Sunday, June 12: Living Stones 1 Peter 5:1–14 Peter is one of the most beloved people in the Bible. People love his boldness, his passion, and his bravado. Peter was a man who drew swords first and asked questions later. He said out loud what everyone else was thinking but afraid to say. There are […]
Sunday, June 5: Living Stones 1 Peter 4:12–19 Ezekiel 8 is a crazy story. The prophet Ezekiel is minding his own business, hanging out in his Babylonian home, when all of a sudden, this angel grabs him by the hair and whisks him off to Jerusalem to see what has happened in his homeland during […]
Sunday, May 29: Living Stones 1 Peter 4:1–11 As we’ve moved through our series, Peter’s letter has picked up a familiar cadence. After an instruction regarding who we are in Christ, he quickly makes it practical. (“Therefore” seems to be one of his favorite words.) Since this is the case, therefore we live this way. Because […]
Sunday, May 22: Living Stones 1 Peter 3:8–22 I’m not sure when the expectations of our culture started, but we somehow think that “we are all supposed to be happy all the time” and if we are not, then try to fix it so the pain goes away. No one is living a life absent […]
Sunday, May 15: Living Stones 1 Peter 3 First Peter was written to Christians who were experiencing hostility for their faith. Christianity was a new religion. The Greco-Roman world didn’t understand it and looked upon it with suspicion. I think we have all come to accept that at times we will experience misunderstanding for our faith. […]
Sunday, May 1: Living Stones 1 Peter 2:11–25 Theodore Roosevelt is credited with having said, “Knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.” Jesus said something similar in Matthew 7: “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good […]
Sunday, April 24: Living Stones 1 Peter 2:1–10 The series we’re in is called “Living Stones” and this week we’ll be covering the verse that gave us that title. Peter uses the metaphor of the Living Stone to describe Jesus, and describes us as being like living stones as well. But what are we building? […]
Sunday, April 10: Living Stones 1 Peter 1:13–25 So far in the book of 1 Peter we’ve heard some strong theological reminders about who we are in Christ, and the hope we have in Jesus. Peter gave us some good reasons for our hope, and this week he’s turning the corner with a “therefore…” It’s […]
Sunday, April 3: Living Stones 1 Peter 1:1–3 The world is changing. Advances in technology, communication, and transportation have brought global cultures together in ways previously unimaginable. I think we all feel the changes. Cultural change isn’t limited to language, food, and customs, we have also noticed a shift in values. Sometimes it feels like our […]