Podcasts about 1 peter

Your experience and your reaction to things now – the demonstration of the reality of Christ in you – is going to show up a million years from now in eternity. Broadcast #7386To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

What is the basic reason for you going through any kinds of trials or sufferings to bring to the other person to God? Broadcast #7384To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

1 Peter

Pastor Stephen Ball shares our 'inspire' message with "The Identity Question. Who Am I?" Who was I created to be? What does the Bible say? How can we see who we are in Christ? What fashions who we think we are? We are loveable and capable! How does God see us? What do you believe? Stephen ends with 3 questions and has 3 requests of you. Today's passages: 2Cor 5: 17, Gal 5: 24-25, 1Peter 2: 9, Col 1: 13-14, Rom 12: 2, 1Thes 5: 11, Gen 3: 8, 1John 3: 1, John 3: 16, Eph 2: 8, 1John 4: 9-10, Lam 3: 22-23, Rom 5: 7-8, Eph 1: 13, 1Cor 12: 12-27, Eph 2: 10 Date: 30.09.2026 Please send prayer requests to prayer@bridgeman.org.au or on our website: www.bridgeman.org.au/prayer/ To contact Bridgeman Baptist Community Church please email hello@bridgeman.org.au If you would like to give at Bridgeman Baptist Community Church please go to www.bridgeman.org.au/giving/ Please view our Sermon List if you would like to order from our back catalogue, please email bridgemedia@bridgeman.org.au

There is dynamic connection between the way you and I go through our troubles and what he did for us on the cross Broadcast #7383To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

1 Peter Part 4: The Love Cascade1 Peter 1:22-2:3Rev. Justin OlivettiMain idea: Our new life in Christ grows a sincere love

A letter to those who are suffering and facing persecution for their faith. One of Jesus' closest disciples gives us encouragement and insight on how to live for Jesus- no matter what our circumstances are.

In this sermon, we examine the purification of the faith, soul and heart in order to produce fervent love from a pure heart for the brethren.  The body of Christ will come under persecution, it is important that the members of that body encourage, support, and love one another.  

God's will in your life is wanting what He wants for you. Live in step by step obedience. The Holy Spirit guides us to pray in His will. The routine becomes holy, when you do it unto the Lord. Broadcast #7402To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

It's the end and the beginning! Peter is finishing his challenge on suffering and persecution in 1 Peter 5. He speaks to Elders. He speaks to younger people. He speaks to them all. Then he shares God's responsibility for enduring in this final chapter and the closing of his letter on suffering.

1 Peter 2:1-9 NIVPsalm 51:16-17 NIV Call to live as holy people Singular hunger Modeled after Jesus Being built into a Spiritual House Point others to Jesus

1 Peter 2:11-21 NIVRomans 12:2 MSG Holy people do not fit in Honorable lives for the sake of others Submissive for the sake of the Lord Sacrificial servanthood for your own sake Keep Christ on your mind

Pastor Jake preaches on 1 Peter 1:13-25.

1Peter 3:8-22 - Living the Good Life by Calvary Chapel Irmo

Pastor Nate kicked off our fall series in 1 Peter, "Proclamation People." To learn more about The Bridge, visit thebridgebiblechurch.com.

1 Peter 5:1-11Rev. Matt Rice

You will be an effective witness for Christ if you are aware of living out God's will for you. Daily recommit yourself to Jesus as Lord. Find out what the Bible says about decisions you make. Broadcast #7401To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

Having a good conscience means let the Holy Spirit of God be in control of your conscience. Broadcast #7399To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

The blood of Christ purges your conscience from dead work to serve the living by reading and applying God's Word. Broadcast #7398To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

