Hold Fast to Peace

We hope you have an opportunity to come and experience the newly renovated sanctuary!  It was a good first service, but it was also a learning curve.  We appreciate the positive responses as well as the comments that will help us improve the sanctuary.  We will continue to make adjustments to ensure the best possible worship experience at St. Johns.  Our series Hold Fast is going strong.  We are strengthening our grip on the things that will help us find the abundant life that Jesus desires to share with us.  This week, the message is Hold Fast to Peace. We live in a time of resentment, division, and fear.  It does not matter where we look in the world or in our society, there is a lot of turmoil, and peace seems to be rare, even exceptional.  Jesus came in order to give us peace.  Not just peace that is dependent on our circumstances, but a peace that surpasses our circumstances and strengthens us even in the most difficult moments of life.  This peace is difficult to keep in our grip, especially when we are surrounded by turbulence and fear.  The early believers also struggled to hold fast to this peace!  We turn to 1 Peter 3:8-18.  The Apostle Peter was not by nature a peaceful person.  He is the one who cut off the ear of a servant when the guards came to arrest Jesus.  Yet, God has transformed him with the peace of Jesus Christ. These words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, help us to hold fast to a peace that is exceptional and eternal. We pray that you will experience this transforming peace of Christ, and may it transform your worry into wonder, your turmoil into tranquility, and your desperation into determination as you read 1 Peter 3:8-18.

1 Peter 3:8-18: ⁸ Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. ⁹ Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰ For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. ¹¹ They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. ¹² For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” ¹³ Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” ¹⁵ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. ¹⁷ For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. ¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.  (NIV)