Benefits of God’s Great Mercy
1 Peter 1:3-5
Pastor Jerry Koller

Notice how the first note Peter strikes is one of praise. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

To praise God means to proclaim His merit or His worth.
· It is to attribute to God what is rightfully His.
· We are to praise God because He alone is worthy to be praised.

The heavenly scenes described in the Book of Revelation describes to us something that has taken place ever since God created.

There is nothing that we know of that rightfully deserves our praise other than God.

There is no one who rightfully deserves our praise other than God.

Not only is God to be praised simply because He is worthy, he is to be praised because of His great mercy.
· Love seems to be at the core of mercy.
· It seems to be something that responds to a human need.
· Mercy always has an object.
· It often comes in an unexpected or unmerited way.
· At its core, mercy is often expressed in forgiveness.

In His great mercy He has given us new birth. (vs. 3)

This new birth, given through God’s great mercy to us, is a living hope.
· Biblical hope is something that will come true because it is a strong and confident expectation.

Verse three shows us that this living hope has been secured through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

In verse 4, Peter tells us that this new birth, given through God’s great mercy to us is not only a living hope, it is our inheritance.
· It is an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.
· It is kept in heaven for you.
· It is shielded by God’s power.
· It is divinely kept until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

These truths remind us how Jesus said that in this world, we will have trouble. But take heart. He has overcome the world. He has given us grace and peace in abundance.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise be to God for all He has done for us.

Praise God because He is worthy to be praised.

· Norma Bales (Curt Bales’ mom) is hospitalized with an infection.
· Joyce Bocock is consulting with an oncologist. Please continue to keep her in prayer.
· Gary Wilson (Jeff Wilson's dad) has had a recurrence of cancer. He is choosing not to pursue treatment. Please keep him and his family in prayer.
· Paula Hollis (sister of Dave Hollis) has cancer and started chemo in June. She is hospitalized as she is having issues with her heart rate and blood clots and receiving transfusions as needed.
· Elizabeth (Rhonda Dobberstein's niece) is 7 months pregnant with a very high-risk pregnancy. She is bleeding and needs surgery to get her cervix stitched, but it keeps getting postponed. Please pray that the baby remains stable.
· Craig & Theresa Reese (Rhonda Dobberstein's brother and sister-in-law): Theresa, has been released from the hospital and is receiving Hospice care. Craig has taken time off from work so he can be with her 24/7.
· Henry Rungaitis (newborn nephew of Josh Brower) had a successful heart surgery on 9/14. He will need to have another procedure done in March and will eventually need a transplant so please continue to keep him in prayer.
· Tom Craig is recovering from surgery to have a pacemaker inserted.
· Linda Newell is recovering from surgery to have a rotator cuff repaired.
· Ruby Robinson (Stan & Jean Robinson’s sister-in-law, Bruce Robinson’s stepmom) has been diagnosed with colon cancer and is receiving chemo which is making her very sick. She is not able to work.
· Beth Bocock is recovering from a knee injury.
· Renee Goff has a staph infection on her face; please pray that antibiotics are effective. She also continues to undergo testing and treatment for her VCP heart condition.
· Vincent Bryant (Miriam Bryant’s son) is recovering from a broken ankle.
· Check out our monthly prayer card on-line at southhavenfbc.com under “Weekly Bulletins” for a list of those with on-going needs.

First Baptist Church
1635 76th Street
South Haven, MI 49090
269-637-1291
southhavenfbc@gmail.com