then it must be true, they argue. On the other hand, many contemporary evangelicals have argued that we can trust the gospel message because of the historical evidence that proves the central claims of the gospel. In other words, the authority of the gospel is derived from historically verifiable facts. However, the Bible does not need to be authenticated by any authority outside of its own. The primary authority by which we believe the Bible is not the testimony of the church nor the testimony of historical research but rather the testimony of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, as the author of Scripture, is the supreme and final authenticator of His own words. In our passage for this week, we will see that it is the Spirit Who inspired the gospel message, Who illumines our minds to understand the gospel message, and Who empowers the gospel message to achieve the salvation it proclaims. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon 1 Peter 1:10-13, Romans 15:4, 2 Timothy 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:16-21, and Westminster Confession of Faith 1.5,6.

In his book, Why Do I Suffer? Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, John Currid brings biblical answers to bear on the question of why God would allow suffering in this world. In his work, he quotes a letter Robert Murray McCheyne wrote to a parishioner on her sickbed. I like to hear from you, and especially when God is revealing Himself to your soul. All His doings are wonderful. It is, indeed, amazing how He makes use of affliction to make us feel His love more… Does trouble work patience in you? Does it lead you to cling closer to the Lord Jesus

There are not many things that can cause a split in a family like a disputed inheritance. Relatives place their hope for a better future on the prospect of receiving a home or a sizable amount of cash from a deceased relative. However, when the details of the will are revealed there is often a perceived injustice. A sibling received more than her fair share. An unknown friend inherits the coveted summer house on the lake. A past debt or grievance is settled through a diminished inheritance. Or someone is completely “written out” of the will. When hope is unfulfilled it causes anger and bitterness and mistrust. When we place our hopes for a better future on anything earthly we often come away disappointed or grieved. Yet there is an inheritance that we can count on, one which will never be diminished. It is an inheritance of which we will never be “written out.” This is an inheritance that is secured for us by God Himself. Reading: 1 Peter 1:4-5, Genesis 12:7, Psalm 105:7-11, Ephesians 1:14,18 and Westminster Confession of Faith 18.2.

How would you categorize the majority of the words that you speak during the day? Would you say that you are a positive person or are you negative with your words? Are you a talkative person or are you circumspect? In our verse for this coming Sunday, the Apostle Peter calls us to be a people who use our words to bless the Lord, even in times of struggle. Those who first received this letter had been the victims of threat and harassment because of their faith. Nevertheless, Peter says that they should be a people who bless the Lord for causing them to be born again to a living hope. While their status as elect exiles might bring persecution in the short run, in the long run their salvation in Christ means life eternal. Of all people, Christians should be overflowing with praise toward God, even in the midst of hardship. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon 1 Peter 1:3, Psalm 28, Ezekiel 36:22-28, Matthew 22:31-32, Romans 6:5, and Westminster Confession of Faith 10.1-2.

This Sunday we begin our new sermon series on 1 Peter: Exiles in a Foreign Land. Over the next year we will give our attention to this letter and learn how it guides us as exiles in a foreign land. This week we will begin with 1 Peter 1:1-2 in which Peter identifies himself and his audience. He is an apostle of Jesus Christ. As an apostle, he has been sent with an authoritative message from Jesus Christ. The recipients of the letter are elect exiles; men, women, and children who have been chosen by God to be citizens of a heavenly country. This letter is a message to a people who find themselves in a foreign land. They are sojourners looking toward a better country and an abiding one. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon 1 Peter 1:1-2, Exodus 24, Isaiah 11:11-12; Philippians 3:20, and Hebrews 11:16.

As we celebrate Jesus Christ together this Lord’s Day, we’ll turn to the great praise of Ephesians 3:20-21 in the sermon entitled “To Him Who is Able.” As you and I face the joys and trials of life, we’ll rest in the love and power of Christ. We’ll find encouragement to trust and to serve Him day by day. Yes, we’ll be exploring some of the life lessons learned from the first Sabbatical rest of one of your pastors!

The word end can mean the termination of something or it can mean the purpose of it. When you finish reading a book the final words are usually, The End. This means that the story is over, there is no more. On the other hand, when the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “What is the chief end of man?” it means purpose or fulfillment. This Sunday our fourth Advent sermon on the topic of light is titled The End of Light. In Revelation 21:22-27, we will see that there are several earthly forms of light that will come to their end, their termination point. As the final book of the Bible, many may think that Revelation is the final chapter of the story. They may think that when Jesus comes back it is the termination of God’s story of redemption. However, what we will see is that the return of Christ is not the termination of the story but rather the purpose for the story. He is the end of all things. The story will not stop but will have just begun when light finds its end in Christ. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon Revelation 21:22-27, Isaiah 60, 1 Corinthians 13:8-12, and Westminster Confession of Faith 33.