Grace Fellowship Church

Closing Thought: When persecution, reviling, or suffering come, God's people are tempted to forget His design for His holy nation. At all times—especially during these trials—we must remember God's order: elders are to shepherd the flock of God willingly, eagerly, and by setting a godly example. Members of the assembly who are not elders are called to submit themselves to their elders' oversight. If you want to set God against you, treat His people as less important or inferior to yourself. But if you want God to show you His gracious kindness, tie on the slave's apron and serve His people intentionally, valuing them as much and more than yourself.

Closing Thought: Make no mistake Christians, like all Christians in all times, we are going to suffer for our faith. So, for what should we suffer? - Doing good. And what should we do while we suffer? - Entrust our souls to a faithful Creator. Pretty straightforward. So Beloved, let's go live as Christians in a place that is not our home.

Tony spoke to the men at Christ Fellowship Bible Church (St. Louis), during the Men's Bible Study, on the topic of biblical evangelism. A brief Q&A followed.

Final Thought: The pursuit or aim of the Christian life is Jesus Christ and His revealing. We are to live our days disciplining our minds and focusing our thoughts upon God and His truth in prayerful dependence. We are to love one another with everything we have even when we are met with sin, indifference, rejection, or opposition. We must love just as Christ has loved us as we demonstrate our love to Him by the way we love His bride. We are each to uniquely serve the body of Christ by His strength, in everything, and for His glory.

Closing Thought: Beloved, as those baptized into Christ, we now have no penalty for our sin, we have power over sin through His Spirit, and at death we will be fully freed from the presence of sin. Therefore, let us be armed for asceticism, living in disciplined love for Christ and His glory and prepared for the battle of holiness. Now, to those who have not yet trusted Him: today is the day to turn from your sin, receive Christ's forgiveness, and be joined to Him — that you too might be alive in the spirit, prepared to die in the flesh.

Closing Thought: Beloved, the main thing is this: Jesus' suffering had great purpose, for in it He triumphed over sin and death and made a way to bring us to God. Because of His suffering, we have been saved by our baptism into Him. Now that we are in Christ, we have been called to be prepared to suffer for doing good, just as Jesus did. Our suffering shapes us to be more like Him and, while it will not save others, it will affirm the Gospel we proclaim and may bring them to salvation.

Closing Thought: As we live faithfully, being zealous for what is good, we will often avoid harm from others. But when we do suffer for the sake of holy living, we are blessed, for Christ our Captain also suffered at the hands of men. So Peter instructs us: do good, fear not, and be ready to give a reasoned defense for the hope within us. And we are to do this with gentleness and reverent fear of Christ, letting our faithful conduct silence and put to shame those who would seek to harm us.

Pastor Muringi Igweta of Trinity Baptist Church, Nairobi, Kenya, brought this morning's sermon--an encouraging word from Hebrews 11:1-3.

Closing Thought: Beloved Brethren, If you desire to love life and see good days, keep unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind; turn from evil, especially deceit and slander, speak truthfully, pursue peace, and commit yourself to God, for His eyes are on the righteous and His ears hear their prayers, while His face is against those who do evil.

Closing Thought: Beloved, because we are in Christ, we are called to live as He lived. We must not return evil for evil or slander for slander, but instead repay even our offenders with blessing, so that Christ's character may be revealed in us.

Closing Thought: Dear brothers and sisters, as sojourners and exiles, let us be like-minded, sympathetic, loving as siblings, tender-hearted, and humble-minded—living each day to reflect Christ's character so that our deeds point others to Him and bring glory to our Father.

Closing Thought: Husbands, when you honor your wife as the precious, delicate vase she is—listening to her concerns and fears, guiding her spiritually, communicating patiently, and cherishing her in intimacy—you keep the pipeline to God's blessing, love, and prayer wide open. Treating her carelessly, as if she were a common metal pot, you not only block the flow of communion with God and dishonor the grace she shares with you, but you also distort the image of Christ and His Church, and misrepresent the Gospel you proclaim.

Closing Thought: We are not a race or nation by birth or blood, but by God's mercy, which made us His people. We exist to proclaim His excellencies and build His kingdom—one living stone at a time.

Beloved, as living stones and holy priest, we now offer living sacrifices from the heart--our lives, our praise, our love, our generosity, our prayers, and the souls we win to Christ. This is the worship God desires--offered through Jesus, pleasing in His sight. But if Christ is not yet your Cornerstone, He will be the Stone that crushes you. So come to Hime and live, before it is too late.

Closing Thought: Crave the Word like a newborn craves his 4 a.m. feeding — because only it can make you grow into salvation.