Based on Ephesians 5:18, this series explores how believers can live a Spirit-filled life, and discover the keys to spiritual growth. Understand the importance of the Holy Spirit in empowering us to live according to God's will. This message emphasises developing a hunger for God's Word and a thirst for God's Spirit, as He imparts His righteous life to us through His Word & Spirit. These teachings are designed for those seeking to deepen their faith and live a more fulfilling Christian life. Matthew 5:6: “Blessed are those who HUNGER and THIRST for righteousness, for they shall be FILLED.” God's righteousness comes to us through His WORD (our spiritual BREAD) and His SPIRIT (our spiritual WATER). How much we are filled depends on our spiritual HUNGER for His WORD (Matthew 4:4), and our spiritual THIRST for the living water of His HOLY SPIRIT. The more we hunger and thirst for righteousness the more we will be filled. We are FILLED with the SPIRIT through DRINKING, but we can only DRINK as much as we are THIRSTY (John 7:37-38, Rev 21:6, 22:17). To be FILLED with His Spirit requires a spiritual THIRST. A major key to growing spiritually is being HUNGRY for more of God's WORD, and THIRSTY for more of God's SPIRIT. This is the KEY of spiritual DESIRE, which is determined by the VALUE we put on spiritual things. Our heart is made to desire, focus on and pursue that which it perceives as having the most value: “For where your TREASURE is, there your HEART (focus, attention) will be also” (Matthew 6:21). So, the more we value spiritual things, the more they will occupy our heart and the more we will DESIRE and pursue them. The more we HUNGER and THIRST for God, the more we will be FILLED with His SPIRIT and His WORD. So, our desire for God determines how much of Him we will receive, and therefore how much we will GROW spiritually: “As new-born babes, DESIRE the pure milk of the WORD, that you may GROW thereby” (1Peter 2:2). Spiritual DESIRE determines how much our soul is filled with His Spirit, which determines our spiritual growth. If our soul is filled up and satisfied with natural things, there is no room in our heart for God. So, we will not have a hunger & thirst for God, and we will stop growing spiritually. One of the most important things you can do is to put God's Word first and value spiritual things above natural things (a mark of spiritual maturity). Keep hungry for God's Word and thirsty for God's Spirit Our capacity for drinking (receiving) the Holy Spirit, is determined by how thirsty we are for Him. (1) Our HOLINESS is determined by how much the HOLY SPIRIT fills and possesses our heart, setting us apart to God, as we give our heart to Him (our vertical relationship with God). As the Spirit fills us, (2) He motivates and empowers us to live a life of RIGHTEOUSNESS in this world (righteousness is the outworking of holiness). So, we should DESIRE to be FILLED with His SPIRIT of RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Being ready to share your faith with others at any time means having a right heart with God, a gentleness and respect for the other person, keeping in mind the results might come later on, and keeping in God's will living a godly life.To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

1 Peter Part 3: The Elect Exile's Handbook1 Peter 1:13-21Rev. Justin OlivettiMain idea: We live with hope and holiness

A letter to those who are suffering and facing persecution for their faith. One of Jesus' closest disciples gives us encouragement and insight on how to live for Jesus- no matter what our circumstances are.

There are people who are watching you every part of everyday to see how you live and patterning their lives either consciously or unconsciously after yours. Broadcast #7393To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

Because He Cares for You (1 Peter 5:1-11) by OrlandoGrace

Thank you for listening. To learn more about our church, visit us online at www.southsidesbc.org. To make yourself known, fill out a connect card by texting the word "CONNECT" to our church's phone number, 574-475-7291. Support the show

1 Peter 5:5-9 - Humility Pastor Mike Dean

Finishing the Christian life isn't about trying harder—it's about standing firm in the grace of God. Summary In the final chapter of 1 Peter, the apostle shows believers how to finish well after a lifetime of pressure, suffering, and spiritual battle. Peter calls leaders to shepherd faithfully, believers to release their anxieties to God, stand firm against the enemy, and trust the God of all grace to complete his work. Rather than promoting self-confidence, the chapter points to humble dependence on Christ as the key to enduring faithfully. The letter closes with one final command that summarizes the entire book: stand firm in the true grace of God. Reflection & Small Group Discussion Questions 1. Why does Peter begin his final chapter by addressing leaders first? 2. What does it mean to lead like the people you serve belong to Jesus and not to you? 3. How are humility and anxiety connected according to 1 Peter 5:6–7? 4. What burdens are you trying to carry that God never intended you to carry? 5. What is the difference between living with anxiety and living with spiritual alertness? 6. Why does Peter describe the devil as a roaring lion, and how should believers respond? 7. How does staying connected to Christian community help believers resist spiritual attack? 8. What do the four promises in 1 Peter 5:10 (restore, confirm, strengthen, establish) teach about God's work through suffering? 9. Looking back over the entire book of 1 Peter, what theme has challenged or encouraged you the most? 10. What practical step can you take this week to stand firm in God's grace and finish well?

