In our Word of the Week, Pastor Rob Sauers takes us through a study of contentment. Contentment seems to be one of those things a lot of people search for, but never find. Can we ever find true contentment? If so, where is that contentment to be found? Our study seeks to answer these questions by looking at both the places where people look for contentment and what the Scriptures have to say about the subject. We pray that this study will be a blessing to you.
Faith is one of those topics that is very often misunderstood in our world today. The Bible itself, while speaking a lot about faith, only defines it in one place – Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” In order to help us gain a better understanding of what faith is and specifically how faith begins, Pastors Neal Radichel and Nathanael Mayhew take us through a discussion of faith in today’s CPR episode from a unique perspective – comparing the beginning of faith to the beginning of physical life. We pray that this study will help you to better understand this important concept.
In our Word of the Week this week, Pastor Rob Sauers takes us through the word “petition.” When we hear that word, we might think first of a formal written request signed by many people, appealing to authority in respect of a cause. In a petition, we are pleading to one in authority to do something we would like to see done.
The Bible speaks of petitions in the formal setting of the court. We have the example of Esther making her petitions known to King Ahasuerus. In the New Testament, the Jews petitioned Festus to execute the Apostle Paul.
The Bible also uses “petition” in the sense of prayer. When we think of petitions in this context, we probably most often think of the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. In this prayer, Jesus gives us a wonderful example of how we should bring our petitions before the Lord.
And we can do so with confidence. Though we are not worthy that God should answer any of our petitions, yet we have the promise from our gracious God, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7). Surely, God will answer our prayers according to His will out of His grace and His love for us.
And so, we can do what Paul encourages in Philippians 4:6 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
May God bless our study.
In today’s Bible Study episode, Pastors Nathanael Mayhew and Rob Sauers take us through the book of 2 Peter. Peter here sets out to encourage his recipients and us in our faith, and warn us of others who would try to lead us away from the truth. This has been called the “Epistle of Knowledge” since different forms of the word “know” appear 16 times in this short letter. Chapter 1 encourages growth in true knowledge and emphasizes that the knowledge of the Scriptures is true. Chapter 2 describes the perils of abandoning knowledge. Chapter 3 gives us reason for confidence in true knowledge. We pray that this study will encourage you to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18).