While You're Waiting
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, October 19, 2025.
Sermon text: 2 Peter 3:14-18
2 Peter 1:2
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Final Instructions
Pursue a life of holiness
“Believers must live spotless and blameless lives to receive the reward of eternal life. They must diligently pursue godliness and resist the libertinism of the false teachers. On the other hand, those who are straying from God are not automatically excluded from eternal life. God does not count up good works as it were. Those who repent and turn to him will receive his mercy and reward, be it ever so late in their lives.”
—Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude
—live in light of eternity
“If you're a child of God, you do not just "go around once" on Earth. You don't get just one earthly life. You get another-one far better and without end. You'll inhabit the New Earth! You'll live with the God you cherish and the people you love as an undying person on an undying Earth.”
—Randy Alcorn, Heaven
—live on mission
Be on the lookout for false teachers
Keep growing in grace and knowledge
“Peter’s solution is to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We need to know more about him, to be sure; but we also grow in that knowledge by obeying him, by treating his promises as genuine promises of the Savior, and his commands as genuine commands of the Lord.”
—R. C. Lucas and Christopher Green, The Message of 2 Peter & Jude
Glorify Jesus in all things
“No death, no suffering. No funeral homes, abortion clinics, or psychiatric wards. No rape, missing children, or drug rehabilitation centers. No bigotry, no muggings or killings. No worry or depression or economic downturns. No wars, no unemployment. No anguish over failure and miscommunication. No con men. No locks. No death. No mourning. No pain. No boredom. No arthritis, no handicaps, no cancer, no taxes, no bills, no computer crashes, no weeds, no bombs, no drunkenness, no traffic jams and accidents, no septic-tank backups. No mental illness. No unwanted e-mails. Close friendships but no cliques, laughter but no put-downs. Intimacy, but no temptation to immorality. No hidden agendas, no backroom deals, no betrayals. Imagine mealtimes full of stories, laughter, and joy, without fear of insensitivity, inappropriate behavior, anger, gossip, lust, jealousy, hurt feelings, or anything that eclipses joy. That will be Heaven.”
―Randy Alcorn, Heaven
Discipleship Questions:
Sermon text: 2 Peter 3:14-18
2 Peter 1:2
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Final Instructions
Pursue a life of holiness
“Believers must live spotless and blameless lives to receive the reward of eternal life. They must diligently pursue godliness and resist the libertinism of the false teachers. On the other hand, those who are straying from God are not automatically excluded from eternal life. God does not count up good works as it were. Those who repent and turn to him will receive his mercy and reward, be it ever so late in their lives.”
—Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude
—live in light of eternity
“If you're a child of God, you do not just "go around once" on Earth. You don't get just one earthly life. You get another-one far better and without end. You'll inhabit the New Earth! You'll live with the God you cherish and the people you love as an undying person on an undying Earth.”
—Randy Alcorn, Heaven
—live on mission
Be on the lookout for false teachers
Keep growing in grace and knowledge
“Peter’s solution is to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We need to know more about him, to be sure; but we also grow in that knowledge by obeying him, by treating his promises as genuine promises of the Savior, and his commands as genuine commands of the Lord.”
—R. C. Lucas and Christopher Green, The Message of 2 Peter & Jude
Glorify Jesus in all things
“No death, no suffering. No funeral homes, abortion clinics, or psychiatric wards. No rape, missing children, or drug rehabilitation centers. No bigotry, no muggings or killings. No worry or depression or economic downturns. No wars, no unemployment. No anguish over failure and miscommunication. No con men. No locks. No death. No mourning. No pain. No boredom. No arthritis, no handicaps, no cancer, no taxes, no bills, no computer crashes, no weeds, no bombs, no drunkenness, no traffic jams and accidents, no septic-tank backups. No mental illness. No unwanted e-mails. Close friendships but no cliques, laughter but no put-downs. Intimacy, but no temptation to immorality. No hidden agendas, no backroom deals, no betrayals. Imagine mealtimes full of stories, laughter, and joy, without fear of insensitivity, inappropriate behavior, anger, gossip, lust, jealousy, hurt feelings, or anything that eclipses joy. That will be Heaven.”
―Randy Alcorn, Heaven
Discipleship Questions:
- What are some ways that you have seen evidence of the gospel in your life?
- How has believing and trusting Jesus changed you?
- What are some ways we can actively pursue a life of holiness?
- How do God’s promises of eternity motivate us to live a life that glorifies Him?
- Where or to whom is God leading you on mission right now? What will it take for you to be obedient?
- What are some practices that really help you grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus?
- How can obeying God help you grow in your knowledge of Him and your relationship with Him?
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