Hearing God’s Voice from His Word
James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Take a moment and turn your attention to God. Tell God that you desire to trust and obey Him. Ask God to speak to you from His word.
Psalm of the Day
Psalm 37:3-4 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Read the entire Psalm
Praise God because He is Trustworthy. He sees the good that you are doing. The good you do is not a waste of time. Take time now and delight in God. Remember His gifts and remember His forgiveness.
Scripture Reading
1 Peter 1:1-12 – English Standard Version
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
Having God’s Ear through Prayer
- Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal sin to you.
- Confess your sin to Him and receive forgiveness.
(1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sin He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins.”) - Bring your personal requests to God.
(Psalm 62:8 “Pour out your heart before God”) - Pray for someone in your small group.
- Join with others from River and pray for FCA. Ask God to use that ministry to bring athletes and coaches to a knowledge of Himself.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Peter could have told plenty of stories of his experiences with Christ. John wrote that if everything Jesus did were written down, the world could not contain the books. Clearly, we only have a small selection of the amazing things that Christ did, and Peter had a front row seat to much of it. The proper conclusion for why Peter didn’t tell more personal stories is that he had another important purpose in writing his letters. In the last chapter, he tells us about his purpose in writing. “I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.” He is writing so they will stand fast and endure in the grace of God. Stories are important; they do help shape us and motivate us. There is inspiration in hearing of the faith of others. However, what is most important for our spiritual resiliency is to stand fast in the grace of God. We must build our lives fully on gospel hope. When we hear an inspiring story, we are encouraged for a time–usually a short time. When we practice setting our hopes on God’s grace, we are establishing a foundation for our lives that will endure all storms.
Application
Write down a scripture, a scriptural phrase or a single word that reminds you of a biblical truth, and throughout the day pull it out and set your mind on that truth. Practice setting your thoughts on things above today.