1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,840
This is Pastor Daniel Stevenson. I'm director of the Southside Life Station and pastor of New Heights Fellowship Baptist Church of East Toledo.

2
00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:09,340
And you're receiving this message because you opted in to be encouraged.

3
00:00:09,340 --> 00:00:13,140
I'm thinking today of 1 Peter 5-10. Peter writes this. He says,

4
00:00:13,140 --> 00:00:24,460
After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

5
00:00:24,460 --> 00:00:32,300
As I read this verse, I realized that Peter was an ordinary guy, like you or me or any human being.

6
00:00:32,300 --> 00:00:51,160
And in this verse, Peter, who has accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, clearly understood that the weight of the things that try to deface us now is nothing compared to what God is ultimately preparing for us in the life after this one.

7
00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:54,760
God has a plan. He's taking you somewhere.

8
00:00:54,760 --> 00:01:04,560
The logical thing to do is forward march through potential pain and suffering to actual blessings unimaginable.

9
00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:11,160
We're on our way. Who knows, it may not be all that long of a journey now. Jesus may be coming back fairly soon.

10
00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:22,160
But one thing I know, like Peter, I want to consider the things I go through in this life as not being able to change me, not being able to affect me, not being able to stop me.

11
00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:28,760
I want to be unflappable. I want to be blessed. I want to experience joy. I want to be encouraged.

12
00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:41,960
To that end, I am reminded today that my God, the God who called me to his eternal glory in Christ, is himself going to perfect me, confirm me, strengthen me and establish me.

13
00:01:41,960 --> 00:01:58,960
Praise Jesus today. Check us out online at churchtoledo.com for New Heights Fellowship Baptist Church. God bless you.