Two year Bible reading program.

BEGIN WITH PRAYER "Lord open my eyes and my heart." Read slowly so that you take in. And as you do, turn your heart to God, thanking him for the good you discover and praying his will home for you, your family, your church and the world. Wisdom to chew on Proverbs 29:24 Understanding to grow in Peter's message is that Christians should expect to suffer. Like the Jewish "exiles" who once had to survive in Babylon, they too are living in a hostile and ungodly Babylon-like society (5v13). In order to do so they should maintain the attitude of Christ who was prepared to suffer because of his rejection of sin. In the same way, Christians can expect to be abused because they don't embrace the lifestyle of those around them. But they can be helped in knowing that everyone will be judged. And they should therefore give themselves to prayer, love for each-other, hospitality and service. Moreover, they should rejoice in being called to participate i...

BEGIN WITH PRAYER "Lord open my eyes and my heart." Read slowly so that you take in. And as you do, turn your heart to God, thanking him for the good you discover and praying his will home for you, your family, your church and the world. Wisdom to chew on Proverbs 29:23 Understanding to grow in Godliness matters primarily because it pleases God. But also because it commends the gospel. So wives are called to the beauty of a willing submission to their husbands - and especially so any non-Christian husbands might be won over to consider the gospel. Such a command goes against the grain of our culture. But it is not a sanction of abuse. It is a means to harmony, recognizing that in marriage husbands are called to take the lead, caring and respecting for their wives and seeing them as equal hiers of salvation (3v7). Godliness is also to mark evangelism. Believers must "revere Christ as Lord" and so be prepared to face whatever hostility comes in shar...

BEGIN WITH PRAYER "Lord open my eyes and my heart." Read slowly so that you take in. And as you do, turn your heart to God, thanking him for the good you discover and praying his will home for you, your family, your church and the world. Wisdom to chew on Proverbs 29:22 Understanding to grow in What are we here for? It's a profound question that Peter answers for Christians. We have the unfathomable dignity of being spiritual stones in the temple that is the church, in which God is present in this world. So we are to be a holy and royal priesthood: First, in offering our lives to God in obedience. Second, in declaring God's excellence to the world. And the two are related. For as "pagans" see our good deeds they come to listen to our message, and so "glorify God on the day he visits." This is a reason why we should submit to authorities and respect everyone. And if this means suffering, we are to remember that this is to follow t...

BEGIN WITH PRAYER "Lord open my eyes and my heart." Read slowly so that you take in. And as you do, turn your heart to God, thanking him for the good you discover and praying his will home for you, your family, your church and the world. Wisdom to chew on Proverbs 29:21 Understanding to grow in Peter probably write this letter in the mid-60s AD, to encourage persecuted Christians who felt like "exiles" from home as they lived in this world. It resonates much with how Christians feel today. Peter starts with the reminder that this is to be expected, because we've been chosen to be apart from the world and obedient to Jesus. That's the idea of being "sanctified" - literally, to be made holy or set-apart in the service of God. He then moves to a reminder of our true home - the imperishable "inheritance" that is "kept in heaven" for us and that we will definitely receive because God keeps us. This means we can rej...