Exiles

Do you ever feel like an exile? Like you just don’t fit into this old world? How should we live as Christians when the dominant cultural and political forces are at odds with our faith? In this 3-part series, we're going verse by verse through 1 Peter 1-2 to see how Peter instructed the church in what is now modern day Turkey could live as exiles in this world.

Living in Harmony

November 27, 2016 | 1 Peter 2:4-17 | culture, exposition

It can be hard to find a way to live in harmony with the culture around you. Do you feel that it is difficult to be a believer in your workplace, when your with friends or even at home? Do you sense this tension between being an authentic Christian and getting along with others in certain sectors of your life?

In Peter’s first letter to believers in Asia Minor, he tells them that they can live in harmony as exiles in their world by truly becoming God’s people. We too can live in harmony with our world by living as His people.

Living in Holiness

November 20, 2016 | 1 Peter 1:13-2:3 | culture, exposition

In Peter’s first letter to believers in Asia Minor, he tells them that they can live in holiness as exiles in their world as God’s chosen people. In this message, we learn some practical advice Peter gives us to live as a people set apart, or holy.

Living in Hope

November 13, 2016 | 1 Peter 1:1-12 | culture, exposition

Full Transcript Available

How should we live as Christians when the dominant cultural and political forces are at odds with our faith? The apostle Peter’s first letter says that we should live as exiles. In fact, he refers to the first century Christians as exiles three times in his letter. So, over the next three weeks we’re going to look at those three instances. In Peter’s first letter, he told believers who were living as exiles in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) that they could live with great hope in Jesus Christ. We too are living as exiles in a hopeless world and can experience a life of hope through Jesus Christ.


Stand Firm: An Exposition of 2 Thessalonians

In this series, we are going verse by verse through the book of 2 Thessalonians to see how we can stand firm until Christ's return.

Stand Firm…In God’s Work

November 6, 2016 | 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18 | exposition, work

Work. Many of us consider work something we have to do in order to pay for the things we really want to have and to buy the time to do the things we really want to do. Americans have made play a higher goal than work. But that’s a low view of work. It diminishes it to an activity that we have to put up with, rather than a fulfilling and meaningful purpose for living. We place such a high value on entertainment and recreation that it has become a kind of idolatry. We celebrate idleness over work. We have made an idol of idleness!

God has a much higher view of work. As Jesus said, “My Father is always working, and so am I” (John 5:17). As soon as God made man, He gave him a job to do. And He has a job, a purpose for your life too! In the apostle Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, he told them to stand firm in doing the work to which God had called them. We can stand firm in the work that God has given us to do.