Archive for the ‘Daily Bible Study & Questions’ Category

January 15th, 2019 Daily Bible Study & Questions No Comments »

1 Peter 5:12-14 Peter Signs Off

God’s word written for the generations!

We have come to the end of Peter’s first letter. He is signing off and sending greetings from all those with him.

The first thing Peter does is identify the actual scribe doing the writing for this letter. I wonder if Peter’s handwriting was a problem or if, being a fisherman, he didn’t feel confident penning such a letter. Did Silvanus need to “reorder” some of Peter’s thoughts to make them grammatically correct for the language his audience was using? Was Peter educated enough to know how to write? Paul was certainly educated enough to write yet he used scribes for most of his letters. I wonder if Paul’s vision kept him from writing. Whoever put pen to paper, we KNOW that the Holy Spirit had the final say in what was eventually sent out. Read more »

January 14th, 2019 Daily Bible Study & Questions No Comments »

1 Peter 5:1-11 Shepherds’ Orders

Follow the shepherd who follows the Chief Shepherd.

Peter is coming to the close of his letter. He gives instructions first to the shepherds of the flock then to the members.

To the shepherds, Peter shares the same instructions that he himself lives by. They are fellow workers in this field. Even though Peter was an eyewitness to the life of Jesus, he does not put himself above his fellow shepherds. They are joint heirs of the promises of Jesus and the glory to come.

“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but willingly. As God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your care but being examples to the flock” (verses 2-3). To start with, the shepherd is to care for the flock God gives him, not go seeking a “better” flock or coveting someone else’s flock. God knows His sheep and HE places them where He knows is best for them to be. He also knows the shepherds and what their “talents” are, as He gave them to them Himself. HE matches shepherd with flock and vice versa. Read more »

January 13th, 2019 Daily Bible Study & Questions No Comments »

1 Peter 4:12-19 Good Suffering

What will your “trials” reveal?

WHAT! Can suffering be good? YES! Peter tells us so and why. Suffering for Christ is profitable. Suffering for our own sin is NOT.

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you” (verse 12). Notice here that Peter said “when” not “if.” We WILL experience trials. We WILL experience suffering. It may not look anything like the persecution the first church encountered; being crucified, burned at the stake, or fed to the lions. Read more »

January 12th, 2019 Daily Bible Study & Questions No Comments »

1 Peter 4:1-11 Using God’s Gift

God’s gifts are to be used to serve the body, not just the recipient of the gift.

Peter continues to call his readers to live a life pleasing to God. “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking” (verse 1a).

We start off with Peter saying that “whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God” (verses 1b-2). How I would LOVE for this to ALWAYS be true! I know I haven’t ceased from sin ALL the time. But I am forgiven for that sin EVERY time I bring it to God. Also, the more we walk with Him the less we want to indulge in what the world has to offer. That is what God calls us to do; become more like Jesus every day.

The last part of our reading spoke to me the loudest today. It is probably because I just finished reading a story in the book Following In His Footsteps: Walking Day by Day with Jesus by Jean Coleman that touched on the same theme. The story was titled “Surprise Package” and talked about a wife who received an iron for her birthday. She was very unhappy with it because it wasn’t something “personal” but something that would help serve her family. God called her on her attitude and likened the gift she had received to His spiritual gifts. Read more »

January 11th, 2019 Daily Bible Study & Questions No Comments »

1 Peter 3:8-22 Called to Bless

I want to be a reflection of His love in all I do and say.

Peter calls the believer to be a blessing to those they encounter. “Have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (verse 8).

These attributes are a blessing to all who encounter them, either on the receiving or the giving end. Those who are treated to brotherly kindness or sympathy receive a precious gift. In our “me” world, there isn’t a lot of brotherly kindness being shown.

Today, while I was leaving a parking lot, I had to go through the pedestrian crossing area. I waited for several people to cross and then proceeded through. One man came out as I was in the middle of the walkway. Instead of stopping for him I finished going through the walkway. He intentionally hit the rear door area of my car, with either his hand or basket, to show his displeasure with me not stopping for him. Instead of me being “tender hearted” towards him and realizing that he was probably having a bad day, I said a few choice words, while proceeding on my way. I even thought of confronting him for his actions. Neither of us was showing much brotherly love at that time. Read more »