"God Can Use Anybody" and Other Lessons from 1 & 2 Peter

A teacher must learn the lesson she is teaching before she can thoroughly teach her students. This was certainly the case for me. I spent so much time in the Word this semester as I taught through 1 & 2 Peter. It was a privilege. But in the interest of keeping it real, I feel the need to let you know that most of the time, lessons were put together on Tuesday nights before Bible Study on Wednesday morning. The entire week's worth of homework was done on one day, usually Monday. Almost every time I sat down to write, I came up blank at first. Almost every time I stood up to teach, my confidence wavered. I certainly have not felt worthy of the position of Bible teacher because in my mind, I'm just little old Amber. I know my weaknesses, my failures, my shortcomings. So many of you are twice my age and I'm blown away that God could use me to teach you anything new. It's a miracle really! So as I sat down to write the top ten lessons I learned from 1 and 2 Peter, the one lesson that stood out for me above them all is that 

GOD CAN USE ANYBODY.

You don't have to know it all. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to have it all together.

In this world of suffering and trials and the enticement of Satan and false teaching and people who call themselves Christians without actually being Christ followers, God wants to use YOU and he wants to use ME. It's amazing, considering that if he wanted to, he could just call down audibly from Heaven and tell us to shape up and read our Bibles and follow Him. Instead, he has gifted each one of us with everything we need and charged us with taking the Good News, THE GOSPEL, to the ends of the Earth. He wants to use us!

So learn these lessons from the New Testament, but don't let it stop there.  GO and tell the good news; share these precious promises with everyone you know. I can't wait to see you back in the spring when we'll dig into another book in God's Word together. Until then...

Ten Lessons From 1 & 2 Peter

   1. Trials test the genuineness of my faith.

1 Peter 1:6-7, 4:1-2, 4:12-19, 5:10

   2.  I should live as an exile, set apart from the world.

1 Peter 1:1,17, 2:11

    3.  Obedience to the Word is the key to loving deeply.

1 Peter 1:22, 4:8-10

    4.  Christ is the Cornerstone and I am a living stone.

1 Peter 2:4-8

    5.  My submission to any and all authority honors God.

1 Peter 2:13-25, 3:1-7

    6.  I need to know God’s Word.

1 Peter 3:15, 2 Peter 3:1-3

    7.  Satan seeks to destroy me by enticing me with substitute gospels. 

1 Peter 5:8-9, 2 Peter 2:1-22

    8.  I have everything I need for life and godliness.

2 Peter 1:3-4

9.  Qualities that make me like Christ should be increasing in my life.

2 Peter 1:5-12, 3:11-14

10.   The Day of the Lord is coming!

2 Peter 3:4-13