Precious Promises

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:1-4  (day five)

For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

How incredibly important are the promises of God. Peter connects them to becoming partakers of divine nature – thinking, hoping, praying, loving, and living like Jesus – all informed by the promises of God found throughout the scriptures. Look at David for example. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.” We see circumstances (walk through the valley) and a divine reaction (will not fear) because of the promise of God (you are with me). There is both faith and freedom found in God’s promises.

“The full evidence of Jesus’ power will be seen only in the future when he keeps his promise. That truth frees us from having to pretend to be perfectly whole people today. We are Christians, who are gripped by God’s promises for the future, thrilled by them, and motivated to live godly lives now in his power.” – Christopher Green

Life in the Spirit

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:1-4  (day four)

We have been given everything we need for life and godliness. This doesn’t come in the form of a starter pack or tool shed with every tool imaginable – it comes through the Spirit who dwells in us. Because we have the Spirit, we have constant access to the One who formed us and the world for his glory. The Spirit is transforming us more and more into the likeness of Christ, taking us from glory to glory. This is such great assurance, especially on our darkest days. We have access to the ever-flowing fountain (Jeremiah 2:13) whose waters will not be cut off. As we continue to live in the Spirit and form a greater awareness of Christ’s presence with us, our life will become an ever-growing testimony that we truly have all we need through him.

Secure

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:1-4  (day three)

…you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Lust, often sexualized in common usage, refers to any desire having the quality of a craving that eclipses all concern for the well-being of others.  Power, pleasure, position, possessions – one treasures these things as the means to connection, safety, security. And eventually one sees them as synonymous with connection, safety, and security. Because they appear to be rare, they must be forcefully obtained at any cost before someone else finds them and leaves you with nothing. Such a world is zero-sum by nature, and you are the only one who will look out for you. Peter found a different life – heaven’s life – in which connection, safety, and security never cease no matter the circumstances. Jesus taught Peter to live as he lives – eternally.

His Victory

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:1-4  (day two)

To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: v. 1b

I am reading a devotional that includes poetry, song, scripture, and wisdom from great men and women of faith. I love the heart of George Herbert. This is a portion of “The Authour’s Prayer Before Sermon”

Thou hast exalted thy
mercy above all things; and hast made our salvation, not our
punishment, thy glory: so that then where sin abounded,
not death, but grace superabounded; accordingly, when we
had sinned beyond any help in heaven or earth, then thou
saidest, Lo, I come! then did the Lord of life, unable of him-
selfe to die, contrive to do it. He took flesh, he wept, he
died; for his enemies he died; even for those that derided
him then, and still despise him. Blessed Saviour! many
waters could not quencn thy love! nor no pit overwhelme it.
But though the streams of thy bloud were currant through
darknesse, grave, and hell; yet by these thy conflicts, and
seemingly hazards, didst thou arise triumphant, and therein
mad’st us victorious.

The faith that we have received from Jesus came at great personal cost to him, but his victory over death was also our hope of salvation. We must continue to walk in the honor of his victory. We did nothing to earn or deserve it, but by his mercy we are able to partake in it. Thanks be to God.

Monday Re:Vlog – 9/1/25

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:1-4  (day one)

Join us as Senior Pastor Chris Johnson, Associate Pastor Aaron Hufty, and Associate Pastor Bryan Richardson walk us through 2 Peter 1:1-4 in our Fall Re:Verse Series: “2 Peter – Standing Firm in the Faith.”

Profane the Sabbath

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 13:15-22 (day seven)  

What is this evil thing you are doing, by profaning the sabbath day? vs 17

Many Christians will claim verses such as Romans 6:14 to attempt to diminish the importance of the Law, especially as it pertains to the Sabbath. Some may even go so far to say that Jesus abolished Sabbath laws. However, Jesus claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath in Mark 2:27-28 and said that the Sabbath was created for us. Though it may be true that we do not need to follow the Sabbath laws to the fervor by which the pharisees attempted to follow it, by no means is there anywhere in the Bible that would condone the abolishment of the Sabbath from our lives.

