Kai Chen

As we come to Christ, we (the church) are like living stones being built in various ways into a spiritual house, with Christ as the cornerstone. Peter invites all to reflect on our identities in the eyes of God, and to respond with praise and witness.

Worship is in our nature, and idolatry was especially rampant in Ephesus. But Jesus frees us from the life-draining worship of idols, and into the life-giving presence of God.

Traditionally, it was assumed that the good news of Jesus was reserved exclusively for the religious. But God gives vision to both a religious man and non-religious man to correct the cultural understanding of who this good news was for.

The parable coveys the message that righteousness is unobtainable through our own efforts, and only obtainable through the finished work of Christ on the cross. “We are right not because we have done right, but because we have been made right.”

Jesus uses the parable of the friend at night to teach about prayer. Understanding prayer, as well as who we’re praying to, is critical for anyone who wants to engage with an invisible God that often feels like a great mystery.

Esther finds herself in an ambiguous and complex situation where God is seemingly silent. How she responds during her season of silence gives readers a clue of how we can respond when God is seemingly not present in our difficult situations.