First Peter

The reason our church lingers for months in a book of the Bible is not so we can master the Scriptures, but so the Scriptures can master us. That's what discipleship means -- being mastered. For our last week in First Peter, we took time to reflect and discuss the impact of this letter on our life together. Listen in as our church shares what this season has meant to them.

Personal suffering and hardship has a way of narrowing our outlook. It's hard to think about anything but the pain. As Peter closes out his letter to a persecuted church, he wants them to zoom out in time--considering the past and future. He also wants the church to zoom out in space and remember they are not alone. Listen as Dave reminds us to remember the presence of Satan and the partnership of the global church.

Today's passage includes both a threat and a promise: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." In a culture and city devoted to equality, the church should stand out in its devotion to humility. Listen as Dave unpacks this single verse, particularly in reference to age. What do younger people owe those who are older?

After decades of leadership abuse and scandal within the church, the most important quality for pastors today is trustworthiness. More than leadership skills and perusal dynamism, a pastor must be trustworthy. As we look to install Adam as an elder at Citizens, how do we know we can trust him? First Peter 5 describes the motivations and behaviors of trustworthy pastors. Listen as Dave teaches what the church should expect from her pastors.

When times change for the worse, how do we know whether we need to change? How do we decide if we should still follow Jesus or follow him in the same way? Peter asks us to base our life's direction on Jesus' imminent return. In light of Christ coming back, he encourages the church to be consistent in four practices.

After Jesus' death and resurrection, it would be foolish for the church to go back to their former way of life. But how do we keep our eyes open to sin's danger? In particular, how do we resist the tide of a sensual culture? Ironically, we are made stronger when we choose suffering and leverage it for purity. Listen as Dave asks us to consider our own struggles in light of the gospel and, rather than let suffering be a source of shame, follow Jesus in shaming the shame and finding freedom.

Our current moment is all about fighting for justice. But how do we fight for what is just without ourselves becoming evil? In 1 Peter 3, the apostle offers sage advice on how to engage conflict faithfully, paying attention to the means and trusting God with the ends.

“Finally, all of you…” After giving specific instruction to citizens, slaves, and spouses, Peter steps back to offer counsel to everyone. A Christian's relationship with those outside the church is certainly important, but that witness stands on the Christian's relationships within the church. The way of Jesus is marked by unity in our personal relationships that leads to unity in our witness to the world

What do you do when your relationships and circumstances have stripped you of your voice? In the first century, hardly anyone had less power than slaves and wives. In today's text, Peter addresses Christians in difficult circumstances, encouraging them to keep doing good in the face of slander and suffering. While few Christians in twentieth-century America are as powerless, all Christians can learn from these courageous men and women in our various relationships.

Christ Died! Christ is Risen! Christ is Coming Again! The apostle's experience of that first Good Friday and Easter Sunday shapes his encouragement to the church in First Peter. The resurrection reversed the curse of death. Instead of everyone's story being "glory then suffering," life in Christ is now marked by “suffering then glory.” Listen as Dave unpacks the good news of the resurrection for the church today.

Today's text moves us into the heart of First Peter, which teaches Christians how to live in the face of slander. No matter the situation, Peter says the same thing: Do good. Christians are to be people who do good, no matter the circumstance. In a world that is awash with angry talk of justice, the church should be people who are zealous for doing good to their enemies because we were once God's enemies and He was good to us.

What should Christians do in the face of slander? This was a primary question for the early church, and Peter's first word for them is "Beloved." How do we share Christ in a world that looks down on Christians? Though we are tempted to confrontation and privatization, Peter calls the church to a third way. Listen as Adam encourages us toward a visible love of others which points the world to God's love for us.

In a world of competing stories and agendas, whom do we trust? When disagreement brings shame, how do we hold on? Writing to a persecuted church, Peter encourages the church to remember the honor which matters most. They can endure public shame because they have received divine honor. In the same way, we should identify ourselves with Christ because Christ has identified himself with us.

The first imperatives of First Peter are "be holy" and "love others." However, sometimes this feels like too much. We feel conflicted between the demands of holiness and the demands of love. Peter's encouragement for us is, again, to remind us that we are born again. All those in Christ will live forever, which means we have enough time.

The first imperative in First Peter is "Hope." But what does hope look like in the everyday? For the apostle, hope in future grace looks like holiness. Listen as Dave challenges our church to recover the call to be holy, while encouraging us that our holiness toward God follows God's holiness toward us, especially in our redemption through Christ's blood.

The first instruction the apostle gives in First Peter to the church is, "Hope in grace." When we're struggling to follow Christ, especially in the face of persecution, Peter commands the church to hope in grace. Listen as Rob McIlvoy unpacks for us the importance of hope in the Christian life, and how that motivates our obedience.

First Peter was written to Christians suffering religious persecution. They were being ostracized by their communities because of their faith in Christ. Is this relevant to most American Christians? In order to understand Christian suffering, 1 Peter challenges us to both broaden and narrow our definitions of Christian and suffering.

When suffering persecution and trial, what is the first thing the church needs to hear? The Apostle Peter begins his letter by reminding Christians that they are born again, giving them a new identity and a future inheritance. Why is that something we need to hear today? And how does our new birth impact our relationship with the world around us?

Today, we begin our series in First Peter, which is about Christian living in non-Christian spaces. Listen as Dave sets out the setting and context of this important book. He unpacks the first lesson from First Peter, which is to name the shame we carry around because we follow Jesus. Only when we name our shame can the gospel transform it into honor.