Does suffering have value in-and-of itself? In today’s message we look at how suffering can be misunderstood and how people can manipulate scripture for their own purposes. This chapter in First Peter does in fact talk about the call to suffer, but in a way that makes sense. Let’s join today’s service as we begin.

How does a person figure out what God wants them to do? So often we look for signs by interpreting the things that happen to us. Have you every had a day go badly and asked, “Is God punishing me for something?” In today’s service, we are encouraged to build our confidence in the choices we make in following Jesus. A confidence that comes by trusting Jesus and his victory.

When a person becomes a Christian after they are married, how should they relate to their spouse? Should they take steps to force that person to go to church, or to make friends with their new Christians friends? All too often that ends up alienating their spouse and putting up barriers to Jesus. Today’s text calls us to the nuances of serving one’s spouse through submission and equality for the purpose of helping them find Jesus.

Have you ever experienced getting picked on or nit-picked by someone who makes fun of your faith in Jesus? Have you ever lost an opportunity because you would not compromise your faith? These experiences can be infuriating. What’s the best way to respond? We know how we want to respond, but what does scripture tell us and why? Let’s join our service as we look at 1 Peter chapter 2.

As we learn to follow Jesus, not everyone in our life is excited by our change. How should we think about this? Why does God seem to let our life have these difficult experiences? Today’s passage looks back to the past as well as the future to help us understand today.

The folks Peter is writing to are experiencing hardship and social exclusion as a result of becoming Christians. How are they to respond? Do they fight the government? Do they prove their views to their neighbours? What should they focus on? Today’s passage gives them guidance… guidance which also helps us as we navigate living in this world.

Today we consider the contribution Simeon and Anna made to our understanding of the Christmas story. We might be familiar with their words of blessing. If they were not present, what might we miss that is important for us to consider today.

Today’s podcast is a portion of our Christmas Eve service. We ponder what the birth of Jesus, the one who would become both saviour and king, says to an empire that is flexing its power and claiming to do what is best for you. We invite you to remember the story of the birth of Jesus with us.