Do You See It? (1 Peter 1:10–12)
On a recent trip to visit my mom, my sister and brother-in-law gave me something they had found in my parents' house where they are currently living. Apparently before he passed away, my father had tucked a couple of old cigars boxes into a corner in the basement....
Rejoicing Greatly (1 Peter 1:8–9)
If you are talking with a friend or family member and you find the other person repeating a word or phrase, it makes sense to pay attention. We tend to repeat what is important. It's the same when we are reading Scripture. When a Biblical author repeats a word or...
And Those Trials? (1 Peter 1:6–7)
The angel who announced John's (the Baptist) birth told Zacharias that he would have gladness (Luke 1:14). Mary was delighted in the angel's announcement made to her (Luke 1:44). Luke described the church as meeting together with glad-heartedness (Acts 2:46). Such...
It Was Mercy (1 Peter 1:3–5)
Peter is writing to followers of Jesus who have been scattered because of persecution. It is, without doubt, a hard life they are facing, spread throughout the Roman provinces on the north-east coast of the Mediterranean. He is writing to encourage them and...
Reading 1 Peter (1:1–2)
(Given the commitment The River has to reading Scripture well and to discipleship, one of the purposes of the website blog will be to model reading texts and making appropriate application. This post will be the first of a series that will take us through Peter's...
The River Summer Celebration
When: Monday, August 4, 2014 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM (EDT) Where: Heritage Park, Corporate Shelter 861 Southeast Main Street Simpsonville, SC Register for the event at:...
The Trouble with Familiarity
When teaching the “Reading Scripture” course, one of the common challenges that readers face is what we might identify as the “trouble with familiarity.” Quite often, we come to a passage having heard it or read it at some earlier time. We have a vague sense of...
You WRITE in your Bible?!?
If you look over my shoulder as I am studying or reading my Bible, you will see that I usually read with a pencil in hand. If you attend our “Reading Scripture” course you’ll discover I encourage people to read and study Scripture with a pencil in hand. And,...
What is our part?
It seems that Christians often struggle with their “part” in their lives with Jesus. Certainly a sense of responsibility for our relationship with Jesus is appropriate; but keeping our “part” in perspective can be a challenge. Sometimes we err in thinking too much...
What You Might Not Know You Know
One of the core ideas in our Reading Scripture class is that most readers already bring to the Bible nearly everything they need to know in order to read and make sense of the Bible. They might just not know what they already know! Fundamentally, it's not an issue...