August 15, 2023

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:3-7 (KJV)

All recruits are required to memorize 1 Peter over the course of Basic Training. In this passage from Chapter 1, as Peter is exalting the glory of God and the beauty of salvation, he encourages believers with the sure hope of our inheritance in Christ. Because of the immeasurable value of the believer’s inheritance, Peter calls believers to consider even extreme trials as more precious than gold. We can rejoice when we suffer, because the end result of enduring suffering for Christ is praise, honor, and glory when Christ appears. Christian, if you are walking through trials right now, rejoice because of the good that you know is coming!

Here on campus, Unit 69 will begin the challenge of Basic Training in less than a month. Please pray that God will prepare the men throughout the next several weeks so that they grow as much as possible in Basic training. Please also pray that men who would benefit from Basic Training but haven’t signed up would fill out their applications and join us next month.