Closing Thought: One of the clearest evidences of true salvation is a sincere and earnest love for fellow believers. This love does not arise from fleeting emotion or mere human affection, but from the truth of the gospel that has purified our souls and the power of the Holy Spirit who now dwells within us. Since we have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God, we are called to love one another with intensity, sincerity, and sacrifice. A cold or loveless heart is evidence of a soul untouched by grace, but a heart that loves the brethren earnestly reveals a life transformed by Christ

Closing Thought: God's holiness has revealed itself through the glories of Jesus Christ and our faith and hope for salvation are in Him. We who call God Father have been set apart to manifest this inward holiness in how we live and conduct ourselves during our time on this earth. We should be motivated by a proper fear of God who will judge everyone's works without partiality. We also remember that Christ shed his most precious blood to ransom us out of our sinful and worthless ways that we might glorify Him with our lives.

Closing Thought: God calls us to be holy as He is holy. Holy living is not a means to gain God's favor, but a response to the salvation we've received. Beloved, as God's obedient children, let us pursue holiness because He is the Lord our God.

Closing Thought: Of all that God has done in creation and throughout history, nothing displays His glory more fully than salvation. This salvation, the grace of God that is now ours, Beloved, is what the prophets longed to understand, what the apostles lived to proclaim, and what the angels long to witness. It is the supreme glory of God which is found in the Person of Jesus Christ. Let us never treat it lightly. Let us live in awe, in gratitude, and fully devoted to the One who saved us for His glory.

Closing Thought: Even though we are God's elect exiles, we have never seen Jesus, nor do we now see Him face to face. Yet we love Him, and we believe in Him. And this faith fills us with a joy that is inexpressible and full of glory, because even now, we are living in the present reality of our soul's salvation. And that means that one day we will see Him face to face forever and ever. Come Lord Jesus!

Closing Thought: As followers of Christ, we will face many trials that bring sorrow and pain. Yet as elect exiles, heirs to a heavenly inheritance that can never perish, we do not respond with despair or hopelessness. These trials are not meaningless; they are refining fires, testing and proving the genuineness of our faith, which is more precious than gold. And so, even in suffering, we rejoice. We jump for joy; not because the tests are easy, but because our faith is being proven, and it will result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Closing Thought: Peter encourages God's chosen exiles toremember that their hope as believers is not found in present comfort, but in the assured promise of eternal glory. They can endure life's trials with confidence, knowing that their future salvation is secured by God's power through faith—and that the eternal inheritance awaiting them far outweighs the fleeting hardships of this world. Beloved, as elect exiles, let us praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us not merely a promise, but a living hope—one that anchors our souls and guarantees our eternal destiny.

Closing Thought: In his first letter, Peter addresses thescattered Christians of the 1st century by reminding them oftheir identity as God's chosen people, the means by which they became His people through divine intervention, and the manner in which they should conduct their lives in obedience to Jesus Christ while enduring trials, temptations, and persecution during their earthly existence. May we, as Christians in the 21st century, also receive an abundance of grace and peace to navigate this same reality.

Closing Thought: Peter wrote this epistle late in the firstcentury to God's chosen people living in a land in which theywere exiles. He was writing to them to stand firm in the grace of God in the face of persecution, trials, and suffering. He begins his letter by reminding them that it is God who made them His chosen exiles. May this encourage those of us who are God's people today to rejoice as we remember that we too were chosen by God to be His exiles in a place that is not our eternal home.

Closing Thought: In the final moments of His earthly ministry, Jesus led His disciples to Bethany to bless them. As He blessed them, He ascended to glory. The disciples did not grieve; they rejoiced. Their worship flowed from the deep well of hope, fueled by the promises of Jesus. Jesus rose and ascended to the right hand of the Father where He reigns, He intercedes, He prepares a place for us. He will return to take us to glory, and until then we will live in submission to our King, filled with the hope of His return.

1. The apostles did not see Jesus completely until they saw Him in the Scriptures2. Repentance and Forgiveness of sin cannot be separated. While repentance is not a work that leads to salvation, it most certainly is an inevitable and necessary fruit of salvation.3. Understanding the Scriptures is not enough to power the Christian life. The Christian must be clothed by power from on high.

After Jesus rose from the dead, and took on an immortal body, He appeared to His true disciples. Their "eyewitness" reports, which we find in the Bible, allow us to "see" the Risen Lord and assure us that we too will one day have an immortal body like His and share in eternal life with Him in heaven. Hallelujah and Amen!

Closing Thought: The disciples on the road to Emmaus weredowncast because the Messiah they had followed was dead and gone. Jesus met them on their way, explained to them that the true Messiah would suffer and die like the One whom they were lamenting having lost. When God allowed them to see Jesus for Who He truly is they believed. This is a great pattern for us to follow; proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are hopeless and pray God would send His Holy Spirit to quicken hearts.

