Week 2 - What You Do Now Prepares You For What Happens Next: PREPARED

WHAT YOU DO NOW PREPARES YOU FOR WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

After playing 4 years of college basketball, I can easily look back and see how all those hours of practice prepared me for each game. But little did I know that all those hours at practice was preparing me to be a father, a husband, a pastor, a counselor, a mentor, a coach, a leader, and a follower of Christ. Sometimes, we don't realize how important "being prepared" really is 

In 1 Peter 3:15 (and as we saw last week), Peter challenges us to begin with honoring Christ in our hearts... our bottom line last week was, "Standing up begins in the heart". If you want to stand up for something, then who or what we are honoring should be first and foremost in our minds. When we do put Christ first and honor Him as holy, people will notice... they will question... and when they do, Peter wants us ready to give an answer. 

He uses the word "prepared" on purpose. We see throughout 1 Peter 1 & 2, that what we do now, prepares us for what(ever) happens next. If our actions are full of hate, retaliation, deceit, hypocrisy, and/or to slander others (see 1 Peter 2:1), we will actually be limiting our future. Peter wants us too look past the glass being half empty or half full... quit dwelling on this moment or feeling. What is beyond the glass? You are chosen, a royal priesthood, a child of God with the promise of an inheritance... so what happens today, pales in comparison to what will happen in the future.

The key is this... looking past the now, and preparing for what could happen next. That's why going to youth group, family devotions, church, personal devotions, prayer, memorizing Scripture, serving others... all are so important. Because each of those faith-skills is preparing you for whatever may happen next.Take a look at the following passage:

Read: 

1 Peter 2:9-12

What does it mean that you (and your family) are a chosen race, a royal priesthood?

Discuss: 

• How is submitting to authority preparing someone for later on?
• Have a dating discussion... how is dating preparing a person for marriage? (See 1 Peter 3:1-7)
• How have you seen God's mercy at work in your family?