Why do we need church? Why should we get up early on a Sunday morning, get ourselves and our kids ready, show up to a service, and get involved in serving? Why can’t we just do our own thing and live our lives? The simple answer is that we need the church because the church needs us. People need us to share our lives in authentic community. And when the church operates the way Jesus envisioned it, there’s nothing like it in the world.

To conclude our series through 1&2 Peter, Troy explains that while God’s promise to send Jesus back to the earth seems to be delayed, it will not fail. We should not see the apparent delay as proof that Jesus will not return, but rather as evidence of God’s desire for all people to have an opportunity for repentance, salvation, and eternal life in heaven.

To conclude our study through the book of 1 Peter, Rick discusses what it looks like to cast all of our anxiety onto God. He also reminds us that God is our strength, that He helps us when we’re in trouble, and that He tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God."

In this week's message from our 1&2 Peter series, Troy covers some verses in chapter 4, where Peter, who knew a lot about sin and even more about love, reminds us that "love covers over a multitude of sins." Troy also digs in to Peter's teaching that each of us should use whatever gift we have received to serve others. God gave us our unique background, personality, natural abilities, and spiritual gifts in order for us to serve Him and serve others.

For Mother's Day, Troy encourages us to honor the moms in our lives, while also striving to make a positive impact on the young people around us. We're always "One Generation Away" from significant change, whether it's for the good or for the bad. We want the good, and we want the next generation to be better than us, with a faith that’s stronger than ours.