The first day was anchored in 1 Peter 2:1–14, highlighting that all people were created to please God and honor Him through their way of life.

Pastor Gisanura urged believers to rid themselves of all evil, including lying, slander, hypocrisy, and jealousy, reminding them that such behaviors separate people from God and bring dishonor to His name.

He emphasized that God’s children need to be nourished by the Word of God in order to grow spiritually, for Jesus Christ is the Living Stone upon whom all believers are built.

He declared: “Every person is a stone in building God’s kingdom wherever they are. I pray and plead that together we may become the temple of God, partners in the construction of His Kingdom. We are a chosen people, God’s priests.”

The pastor stressed that whoever believes in Jesus will never be put to shame—whether in sin, disgrace, or life’s challenges. He said:

“For us who believe in Jesus Christ, He has strengthened us and will continue to strengthen us. But those who reject God’s Word will not experience the grace of Christ.”

In his prayer, he asked believers to guard themselves against the desires of the flesh that lead to sin:

“The desires of the flesh may not always appear as obvious sins, but they can mean wasting time on things that are meaningless. We wrestle with what our eyes see, what our ears hear, and what our mouths speak. Lord, help us not to fall.”

Pastor Gisanura also urged the faithful to respect national leaders and authorities, reminding them that it is God who places them in power. He added that praying for leaders brings lasting peace.

He concluded by calling on everyone to commit, throughout these three days, to please God in every aspect of life—at home, at work, and in their relationships with others.

He said: “As we begin these three days of pleasing God, let us purpose to honor Him in all we do. May our lives be testimonies that inspire others to glorify God on the day He visits us.”

1 Peter 2:1–14

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.