27 illustrations referencing 2 Peter
In 155 AD, the aged bishop Polycarp of Smyrna stood before a Roman proconsul who demanded he renounce Christ. Polycarp replied with words that still...
In 155 AD, the Roman proconsul gave the elderly bishop Polycarp one final chance. "Swear by Caesar and I will release you," he demanded. "Revile...
In April 2019, scientists at the Event Horizon Telescope project unveiled the first-ever photograph of a black hole — a glowing ring of superheated gas...
In 2002, filmmaker Bart Sibrel cornered Buzz Aldrin outside a Beverly Hills hotel, shoving a Bible in his face and demanding he swear the moon...
In 1881, Sir William Ramsay left Aberdeen for Asia Minor with a single purpose: to prove the New Testament was unreliable. Trained in the finest...
In 2018, volcanologist Jeff Johnson stood on the rim of Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala just weeks before its catastrophic eruption. When the disaster struck...
On August 1, 1838, a young British lieutenant named John Hanning Speke stood at the edge of Lake Victoria and scratched precise coordinates into his...
In 2018, a team of twelve boys from the Wild Boars soccer club and their coach became trapped deep inside the Tham Luang cave system...
Dear Heavenly Father, This morning I sat with my coffee growing cold, watching a cardinal return again and again to the same bare branch outside my window. Seven times it came back. Seven times it sang into the February air...
Imagine the icy streets of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, blanketed in snow, as Phil Connors, a cynical weatherman, awakens to the same day over and over again—February 2nd. With each sunrise, he hears that same cheerful tune from the radio, the voices...
In the film *Ostrov*, we meet Father Anatoly, a man whose very presence is a testament to the transformative power of God’s grace. Imagine a small, windswept island off the coast of Russia, where the biting cold of winter contrasts...
In the dimly lit studio of Andrei Rublev, one of Russia's greatest icon painters, the air was thick with the scent of linseed oil and the quiet reverberations of his heart. It was a space steeped in silence, where Rublev...
Dear Heavenly Father, As I sit quietly, pondering the tapestry of my work life today, I am drawn to the profound wisdom of *2 Peter 3:9*, which speaks of Your desire not that any should perish but that all should...
In our fast-paced world, guilt often wraps around us like a heavy cloak, weighing down our spirits and clouding our judgment. But just as the characters in Scripture faced their own moments of guilt, we too are called to navigate...
The sermon illustrates the tension Christians experience between the reality of salvation and the ongoing presence of sin, emphasizing the hope found in Christ's second coming. It reassures believers that their present struggles are not the end, as ultimate victory and transformation await in the promised new heaven and new earth.
The sermon illustrates the tension Christians experience between the 'already' of salvation and the 'not yet' of Christ's second coming. This tension fuels hope and encourages believers to live in anticipation of complete healing and justice, transforming their present struggles into a pursuit of righteousness and endurance.
The sermon illustrates the Eastern Orthodox understanding of theosis, emphasizing that through the Incarnation, humans are called to partake in the divine nature by grace. This transformation is facilitated by the sacraments, prayer, and spiritual disciplines, leading to a mystical union with God, as articulated by the Church Fathers.
The sermon emphasizes the Eastern Orthodox understanding of theosis, where believers are called to participate in the divine nature through grace and the sacraments. It highlights the transformative power of the Incarnation and the importance of spiritual practices in achieving union with God, ultimately leading to a profound change in the believer's life.
In the heart of the African savanna, there’s a powerful scene in *The Lion King* that speaks to the depths of our identity in Christ. Simba, chased by guilt and haunted by the shadow of his father’s death, flees into...
In the heart of Moscow, nestled within the serene walls of the Tretyakov Gallery, hangs a painting that transcends mere canvas and paint—a divine invitation to experience love itself. It is Andrei Rublev's *Trinity*, a masterpiece that breathes with the...
In our modern world, the quest for Assurance can often feel like sailing a fragile boat through stormy seas. We face relentless waves of uncertainty—whether it’s job instability, health crises, or the weight of personal loss. Just as the biblical...
In the midst of chaos and suffering, the great Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev found his voice. Imagine him, paintbrush in hand, standing before a canvas in a dimly lit monastery, the air thick with the smell of oil and...
The Orthodox affirm: we cannot save ourselves—we need divine grace. But salvation isn't just legal declaration; it's transformation—theosis, becoming like God. Grace enables our participation in divin
"The promise of Romans 8:28 points toward theosis: God works all things for our 'good'—and that good is nothing less than our deification, our participation in the divine nature. Everything serves thi