Why do we continue to profane the Sabbath day?

Working in youth ministry, I see the mistreatment of the Sabbath on full display. Baseball tournaments, musicals, and weekend trips have filled our parents’ schedules to the point that our most faithful students are attending Sunday morning worship and Bible study twice a month. What does that say about our less frequent attenders? We need to reclaim a Sabbath in our lives, not so that we might claim a better average attendance, but so that our people might find rest in the Lord, rest in each other, and rest from the world. This is why God ordained a Sabbath.

Future Grace

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 13:15-22 (day six)

Nehemiah 13 ends on a sour note. The people who once repented with sincerity fall back into old patterns. Yet this disappointment is not the end of the story—it is meant to stir in us a longing for more. What Nehemiah and the kings of Israel could not accomplish, Jesus the Messiah fulfills.

Through the lens of promise, Nehemiah becomes part of God’s larger story. Grace is the true actor—seen in the return from exile, the rebuilding of the city, and God’s readiness to welcome His people back again and again. As Joel 2:12-13 reminds us, God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.

If there were a Nehemiah chapter 14, it may well have displayed God’s readiness to receive their repentance AGAIN, not on their righteousness, but on Christ’s (Romans 3:18). Nehemiah’s ending leaves us hungry for Jesus, the One who brings lasting renewal.

Clarity and Courage

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 13:15-22 (day five)  

What was it that caused Nehemiah to have “spiritual eyes” (all throughout this book)? – Seeing and perceiving not simply the actions of the people, but the spiritual danger and destruction of such actions (2 Kings 6:17, Ephesians 1:18). His concern/burden for the Israelites was more about who they were becoming than what they were doing. Worship mattered more than walls. Their hearts mattered most. (See verse 31- Thus I purified them…)

So, back to the original question. 2 Things: 1- The reality of God’s wise and powerful presence as evidenced in an intimate relationship between Nehemiah and the Lord, through prayer (4 times in chapter 13). 2- Nehemiah’s affinity and affection for God’s Word- He heard God’s voice through God’s word.

May our conviction for God’s presence and God’s Word give us the clarity and courage to see, love, lead, and serve like Nehemiah.

Drift

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 13:15-22 (day three)

The Single Adults Ministry has been reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer this summer, and it has given us many insights into building up our daily spiritual lives. One of which is the reminder that no one drifts into holiness. You don’t drift towards the spiritual disciplines, you don’t simply stumble into keeping the Sabbath. The natural drift of life will lead us towards sin and apathy.

But how does one keep a boat from drifting out to sea? You throw down an anchor, something stronger than the pull of the drift, that keeps the boat where you want it to be. This means setting a firm boundary and building in accountability so that you can resist the drift and keep growing in godliness.

The Israelites had begun to drift back into old habits and were no longer keeping the Sabbath, something we are guilty of as well. When Nehemiah noticed this drift, he threw down an anchor on their behalf by shutting the gates. He kept them accountable by drawing a firm boundary. When they saw those shut gates on the Sabbath, they were reminded that day wasn’t for work, but for worship.

Is there an area of life where you find yourself adrift? How might you throw down an anchor to keep yourself accountable to growing in the ways of God?

Internal

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 13:15-22 (day three)

Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load would enter on the sabbath day.

In the early days of Nehemiah’s presence in Jerusalem, Nehemiah stationed guards to protect the people completing the city wall. Now, he posted guards to protect the people behind the completed wall. What becomes apparent is that city walls can stop an invading army, but they can’t stop the forces invading the heart. The guards he posted to prevent interference of sabbath observance showed Nehemiah’s devout concern for the people’s spiritual welfare. He was making space for them to stop buying and consuming, and instead to be still. Walls can keep external threats at bay, while a person’s internal machinations remain unchecked. Nehemiah showed his people how to pay attention to the heart.