For the week of March 9, 2026
MONDAY
Day One: Foreknown Before the Foundation of the World
Sermon Focus: Our salvation in Christ spans eternity for God’s Glory Alone; once we have a healthy fear of the Lord, we have nothing else to fear.
Truth: 1 Peter 1:20-21 says, “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
Sermon Point: It was important for Peter to take this aside, after he taught us to fear God. When we step back and look at all that God has done for us from a cosmic perspective, we quickly realize that we have nothing else to fear once we have a healthy fear of the Lord. And that’s because, from the beginning of time, God has had a salvation plan in place – and plan for paradise (God’s perfection creation before the fall) to be rescued. It involved God sending His One and Only Son into the world to atone for the sin of His beloved children. We already saw in verse 1 of Peter’s letter that that the elect (God’s beloved children) were chosen before the foundation of the world. So, Peter affirms here that God’s work of salvation through Jesus was no afterthought – it too was all part of the plan from before the beginning of time!
Sermon Reflection: How does reflecting on God’s salvation plan – set in place before the foundation of the world – strengthen your assurance of the salvation that awaits you in eternity future?
Application: Find the oldest picture of yourself that you can (might have to scour the attic or basement). As you look at it, rejoice in the fact that if you are one of God’s beloved children, long before the day that picture was taken, God already loved you in Christ! Take a picture of your picture and send it to someone, sharing with them this glorious Truth!
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Praise God that He is the “ancient of days” – that His perfect plans and purposes stretch from eternity past to eternity future. Thank Him for choosing you in Christ before you ever came to be.
- Pray that all those who call FM “home” would be so overwhelmed by God’s gracious choosing of His beloved children that we cannot help but share the Hope of the Gospel with everyone we meet! In other words, pray that we don’t just say it but that we truly become a church of fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ who GO and MAKE fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ, for God’s glory alone.
TUESDAY
Day Two: Made Manifest in the Last Times for Our Sake
Sermon Focus: Our salvation in Christ spans eternity for God’s Glory Alone; once we have a healthy fear of the Lord, we have nothing else to fear.
Truth: 1 Peter 1:20-21 says, “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
Sermon Point: Here Peter is telling us that God’s master plan, which was set in place before the foundation of the world, will come to fruition in the last times. Apparently, the timing of all of this is of great benefit to us (it’s for our sake); it’s personal. Just think about that: even though this is all part of God’s Cosmic Master Plan, there’s a personal element to us, and that’s because God desires to have an intimate relationship with each of His beloved children.
Sermon Reflection: How does the phrase “was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you” affect the way you see your place in God’s overarching story of redemption? How does it shape your worship and inform your faith (your belief and behavior)?
Application: By obeying your commission today, you could be one person through whom God makes Himself known for the sake of someone in your life. Think about that – you are not where you are, right now, by accident. God is still working His plan of salvation, and you can be a part of it in someone else’s life! So, GO! Get after it!
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Repent for all the times and ways you have gotten so self-absorbed in your own little life that you’ve missed what He’s doing all around you. Praise Him that His faithfulness extends from before time began and extends beyond its end. His plan is perfect; thank Him for His wisdom. Ask Him to give you an eternal perspective, so that you can be a faithful and fruitful disciple.
- Pray that at FM – in ALL that we do – the glory of God is honored, intimacy with Jesus is treasured, the Holy Spirit’s fruit ripens in believers’ lives, the holiness of God is revered, and the goodness of God is relished.
WEDNESDAY
Day Three: Through Christ, We are Believers in God
Sermon Focus: Our salvation in Christ spans eternity for God’s Glory Alone; once we have a healthy fear of the Lord, we have nothing else to fear.
Truth: 1 Peter 1:20-21 says, “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
Sermon Point: Our ability to believe in God only comes about by Jesus, God’s Son. Make no mistake: all roads of faith do NOT lead to heaven. Jesus is the only way to a right belief in God. It’s why we hold His Name in such high regard. It’s why we celebrate Christmas – God taking on human flesh in the form of a baby who would one day become a man. Because it’s only as we come to know the Person, Words, and Works of Jesus that we are able to believe in Almighty God.
