STANDING UP BEGINS IN THE HEARTThis week, we began by looking at 1 Peter 3:15. Peter speaks into the idea of standing up for what's right (being righteous) and suffering for it. This is all too common in our kids' lives today. Being a Christian is not a popular thing. Christians are seen as judgmental, arrogant, hateful, and exclusive... all things that are the opposite of what being a Christian is. But how do you combat a worldview that you can't control? The early Christians were in the same predicament... and Peter wanted to help them with "giving an answer for the hope" they had in Christ. Our students can learn this as well.
Peter says that standing up begins with honoring Christ as Lord in your heart. In 1 Peter 1, he gives them the perspective a Christian should have... most people see the glass as half-empty or half-full... he tells the early Christians to look past the glass and focus on the inheritance God has for them. When struggles come, when pain comes, when rejection comes, look past the glass.
He goes on in 1:13 to focus on being "holy", even when no one else around is trying to live to that standard. Then, in 2:1-5, he challenges them that they are to be "living stones" (click here for further insight: Living Standing Stones Article). They are to be an example of what God has done.
None of this is possible if an individual's heart is not focused in the right direction... on honoring Christ in everything they do. Take a look at the following passage:
Read:
1 Peter 1:13-20
What are you and your kids doing now, that is preparing their minds for action?
Discuss:
- What are you doing to prepare, as a family, for standing up for what you believe?
- What is 1 thing, as a family, we can do better to be more prepared?
- What are some "living stone" moments that our family has experienced where we have seen God at work?
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