Grace Anglican Church Gastonia, NC

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Sinners in Need of Healing, Matthew 9.9-13 Download <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > When Jesus called Matthew to be his disciples, the Pharisees were upset that the was a great feast in the aftermath. All kinds of various sinners they didn’t care for were having a meal with Jesus. Jesus’ response is one we all know so well, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” All those at the feast knew they were sinners and Jesus’ presence is one that can begin their healing. We, too, as sinners need healing from Jesus outwardly and inwardly. May we have eyes to see that we are in great need and have no righteousness or health on our own.Image: Christ Healing the Sick, anonymous icon, rights unknown. Image found here (see “about” tab for devotional )and here (about 2/3s of the way down).

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Do you know the Trinity_ Matthew 28.16-20, 2 Corinthians 13.5-14 <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > What’s so important about the doctrine of the Trinity? Is it really necessary for salvation? Can’t we know God without knowing anything about the Trinity? Through the witness of Scripture, we are confronted with the reality that the one true God is three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three persons are one God. And salvation is dependent upon the true nature of God as three in one and one in three because each person acts for us in our salvation and if any one is not truly God, then salvation falls apart becoming dependent, not upon God alone, but upon creatures as well as God.Image: Sir Harris Nicolas or hired artist working under Sir Harris Nicolas's direction, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Ongoing Pentecost, Acts 2.1-21, 1 Corinthians 12.4-13 <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > What happens when we see that the coming of the Holy Spirit isn’t a one time event in our lives, but an ongoing reality? It’s like the children going to Narnia and breathing the air and finding themselves strengthened for whatever they have been called to do. Likewise, we are called to have an ongoing Pentecost in our lives, asking for the Spirit to act in us to empower us daily.Image: Lucas Franchoys, "The Descent of the Holy Spirit in Sint-Janskerk , Mechelen, Belgium. On sidepanels: the preaching of Peter and Paul. Photo © Ad Meskens / Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Reflecting upon St. Peter's words in chapter 4, we are reminded to not be surprised, faithless, or ashamed when trails come upon us as Christians. Instead we should rejoice, be faithful, and rest in the work God gives us in Jesus.

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Blessing, Defending, Enduring as Christ has, 1 Peter 3.8-18 Download <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > St. Peter continues to call his readers and us today to faithful obedience. After speaking of various vocations, St. Peter returns to Christians as a whole calling upon us to bless those who would revile, to defend our hope in Christ, and to endure as Christ has already endured because Christ has done all of these deeds towards us that we might now walk in his ways.Image: Snow Covered Cornfield, by Kevin Casper. Public Domain. Image location: https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=268673&amp;picture=snow-covered-corn-field

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Four Ways of Identity in Christ, 1 Peter 2.1-12 Download <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > As St. Peter writes to believers, he reminds them of their identity in Christ and how they should approach him in order to grow as the people of God. He is not teaching them to be individuals, but emphasizes the reality of the corporate nature of our identity in Christ. Through four pictures, St. Peter grounds us in the reality of our need for Jesus to be the foundation of all that we do as the body of Christ.Image: ChurchCrawler&nbsp;/&nbsp;Badgworth, Somerset, via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 2.0

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Subjected for the Good of Others, 1 Peter 2.13-25 Download <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > In 1 Peter 2:13-25, St. Peter reminds us that we are to be subject to various kinds of authorities, even if it means suffering because we are to follow in the footsteps of Christ who was subject to authority and thus suffered. However, there was and is a greater authority above all others in our lives and it is God the Father, to whom Jesus was ultimately subject to, thus his willingness to endure suffering. We too are ultimately under God the Father’s authority and we know that he will judge all in righteousness and thus we can trust him in the midst of suffering from other authorities over us.Image: St. Peter preaching in the presence of St. Mark, Fra Angelico, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons