The text for Pastor John's message this morning comes from the book of First Peter.

If you'd like to read along with me in your Bibles, if you don't have a Bible with you, look in the pew rack in front of you

and pull out one of those. It's located on page 1, 444 in the Pugh Bibles, 1st Peter 2, 4 through 8. And coming to him as a living stone rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, you also as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for

a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

For this is contained in scripture.

Behold, I lay in Zion a choice of God. Scripture, in him shall not be disappointed. This precious value then is for you who believe,

but for those who disbelieve, the stone which the builders rejected, this became the very cornerstone and a stone of stumbling and a rock of a fence.

For they stumbled because they are disobedient to the word and to this doom they also were appointed.

As I was praying about what we should focus on as a people this morning,

I considered the next text in the appointed series in First Peter

wondering whether the Lord might have time things such that it would be fitting. And as I read this text I thought and I

believe it is fitting and it is appointed by the Lord, especially

verses 4 and 5. And so I want to focus on this next text in our series in First

Peter, whether I'll keep on, I don't know, I'll try to keep my antennas

up in the wind of the spirit and whether or not these are the words we need each week, but this

one is, I am sure not all we need but it is one of

the things we need to hear namely how to offer spiritual sacrifices to God acceptable to

him through Jesus Christ.

And that's what this text is about.

We'll focus on verses four and five.

And if the Lord keeps leading me in the direction,

I sense now, we will take the rest of this text next week, namely versus six and seven and eight. But first of all,

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