Satan & Saints (1 Peter 5:5-11)

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.

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Trustworthy Pastors (1 Peter 5:1-4)

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.

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Shame the Shame (1 Peter 4:1-6)

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.

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United for Our Witness (1 Peter 3:8-12)

“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

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Advice for the Voiceless (1 Peter 2:18-3:6)

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.

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Suffering Then Glory (1 Peter 1:3-12)

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.

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Be Good, Not Just (1 Peter 2:13-17)

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.

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Remembering Your Belovedness (1 Peter 2:11-12)

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.

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Honor for Believing the Conspiracy (1 Peter 2:4-10)

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.

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Hope in Grace (1 Peter 1:13-16)

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.

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Making Your Home in Jesus (John 15:4-5)

Adam takes a step away from 1 Peter to ground our emphasis in Citizens' Communities on spiritual practices. We need spiritual practices because these rhythms of resistance help us to be with Jesus, become like Jesus and do what Jesus did. That's what it means to be a disciples: someone who strives to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did. We can't do this without spiritual practices.

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