Peter writes to mostly gentile Christians that are undergoing persecution and suffering. He reminds these Christians that they have reason to rejoice even though they are going through various trials, including: 1) Christians are made new by God; 2) Christians have a new future that includes an imperishable inheritance and heaven; and 3) Christians have the opportunity to have their faith in God deepen during trials.

Peter urges Christians to ready their minds for action. The life of action Christians are called to includes refraining from being conformed to a self-serving life that the world system promotes. Instead, Christians are to live different than the world by living a self-sacrificial life of love. This radical way of living is possible because God has first loved us.

God's Word is powerful! As we develop a deeper knowledge of His Word we: gain wisdom, experience victorious prayer, are able to minister effectively, and our character is transformed. In order to benefit from God's Word we need to be willing to follow what it says, to interpret it soundly, and to live it out.

We are 'living stones', being built into a spiritual dwelling. As a result we have a deep unity as we are connected by our cornerstone, Christ. We should seek to find a real community to commit to and grow in so we can build relationships and become equipped to serve God!

It's commonly understood that most religions, including Christianity, portray women as inferior to men; but this concept is unbiblical. Oftentimes people are misguided on their view of marriage roles because their concept of leadership is far away from God's view of leadership. In marriage, God designed the man to be a spiritual leader for his wife. A husband is called to lead in humility and love?not ?try to gain power? over his wife. In this type of marriage, a wife would most likely find it joyful to submit to her husband.\r\n

Christianity becomes appealing to people when it's clear that its representatives display true characteristics of Christ. As Jesus' ambassadors, Christians are to be compassionate, sympathetic, humble, full of grace, and unified with one another. With gentleness and respect, believers must also be prepared to present a clear, objective case for their beliefs in Jesus as the only way to God. Includes a video on ?Unlocking the Mysteries of Life.?\r\n

There is suffering we can avoid, but also suffering we can't! When we undergo necessary suffering, how we respond to the pain in our lives is important. We can respond negatively by lashing out, running away from our problems, or becoming resentful. We need to remember that we have an enemy, that this world is fallen, and that suffering is necessary for spiritual growth. We can trust God through it to work good in spite of the brokenness of our world!\r\n\r\n

Leadership is necessary and a provision from God, to give the church protection and direction. Good leaders care about God's people, have humility, and seek God's will over their own. Leader's shouldn't be in it for the money, or personal gain, but because they love God and God's people. Good leaders can have an incredible impact on individuals lives within the church!

Who is Satan? Is he real? What does the Bible really say about him? Understanding spiritual warfare begins with us understanding that we have an enemy who opposes God and God's people. In order to fight back, we have to understand his position and strategy.

The spiritual battle is a battle for truth, with Satan opposing God's truth. We can fight in the battle by remaining alert, persevering in prayer, and having biblical faith. \r\n