IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Living Stones

Date: Jun. 20, 2024

Passage

1 Peter 2:4-10 (ESV)

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. For it stands in Scripture:

  “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
  and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

  “The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”

and

  “A stone of stumbling,
    and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 2:5

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.

Jesus is the Living Stone, the cornerstone of God’s house, the church. We once lived empty lives, separated from God, but now, as we come to him, we are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. Each of us are living stones, built upon Jesus, the precious cornerstone, who was rejected by man but chosen by God. For those who reject Christ, they will stumble and fall, but those who trust in him, they will never be put to shame.

In Exodus 19:4-6, God reminded His people of what He did for them in Egypt and His purpose to make them a royal priesthood and a holy nation. A priest stands in the gap between man and God to make an intercession for them. To be holy means to be set apart. Because of Christ’s blood, we are no longer in darkness but have a new life with a new identity and purpose before God. We belong to Him. May we not mold to the world but live firmly as living stones as a holy royal priesthood.

Prayer: Father, thank you so much for calling me out of darkness and an empty life to have purpose in you. Please allow me to live for you. May our prayers help others to see Christ as the precious cornerstone.

One Word: A holy and royal priesthood

Daily Bread

The Lamb Will Triumph

Revelation 17:1-18

Key Verse: 17:14

They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

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Intro Daily