Author: Rick Henderson

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 5:7-14 (day seven)

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. vs 8

Most people hear the word “sober” and instantly think of intoxication. The Bible is clear that sobriety goes beyond substances; it is a way of life. Being of a sober mind and spirit is to allow every decision you make to be filtered through an eternal lens. With eternity in view, you see the world as it is supposed to be, as God intended.

Just like an intoxicating substance, the pleasures of this earth can impair our judgement, allowing for a foothold for Satan to grab onto. Losing sight of eternity leaves us vulnerable to more of his earthly attacks, so what must we do to remain sober in mind and spirit?

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 5:1-6 (day seven)

… as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ. vs 1b

Peter is quick to remind us that he was with Jesus during His earthly ministry, but Peter didn’t need to spell this out so plainly for us. The very stories where we see Peter being taught by Jesus in the gospels are seen clearly as the foundation of his theology in his writings.

Gospel: Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” […] Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.” John 21:17

1 Peter: … shepherd the flock of God among you. vs 2

Gospel: For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. Matthew 16:27

1 Peter:  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. vs 4

Gospel: He got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet. John 13:4-5

1 Peter: [Gird] yourselves with humility toward one another. vs 5

Peter’s everyday language was changed because of his time with Jesus. How are you different from your time with Jesus?

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 4:12-19 (day seven)

Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler. vs 15

Just because you are a Christian and are suffering does not automatically qualify that you are suffering for Christ. Peter was quick to diagnose our natural thought process here and tell us that sometimes our suffering is self imposed. There are consequences for our actions. Christians are quick to claim that they must be suffering for Christ if they endure any type of hardship. Although we as Christians have the Holy Spirit within us and are to be walking with the Lord, we are not impervious to mistakes. Human responsibility is the reason we have free will. Sometimes our choices, even if not sinful, lead us into suffering. That does not mean that we are suffering for the Lord.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 4:1-11 (day seven)

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. vs 10

When we begin to talk about stewardship, people shut down, assuming that we are talking about money.  Financial conversations can feel uncomfortable. We don’t like people telling us what to do with “our” money. However, stewardship goes beyond a paycheck and tithe. Most people who enter a church understand that the giving of money is a command from God. Yet, most people who enter a church do not have any desire whatsoever to serve in that church. They simply want to come, observe, give a little money in the plate as it passes, and go about their business. They neglect that God has gifted them with special talents and He commands them to use those gifts in the church. A good steward does not hoard their gifts, they use them wisely.

You have a gift. What is your gift?

God did not design you with that gift to only bless you professionally. He gave you that gift to steward it and give back to Him with it. So how can you use your giftedness in our church?

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Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 3:18-22 (day seven) 

… so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit. vs 18

There is only one way to get to God. The New Testament is abundantly clear that there is no other way to the Father except through Jesus Christ. You would think that John 14:6 would be enough to convince people that there is no other way, but still, people find ways to circumvent contextual interpretation to appease their beliefs. The purpose of the Incarnation was to provide a way for humanity to dwell with God for eternity as well as in this world. God wouldn’t have needed Jesus to become flesh if His plan was to save the world universally. God needed Jesus to provide a way for us to die in our flesh now in order for us to know God now. Jesus died in His flesh in order to bring us to God and also to bring God to us. God is with us because Jesus made the way… the only way!

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 3:8-17 (day seven)

always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. vs 15

Apologists have adopted this verse as a defense to why we should study apologetics. We should know what we believe and why we believe it, these things are true. However, I think we can become overzealous to the defense and lose track of the very thing we were called to defend, the hope that is in you, as well as how we are supposed to defend it, with gentleness and reverence.

I recently encountered a professional apologist who was so well trained to debate that even his small talk came across as combative. Within five minutes of meeting this person, I began to ask myself this question: If I were an unbeliever, would I be more persuaded by logic or by love? If the people we are sending into the front lines are more concerned with winning an argument than displaying the hope we have in Jesus Christ, then our logic was flawed to begin with. Our society doesn’t need more divisiveness, we need more hope. Defend your hope!

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 3:1-7 (day seven)

Your adornment must not be merely external…

The women whom Peter was referring to were dressing and adorning themselves extravagantly. So much to the point that it had become a distraction in the congregation. Maybe they were trying to appear more holy or more educated. Maybe their goals were vain and they were seeking attention for their beauty. Nevertheless, while trying so hard to gain the attention of those around them, they were neglecting the attention of the One who gave them their true beauty.

Who are you trying to impress? It may be with clothes or jewelry, or it could be with words or attitude, but it becomes easy for us to enter our church buildings more worried about how we will be perceived by others in the room than the message we came there to receive. You have created a distraction by making others the object of your worship rather than God. Who will you try to impress today?

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 2:18-25 (day seven)

Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. vs 18

By the grace of God, our human institutions have begun to realize the injustices of our past as we have sought to eradicate slavery across the globe. It is that same grace of God that we as individuals are imparted with to endure the injustices that linger in its wake. What becomes hard to swallow is when we realize that we are called to love those who are unjust. It is one thing to suck it up and endure injustice from them, but it is another to love them in the midst of it. Love is the only way that Jesus endured the cross. Love is the only way the Father endures our constant rebellion. Love not only will be the way we endure the injustices of this world, it is the cure!

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 2:11-17 (day seven)

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. vs 11

There is a war for your soul. Are you fighting? You may think you have built your walls up high enough that the enemy can’t get through. You may think the once a week fortification of your walls is enough, but if you are not engaging in the warfare, the enemy will eventually break down your wall.

We live in a hostile environment. Every day, the enemy is bombarding you with an array of attacks hoping one of them will find a weak point. Once that weak point is found, the attacks become harder to hold off. The constant bombardment creates cracks in the once strong wall and will eventually bring them down. So what will you do? Will you make war? Grab your Sword and Shield and fight back!

“Take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:16-17