For the week of April 6, 2026
MONDAY
Day One: Drawing Near
Sermon Focus: The Resurrected Christ empowers us to stand firm in grace & peace through repentance.
Truth: 1 Peter 2:4-5 says, “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Sermon Point: We learned in 1 Peter 2 vs. 1-3 that we grow up into our salvation as we rid ourselves of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. We do this so we might be filled with God’s Word of Truth, which is found in the words, works, and Person of Jesus Christ. So, it makes sense, then, that we must come to Him – longing for Scripture as much as newborn babies long for milk. As we grow up in our relationship with Jesus through prayer and the Word, we seek His holiness, we fear Him, and we love others earnestly with a pure heart. That’s what happens as we come and draw near to Him through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Sermon Reflection: We don’t come (draw near) to Jesus on accident; it’s a deliberate choice to follow after Him. What are you doing throughout each day to do that?
Application: Set a reminder on your phone for each day this week (maybe during your lunch or right after dinner) to read through 1 Peter 1 – 2:5 – those are all the verses we’ve covered so far in this series. Come to Jesus by meditating on and savoring His Word this week!
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Thank God for His living and active Word that stands firm in the heavens and endures forever. Pray that we would believe in His promises and trust in His faithfulness, no matter what we may face each day.
- Pray that God would stir in us a hunger for His Word that compels us to come to Him daily with longing and joy. Pray that as we do so, we would grow in holiness, deepen our reverence, and love with pure hearts.
TUESDAY
Day Two: Christ the Living Stone
Sermon Focus: The Resurrected Christ empowers us to stand firm in grace & peace through repentance.
Truth: 1 Peter 2:4-5 says, “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Sermon Point: Peter teaches us here that Jesus is the Living Stone on which the entire foundation of God’s rescue plan is built. Scripture tells us that one day, everything in the heavens and the earth will be destroyed…except for whatever is built on the Living Stone of Jesus. This is part of God’s master plan set in place before the foundation of the world. And yet…this Living Stone was rejected by men – beaten, mocked, scorned, despised. In the sight of God, however? Chosen and Precious! In God’s mysterious design, even Christ’s rejection became the means through which His glory was revealed at the Resurrection.
Sermon Reflection: How does the contrast between Jesus being rejected by people yet chosen and precious to God encourage you to reconsider whose approval you seek and what you build your hope upon?
Application: “Never was living beauty so enchanting as a dying Savior.” (Charles Spurgeon) In light of Christ’s sacrifice, consider what the Spirit may be asking you to lay down (die to) in order that God’s glory would be more clearly evident in and through your life. In the power of His Spirit, obey…and live!
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Praise God the Son today – for being willing to be rejected, beaten, mocked, scorned, despised, and killed – all that so we might be granted eternal life through faith in His shed blood. Praise the Father for being willing to endure the death of His Son. Praise the Spirit for illuminating God’s glory to all who will see and live!
- Pray that God would grow in us the desire to share in the fellowship of Christ’s suffering – that our responses to rejection, dismissal, or injustice would be shaped through His resurrection rather than our hurt feelings, anger, or disappointment.
WEDNESDAY
Day Three: Living Stones Built into a Spiritual House
Sermon Focus: The Resurrected Christ empowers us to stand firm in grace & peace through repentance.
Truth: 1 Peter 2:4-5 says, “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Sermon Point: As we continually come to Christ and grow up in our salvation, we’re being built into a spiritual house, which is none other than Christ’s body – the Church – united by His Holy Spirit. And this invisible church spans generations, race, denomination, gender, nationality, cultures, gifts, and talents. Because this House (the Church) is founded on the resurrected Jesus, it alone will stand when all else passes away, reminding us that faith cannot flourish in isolation but only within His body, the church. This is the profound Resurrection reality we celebrate: living stones built upon the Living Stone – the Holy Mountain, the Solid Rock that will never fade!
Sermon Reflection: In what ways might you be resisting or neglecting the corporate nature of God’s design, and how is the Spirit prompting you to more fully participate in the life of Christ’s body rather than living your faith in isolation?
Application: Based on your reflection, identify and take your next step toward Christ! If you don’t quite know what that is, reach out to Cammie (cammie@fourmile.org) or Diane (diane@fourmile.org) who would love to help you figure that out!
