May 5th, 2024
Love and Good News
SGN:
BGN:
Elect (
1 Peter 1:1a Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion…
Exiles in their
Discouraged by
Elect: Because of the
1 Peter 1:22-25 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
The Good News Is
THE PAUSE: 10 MINUTES WITH GOD
MONDAY | LOVE DEEPLY
PASSAGE: 1 Peter 1:22
PAUSE: Peter uses various descriptors to describe our love for one another. The bottom line is this: we are called to love one another based on our relationship with Jesus Christ. This love must be sincere, pure, and sacrificial.
PRAYER: Our Father, thank You for giving me a pure heart. Forgive me for the many times I fail to love others from a pure heart. Help me to love others!
TUESDAY | BORN AGAIN
PASSAGE: 1 Peter 1:23
PAUSE: Jesus challenged Nicodemus that he must be born again (John 3:1-15). Peter now encourages all of us who have been born again. Spiritual birth leads to a transformation in how we interact, relate, and communicate with others.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank You that I have been born again. I desire to live a different, transformed life that walks with You by loving others like You.
WEDNESDAY | THE WORD OF GOD
PASSAGE: 1 Peter 1:24-25a
PAUSE: We need the Word of God in our lives. Jesus said that if we abide in Him and His word abides in us, we will show the world that we are indeed His disciples. When was the last time you quieted your soul and read the Bible?
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I desire to be in the word of the Lord daily. Grant me an unending hunger and desire to read and apply the Scriptures to my life.
THURSDAY | THE GOOD NEWS
PASSAGE: 1 Peter 1:25b
PAUSE: The Gospel, or the “Good News,” is more than Christ’s death and resurrection. The “good news” occurs every time we open the Bible and read it, every time we obey the commands of Scripture. The “good news” is felt when we love the unlovable or our neighbors without any strings attached other than obedience to love one another. Love one another and show the Gospel.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I embrace the Gospel. I believe in it, but I realize it is more about living the Gospel than just accepting it as truth.
FRIDAY | READY AND PREPARED
PASSAGE: 1 Peter 3:15
PAUSE: The more we follow Christ, the more our lives will change, and others will notice and want to know more about it. We are called to be holy and to be examples of hope to a lost and confused world. So, we need to be ready to share the beautiful truths of the Gospel. Let’s live it and share it with others!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, create a clean heart and renew the right spirit within me! Fill me with your Holy Spirit! I pause one more time to confess my sins before a Holy God, who is graceful and kind, to forgive me of all my sins.