"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another, love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous." - 1 Peter 3:8 (NKJV)Peter uses the word "finally" not to conclude his letter, but to summarize everything he has been teaching about how believers should interact differently from the world around us. When he calls us to "be of one mind," he's not demanding uniformity - that w...  Read More

"...and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered." - 1 Peter 3:7 (NKJV)We are "heirs together of the grace of life". In God's sight, the ground is level. Christian couples are co-equals before God. Here we may be husband and wife, but in all eternity, we'll be brothers and sisters in Christ. That is the primary relationship.But notice the warning: "that y...  Read More

"...as to the weaker vessel..." - 1 Peter 3:7 (NKJV)At its core, the concept of "weaker vessel" acknowledges that, in general, men tend to be physically stronger than women. The message is clear: don't take advantage of that.Colossians 3:19 says, "Husbands love your wives and do not be bitter toward them." That word "bitter" really means don't be harsh—don't abuse them."Weaker" doesn't mean less v...  Read More

"...giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel..." - 1 Peter 3:7 (NKJV)"Giving honor to the wife" speaks of high rank, reverence, respect. The word "honor" means precious. 1 Peter 1:19 describes Christ's blood as "precious." Peter uses the same Greek word there. We're to treat our wives as precious.Notice it says "giving honor to the wife"—in Greek, it literally says "to the feminine." It's ...  Read More

"Husbands, likewise dwell with them with understanding..." - 1 Peter 3:7 (NKJV)"Dwell with them with understanding" means more than just an attitude—it's dwelling with full knowledge. The phrase "dwell with" combines two Greek words meaning "together" and "home." God is saying both of you are homemakers, transforming two individual lives into one unified home. Men, you're called to truly know her....  Read More

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord." - Proverbs 18:22 (NKJV)Men, your wife is a gift from God to you. She is a blessing from the Lord. Men help themselves out when they treat their wives well. Ephesians 5:28 tells us, "So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself." When you love your wife the way God wants,...  Read More

Matthew 5:12 - "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."Jesus says, "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad." That may not make sense to us. How in the world are we supposed to rejoice when we're being persecuted? Let me tell you why.First, rejoice because you have the opportunity to show the sincerity of your faith. Do...  Read More

Matthew 5:44 - "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."Now this is where Jesus gets really radical. He doesn't just tell us to endure persecution - He tells us how to respond to our persecutors. Love them. Bless them. Do good to them. Pray for them.Stephen modeled this perfectly in ...  Read More

John 3:19-20 - "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed."Jesus says, "You are the light of the world" (see Matthew 5:14). You might say, "I thought Jesus was the Light of the world." He i...  Read More

2 Timothy 3:12 - "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."Here's a promise from God's Word that we don't often put on our coffee mugs or hang on our walls. Paul says, "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." Not maybe. Not some of you. All. Will. That's a promise from God's Word.Sometimes we say we're standing on the promises. S...  Read More

Matthew 5:10 - "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."The eighth beatitude stands as the natural culmination of Jesus' revolutionary teaching. When believers embody the first seven beatitudes - becoming poor in spirit, mourning over sin, showing meekness and mercy, pursuing purity of heart, and making peace - they inevitably face opposit...  Read More

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)If we’re going to be peacemakers, we need a clear view of the ultimate Peacemaker. On one side stands holy God; on the other side stands sinful humanity. The gulf is real, and it is wide. We cannot get to Him; we cannot make ourselves worthy. But Jesus—fully God, fully man—steps in as the Mediator. He...  Read More