Sermon Reflection: How does boasting in even an ounce of our own strength, wisdom, intelligence, service, etc. leading to our salvation tarnish God’s glory?
Application: As you go about your day today – perhaps you drive somewhere or take a walk – be mindful of the various “ways” you can go to get to your destination. That is not true of our salvation! Set some reminders on your phone to stop and reflect on these words of Jesus: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Thank the Father for Jesus today – the He is our Way, our Truth, and our Life. Thank God for His Spirit, Who opens our eyes to the Truth. Praise God for the gift of grace to believe on Christ for our eternal salvation.
- Pray for all those you know who do not profess faith in Christ; ask God to open their ears, eyes, and mind to know and believe the Truth; pray for the courage and obedience to share the love and hope of Christ with them every time you get the chance.
THURSDAY
Day Four: God Raised Jesus from the Dead and Gave Him Glory
Sermon Focus: Our salvation in Christ spans eternity for God’s Glory Alone; once we have a healthy fear of the Lord, we have nothing else to fear.
Truth: 1 Peter 1:20-21 says, “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
Sermon Point: God’s rescue plan cost Him a great deal. It would require His Son to set aside His place in heaven, enter the world as a human, and take on the sins of all humanity through a brutal crucifixion. It was the only way our sin could be paid for – through the shedding of blood. But Jesus didn’t only conquer our sin on the cross…He also conquered death when God resurrected Him from the dead! But there’s even more: God not only resurrected Him from the dead, He also brought Him back into the glory He once had with the Father – except now, Jesus reigns as the King of Heaven.
Sermon Reflection: How does believing in God “who raised Him from the dead and gave him glory” strengthen your confidence in God’s power at work today?
Application: The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now lives in all of God’s beloved children (see Romans 8:11). Today, make the conscious decision to be filled with Him (give thanks, praise God, submit to others) and put on the full armor of God so that you can be strong and live for God’s glory alone.
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Praise God for His almighty power! Praise Him that it was at work in and through Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension – and it’s at work in and through our lives, as well, as we humble ourselves before Him and obey His commands.
- Pray for FM – that throughout the remainder of Lent, we would truly reflect on what it cost God to rescue us from sin and eternal destruction. Pray that we would be broken by our sin and that we would come to hate it as much as God does. Pray for a spirit of repentance to grip us deeply and for a hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness to compel us toward humility and obedience.
FRIDAY
Day Five: Our Faith and Hope are in God
Sermon Focus: Our salvation in Christ spans eternity for God’s Glory Alone; once we have a healthy fear of the Lord, we have nothing else to fear.
Truth: 1 Peter 1:20-21 says, “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
Sermon Point: God gets glory through our faith and hope in Him! And that’s because our faith and hope come about by Christ’s work. We are part of God’s master plan set in place before the beginning of time – every single thing we do ought to have God’s Glory as its end. And so, as we wait for Christ’s return so that we might share in His glory – we wait with Hope in God, in unity with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet another reminder for why once we have a healthy fear of the Lord that we no longer have anything else to fear.
Sermon Reflection: What currently competes for your faith and hope, and how might this passage reorient you?
Application: Today, spend some time meditating on this graphic and then use it to share with someone all that you’ve learned so far in our 1 Peter sermon series; invite them to join you this Sunday for worship!
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Pray that God would help us to not get carried away by worldly fears but to have a healthy fear of Him as we await Christ’s return with Hope, in unity with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
- Pray that as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit in and through FM – humility abounds, the lost are found, repentance and gratitude flow, praise and prayer erupt, lives and communities are transformed, love and joy fill hearts, freedom and forgiveness overwhelm, barriers are broken down, the hungry are fed, marriages are restored, families are reunited, and prodigals come home!