Our text today is 1 Peter 5:12-14: By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.  — 1 Peter 5:12-14 Before we close this letter, don't stop walking with me here. Follow me into 2 Peter. We've spent thirty-five days learning how to live holy in a hostile world. In Peter's second letter, he will help us keep growing in Christ, recognize dangerous teaching, and live ready for the Lord's return. Our journey isn't over. But first, Peter has one final word for us: "This is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it." Peter has spent this entire letter showing us what that grace looks like. Grace chose us and made us God's people. Grace gave us a living hope and an imperishable inheritance. Grace sustained us through trials. Grace called us to holiness. Grace did not always remove Peter's readers from suffering. It held them firm within it. This is important because we sometimes think grace should make life easier. Peter teaches us that grace makes faithfulness possible when life becomes more difficult. Peter commands us to stand in that grace. Make grace the settled ground beneath your life. Peter's closing names may look like incidental details, but they remind us that no believer stands alone. Silvanus, whom Peter calls a faithful brother, likely helped prepare or deliver this letter. The church in "Babylon"—probably Rome—sent its greeting, along with Mark, whom Peter affectionately called his son. Peter's final lines are filled with brothers, churches, affection, love, and peace. The letter written to scattered exiles ends with a snapshot of spiritual family. That is also important. Standing firm is personal, but it is never meant to be private. We need faithful brothers and sisters who carry truth to us, pray for us, challenge us, and remind us where to stand when pressure makes us forget. Peter began this letter with the prayer, "May grace and peace be multiplied to you." He ends by telling believers to stand in grace and declaring, "Peace to all of you who are in Christ." That is the beautiful bookend of 1 Peter: Grace at the beginning. Grace at the end. We began this journey asking, "Who are you?" Peter answered that we are chosen exiles who belong to God. We learned to live differently, do good when opposed, endure suffering without shame, shepherd faithfully, walk humbly, cast our anxieties, resist the enemy, and trust the God of all grace to restore us. Now Peter brings us to the final command: Stand firm. The man who once fell now tells us where to stand. Not in your willpower. Not in a spotless record. Not in public approval, favorable circumstances, strong leaders, or your ability to understand everything God is doing. Stand in grace. When culture shifts, stand in grace. When obedience costs you, stand in grace. When suffering lingers, stand in grace. When anxiety rises and the enemy roars, stand in grace. Grace found you when you were far from God. Grace gave you new life. Grace has carried you through every chapter. And grace will bring you home. Peter does not tell believers to escape Babylon, conquer Babylon, or become Babylon. He tells them to stand firm in grace while living in Babylon. That is how we live holy in a hostile world. So as we close this letter together, remember the truth that has carried us from the first verse to the last: You do not stand firm because you are naturally strong. You stand because the Chief Shepherd leads you, the Father cares for you, Christ restores you, and grace holds you. And 1 Peter has shown us where to stand. Now, follow me into 2 Peter, where we'll learn how to keep growing. If you have followed me all the way through 1 Peter, write your first and last name, city, and state in the comments below, and let's celebrate becoming believers who stand firm, living all in for Him who lived all in for us. DO THIS: Write the words "Stand firm in the true grace of God" somewhere you will see them this week. Then identify one area where you have been relying on your strength, performance, or control, and consciously choose to stand in God's grace instead. ASK THIS: What truth from our journey through 1 Peter do I most need to carry forward? Where am I tempted to stand in my strength rather than in God's grace? Who has God placed around me to help me stand firm—and whom can I strengthen? PRAY THIS: Father, thank You for the true grace You have revealed through Jesus Christ. Thank You for choosing me, saving me, sustaining me through suffering, and restoring me when I fall. Help me stand firm—not in my strength or performance, but in Your grace. Give me peace in Christ, keep me connected to Your people, and prepare me to continue growing in truth as we move into 2 Peter. Amen. PLAY THIS: In Christ Alone

