Starting Well on the Path to Leadership

Starting Well on the Path to Leadership

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Having addressed the Elders who lead congregations, Peter turns to young men, urging them to submit to the kind of Christlike leadership that he has just been describing. Why does the topic of submission keep coming up when the New Testament speaks to relationships within church, community and family? We discover the importance of submission in character development and preparation for leadership. There is a better way than leaders "lording it over" those they lead and others struggling for control - to get their voice heard and their preferences satisfied. That way is godly leadership and godly submission - both demonstrated perfectly in Jesus Christ. One key to appointing & developing godly leaders is to look out for those who have already developed humility and a willingness to submit to others according to God's will.

Shepherds of God's Flock

Shepherds of God's Flock
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As Peter writes to believers to encourage them to stand firm in their faith despite persecution, he turns to give specific attention to the Elders of these congregations. He knows that people need shepherds, especially when they are suffering. This message examines the concise but powerful guidance Peter gives to Elders, advice which is helpful to anyone in spiritual leadership.

In Case of Emergency

In Case of Emergency

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Knowing that our time is limited heightens our sense of urgency to spread the Gospel. It’s always an emergency. Jesus said He’d return at a date unknown. In the mean time, our attitude ought to be one of diligent prayer, generous love & hospitality no matter the cost. All that we have belongs to God, for us to wisely use for the blessing of others & the glory of God. Sometimes it hurts to love & to give, but the trick is to not care that it hurts. Jesus didn’t care how much it hurt Him to die for us.

The Reborn Identity

The Reborn Identity

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When a disciple of Jesus chooses to live by God’s standards, rather than the way of the world, others don’t understand. Often those who we used to associate with will try to persuade a Christian to return to an old lifestyle that doesn’t challenge the unbelieving friends & relatives. The good news for the Christian is that they are free to follow the guidance of God’s Spirit, rather than the values of the world. Free to explore a new identity & a new purpose for living.

Women of Inner Beauty

Women of Inner Beauty

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As Peter urges Christians to stand firm against their own inner desires and the pressure to conform to an ungodly world so that they may truly live for Christ, he turns his attention to address some of the particular challenges faced by wives. God's instructions regarding submission are read in our culture as unattractive, unfair and abusive; yet when godly leadership and godly submission are understood and practiced they actually unlock tremendous strength and intimacy in marriage as in all the other areas of life in which they are prescribed by God as His pattern for living and relating.

You might like to check out 'The Story of Ian and Larissa' which we viewed beforehand and referred to during the message.  You'll be moved by their journey.
 

Men of Understanding

 
Men of Understanding

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On Father's day we take some time to consider the radical challenges of 1 Peter 3:7. We discover some principles for relationships that are applied in the New Testament to all people as we seek to become more like Jesus, but on several occasions they are applied specifically to husbands. The challenge is to resist our own sinful desires and external pressures in order to become men of understanding who treat wives - and people in general - with respect as co-heirs in God's gracious gift of life.

A People of Partnership

A People of Partnership

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Building on the foundation of what we've discovered in 1 Peter about what it means to be people of praise, purity and peace, this message explores how we are now able to work together in harmony in the commission that Christ gave the church - to make disciples. We are reminded of the importance of a right relationship with God and with each other which stems from healthy heart attitudes, and we take the opportunity to do some heart checking to see if there are things that God wants to deal with in us which prevent us from true partnership with each other.

A People of Peace

A People of Peace

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1 Peter 2:18-25

All of us know what it's like to live with tension in relationships.  Whether that tension is produced by the dynamics of authority and submission (as was the case for slaves and masters in today's text or whether it comes from other causes, the heart attitudes that enable us to live as a People of Peace remain the same.

Peter challenges us first to trust God, which enables us to stop striving for control ourselves and experience the peace that comes from relying on His sovereignty & goodness.
Secondly we are challenged to "live for righteousness".  What does that look like?  Jesus summed it up with the command to love God with everything we are and to love others as ourselves (Matt. 22:37-38).


In this message we ask the Holy Spirit to diagnose the condition of our hearts to see whether we are trusting God completely in our circumstances in order to be free to love God and love others as God would have us do.  In keeping with Hebrews 4:12-13, we explore the importance of allowing God to deal with the attitudes of our hearts that get in the way of trust and love.  As we do this, we can become a people of peace with God, peace within as well as peace with others.