SMBC Principal's Hour Express

Our lives are complicated and we long for a world that is orderly and fair, where skill and decency win the day. Proverbs shows us this world and urges us to fear the God who orders the stories of our lives. Proverbs assures us that thoughtful, skilled and moral life is a thing of beauty.

The book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom from God on a whole variety of topics. But how will we find the motivation to learn it and incorporate it into our character and life? In Proverbs 8, Lady Wisdom sets out to persuade us to pursue wisdom, even fall in love with wisdom. She does this by setting forth a series of reasons why we need wisdom, showing us why wisdom really is better than gold.

When the church comes under fire, its leaders are often the first to feel the heat of the flames. This reality might cause some to shrink back from Christian leadership. And yet good leaders are exactly what the church needs at this time. In 1 Peter 5:1-4, Peter lays out a vision for what good Christian leadership looks like. It is counter-cultural. It requires courage and involves sacrifice. Are you willing to pursue this, and be what the church needs?

The fiery ordeal of suffering shouldn’t surprise us as followers of Christ. He is using trials to mature us into his likeness, as a silversmith puts silver through the crucible’s fire to remove the dross and purify the silver. He promises us joy as we join him in suffering for his name; his Spirit to stand with us; and final glory to come. In the meantime, Peter reminds us to commit ourselves to our faithful God, and keep doing good.

How do we persevere in following Jesus when we are mocked or face hostility for our faith? In 1 Peter 4:1-11, Peter outlines a series of very practical steps we can take that strengthen us to walk the path that Jesus has already walked.

Rob Smith, a speaker at SMBC, dives deep into 1 Peter 3:13-22, focusing on the theme of hope amidst suffering. He showcases the journey of a young believer facing persecution and encourages steadfast faith through Christ's victory. The conversation also touches on respectful dialogues about morality with non-Christians, the importance of apologetics, and the transformative power of suffering for righteousness. Lastly, he shares the inspiring story of Richard Wurmbrand, highlighting perseverance in faith and the hope found in Christ's sacrifice.

In 1 Samuel 7, when God delivers Israel from the Philistines, the prophet Samuel sets up a stone as a reminder of the rescue, and names it Ebenezer, (meaning “stone of help”). Just as the stone helps Israel remember what God has done, so too this text trains us in remembering God’s past deliverance in ways that shape our present action.

In 2:11-3:7, Peter addresses three groups who are in a vulnerable position because they are under the authority of others: citizens (to governments), slaves (to masters) and wives (to husbands). And his radical instruction to all three groups is that even when the one with authority over them exercises that authority badly, they should still submit. Why? In this talk, we focus on the instruction to wives to submit (3:1-6), seeking to understand what it means and why it’s important, and then on the instruction to husbands to respect the position their wives are in (3:7). Ultimately, it is an opportunity for all to be to grow in understanding what it means to imitate Christ in hard situations.

As well as loving our brothers and sisters in Christ, God also wants his people to honour those who aren’t believers. This will mean, submitting to human authorities and following Christ’s example of enduring the unjust suffering we face, as we live ‘good lives’ wherever God has us. In all of this, God invites us to entrust ourselves to him.

How do we stand firm in the face of suffering: persecution, illness, devastating loss, unfulfilled dreams, or depression. We can stand firm by clinging to the anchors for our souls that God provides in the hope of our salvation, the Bible, Jesus, and a community of believers.