It's my party, I can cry if I want to

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (1 Peter 1:10-12 ESV)

Entitled. Spoiled. Ungrateful. Lazy. These are words often used to describe young adults and teenagers. Our parents have often worked hard to provide great things for us and we expect good things. Right?

I love watching Survivor. One of the last episodes I watched, it was Rodney's birthday. Rodney hasn't won a reward challenge all season. 30 days in and everyone else who is left has won a food reward or some cool experience. But not Rodney. So a few people had told him that if they won, they'd pick him to go on the reward with them.

When they get to the reward challenge, it's a team challenge, not an individual one. Rodney's team loses, so he then begs the three winners to give up their reward so he can go. He feels like they owe it to him to celebrate his birthday. No one is willing to do so. (and I don't blame them – they've all been eating a scoop of rice a day for 30 days! Plus, they were going to an orphanage to give the kids toys and school supplies… No one wants to turn that down!)
Anyway, Rodney and the others on the losing team go back to the beach, where Rodney has a major temper tantrum. He's so ticked off that no one would give up the reward to make his birthday special. He complained that it was the worst birthday ever. One of the women said to the camera, "he's on Survivor - millions of people would think that's a pretty great birthday."

It seems funny to see a grown man acting that way, but we do the same sort of thing.

Christ has come – we know who the Messiah is. We have the complete Bible and it's easily accessible to us – you probably have more than one Bible as well as access to all different versions on your phone or computer. Beyond your Bible, you can attend church and Bible studies, free of persecution. You can buy a plethora of books – commentaries, Bible studies, any resource you can imagine – to help you learn the Bible and apply it to your life.

These verses talk about the prophets who proclaimed grace and salvation – for us! They earnestly, carefully, diligently searched and inquired of the details of the coming Messiah for us. Yet, like Rodney, we feel entitled and complain over things we don't have rather than recognizing the blessings we do have.

Recognize the incredible blessings you've received. Make the good news that has been given to you real in your life.

1) We have so many tools for learning God's word at our fingertips. Which of those tools are you most thankful for?

2) The prophets "were not serving themselves, but you." And others "have preaches the good news to you." How are you doing these things for others?

3) Do you feel like the words used at the beginning of this devotional describe you – entitled, spoiled, ungrateful, lazy? If so, what can you do to change that?

4) Take sometime and journal about this passage.

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Written by Amber Carter

Pass the popcorn

You know how we sometimes do those popcorn praise prayers at youth group? That's basically what Peter does after his introduction. Reading it, I can't help but get excited. Take your time as you read today's passage.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV)

"Blessed be" is also translated at "praise be." So Peter is saying praise God and is about to tell us why.
Also, I like that Peter specifies that God is the father of Jesus Christ. Remember, these letters are being written to the early church. Comments like this reinforce the authority of Jesus' life and teaching.

"According to his great mercy" This makes me excited because I know I need mercy and not only does God have some, it's great! It's powerful and abundant. And I find myself wanting to keep reading to see what his mercy will compel Him to do.

As we continue reading verse 3, we see what it is He has done. "Born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" this should blow your mind. But this is such common knowledge to us, you probably didn't give it much thought. Read it again: "Born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" wow!

In both John and Romans, we're told it's because of love that God sent Jesus to be born, live a sinless life, to be that perfect sacrifice who would die on the cross for our sins. But it would be in vain if that's where the story ended. Jesus Christ rise from the grave! Not Walking Dead style - He became fully alive, defeating death and Satan! That's awesome!

Because of this, we can be born again. And not just to some boring life. We have "living hope," which is explained more in verse 4.

In heaven, we, who are born again, will receive an inheritance that is...
1) imperishable- unlike the Promised land which was the Israelites inheritance, this will last FOREVER! It has no end.
2) undefiled- it is not obtained dishonestly or corruptly. Nor will it have any intrusions, or sin, or any impurities.
3) unfading- unlike the flowers and grass mentioned in verse 24, this will keep its beauty and never stop blooming.

Verse 5 is exciting and a little confusing.
"God's power" is unmatchable, all-sufficient, unending, uncontainable, unstoppable - if our God is for us, who can stand against us? That's a rhetorical question because obviously the answer is no one or nothing. That should get you excited for being in God's side!!

So by God's power, we, who are born again, are being guarded through faith.
This part seems a little confusing--what are we being guarded from? I don't think it means pain or safety or death. I've been hurt, been in car accidents, had friends and family die. All over the world we see all sorts of persecution and injustices happening to believers.