Salvation by grace, the principle of salvation by the grace of God alone, did not originate at the cross. Broadcast #7385To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

Our text today is 1 Peter 5:10-11: And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. — 1 Peter 5:10-11 Suffering can leave you asking more than, "When will this end?" You may also wonder, "Will I ever be whole again?" Pain can change the way you see yourself, other people, and even God. It can drain your confidence, unsettle your faith, and leave you wondering if life will ever feel stable again. Yesterday, Peter told us to resist the devil and stand firm in the faith. Today, he reminds us that the enemy is not the final player in our story. He writes: "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace… will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." Peter calls God "the God of all grace." Grace is not merely how we enter the Christian life. Grace chooses us, saves us, sustains us, strengthens us, and restores us. Whatever this season requires, God has grace sufficient for it. Then Peter tells us God will "himself" restore us. God does not watch from a distance. He personally works within our suffering to accomplish what we cannot do on our own. Then Peter gives us four promises. God will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. The word translated "restore" means to mend, repair, or put something back into a useful condition. It was used for mending torn fishing nets—a picture Peter, a former fisherman, would have understood well. A torn net was not discarded. It was repaired for use again and again. The remaining words describe God making His people steady, strong, and firmly grounded. Restoration does not always mean God returns everything to the way it was before. Sometimes God does something deeper. He himself restores us. He makes us more dependent on Christ, more grounded in truth, and more useful to His purposes. Restoration is not always returning to who you were before suffering. It is becoming who grace is forming you to be through it. Peter understood this because the leader he was today was different and better than he was even during Jesus's life. Perhaps suffering has torn something in you. Maybe it has shaken your confidence, disrupted your plans, or left you feeling less like yourself. Peter does not promise that the road will be painless. But he does promise something better. The God of all grace will not abandon His work in you. Notice the journey we have taken this week. We have learned to cast our burdens on God and resist the enemy. Now Peter shifts the action to God. We cast. We resist. And then... God restores. Your pain may get a chapter in your story. It does not get the final word. The God of all grace does. And that is good news! DO THIS: Write down one area of your life that feels damaged, unstable, or exhausted. Instead of asking only for the situation to change, ask God to restore, strengthen, and establish you within it. ASK THIS: What has suffering changed or wounded in me? Am I expecting restoration to mean returning to the past, or am I open to the new work God wants to do? Which promise do I need most today: restoration, stability, strength, or a firmer foundation? PRAY THIS: God of all grace, You see what suffering has torn, weakened, and unsettled in me. Thank You for not discarding or forgetting me. Restore what is broken, strengthen what is weak, and establish my life more firmly in Christ. Help me trust that my suffering is temporary, Your grace is sufficient, and Your work in me is not finished. Amen. PLAY THIS: All My Ways Are Known to You.

Every person you meet is special to God and therefore ought to be worthy of your special consideration and respect. Broadcast #7397To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

Welcome to the Grace in Focus podcast. Today, Bob Wilkin and Philippe Sterling continue their description of this Messianic Thread we observe running through Scripture. They will have some general […]

