We opened this week's Workout with a singing of hymn #126: "Behold Our God."

LEADING DEVOTIONS

Name 1: James Tan's name was drawn out of the hat, and led us in a devotion through 1 Peter 1:1-12. Some propositions from this text included:

Believers are chosen unto obedience (verses 1-2)
God is worthy to be praised for His mercy (verse 3)
The Lord reserves a place for us in heaven (verse 4)
Tested faith is precious; salvation is imperishable (verse 7)

Other propositions and observations:

Arthur
- We are born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (verse 3)
- We are protected by the power of God through faith (verse 5)
- Despite our trials, we rejoice in our assurance of salvation (verse 6)

Nate
- Faith leads to salvation (verse 9)
- Salvation is precious; ancient people sought for it but couldn't find it (verses 10-12)

Peter
- Inheritance through Christ in incorruptible, reserved in heaven for us (verses 3-4)
- The gospel is not only the good news; it is also a mystery that is revealed to those whom He chooses (verses 3-5)

Pastor Dan
- Salvation is exceedingly valuable and lasting (verse 4, verse 7)
- By comparison, everything in this world will not last. Not even "diamonds are forever"! Today's cycles of technology, automobiles, etc. that the world yearns after and pursues will all ultimately fade away.
- Salvation is dependent on the power of God (verse 5)
- This is a comfort for believers. We are protected by the power of God.
- We still face trials, but by enduring them, God produces the assurance/guarantee of salvation in us.
- Salvation is planned by God (verses 4-5)

John Lee
- Salvation was a mystery to the prophets of old and the angels (verses 10-12)
- Prophets carefully inquired to know about how and when the work of salvation would take place
- Seeing is not a requirement for saving faith and salvation (verse 8-9)

Name 2: John Lee's name was drawn out of the hat, and he led us in a devotion through 3 John. Some propositions from this text included:

Ministers have great joy when they see their "children" walking in the truth (verse 3)
Christians should support those who are doing God's work (verses 5-8)
Do good and not evil (verse 11)

Other propositions and observations:

Arthur
- Love for the church extends to those who are both familiar and non-familiar (verse 5)
- God's work is a collaborative effort within the church (verses 7-8)
James
- It is biblical to pray for others' good health (verse 2)
  - Health and prosperity enable us to live, but life is more than just these. God blesses us at every level of our lives.
- Evildoers deny the truth and hurt the brethren (verse 10)
Nate
- Gaius is a converted Roman Gentile who is faithfully supporting the ministry.
  - We know he is a Roman Gentile because of his name.
John Tang
- Christians testify concerning good deeds (verse 12)
Peter
- Walking in truth brings joy to those who are walking in truth (verse 4)
- Truth exhorts believers to do good (verse 11)
Pastor Dan
- John's joy is grounded in the faith of his spiritual progeny (verse 4)
- Faithful Christians honor and support the work of the gospel (verses 6-8)
  - We ought to support those who go out for the sake of Christ
  - We can participate in the work of the gospel by supporting those who go out
  - With discernment, we should link arms with other churches and ministries who are faithful in God's work
- Imitate submission to apostolic authority (verses 11-12)
  - Do not imitate those are evil. Rather, imitate people who submit to Scripture.
  - We are to imitate Christ, and in so doing we also imitate those who have loved and submitted to Him.
- Affirm faithful brothers (verse 12)
  - The word "everyone" in verse 12 is referring to believers only.
- John wrote this letter with pen and ink (verse 13)
  - There are things we communicate in writing, but also things we'd rather communicate more intimately in person.

MEMORIZATION
As a group, we recited James 1:1-5, and then discussed the passage together.

There are three imperatives given to help us navigate through life, with all of its inevitable trials:
- Consider
  - It all begins in the mind, with our thought life.
- Pray
  - Christians depend on the Lord for all things, and they ask of Him freely.
- Glory (verb tense) (verses 9-10)
  - Another way to understand this is to boast.
  - Christians boast in their humble circumstances while looking forward to future glorification.

How should we understand the words "perfect and complete" in verse 4?
- The word complete can also be thought of as whole, or comprehensive.
- Perfect does not mean flawless, but rather a state or point of completion

We can continually ask God for wisdom (verse 5).
- God is welcoming and generous. He does not scold those who continually seek and ask for wisdom.
- This wisdom is general wisdom, or spiritual wisdom.
  - This is the wisdom we need in order to live our lives in a pleasing manner before the Lord.

Next weeks' passage for memorization is James 1:6-11. We spent some time previewing the passage together.

Verses 6-8 tie back to what is stated in verse 5.
- When we ask God for wisdom, He will generously give it to us.
- When we doubt whether He will give, we actually are doubting His generosity and character.
- The one who doubts is tossed back and forth, and unstable in his ways.
  - A man such as this should not expect that he will receive anything from God.
  - When we go to God, we should absolutely and confidently believe that He hears us and gives generously. We have confidence that God gives lovingly & graciously to His children.
- When we pray according to His will, He will grant what we ask to us.
Richness and humility
- A rich man is always pursuing something. He can continually pursue his goals, but the truth is that has not yet arrived at his final destination.
- The rich man is to glory in his humiliation (verse 10)
  - Life is a vapor and riches will not last forever.
  - Think of the flowers that grow around the I-680 - the wildflowers bloom after rains all around the freeway, but they fade quickly when the sun comes back, bringing with it heat and wind.
- Always live with the understanding that this life will come to an end.
  - Leverage what God has given us in this life with this understanding.
  - Thinking about death will help us rightly frame how we live our lives today.
- Think toward eternity.
  - If we have it good in this life, focus on the fact that we are all going to die and live a more blessed life in heaven.
  - If we don't have it good in this life, focus on the fact that life after death will be better than what we could ever have in this life.
- Humble circumstances
  - When we are in humble circumstances and conditions, our natural reaction is to sulk. Instead, we ought to think about eternal blessings. We ought to fix our hope in heaven and glory in future blessings.