When the apostle Peter wrote his letter to the Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor, he wanted to encourage them to press on as God’s people, living in a hostile world. He begins by reminding them of the hope and the inheritance that is theirs in Christ:
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
At the end of the letter he says this:
I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
Peter’s desire is that they stand firm in Christ.
It is God’s grace to them, and the sure hope of what they have in Christ, that will help them to stand firm and to live in a hostile world.
They are to live lives that reflect who they are as God’s people.
They are to expect to be insulted and to suffer, but they should suffer for doing good, not for doing wrong.
They are to be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks them to give a reason for the hope that they have.
They are to remember that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus changes everything. It is Christ’s victory that secures their hope.
Our Equip Ministry Training Week this year really follows this theme.
We too are living in a hostile world. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus changes everything – and in it we have hope.
We are to love the family of believers with sympathy, compassion and humility.
We are to be ready to give an answer for the hope that we have, and we are to live godly lives even if we are insulted and ridiculed for it.
I commend to you each of these seminars that will help to equip us to live in this world.
Some of them have some pre-reading which will be available in the coming week. All but the two specified are to be presented by Sandy.
How to Wound Friends and Influence People
(Lunchtimes – 12.30 -1.30pm, Live in the Cathedral, with online option)
3 talks, with discussion questions, (starting talk at 12:35)
Tuesday 2 Nov – Correcting One Another
Wednesday 3 Nov – Bearing with One Another
Thursday 4 Nov – Forgiving One Another
Evenings – 7.30pm
(Live in the cathedral, with an online option)
Monday 1 Nov – The Resurrection: Long on Faith, Short on Evidence? …with time for Q&A.
This will be a public lecture, available via our facebook page
Tuesday 2 Nov– God-talk – Gossiping the gospel – Rob Copland – super helpful and practical, helping us to be ready with an answer for the hope that we have.
Wednesday3 Nov – Caring for believers gender identity issues
Thursday 4 Nov – Caring for believers and seekers with Same-Sex Attraction
Friday 5 Nov – Biblical theology/interpreting the Bible (last in the series on the topic of Scripture from Leader development sessions for this year– Stacey/Liam)
And a bonus practical session
We are in need of some Easy worship/data projector operators to learn the new system and the use of the cameras once church goes back in person, particularly for 9.45am, 5pm and 7pm.
Training for this will be held 6-7pm in the Cathedral on Thursday Nov 4.
Stacey Chapman
Assistant Minister