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Praise God that He is building us into His spiritual house! Pray that He would form hearts in us that are so overjoyed to be part of the diverse, Spirit-united people that span every generation and culture that we cannot help but invite others to join us!
- Repent for any of the ways you have been living your faith in isolation. Pray that God would root each one of us more deeply in the Church that stands secure on the foundation of the resurrected Christ.
THURSDAY
Day Four: A Holy Priesthood
Sermon Focus: The Resurrected Christ empowers us to stand firm in grace & peace through repentance.
Truth: 1 Peter 2:4-5 says, “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Sermon Point: Back in the day, a priest had to go through purification rites before he could stand before God’s altar – and only one priest could enter the Holy of holies (once a year) to make a sacrificial offering on behalf of God’s people. All of that changed with the Resurrection! For those who have been born again, we can now approach God ourselves. Because we are built into Christ’s spiritual house, we no longer go to a temple as priests once did; we are the temple, part of His Body and His holy priesthood. We have been made holy – not by anything that we have done, but because we’ve been washed in the blood of Christ. Purified, made clean and white as snow.
Sermon Reflection: In what ways do you still live as though you are “outside the temple,” and how might the Spirit be compelling you to step more fully into your identity as one who carries God’s presence?
Application: In the Old Testament, priests ultimately served as “bridges” between God and His people. Today, that’s what we are! So, go be a bridge! In other words, obey your commission and make disciples that people may come to know and love God more because they’ve encountered you.
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Thank Jesus for making a way for us to stand before the Father, cleansed and welcomed through His once-for-all sacrifice.
- Pray that God would help us to live with a constant awareness that we are His temple – we carry His presence with us wherever we go. Pray that knowledge will shape how we think, speak, and act all throughout every, ordinary day.
FRIDAY
Day Five: Spiritual Sacrifices
Sermon Focus: The Resurrected Christ empowers us to stand firm in grace & peace through repentance.
Truth: 1 Peter 2:4-5 says, “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Sermon Point: Even though our sins have been atoned for, we don’t just suddenly stop sinning. We are being made more holy each day, but we still must offer the spiritual sacrifice of continual repentance while we struggle with ongoing sin this side of heaven. That’s what the sanctification process is all about – living a life of continual repentance as we walk hand-in-hand with the Holy Spirit down that narrow, well-lit path. The Spirit strengthens us through the power of Jesus’ resurrection to continually turn away from our sin and toward obedience, for God’s glory alone.
Sermon Reflection: How might your daily rhythms change if you truly believed that every step on the narrow path depends on the resurrection power of Jesus rather than your own effort?
Application: Spend some time in repentance and consecration. Then, be filled with His Spirit (give thanks, praise God, submit to others out of reverence for Christ), put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20), and live in the power of Jesus’ resurrection for God’s glory alone.
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Pray that God through His Holy Spirit would strengthen us to daily turn from our sin and walk in the freedom that Jesus’ resurrection has secured for us. And pray that we would long to keep our feet squarely on that narrow, well-lit path of obedience and holiness.
- Praise God that His mercies are new each and every day…and that as we repent, there is always grace upon grace available to us in Christ.
Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander belong to the old, dying way of life, and Scripture portrays them as foul, repulsive things that must be stripped off completely. Both Paul and Peter paint vivid images – our sin is like filthy, rotting garments or a pot of putrid waste. These behaviors have no place in a life being made new.
Today is Good Friday. Spend some time with this slide and consider how much our sin cost our Savior. Be broken over your sin – repent! Plan to come to the Tenebrae service this evening at 6:30 PM and invite a friend, neighbor, family member, or co-worker to come with you.
Kingdom Prayer Focus:
- Pray that God would make our hearts like newborn babies – unashamed of our need and eager for the One who gives us life. Pray that He stirs in us a deep longing for His pure, nourishing Word, that we may grow into the fullness of the salvation we have in Christ.
- Praise God for letting us taste the sweetness of His goodness in Christ! Pray that His Spirit would continue to help us crave what comes from Him alone, turning away from anything that dulls our appetites for His living and active Word and a life lived for God’s Glory Alone.