Abraham acts to secure Isaac a wife while trusting in God's providence to work all things out to fulfill His promise

Paul assures the Colossians that they are complete in Christ and need nothing else. The gospel completes their standing before God. They have been united in His death and resurrection and made alive with Him.

Genesis 22:20-23:20 The Promise Beyond Death

Psalm 78:1-8 centers on the responsibility of the family and the covenant community to make known the greatness of God to the next generation. Our goal is “so that they should set their hope in God” (Ps. 78:7) and the Psalmist shows us how we strive toward that goal. Today, as our world strays further and further from biblical values, morals, and objective truth, planting the Word of God in the next generation has never been more important.

Abraham finally sees the fulfillment of the promises

Who am I? What am I supposed to do? At some point, everyone asks these fundamental questions about identity. How we answer to these questions, whether consciously or not, determines much of how we live out our lives. These questions become even more important when we are faced with trials and suffering. When living as Jesus commands draws the ire and opposition of the culture, there is an enormous temptation to conform or compromise. Yet, when we trust in how God, in Christ, has answered those two questions, we are braced to stand regardless of societal pressure.

This is what Peter shows us in 1 Peter 2:4-10. Using several Old Testament passages, he demonstrates that believers are living stones being built up into a spiritual house by God. As we come to Jesus, we are being built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, a community united with one another for His name. But since the same gospel that gives us a new nature is an offense to the world, we are also an offense. That is who we are – living stones built upon one who is both a cornerstone and a stone of offense.

Peter also tells us what we are to do when facing the opposition of the world and the pressure to compromise with its values and practices – we have been called out “that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pt. 2:9).

Sunday, we will look at Peter’s fourth command in 1:22-2:3, Love one another. Faithfulness to Christ, especially when the world is growing increasingly hostile to the gospel, is lived out in community. Peter shows us where this love for one another comes from, how it endures in our trials, and how our love for one another grows. Because this section builds upon everything that has come before, it would be helpful to re-read verses 1-21 before Sunday for we will certainly be referencing them.