We had another baptism yesterday morning and my sermon, Encouragement in Suffering from 1 Peter 3:18-22 is now online.  This section of Scripture is challenging.  Most commentators do not agree on the meaning.  But, I think we found some clear truths that encourage us.  Specifically, we saw that Jesus’ victory and our salvation are sure things.  I hope this day encouraged you.

My 8/12/18AM sermon Ready To Suffer for Doing Good from 1 Peter 3:13-17 is now online.  It’s difficult to preach a sermon like this.  The heart of the passage is that we should expect suffering.  But, the passage didn’t leave us there.  It showed us a compelling way to live in light of suffering.  We are realize we’re blessed.  We set Christ apart, utmost in our affections.  And, we voice the hope we have with humility.  Finally, this passage called us to trust God, who can deal with our “opposition.”  I hope this sermon encourages you.

My 8/5/18AM sermon, Living as the Church from 1 Peter 3:8-12, is now online.   Peter has called his readers to live as exiles and sojourners (out of the identity they have as God’s people).  This passage shows how we can forsake sin and do good, for effect.   Specifically, there are sins of speech, a drift towards revenge, and evil we are called away from.  Positively, we’re called to do good, seeking brotherly love, blessing others, and pursuing peace.  The effect?  This leads to blessing, or as v.12 puts it: God’s eyes seeing and His ears being attentive.  I hope this sermon encourages your living with others in the body of Christ.

My 7/29/18AM sermon, Living In The Home, from 1 Peter 3:1-7 is now online.  There are specific charges to wives and husbands in this passage.  This passage challenges us to overcome how the world lives.  We need to see how our homes are places to show our identity in Christ.   I hope it encourages you.

My 7/22/18AM sermon, Living Like Christ (1 Peter 2:21-25) is now online.  This sermon really helped show how Jesus empowers our living.  We are sojourners and exiles in this world.  How do live lives of forsaking sin, doing good for effect?  We live like Christ.  I hope this sermon encourages this kind of living in you.

My 7/15/18AM sermon, Living in the Workplace (1 Peter 2:18-20) is now online.  This sermon continued to explore who we live as sojourners and exiles in the world.  The workplace affords us a great opportunity to avoid sin and do good for effect.  I hope this sermon encourages you.  Here’s a graphic made to go with the sermon, too:

In this case, the passage highlights ways Christians may be treated unjustly.  Peter’s wanting us to showcase our identity in Christ, though.  This should be what is heard when we’re treated unjustly.

My 7/1/18AM sermon, Living Under Governing Authorities from 1 Peter 2:13-17, is now online.  While there’s much I could point out, this sermon sought to unpack how we need to forsake sin and do good for an effect in the world we live.

I opened with a quote from Jonathan Leeman’s recent book, How the Nations Rage, which really captures Peter’s heart in this passage.  Leeman writes:

“God’s common grace grants many a nation better than it deserves, but I have little confidence that America will long remain strong, prosperous, and free without any concept of God’s righteousness and justice somewhere in the background. That’s not because I believe in a civil prosperity gospel: obey God and the nation will be blessed as his chosen people. It’s because I believe the way of God’s righteousness and justice is the way of wisdom. And prosperity and flourishing ordinarily come to the wise. The nation can be strong apart from God’s righteousness, like a totalitarian state is strong. Or it can be “free,” in some impoverished and mangy sense of that word, like a stray dog is free. But it won’t be both. Which brings me back to healthy churches. If there is hope for the nation, it’s through the witness and work of churches. Our congregations have the opportunity to live transformed lives as a transformed culture through a transformed politics in their own fellowships right now—all for God’s glory and our neighbors’ good (p.238).”

There’s a lot of areas for growth here, but Peter’s words are stiff enough.  I hope this sermon encourages you to do good in the public sphere.

The audio (and video) from the Baptisms and Lord’s Supper at Crestview from yesterday are now online.  It was a big day for our family as 2 of our children were baptized.  I appreciated Caleb Gaeddert and Tom Dixon providing some framework for our practice of these two things.  Here are some pics of the day:

I hope you had an enjoyable Lord’s Day.  Access the audio and video of our Baptism/Lord’s Supper service if you’d like to see highlights from yesterday.

My 6/17/18AM sermon, Exilic Living from 1 Peter 2:11-12, is now online.  The sermon really got at what it means to live in this world.  And, for the believer, the call (in light of who we are in Christ) is to forsake sin, having a life characterized by honorable conduct, making a difference in this world.  Our lives should be compelling to the watching world around us.  Too often, they aren’t.  So, I’m hoping God uses this sermon to encourage others to really live.  (I also incorporated this quote from Shawshank Redemption at the beginning of my sermon)

My 6/10/18AM sermon, Spiritual House (1 Peter 2:4-10), is now online.  This passage dug down deep into our lives to expose an identity in Christ, which should change everything about how we live.  Specifically, this passage showed that we are a holy priesthood (vv. 4-5), unashamed, honorable believers (vv. 6-8), and God’s people (vv. 9-10).  I hope it encourages you.