This morning's text is found in 2nd Peter, the first chapter,

verses 1 through 11.

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness

of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance

through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and goodness,

through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you

may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness

and to goodness knowledge and to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance, godliness,

to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, kindness, love.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure,

they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Therefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.

For if you do these things you will never fall and you will receive a rich

welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We begin this morning a series of expository messages on the second epistle of Peter.

And my aim in these messages is very simply to move verse by verse

through this three chapter epistle explaining what it means and applying it to our lives today.

...