Hey, so it really hasn't been long since my last blog but this is the last blog form Plymouth Christian Centre until September as am off back this week.
At the service today we blessed a family and dedicated there child to the Lord. This was not a christening but prayer for them.
As usual I came across new songs that I felt I would share with you all
I stand before you
and here is another song that I wasn't sure if I had heard before, so felt like I should share it with you anyway
You are here
Also sang some of my favorite songs which are '
This is Amazing Grace' and 'The moon and stars'.
1 Peter 1:13-21 - A call to Holy Living
Peter always comes back to hope and therefore putting your hope fully in God and his hands, which is evidenced in verses 3, 13 and 21 of 1 Peter.
Today we are going to look at
How and
Why we put our hope fully in God and his grace.
The words of this song '
My Hope is built on nothing less' were inspiring for the topic of the talk which was mainly about trusting in God's grace, but also about hope.
Without hope there is no life and therefore no future so put your faith and hope in the grace of God.
There are two thing to think about when you talk about how to put your faith and hope in the grace of God and there are Healthy thinking and Holy living.
Healthy Thinking
1 Peter 1:13
"So then, have your minds ready for action. Keep alert and set your hope completely on the blessing which will be given when Jesus Christ is revealed."
You should think about what you think about and then think differently. You need to stop thinking about problems and stop being negative towards yourself and therefore stop focusing on your worries.
1 Peter 1:14
"Be obedient to God, and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those desires you had when you were still ignorant."
Don't go back to when you were ignorant because you know the truth and the truth will set you free and it has changed your life and therefore your way of thinking.
You must be sober minded meaning that your mind is clear to the grace of God. What is intoxicating in your life and stopping you from fully giving yourself to the grace of God, such as social media, TV or just being lazy.
Philippians 4
"So then, my brothers and sisters, how dear you are to me and how I miss you! How happy you make me, and how proud I am of you! This then, dear brothers and sisters, is how you should stand firm in your life in the Lord."
Trust is God's grace
Colossians 3;1-5
"You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your hearts on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right-hand side of God. Keep yours minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Your real life is Christ and when he appears, then you too will appear with him and share his glory!"
Holy Living
1 Peter 1:15-16
"Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God who called you is holy. The scripture says 'Be holy because I am holy.'"
You need to be seen as people of God and therefore do stuff in your life the make you stand out as a person of God so you must live differently.
1 Peter 1:15-16
"Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God who called you is holy. The scripture says 'Be holy because I am holy.'"
Be like the character of your father and therefore be closer to God and become more like Jesus. When you become closer to God you become closer to the image of God and therefore becoming the person he made you to be.
1 Peter 1:17
"You call him Father, when you pray to God, who judges all people by the same standard, according to what each one has done; so then, spend the rest of your lives here on earth in reverence for him."
You act in God's image because you fear his judgement and therefore the consequences of your actions. The disappear to do something hasn't changed you are just not doing anything because you fear God's judgement.
An example of this is that when you were a kid you would have disobeyed your parents at least once and you would suffer the consequences and therefore you wouldn't to that same thing again out of fear of the consequences.
1 Peter 1:21
"Through him you believe in God, who raised him from death and gave him glory; an so your faith and hope are fixed on God."
An example is a dog and if you have had a puppy you will know what I am talking about. So the puppy is holding on to this tie and you are pulling to get her to let go but she is wagging her tail and having so much fun as she thinks it's a game, so you change tactics and try tapping her on the nose and say 'give it' but that doesn't work so you try pulling her jaw off the tie. Finally, you get treats and show the dog and she let go off the tie for the treats. The dog had a greater affection for the treats.
What this story is trying to show is that when you have tried everything and it's not working then trust in the grace of God as God is our greater affection.
Augustine suggest that Love God then everything else will happen.
Well that's it for now
Amy xx
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished. And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband. I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: 'Now God's home is with human beings! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or drying or pain. The old things have disappeared."