Our text today is 1 Peter 5:8-9: Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. — 1 Peter 5:8-9 Peter places two realities side by side. God cares for you. The devil wants to devour you. Yesterday, Peter invited us to cast every anxiety on God because He cares for us. Today, he warns us not to confuse God's care with a life free from spiritual resistance: "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Peter neither ignores the devil nor becomes obsessed with him. He simply tells us the truth: we have a real spiritual enemy, so we need to remain awake. To be sober-minded means thinking clearly. Not allowing fear, distraction, or temptation to cloud our judgment. To be watchful means recognizing that temptation rarely announces itself. The enemy often works through lies we begin to believe, accusations we repeatedly rehearse, desires we excuse, and isolation we accept. Note that Peter calls the devil our adversary. He opposes God and seeks to destroy what God is doing in us. Like a roaring lion, he uses intimidation to pressure us to run. Peter knew what that pressure felt like. Before Jesus was arrested, He warned him: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." —Luke 22:31-32 Peter was sifted too. Fear exposed him, and he denied Jesus three times. Self-confidence was not enough. Therefore, his instruction is what he lacked. "Resist him, firm in your faith." To resist means to stand against or withstand. We resist the enemy by holding firmly to what God has said. When the adversary whispers that God has abandoned you, remember that the Father cares for you. When the adversary accuses you of forgiven sin, remember the finished work of Christ. When the adversary tempts you with promises of life apart from obedience, remember where those desires lead. Spiritual resistance is not spiritual bravado. It is stubborn allegiance to God. Yesterday, Peter told us to open our hands and release our anxiety. Today, he tells us to plant our feet and resist the enemy. So what's your battle with the adversary today? DO THIS: Identify one lie, temptation, accusation, or pattern of isolation the enemy has been using against you. Write down one biblical truth that directly confronts it, then share the struggle with one trustworthy believer who will pray with you. ASK THIS: Where have I become spiritually careless or distracted? What lie or accusation am I tempted to believe right now? Who is helping me remain firm in the faith rather than fight alone? PRAY THIS: Father, keep me sober-minded and spiritually awake. Help me recognize the enemy's lies without becoming fearful or preoccupied with him. Strengthen me to resist temptation, stand firmly in the truth of the gospel, and remain connected to Your people. Thank You that Jesus intercedes for me and will not let me go. Amen. PLAY THIS: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Christianity is a reasonable faith. You don't have to hysterical, you don't have to argue -- all you need to do is to present the facts. Broadcast #7396To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

1 Peter. Originally published as a part of Letters to Young Churches, with an introduction by C.S. Lewis, which sold over 4,000,000 copies.   Read by Peter Croft, youngest grandson of the late J.B. Phillips.

Our text today is 1 Peter 5:7: casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. — 1 Peter 5:7 Some burdens feel too important to put down. We tell ourselves that continuing to think about them is responsible. If we stop rehearsing the possibilities, anticipating every problem, or trying to control every outcome, something may fall apart. But responsibility can slowly become the belief that everything depends on us. Yesterday, Peter told us to humble ourselves under God's mighty hand. Today, he shows us what humility does with the weight it cannot carry: "Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." This verse is not disconnected from the one that came before it. Casting our anxieties on God is how we humble ourselves before Him. We acknowledge that we are limited and cannot carry every person, problem, or possibility. Humility declares, "I am responsible to obey God, but I am not sovereign over the outcome." Peter tells us to cast our anxieties on God. The idea is to cast a weight onto someone or something strong enough to bear it. And we are to cast it all. That concern that keeps you awake. That conversation you cannot control. That child you cannot protect. That diagnosis you did not expect. That financial pressure you cannot resolve. Friends, nothing is too heavy for God's strength, and nothing is too small for His attention. And the reason Peter gives for casting our anxiety is... "Because he (God) cares for you." That's personal and individual. God knows what has been circling through your mind. He sees the pressure you have struggled to explain. He understands the burden behind the smile you fake to others. But remember, casting your anxieties on God does not mean becoming passive. You may still need to make a decision, have a difficult conversation, establish a boundary, build a plan, or ask someone for help. Trusting God never means doing nothing. It means doing what devotion requires without pretending you control the outcomes. So name what you are carrying today. Do not minimize it. Do not pretend it does not hurt. Cast it honestly onto God. Take the next faithful step, then release the outcome to Him. DO THIS: Write down the three concerns occupying the most space in your mind. Pray through them one at a time. For each concern, identify what faithful action belongs to you and what outcome must be released to God. ASK THIS: What burden have I been carrying as though everything depends on me? What faithful action is God asking me to take—and what outcome am I trying to control? Do I truly believe that God cares about the specific details troubling me today? PRAY THIS: Father, You know every burden I carry and every outcome I am trying to control. Forgive me for acting as though everything depends on me. I place my anxieties in Your hands because You are strong enough to carry them and loving enough to care for me. Give me wisdom to take the next faithful step and humility to leave the results with You. Amen. PLAY THIS: I Will Trust My Savior Jesus

