Do you know how those two concepts might be connected? Baptism. Noah’s flood. What might they have to do with one another? Water, right? Anything else come to mind? All week long we have been studying what some scholars believe is the most confusing passage in the New Testament, 1 Peter 3:18-22. Please see theContinue reading “The important connection between Noah’s flood…and baptism?”
Author Archives: joelkime
An attempt to explain the Apostle’s Creed phrase “he descended into hell” and why it matters
“He descended into hell”? Jesus did what? Remember that phrase from the Apostle’s Creed? As I said in my first post on 1 Peter 3:18-22, could this be the passage from which the Apostle’s Creed bases its phrase, “he descended into hell”? That’s what I thought when I read 1 Peter 3:18-22. See for yourself. Continue reading “An attempt to explain the Apostle’s Creed phrase “he descended into hell” and why it matters”
Feeling distant from God? There is good news!
Yesterday I introduced 1 Peter 3:18-22 by asking, can one of the most mysterious passages in the New Testament help people who are feeling defeated in life? Today we are going to start studying Peter’s teaching in that passage to try to answer that question. We have to remember that Peter is talking to ChristiansContinue reading “Feeling distant from God? There is good news!”
Can a mysterious Bible passage help those feeling defeated in life?
Are there any areas of life where you just feel defeated? Work? Parenting? A relationship? Finances? Health? Think about the last few weeks or months. How has it been? Do you ever feel like the waters are rising up around you? Like you are drowning? Sometimes I think life can be a journey in managingContinue reading “Can a mysterious Bible passage help those feeling defeated in life?”
What to do when talking about faith is scary or difficult
Have you ever been made fun of for your faith? It can feel awful, making you want to crawl into the closest hole and hide. That feeling of shame is often so powerful that it gets stuck inside us, and we fear talking about our faith ever again. What should we do about this? InsteadContinue reading “What to do when talking about faith is scary or difficult”
Are Christians in America being oppressed?
This week we are studying 1 Peter 3:13-17. As you turn there, remember that the backdrop of this letter is that the Christians were being persecuted for their faith. You might remember three months ago when we started this series, I talked about the situation that these Christians found themselves in. They were being persecuted. Continue reading “Are Christians in America being oppressed?”
A story about what happens after people die
What happens after a person dies? My uncle recently sent me this story, author unknown, that tries to answer that question. On the outskirts of a small town, there was a big old pecan tree just inside the cemetery fence. One day, two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by theContinue reading “A story about what happens after people die”
How to be a peacemaker (shocking lessons from an “insane” person!)
All week long, we’ve been looking at 1 Peter 3:8-12 where Peter teaches a very difficult thing to do: when people insult you, ask God to bless them. Is Peter saying you can never defend yourself? I would submit that Peter would answer, “No. You can defend yourself. But there is a right way andContinue reading “How to be a peacemaker (shocking lessons from an “insane” person!)”
How to handle difficult people: When they insult you, eulogize ’em!
I learned a shocking thing about eulogies, and in this post I’m going to reveal what I learned. This week we are studying 1 Peter 3:8-12, and so far we have learned the Top 5 adjectives that Peter says should describe a church family. Now he gets to some verbs, some actions that members ofContinue reading “How to handle difficult people: When they insult you, eulogize ’em!”
The Top 5 adjectives that should describe a church family (do you know them?)
Get out a pen and paper, or open up a note-taking app. What are the first five adjectives that come to mind if you were trying to answer the question: “What are the five top adjectives that should describe a church family?” This week we are studying 1 Peter 3:8-12 where Peter teaches how aContinue reading “The Top 5 adjectives that should describe a church family (do you know them?)”
Engaging Scripture 