WEBVTT 00:00:01.332 --> 00:00:02.399 Hey Valley View. 00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:12.900 Well, as you know, I'm recording this because you're probably at home and it hasn't started snowing here yet because this is still Saturday when we're recording this. 00:00:12.900 --> 00:00:17.432 But all indications are that Big Storm is coming. 00:00:17.432 --> 00:00:28.300 And so after consulting with the elders, the staff, it seemed best to call off the church service for Sunday morning and didn't want to end up with people stuck at church or in the parking lot. 00:00:28.365 --> 00:00:34.265 But what we wanted to do was just give you some devotional thoughts to discuss as a family Sunday morning. 00:00:34.265 --> 00:00:43.566 There's something powerful about the family sitting down together, discussing God's Word together and unfortunately, we often don't get those moments. 00:00:43.566 --> 00:00:49.299 And I think this is an opportunity for families to connect around the scriptures in particular. 00:00:49.299 --> 00:00:55.232 And if you live at home alone, call up a friend and maybe discuss this together. 00:00:55.232 --> 00:01:07.933 Before I get to the passage, though, to introduce you to this week, I want to mention that right now, Saturday afternoon, our young adults are wrapping up a conference they've been attending on missions here in Louisville. 00:01:07.933 --> 00:01:09.465 It's a powerful conference. 00:01:09.465 --> 00:01:11.099 So be praying for them. 00:01:11.099 --> 00:01:19.766 And it's a key season of growth for so many those, early, late teen years, early 20 years, a lot of big decisions are being made. 00:01:19.766 --> 00:01:26.266 And oftentimes that's some of the biggest years of experiencing God at work in your life for many. 00:01:26.266 --> 00:01:28.500 So be praying for them. 00:01:28.500 --> 00:01:30.865 It's a big event and we're excited to get to go. 00:01:31.965 --> 00:01:33.200 Now for you. 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:38.766 I want to point you to a passage I plan to preach on the next time we're together to launch us into the new year. 00:01:38.766 --> 00:01:41.400 It's in second Peter chapter one. 00:01:41.400 --> 00:01:43.132 We've been going through the book of First Peter. 00:01:43.132 --> 00:01:52.099 We're taking a brief break from it because I wanted to focus these first few weeks of the year on who we are as a church. 00:01:52.099 --> 00:01:59.066 What do we value, what are the things that when we think of Valley View, we think, yeah, that's what Valley View is about. 00:01:59.066 --> 00:02:01.066 That's who we are. 00:02:01.066 --> 00:02:12.733 And I think we see some things in Second Peter that go well with where God has led us, how he has shaped us and who we are. 00:02:12.900 --> 00:02:27.466 Also, though I think it's a good maybe breather from the weightiness of First Peter. First Peter is all about how do you flourish in the midst of suffering. And there's a lot there to unpack. 00:02:27.466 --> 00:02:29.300 There's a lot to think about. 00:02:29.300 --> 00:02:34.599 And overall, there's a heaviness to that subject of suffering. 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:40.466 And to be fair to Peter, Second Peter isn't only about suffering. 00:02:40.466 --> 00:02:44.432 Peter himself doesn't only talk about suffering. 00:02:44.432 --> 00:02:48.566 In fact, Second Peter is about truth and hope. 00:02:49.832 --> 00:02:52.400 And those are things, especially if you've come out of suffering. 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:54.265 You need both. 00:02:54.265 --> 00:02:59.332 And those are two things I think Valley View is about-- hope and truth. 00:02:59.332 --> 00:03:05.599 So many who have suffered need to hear the message of hope and also be reassured with truth. 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:08.800 We don't steer away from truth in hard times. 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:10.199 To make ourselves feel better. 00:03:10.199 --> 00:03:13.133 We turn toward truth to find hope. 00:03:13.133 --> 00:03:16.800 But here's the passage I want you to read through and look at as a family. 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:18.733 Second Peter, chapter one. 00:03:18.733 --> 00:03:27.699 You could read through verses three through ten, but really focus in starting at verse five through verse eight. 