fbpx
Resources on Suffering

Resources on Suffering

A Well-Ordered Church

1 Peter 5:1-14 1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of…

Unsurprised by Suffering

1 Peter 4:12-19 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or…

Living for God

1 Peter 4:1-11 4 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their…

Beautiful Citizenship

1 Peter 2:11-25 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those…

The Life-Giving Word

1 Peter 1:10-12; 22-2:3 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who…

A Living Hope

1 Peter 1:3-9 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you…

Elect Exiles

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONALVERSION ®. NIV®. COPYRIGHT © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 byBiblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Gospel and Suffering

This week, we ask how the gospel informs suffering.  When we experience suffering, we often get stuck on the question of why.  What the gospel does for us is shift our attention from the why to the who.  The gospel informs who the Lord is for us as we suffer and how his heart soothes our suffering souls.   Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon…

The Gospel for Life Itself

To begin our series on how the gospel relates to tangible aspects of our lives, we start in the book of Philippians.  In this passage, we receive a call to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.  To conduct ourselves in such a way as this, regardless of circumstance, communicates the beauty of the gospel and makes Jesus real.  Philippians 1:27-30 (Philippians 1:27-30) 27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I…