What I think Peter is referring to here is that once we have been born again and have this living hope and inheritance, satan can't take that from us--that's what we are being guarded from... Woohoo! God's got me covered and He does you too, if you're born again! Saran can come at us anyway he wants, like he did to Job, and although it may be difficult and painful to endure, we still get heaven!! That's awesome!!

Peter's last comment about salvation to be revealed is a little confusing. But it makes me think of when Paul talks about seeing things now dimly but it will be revealed to us eventually. There's so much more that God is doing than we realize. Eventually we will understand more and more.

Questions:
1) I mentioned more than once that this passage get me excited. What about God gets you excited?

2) Are you born again? Do you have that living hope Peter referred to?

3) According to his great ______________, he has caused us to be  ______________to a living hope through the ______________ of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4) Take some time to pray and journal about this passage.

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Written by Amber Carter

put a rock in it

Galatians 5:7-12- You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

I ran track for one season in high school, I was a complete novice. I had no clue how to stretch correctly or what any of the coaches meant with their track jargon. I remember one practice we were running uphill sprints the whole time (I hated these practices). About halfway through the practice I felt a little pebble in my shoe, it was annoying but I thought nothing else of it so I just ignored it and kept running. After every practice the team would go and see the school trainer to get ice or to get checked out for injuries. The trainer asked me how practice went and I told him I had a small blister he should look at. Well, when I took off my shoe the blister was a lot worse than I thought! I felt so dumb to have to tell him why. He told me that if I were to keep running on it I could possibly be out for another week or even the rest of the season. I ended up missing the track meet that week because of that tiny rock. But I learned my lesson: never run with a pebble in your shoe!!

I'm finding this to be true with a lot of things in my life. Often it's the little things over time that cause the most damage. For instance, if I am ever snippy or sarcastic with my mom it would be best not to let that go for a few days but rather to apologize and take care of it right away before it gets ugly like a blister.

What's the pebble in your shoe? What or who is distracting you?

Right where you are ask God to show you and ask him to help you find a solution.

"You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?" V. 7

Answer This:

1. What does the whole rock in the shoe illustration point to?

2. What is a rock that you have experienced, what have you left in your “shoe” until it became a bigger problem in life?

3.” You were ______________ well. Who hindered you from obeying the ___________? “

Take a moment and journal about this. 

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Written by Kyle Ryan

Brooks Was Here

Have you ever watched The Shawshank Redemption? There's an old guy in the movie his name is Brooks. He's been in the prison for 50 years and has figured out life in the system. He's a guy that's important; he’s respected by many of the prisoners (he runs the library among other things). He is given parole but is scared to leave. He leaves and gets a job and place to live. Brooks ends up hanging himself because he can't handle life outside of the prison. He's lived in prison so long that is has become his identity and he fears the freedom and newness of life outside of prison.

Galatians 4:21-27

21 Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. 23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.

24 These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. 25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. 27 As Isaiah said,

“Rejoice, O childless woman,

    you who have never given birth!

Break into a joyful shout,

    you who have never been in labor!

For the desolate woman now has more children

    than the woman who lives with her husband!”

I've read this passage numerous times this past week. The phrase, "you who desire to be under the law" jumped out at me this time and made me want to scream "NOOOO!"

This is the struggle of the Early Church is having. They have lived their whole lives under the Law. It's what they know; it's what makes sense. It is part of their identity (think about the Pharisees). They don't know how to live under the freedom that the grace of the new covenant brings, so they desire the Law. Just like Brooks who wants to return to prison cause it's what he knows.

Can you relate to that? Feeling like it's easier to stay in a current situation because the new is unknown and scary.

This past weekend I was at a Beth Moore conference. She talked about the Israelites grumbling and complaining about how great it was in Egypt and wished they had stayed. But they were slaves in Egypt!  They were choosing slavery over freedom!

She also talked about the story of Peter walking on water. Peter could've stayed in the boat. The boat was a good, safe place from where they could see Jesus. However, stepping out of the boat brought Peter to a place that was scary, yet closer to Jesus.

God wants us to have abundant life (Jn 10:10). He doesn't want us living in Egypt or staying in the boat. Christ died so we could live for so much more! Don’t choose to live under the Law when you can live under grace.

Put your fears aside. Trust God enough to move forward in your relationship with Him. Don't desire the Law; experience the abundant life that grace brings.

Questions:

1) Can you relate to Peter, the Israelites, or the early church? In what way do you need to choose freedom over slavery?

2) "you who _______ to be under the ______."

3) From what you know of Abraham and his two sons, held to the verses about them relate to this idea of grace/law and the old/new covenants?

4) Take some time and journal about this passage.

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Written by Amber