“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” (Desmund Tutu).
1 Peter 2:1-12, Easy-to-Read
Version
So then, stop
doing anything to hurt others. Don’t lie anymore, and stop trying to fool
people. Don’t be jealous or say bad things about others. 2 Like
newborn babies hungry for milk, you should want the pure teaching that feeds
your spirit. With it you can grow up and be saved. 3 You
have already tasted the goodness of the Lord.
4 The Lord Jesus is the living stone. The people of the
world decided that they did not want this stone. But he is the one God chose as
one of great value. So come to him. 5 You also are
like living stones, and God is using you to build a spiritual house. You are to
serve God in this house as holy priests, offering him spiritual sacrifices that
he will accept because of Jesus Christ. 6 The
Scriptures say, “Look, I have chosen a cornerstone of great value, and I put
that stone in Zion. Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.”
7 So, that stone brings honor for you who believe. But
for those who don’t believe he is “the stone that the builders refused to
accept, which became the most important stone.” 8 For
them he is also “a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that makes people fall.”
People stumble because they don’t obey what God says. This is what God planned
to happen to those people. 9 But you are his chosen
people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He
chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of
the darkness of sin into his wonderful light.
10 In the past you were not a special people, but now you
are God’s people. Once you had not received mercy, but now God has given you
his mercy. 11 Dear friends, you are like visitors and
strangers in this world. So I beg you to keep your lives free from the evil
things you want to do, those desires that fight against your true selves. 12 People
who don’t believe are living all around you. They may say that you are doing
wrong. So live such good lives that they will see the good you do, and they
will give glory to God on the day he comes.
2021 can be a year of
hope in your life. Hope should be…
1. Craved-(See 1 Peter 2:1-3
above) Like pregnancy cravings,
you need to crave the effects of true hope in your life.
Now may
God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with
uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of
the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until
you radiate with hope. (Romans 15:13, The Passion Translation)
2. Shaped-(See 1 Peter 2:4-6
above) Your life must be shaped
on the foundation (and bedrock of Jesus Christ to have lasting hope.
Here’s
what the Lord God says: “Behold, I set in place in Zion a Foundation Stone
(Christ), fully tested and proven to be faithful and secure. And written upon this precious cornerstone is this: ‘Those who trust in him will not act in haste.’ (Isaiah 28:16, The Passion
Translation)
3. Shared-(See 1 Peter 2:7-10
above) Give those you know (and
care about) the hope of God’s goodness.
Give thanks to [God] because He is always good. He never ceases to
be loving and kind. (Psalm 118:1,
The Voice)
4.
Honored-(See 1 Peter 2:11-12 above) You can honor Jesus with your godly conduct, which gives you hope
that you can please Him.
But keep the Lord Christ holy in your hearts.
Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you
have. (1 Peter 3:15, Easy-to-Read Version)
God
works out the rough edges in our life through spiritual sacrifices.
Celebrate with praises the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who has shown us his extravagant mercy…His fountain of mercy has given us a
new life—we are reborn to experience a living, energetic hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3, The Passion
Translation) Jesus is the bedrock of today’s church.[i]
[i] Inspired by the sermon
“Year of Hope,” Sunday January 3, 2021, Pastor Jon Fulton (CPW).
All CenterPoint churches have returned to an online format because of the
increase in COVID-19 cases in central Ohio. Sunday morning online services can
be viewed at facebook.com/centerpointchurches or centerpointchurches.com/live.
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