Everything in this life is perishable, defiled, and fading away. But we rejoice because we have obtained an inheritance that is eternal, imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away. We can endure trials and suffering in this life because we have a salvation that results in us having praise and glory and honor at the appearing of Christ. We never have to doubt God's love for us. Our slate has been wiped clean and our place in eternity is secure. God will heap such rewards on us that we can't fathom the magnitude of what we are going to experience in that day.

Change begins in the mind but does not end there. Many people desire to be different but allow mental lethargy and fleeting thoughts to derail them. Peter says to prepare your minds for action, be holy or unique, like God is holy. To be holy is to love one another fervently from the heart.

The solution to spiritual starvation is to take in the Word of God on a regular basis just as we take in food to feed our bodies. Explore the Bible and discover what it claims it can do. Humble yourself and read the Word and you will discover it is transcendent truth, alive and active, and able to bring spiritual growth. Recognize your need for the Word and spend time in the Word and you will find yourself connecting with God.

Three myths about church are: the church is a beautiful or boring building, to become a Christians I need to join a church, and the purpose of the church is to sing songs. The church is not a building or a place but it is it's people. Joining a church membership roll does not make one a Christian. The church is the community of people who have placed their faith in Jesus to forgive their sins. The primary purpose of the church is not to sing songs but to share Jesus' message with a hurting world.

It is said you should not talk about religion or politics at gathering. Here, Peter talks about both. In any generation, Christians will find themselves in tension with the governing authorities whether directly or with people who agree with the state's policies. We must remember politics is not our priority and approach public policy with humility. With people we disagree, we must work toward listening and dialoguing without falling prey to contempt.

Although the institution of slavery in the Roman empire was different than European slavery we are more familiar with, it still was an unjust and cruel practice. Some biblical scholars claim that the Bible actually defended the practice of slavery or at the very least delayed its overthrow. They claim Jesus never condemned slavery. The truth is the Bible was profoundly counter-cultural regarding slavery. The New Testament decries slavery, and urges slaves to win their freedom and affirms the value and equality of all persons, slave or free. It was the NT ethic that led to the abolition of slavery.

When Peter calls upon wives to submit to their husbands, he is not promoting patriarchal misogyny as modern readers might believe. Instead, he is actually elevating the the view of women contrary to the worldview of his time. No teacher or rabbi would even address women directly in a teaching. He is speaking to women with unbelieving husbands who, if the wives took full advantage of their new status, would needlessly alienate their husbands from the message of the Gospel. He is asking both husbands and wives to submit to the authority of God by serving each other sacrificially.

Atheistic scientists in the world cannot explain the origin of the universe, nor the fine-tuning we see in the universe or the reality of objective morality or free will. Only the Bible gives a satisfying and reasonable explanation for the complexity we see all around us.

Noah no doubt faced intense social pressure as he labored in faith for decades to build a barge in the middle of the desert. Then the rains came. Then God baptized the ungodly into the flood waters and baptized Noah and his family into the ark. Peter encourages believers to surprise the ungodly by resisting the desires of the flesh and live for the will of God instead.

Peter warns that the end of all things is near. The unbelieving world lives without hope because they think this world is all there is. Death results in a terrifying oblivion. But believers can live a fruitful, meaningful life her and now because we know that there is a reward waiting for us when we die to this world. We can invest in that which is most important, God and other people, while we are here on earth because we know the glories awaiting us in heaven. We know that what we do here on earth has profound effect for eternity.

The Bible warns us that suffering in this world is inevitable. The question is will you suffer as the world suffers, with surprise and complaining or will you suffer with joy and gratitude that you have received mercy instead of justice? Why is gratitude the right response to suffering? Gratitude gives us a "mental break" and places suffering in the correct context. Gratitude also reminds us we are not imprisoned victims of our circumstances. The real question is do you believe God is trustworthy or not?

Peter calls the leaders to shepherd the flock of God under them with an attitude of privilege rather than obligation. Leadership is a gift from God to be exercised according to the will of God, not for sordid gain but with eagerness. Leadership is also a mercy in that God uses broken people to lead His flock. God uses ordinary, fallen people to accomplish a great mission. In the process of impacting others for eternity, the leader is grown and stretched by God to do the impossible.

Some say Satan's greatest achievement is convincing us he doesn't exist. He prefers to work in the dark and let us think our evil thoughts come from our own mind. He uses his intellect rather than "power encounters" to manipulate us. He thrives on misinformation. As super intelligent as he is, he uses the same methods to deceive us over and over again. He manipulates expertly, embellishes fears and negativity, nurtures hurt feelings, and fuels temptation.