Discipling Life

Most of us do not expect hardship when we are trying to do the right thing. We pray, serve, care for others, and seek to follow Christ, yet we still face criticism, disappointment, loneliness, and seasons of weariness. There are moments when suffering feel s personal, as though something strange has happened to us. Peter writes to believers who were walking through hardship and uncertainty, and his words still speak gently and truthfully to us today: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you” (v. 4:12). Read the entire text .  The word “beloved” carries the whole theological weight of the passage. Before Peter says a single thing about suffering, he names who these people are to God. They are loved ones. Suffering does not revoke that identity. And yet the suffering is real. Peter does not minimize it. The same letter that calls us to rejoice also tells us to “cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you” (v. 5:7). This ...

Think about those moments of uncertainty, when the ground beneath us shifts and we are not quite sure what comes next. Maybe you wake up, the world is still dim, and before your feet even touch the floor, your mind begins to race. There are bills to pay, conversations you have been avoiding, decisions you are not sure how to make. Even on the good days, there can be a low hum of uncertainty beneath the surface. Maybe you wonder what today holds (what less the future) and whether you will have what you need to make it through. In our text today ( John 14:1-14 ) the disciples are feeling confused and anxious because Jesus has said that he is leaving them. I think I can say that we have all experienced feelings of confusion and anxiety. In those moments, the words of Jesus in John 14 meet us right where we are: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me” (v. 1). What follows is one of the most beloved and sometimes misunderstood passages in all of scriptur...