The book of 1 Peter concludes today with a short chapter including an exhortation to the elders of the churches to whom Peter is writing and a general admonition to resist the devil and remain humble. As he addresses the elders, those who were in charge of overseeing the local congregations of believers, Peter encourages them to shepherd God's flock out of love and not for lesser reasons. Consider, friends, that when Peter had betrayed Jesus by denying him three times, Christ restored Peter threefold by telling him to feed and shepherd his sheep. The admonition that Christ gave to Peter, he now passes on to others who seek to love the Lord through the service of teaching and leading. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

You're not required to be smart or to be different -- all you have to do is be real with God and be faithful in sharing your Savior with others. Broadcast #7395To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

1 Peter. Originally published as a part of Letters to Young Churches, with an introduction by C.S. Lewis, which sold over 4,000,000 copies.   Read by Peter Croft, youngest grandson of the late J.B. Phillips.

Our text today is 1 Peter 5:5-6: Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you. — 1 Peter 5:5-6 Humility is one of the hardest virtues to examine. Because the moment we become impressed with our own humility, it has already become pride. For the past couple of days, Peter has been speaking to Christian leaders. He has called them to shepherd God's people and model the life they want others to follow. Now he widens the circle: "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another." Humility is for everyone—everyone in the family of God is called to wear the same garment. Peter's image suggests something deliberate. Humility is not simply a personality trait we naturally possess. It is something we choose to put on. Humility is not shyness, weakness, or self-hatred. It does not require you to deny the abilities God gave you or pretend you have nothing valuable to contribute. Humility sees God, ourselves, and others honestly. God is the Creator. We are the created. Our abilities are gifts and grace given by God. Peter begins by telling younger believers to be subject to their elders. This does not mean blindly following every leader, remaining silent in the face of sin, or surrendering your Christian conscience. It means developing a teachable spirit that honors godly maturity, welcomes wise correction, and accepts accountability. We all need believers who love us enough to correct us, encourage us, and call us back to the truth when we begin to drift. Pride resists that kind of relationship. You know, sometimes pride is loud and obvious. But pride can also hide behind our defensiveness, resentment, insecurity, and the refusal to apologize. Peter confronts all of it with a sobering Old Testament Proverb: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." God does not merely dislike pride. He opposes it because pride competes for His place. Pride insists on ruling our lives, controlling our image, securing our status, and determining when we should be honored. Peter understood this personally. Jesus's grace humbled Peter without destroying him. That is what God's grace does. It brings us into agreement with the truth—not to crush us, but to free us from the exhausting task of proving ourselves. Then he says: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you." The phrase "mighty hand of God" would have reminded Peter's readers of Israel's deliverance from Egypt. God rescued His people with a mighty hand. The hand under which believers humble themselves is strong enough to deliver them. Humility means trusting that hand even when God's timing is different from ours. Peter's readers were being overlooked, rejected, and shamed because of their faith. They may have wanted immediate vindication. Peter tells them to entrust their reputation and future to God to his hand. Jesus walked this path first. He humbled Himself, became obedient to death, and was later highly exalted by the Father (Philippians 2:8-9). Humiliation was not the end of His story, and it will not be the end of your story either. As we continue our journey through Chapter 5, notice Peter's sequence. Soon he will tell us to resist the devil. But first he warns us not to put ourselves in a position where God will resist us—the place of pride. This is because before we stand against the enemy, we must stop standing against God. So where are you resisting Him today? Are you refusing correction, protecting your reputation, demanding recognition, or trying to force your preferred outcome? And in that place, clothe yourself with humility—not pride. Humility is not lowering your value. It is lowering your resistance to God. Place yourself under the mighty hand that can lift you at the proper time. Tomorrow, Peter will show us one of the clearest ways humility expresses itself... See you back here tomorrow. Till then live all in for Him. DO THIS: Ask one mature believer who knows you well, "Where do you see pride or defensiveness limiting my growth?" Listen without interrupting or explaining yourself. Thank them, pray over what they share, and take one step of obedience. ASK THIS: How do I respond when someone corrects or challenges me? Where am I trying to secure recognition, control, or vindication in my own timing? What would it look like to humble myself under God's mighty hand in this situation? PRAY THIS: Father, You are God, and I am not. Forgive me for the ways I resist correction, seek recognition, and try to control outcomes that belong to You. Clothe me with humility toward others. Give me a teachable heart and the courage to admit when I am wrong. Help me trust Your mighty hand and Your perfect timing. Amen. PLAY THIS: I Surrender All

Men's Bible Study

Holy Spirit of God comes in to dwell, so that the beginning of any rationale for Christianity is not found in Philosophy but in the dynamics of the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within a human being. Broadcast #7394To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram

1 Peter. Originally published as a part of Letters to Young Churches, with an introduction by C.S. Lewis, which sold over 4,000,000 copies.   Read by Peter Croft, youngest grandson of the late J.B. Phillips.

