The Apostle Peter missed the crucifixion. Doesn’t that seem rather odd? Peter had walked on water (Matthew 14:29), saw Jesus transfigured (Matthew 17:1-4) and testified Jesus to be the Son of God (Matthew 16:16). Simon Peter had paid Jesus’ temple tax (Matthew 17:27) and stood nearby when Jesus raised a little girl from the dead (Luke 8:51). In fact, Peter’s name …
The Sparks of Marriage and Other Flames
I think that this must have been my mother’s mantra. When I whined about doing something I didn’t want to do, she most often found a way to slip this into the conversation. “Don’t forget the Golden Rule,” she would remind. So as an adult, I’m often reminded to think through how I want to be treated …
Getting worse or getting better?
“…the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold…” 1 Peter 1:7 So far, our refinement process has just resulted in one big mess. In fact, I have found that before seeing any outward progress in my spiritual walk, my life looks far worse than it does better. The slurry of our lives are all too obvious …
The Separation Continues…
“…the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold…” 1 Peter 1:7 Let’s look at the next step in this gold extraction process. It’s now time to mix the ground rock with liquid and something to make the whole thing froth….yeah, we want bubbles…on purpose. Next, into all those bubbles, we add an oily ingredient. Gold …
The Process of Sifting
“…the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold…” 1 Peter 1:7 Unfortunately, although we may have felt crushed at times, stopping here won’t leave us with a pure faith. Because faith is the victory that overcomes, I want to go forward through the process. Let’s move together past these initial trials to watch our faith really …
Refinement 101
“…the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold…” 1 Peter 1:6-7 Residing in you is a hidden lode of faith. Your Holy Prospector knows of your value in Christ and desires to reveal these rich pockets. But first, He must bring it to the surface in order to be used. Our faith refinement is …
Faith Refinement
“…if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold…even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor…” 1 Peter 1:6-7 Okay, so faith is the key to our spiritual progress. But, just how does that work? …