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:50.733 for this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge and knowledge with self-control and self-control, with steadfastness and steadfastness, with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with love. 00:03:50.733 --> 00:03:59.532 So he gives a list of qualities, character qualities to grow in, to supplement your faith with, to continue to grow in. 00:03:59.532 --> 00:04:14.733 But he says this at the end, for if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:04:14.733 --> 00:04:18.966 Here's where I want you to focus on this passage. 00:04:18.966 --> 00:04:23.300 Our theme word for the year as a church is grow. 00:04:23.300 --> 00:04:25.365 Grow into oaks of righteousness. 00:04:25.365 --> 00:04:28.766 We want to be growing deep in our knowledge of who Christ is. 00:04:28.766 --> 00:04:32.266 We want to be growing in our understanding of how he's at work in our life. 00:04:32.266 --> 00:04:34.199 We want to be growing in holiness. 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:38.565 We want to be growing in character each and every one of us. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:44.899 And so as you read through this passage, here's the one question I'd love for you to discuss it. 00:04:44.899 --> 00:04:54.766 Which of these character qualities that you see here do you want to see improve, increase in your life in 2025? 00:04:55.600 --> 00:05:03.399 If our theme for the church is grow, what specific area do you personally want to see God at work in your life in the coming year? 00:05:03.399 --> 00:05:11.665 And especially words that are in this passage, and you can even expand to a few verses before, a few verses after. 00:05:11.665 --> 00:05:38.399 Because in verse five when he says, for this very reason, he is talking about the gospel that is embedded just prior to that, of course, that lays the foundation for all these character qualities, but if these are yours and they are increasing, if they are growing, we never want to be in a place where we think we can coast that we have it all figured out, but that God is continually at work in our life and we're continuing to trust him in all things. 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:50.000 So read that passage, Second Peter chapter one, verses five through eight, maybe as much as verses three through ten, but especially five through eight, and discuss how you want God to be working in your life this year. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:58.800 And then I would, as I mentioned in the midweek update, that this week I would pick one word and really meditate on it this year and pray over it. 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:03.966 God, would you increase my faith this year, would you increase my self-control? 00:06:03.966 --> 00:06:06.966 Would you increase my steadfastness? 00:06:07.500 --> 00:06:12.766 Would you increase-- my word-- joy this year? 00:06:13.266 --> 00:06:19.500 Whatever that word is, begin to pray that God would work in your life in that way this coming year, and discuss that as a family. 00:06:20.565 --> 00:06:26.432 Also, Isaac has put together a playlist of a couple of worship songs. 00:06:26.432 --> 00:06:27.699 I think it'll be on Spotify. 00:06:27.699 --> 00:06:36.966 That link should be in whatever social media post we've put this embedded this video in, whether that's on Facebook or Instagram or both. 00:06:36.966 --> 00:06:38.165 You can find that link. 00:06:38.165 --> 00:06:44.966 And if you know what all that means in terms of using Spotify and listening to plays playlist, great. 00:06:45.333 --> 00:06:48.333 If you don't, that's okay. 00:06:48.500 --> 00:06:49.365 You can ask around. 00:06:49.365 --> 00:07:00.365 Maybe someone can help you with that, but maybe just listen to some of those songs, sing, sing along to a few, and then discuss this passage as a family. 00:07:00.365 --> 00:07:04.833 Or you might let the songs play while you're making breakfast together. 00:07:04.833 --> 00:07:22.199 I'm guessing many will be at home together on Sunday morning, but our hope is to just give you an opportunity to connect as a family around the gospel and and to hopefully together look forward to a year of growth. 00:07:22.199 --> 00:07:28.800 I really believe God has some amazing things in store for our church this year, so be praying for Valley View. 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:32.000 I know so many of you already do and thank you for that. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:33.033 Thank you for your prayers. 00:07:33.033 --> 00:07:41.165 Thank you for your encouragement and my prayer is that your family would have a great time of connection this Sunday morning. 00:07:41.165 --> 00:07:41.966 God bless you guys.