So [the shepherds] hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all...
The Joy of Christmas Biblical joy comes from Jesus – all the time, not just at Christmas when we rehearse the story of his birth. When we think of Jesus as portrayed in the gospels, we might describe him as compassionate, wise, sometimes filled with righteous anger, but would we describe...
The Peace of Christmas A pet peeve of mine at Christmas time is cards that tout “Peace on Earth” against a background of national flags. The angelic chorus in Luke 2:14 is not referring to peace between nations but peace for people with whom God is pleased. Pastor Dave taught that...
1 Peter 2:13-17 We are now in the “practical” section of Peter’s letter that focuses on how we are to live. Pastor Dave noted that the command at the heart of this week’s passage – submit to civil authority – is a hot topic that doesn’t sit well...
1 Peter 2:6-10 Pastor Todd summarized this week’s passage as a comparison of two responses to Jesus, the cornerstone. To those who do not believe, Jesus is a stone of stumbling, a rock of offense. As an example of offense, Todd pointed to verse 8. If human beings have the choice to obey or...
1 Peter 2:4-6 The apostle Peter describes us as living stones. As we translate Peter’s word picture into a mental image, a still will not suffice. Use animation to paint a mental picture of living stones that grow and change. We living stones are not scattered in a field; we are connected...
1 Peter 2:1-3 Pastor Dave explained that the word so that begins this week’s passage points us back to what came before: Love one another earnestly from a pure heart. Peter tells us to get rid of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander so that we can love one another. Before the...
1 Peter 1:22-25 Sincere love rules out hypocrisy, saying one thing and doing another. Pastor Todd also stressed that the command to love sincerely presupposes safe, deep, and meaningful relationships among the believers who make up the church. Some who listened to Todd’s sermon are already...
1 Peter 1:17-21 Pastor Dave began by asking us to find two words in this week’s passage that seem at odds with the discussion of God’s grace and mercy in verses 3-12 of Chapter 1. Those words are judges and fear. Dave taught that a person with a balanced knowledge of God views Him as...
1 Peter 1:13-16 Pastor Dave used a syntactical diagram to unpack what the apostle Peter has to say about the two key commands in the sidebar. One of the words that modifies the imperative set your hope is fully. Peter is commanding us to put all our eggs in one basket, the basket...