Closing Thought: Jesus has risen; He is alive! Because He lives, death loses its sting, and the grave holds no power over those who believe. As believers, we will live eternally with Him in glory—free from pain, sorrow, and sin, embracing perfect harmony and peace with God forever. Our faith is rooted in the truth that Jesus rose from the dead, confirming that God accepts Jesus' sacrifice and that eternal death has been defeated. If you haven't done so already, will today be the day that you believe that Jesus died for your sins and is now risen, so you can be reconciled with God?

The reactions to Jesus' death were deeplyvaried. The Gentile Centurion recognized His divine nature and righteousness, while the Jewish crowd felt remorse for their actions. His followers were heartbroken, grappling with the reality of His death. Among them was a devoted disciple who placed his trust in Jesus as the key to the Kingdom of God. Meanwhile, those who had orchestrated Jesus' death sought to hide their involvement, hoping to cover up their sin. The beliefin Jesus as the Messiah resonates across different perspectives, yet some, despite their knowledge, choose to reject it. Others believe in the death of death via the Son of God. So, where do you stand?

Closing Thought: The death of Jesus stands as the most significant moment in all of history. His sacrifice didn't merely open the door to eternal life; it guaranteed it for His people. Jesus bore the full weight of God's wrath, serving as a redemptive force for those destined to be saved by grace through faith, bestowing His righteousness upon us. IT IS FINISHED! There is nothing more to achieve. Jesus completed everything for those who have faith. His death defeated death itself, ushering countless sons and daughters into glory.

We never outgrow the cross...

Closing Thought: The Jews who demanded Jesus' crucifixion, and Pilate who ordered it against his own verdict, had no justification for their actions. They were condemned for rejecting Jesus as the path to The Kingdom of God through the forgiveness of sins. God's plan of redemption has existed since the beginning of time and cannot be changed. Regardless of the severity of one's sins, the only requirement for salvation is to know they are sinners, to repent of those sins and have faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness and remission of the penalty due them because of their sins.

Closing Thought: The irony of the "trials" of Jesus is that those who were "judging" were truly the ones being judged. Those who condemned Jesus for blasphemy, those who desired Him only for His miracles, and those who acted out of fear of rejection if they believed in Him all shared one fate. They were ultimately judged and deemed guilty for their lack of faith in the very One capable of delivering them from the consequences of their sins against God. Do not be fooled, no one can judge Jesus because He is Who He says He is, and those who try, will be condemned for their lack of belief in Him.

Closing Thought: It is important that we remember the corrupt and brutal treatment that Jesus received at the hands of the Jews on the night before He was crucified, dwelling on the suffering He endured for the sake of His elect. And yet, the main thing we should dwell on from the night of Jesus' humiliation is the words He spoke before being sent away to Pontius Pilate, "But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God". The suffering Servant is risen, and will return to take His people to glory, and to cast into hell all of those who that have not believed into Him and therefore are still His enemies.

Closing Thought: Peter's sin of denying Jesus, followed by his restoration and faithfulness, can provide us with great comfort, hope, and resolve. May it inspire us to live our lives for Christ's sake, repenting of sin and living by faith, led by the indwelling Holy Spirit, to the glory of God!

C.T. Studd once said, "If Jesus Christ be God, and He died for me, no sacrifice I make would be too great to make for Him . . . Only one life, twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last."

Closing Thought: In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus' full humanity displayed on the night of His arrest. He was overcome with sadness, sorrow, anguish, depression, and terror at the prospect of His impending torture and crucifixion. Jesus knew He was about to bear God's wrath against sin. So, He turned to God the Father in prayer and was given the strength to carry out His calling. Beloved, when we face similar struggles--sadness, sorrow, anguish, depression, and fear--may we follow Jesus' example. Instead of turning to sleep, alcohol, nicotine, or legal or illegal mind-altering drugs, let us pray to our Heavenly Father, trusting that He will empower us to live our His purpose for our lives.

Closing Thought: Isaiah's prophecy about the Messiah had to be fulfilled by Jesus. The time had come for Jesus to be arrested and the Lamb to be led to the slaughter to be sacrificed to atone for the sins of many. In order for Jesus to be portrayed as a transgressor (a rebel against Rome, an insurrectionist, a threat to Caesar), the disciples would need to carry daggers to be perceived this way. The two swords were a means to an end, as are all things that serve as part of God's plan of redemption.

Closing Thought: If Peter's continuing faith had been dependent on him, it would have failed. In the same way, if my faith was kept certain by me it would fail. The same is true for you, my beloved brothers and sisters. What a great comfort it is to know HE WILL HOLD US FAST.