Most of us want our information from someone who has been there before. If we are going on a trip, we want to talk to someone who has been to that same destination. What would you do again? What would you do if you were to go back to that location? What would you avoid? We want to hear from the voice of experience. Peter was addressing a group of people facing persecution, and he tells them to be serious (sober) and alert to the attacks of Satan (1 Pet. 5:8). Both verbs Peter used carry the ... Read More
Be Holy – 1 Peter 1:13-25
Uniquely Sober-Minded Disciples (1 Peter 1:13-25) Written by Michael Kelley - Director of Groups Ministry at LifeWay Christian Resources There is a certain kind of seriousness that is uniquely Christian. That's not to say Christians don't smile, tell jokes, or generally enjoy life; far from it in fact. Christians ought to be the kinds of people whose joy, laughter, and whimsy are infectious to the people around them. But the combination of those qualities is what makes the Christian ... Read More
Extraordinary – Acts 12:7-12, 16-19
“So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church” (Acts 12:5). According to a 2014 Pew Research Center survey, 55 percent of Americans say they pray daily. Another 21 percent claim to pray at least weekly or monthly. With the U.S. population nearing 325 million people, that’s a lot of pray-ers. And a lot of prayers! I have a hypothesis about prayer. While I can’t say that it is supported by a research survey, I believe it is a fairly ... Read More
Bold – Acts 9:36-43
Peter asked God to do the impossible. After praying, he told a dead woman to arise and she did (v.40). It was a bold and audacious request. It was a prayer prayed to the same God whom we worship today. The miracle rocked the community to its core and many more came to believe as a result of it (v.42). This was God's unique will for Tabitha (or "Dorcas"), but this story is about more than the resurrection of one person. This story has impacted millions in the centuries that have transpired since ... Read More