1 Peter 3 is a challenging bit of Scripture, no doubt! But when we take God's Word line by line, word by word, it reaches deep into our hearts and teaches us, shapes us, and makes us more like Jesus. Let's dig in and tackle this tough section together.

In this challenging chunk of text we learn that while we suffer unjustly on earth, we can follow Jesus, who suffered unjustly for us. We can lean into the Shepherd of our souls who not only shows us how to suffer, but also suffers alongside us and looks upon us with eyes full of favor and love while we suffer.

Jesus is the living Stone and we also are living stones being built together into a temple. All barriers that could stand between us have been broken down through the cross of Christ...we are one body in Christ, holy, chosen, precious to Him.

In the second half of 1 Peter 1, Peter writes to the believers with instructions about how to live as aliens and foreigners in this world. Prepare your mind for action, set your hope fully on the return of the Lord Jesus, live as obedient children, and love each other deeply.

Today we begin a very exciting new series as we journey through 1 Peter. This letter was written to exiles living in what is now northern Turkey, likely fleeing persecution from Rome and also from Jerusalem. They lived in times of great danger but were filled with an even greater joy. We can learn much from this wonderful treasure of a letter, meant every bit as much for us as it was for those dear exiles two thousand years ago.

You know her story but you might not know her name. Her name is found in other places of Scripture, but her story is one that you've learned from your days of youth Sunday School and flannelgraphs. She is bold, brave, beautiful and full of chutzpah. I want to be just like her.

Chutzpah is a Hebrew word that indicates utter audacity or courage that is so bold it is bordering on arrogance...yet it's not arrogant. It's beautiful and admirable.

The woman at the well had chutzpah. She was bold and courageous. When Jesus addressed her with the reality of her past, she didn't flinch but faced it head on. When she realized she was talking to the Savior of the world, she didn't stuff it inside but rather told everyone.

I want to be like her.

Poor Eve. All we really know about her is that she ate the fruit she wasn't supposed to. But there's so much more to this beautiful woman, loved by God. God came (daily?) to walk with her in the garden. When she fell into shame, he still came to walk with her and covered her shame with his own sacrifice. Eve experienced the gospel first hand, and she has much to teach us about letting God cover our own shame.

In this series we will be studying several beautiful women in Scripture and their interactions with the Savior who loves them.

This first episode includes the text in which Jesus asks the probing question: "Do you see this woman?" In such a simple question he challenges us to look beyond our judgments and opinions, further than the reputations and gossip, and to see the heart of the woman in front of us.

This is the sixth and last session in our Romans 8 Spirit Life Bible study. In this session we study Paul's glorious finish to this magnificent chapter, as he declares that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!