Our text today is 1 Peter 5:3-4: not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. — 1 Peter 5:3-4 Peter never forgot the night Jesus picked up a towel. John tells us that Jesus knew the Father had given all things into His hands. He knew where He had come from and where He was going. Yet those hands did not grasp for greater status. They removed His outer garment, tied a towel around His waist, and washed the feet of His disciples. The One with absolute authority used it to serve. In that moment, Peter resisted because he did not yet understand how authority worked in the kingdom of God. But years later, that scene shaped the way he taught leaders here. Yesterday, as we began this final chapter together, Peter told us that Christian leaders are shepherds. The people under their care belong to God, not to them. Today he moves from the leader's assignment to the leader's example. Peter writes: "Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock." Shepherds must lead. But Christian authority must never become a tool for intimidation, manipulation, control, or self-preservation. The world measures authority by how many people report to you. Jesus measures it by how willingly you serve the people entrusted to you. Peter had heard Jesus say, "The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them" (Matthew 20:25). Then Jesus added, "It shall not be so among you" (Matthew 20:26). And I would assume Peter remembered that, because he echoes that lesson. Instead of dominating people, leaders are to become "examples to the flock." The word translated "example" bears the picture of a "model." Every model leaves an imprint. People may listen to your instructions, but they learn from your patterns. They watch how you handle criticism, how you respond under pressure, how you treat your family, how you speak about people who are absent, and what you do when you are wrong. Your life models even when your mouth is closed. This does not imply Christian leaders must present themselves as flawless. Peter certainly could not. Being a model means living a life that others can follow toward Christ. Sometimes that means demonstrating courage, sacrifice, prayer, and obedience. At other times, the most powerful example is saying: "I was wrong." Or "Forgive me." Then Peter turns our minds toward the future: "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory." Every Christian leader remains under authority. Pastors have a Pastor. Shepherds have a Shepherd. Leaders have a Lord. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, and He will return. That truth is both comforting and sobering. It is comforting because the church does not ultimately rest on any human leader's strength. It is sobering because every leader will answer to Christ for how he treated the people placed in his care. But Christ promises an unfading crown to those who faithfully serve His flock. Peter, of course, is speaking directly to church elders, but the principle reaches all of us who carry influence. You may lead a family, a business, a ministry, a team, a classroom, or one younger believer. Somewhere, someone is learning from the way you use authority. Authority in the kingdom is not a ladder to climb. It is a towel to pick up. A leader worth following does not merely point toward Jesus from a distance. They walk toward Jesus so others can see their steps. And tomorrow, Peter will show us the garment every leader—and every believer—must wear if we are going to live this way: Humility. DO THIS: Choose one relationship in which you carry authority or influence. Ask yourself what your current example is teaching that person about following Jesus. Then take one visible action today that models service, repentance, patience, or obedience. ASK THIS: Do the people under my influence feel served and strengthened—or controlled and diminished? What pattern am I setting through the way I respond to pressure, criticism, and failure? Am I more concerned about recognition from people or approval from the Chief Shepherd? PRAY THIS: Chief Shepherd, thank You for every person You have entrusted to my influence. Forgive me for the times I have used authority to protect my ego, secure control, or demand recognition. Teach me to lead as Jesus led—with truth, courage, humility, and service. Make my life a faithful pattern that helps others follow You. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Only Jesus."

1 Peter. Originally published as a part of Letters to Young Churches, with an introduction by C.S. Lewis, which sold over 4,000,000 copies.   Read by Peter Croft, youngest grandson of the late J.B. Phillips.

Know the reason for your faith, don't be satisfied until you are well versed in the Gospel. Broadcast #7382 To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram