Author: Dr Kevin Hall
Finding Freedom from the Old Life Reflections on 1 Peter 4:3–6 There comes a moment in every believer’s journey when they realize that following Christ is not merely about adding religion to life—it is about receiving a new life altogether. Peter understood this better than most. Writing to Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire, Peter knew his readers lived in cultures filled with values and behaviors that often stood in direct opposition to the teachings of Jesus. Many of these believers had once participated in the very practices that now surrounded them. They knew the old life because they had…
Fellowship in Pain • Hope in the Fire • Formation Through Grace There is something deeply unsettling—and deeply comforting—about Peter’s statement: “Inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ…”(1 Peter 4:13) The Greek word Peter uses is κοινωνεῖτε (koinōneite). It means: This is not distant admiration. Peter is saying that believers somehow enter into fellowship with Christ through suffering. That idea can feel difficult, especially for modern readers. How can human suffering possibly connect to the suffering of the Son of God? And why would Peter speak of it almost as a privilege rather than merely a burden?
1 Peter — Chapter 1 | The Way Series (Part 1)Living Hope, Holy Identity, and the Enduring Word The opening chapter of 1 Peter sets a powerful theological and pastoral foundation for believers living under pressure. Simon Peter writes to scattered Christians—described as ἐκλεκτοῖς παρεπιδήμοις (eklektois parepidēmois), “chosen exiles”—reminding them that their identity is not defined by cultural marginalization, but by divine election. Rooted in the πρόγνωσις (prognōsis)—the foreknowledge of God the Father—and sanctified by the Spirit (ἁγιασμός / hagiasmos), believers are called into obedience and covenant relationship through the blood of Jesus Christ. Peter then erupts into doxology, declaring…
Wednesday of Passion Week (Matthew 26:14–16; Luke 22:1–6) Jerusalem grows quieter. After the intensity of Tuesday—questions, confrontations, parables, and warnings—there is a noticeable shift. The public debates fade. The crowds are less visible. The streets no longer echo with the same urgency. But do not mistake silence for inactivity. Wednesday is not empty. It is hidden. The Plot Beneath the Surface Luke tells us: “Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near… and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people” (Luke 22:1–2). They are no longer debating Jesus. They are…
Friday of Passion Week – Night to Morning (Matthew 26:57–27:26; John 18–19) The night does not end in rest. It fractures. From the quiet anguish of Gethsemane, where Jesus surrendered His will to the Father, the scene shifts violently. Torches cut through the darkness. Soldiers arrive. Judas steps forward. And with a kiss…the arrest begins. The Trial Before Religion Jesus is first taken to the high priest. “And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled” (Matthew 26:57). This is not a search for truth.…
Friday of Passion Week – The Crucifixion (Luke 23:26–49; John 19:16–30) The sentence has been declared. The crowd has chosen.Pilate has yielded.The soldiers have taken Him. And now… the King walks. The Road of Suffering “And as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian… and on him they laid the cross” (Luke 23:26). The weight is too much. The body—already torn by scourging—cannot carry the full burden. A man from afar is pulled into the moment. Simon does not choose this path… but he walks it anyway. Behind them, the city watches. Some…
Friday Evening – The Tomb (John 19:38–42; Luke 23:50–56) The cross stands… but the voice is silent. The sky has darkened. The earth has trembled. The veil has been torn. And now, the body remains. Still. Lifeless. The King who was lifted up… is taken down.
Saturday of Passion Week – The Sealed Tomb (Matthew 27:62–66; Luke 23:56) The city exhales. After the violence of Friday—the cries, the cross, the darkness—Jerusalem falls into a different kind of quiet. Not the quiet of peace… but the quiet of uncertainty. It is the Sabbath. And everything… stops. A Rest That Feels Different “And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56). The Law is being kept. The rhythms of Israel continue. But this Sabbath is unlike any other. Because the One who healed on the Sabbath…now lies still within a tomb. No teaching.No miracles.No voice.…
Resurrection Sunday – The Empty Tomb (Matthew 28:1–10; Luke 24:1–12; John 20:1–18) The silence breaks. Not with a whisper…but with movement. Before the sun fully rises, while the city still sleeps under the weight of Friday and the uncertainty of Saturday, a small group of women makes their way toward the tomb. They carry spices. Not hope. Love That Shows Up Anyway “Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they… came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared” (Luke 24:1). They are not expecting resurrection. They are honoring death. Faithfulness has…
Resurrection Appearances (John 20; Luke 24:13–35; John 20:24–29) The tomb is empty. But the story is not complete. Because resurrection is not only something to be announced—it is something to be encountered. A Name Spoken in the Garden Mary remains. While others run, question, and process… she stays near the place where grief last held her. The tomb is empty—but her heart is still full of sorrow. “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him” (John 20:13). She turns… and sees Him. But she does not recognize Him. Not yet. Until He…