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Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Standing Firm in Grace 05/17/09
1 Peter 5:6-14
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
In the conclusion to this powerful letter, Peter urges the scattered but chosen churches to remain faithful to Jesus and to stand firm in the grace he has given them.
A Surprising Mutuality 05/10/09
1 Peter 5:1-5
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
This week in Peter’s letter he addresses the relationship between the leadership and the rest of the community. Though leaders often have different roles in the church community, the biblical model is that everyone is a sheep of Jesus, and everyone is responsible for Jesus’ disciple-making purposes in the world. The distinction between leaders and the community at large is simply that leaders take the initiative to lead by example as they care for, encourage, and challenge the community to faithful Christian living. As we come to the end of our study in Peter’s letter, our own missional communities will be covenanting around the ways that we will live out our Identity as a Family of Missionary Servants. In order to do this, we need to embrace our fourth Gospel Identity, that of Learner. To be a Learner is to recognize that each of us is a disciple of Jesus called to make disciples of Jesus. We are all - leaders and followers - responsible for the maturity and mission of the church as a whole. Peter addresses both leadership and the community at large with this very emphasis. Come listen as Steve encourages some of us to step up in leadership and the rest of us to submit to leadership.
A Surprising Sacrifice 05/03/09
1 Peter 4:12-19
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
As we look at Peter’s letter this week, we’ll be focusing again on our Covenant to live out these themes - what we call Gospel Identities - together. Over the last 2 weeks we’ve looked at our Missionary Identity and our Family Identity. This week, in what is really a summary of everything Peter has been saying; we’ll focus specifically on the Servant Identity. To be a follower of Jesus means sacrifice, suffering, and servant hood. Are you arranging your life around the Gospel? Come and listen as Steve guides us through Peter’s letter to learn how we should respond in trial.
A Surprising Community 04/26/09
1 Peter 4:1-11
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
This week we explore what it means to be a part of a Christian community, to live together in the reality of our Identity as Family, chosen and beloved children of God. Peter begins in chapter 4 right where he left off, speaking of the suffering of Jesus on our behalf. How can we learn to serve other, to draw life from Jesus so that we can give it away? Peter says we ought to “arm ourselves with the same way of thinking,” fully aware that being united to Jesus implies suffering. As we remind each other of our Identity in the gospel, we are helping one another to more fully believe God’s forgiving, accepting, adopting love. We call this “gospeling” one another. Come and listen as Steve encourages us to pattern our lives after Christ.
A Surprising Hope 04/19/09
1 Peter 3:13-22
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
As we round the bend and begin to head toward the end of this amazing letter, we’ll be using our time to talk practically about how to live the Identities of Family, Missionaries, and Servants together. Peter has woven these three themes together throughout his letter, urging these chosen and scattered exiles to live as God’s Family, sent throughout the Roman Empire to faithfully witness to a suffering and resurrected Messiah, both in deed and in word. In this section Peter challenges Christians to be the Church and to live faithfully for Christ. Peter concludes this section with the same great words of hope and encouragement that he has woven throughout this letter! He recognizes that living for Jesus’ mission involves suffering and sacrifice, so he points us again to Jesus. Jesus died for us. He bled for us. He went all the way down for us, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, with all things subject to him. Because of Jesus’ great victory, we can embrace sacrifice today, knowing that we belong to Jesus and will one day be with him! Come listen and be encouraged by Steve to live our lives so that the world would question our actions.
Easter: Resurrection Hope 04/12/09
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
This week Steve takes us back in 1 Peter to verses 1:20-21; 1:3-4 and 3:22 to encourage us that the resurrection makes faith possible, hope livable, and obedience delightful. Listen and be encouraged that Christ is Risen!
Praxis: Gospel & Church 04/05/09
1 Peter 3:8-12
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
Steve picks up from last week continuing with the last of Peter’s three different contexts in which verse 2:16 gets worked out in our lives. So far, we’ve seen how “living as Servants of God” works itself out in the workplace and in the home. Before Peter leaves this subject, he applies it directly to the Christian community and the relationships within the church. Sadly, Christians often forget their Servant Identity in the way they relate to one another, and it is often within the community where the most selfish, self-centered behavior comes out. Peter urges us to live the way of the cross together. Listen as Steve and Russ encourages us to live with “unity of mind”, sympathy for one another, familial love, tender heartedness and humble mindedness towards one another.
Praxis: Gospel & Home 03/29/09
1 Peter 3:1-7
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
Steve picks up from last week continuing with the second of Peter’s three different contexts in which verse 2:16 gets worked out in our lives. We’ve been given a glorious new Identity in Christ in order that we might give our lives up in humble service of those around us. In this section, Peter applies the same principle to the home, between husband and wife, and particularly applies it to wives living with unbelieving husbands. Peter wants us to see that the husband serves his wife by his leadership, and the wife serves her husband by her gracious submission. In both cases, the spouse’s service is first and foremost to God himself, as His Servant, and then to one another. Come and listen as Steve encourages husbands and wives to outdo each other in honor and service so that Christ can be glorified.
Praxis: Gospel & World 03/15/09
1 Peter 2:18-25
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
After laying out the basic framework of both abstaining from the passions of the world and engaging in humble service of the world, Peter proceeds to give 3 different contexts in which this gets worked out (praxis). This week we’ll look at how it works in the world, particularly at work. Please listen as Steve challenges us to realize that we don't simply need to live as Jesus lived, thus following a set of rule, but rather what we need is his substitution, we need our Savior. When this is worked into our hearts we can rejoice in all our circumstances, even an "unjust master"
Gospel-Deed People 03/08/09
1 Peter 2:11-17
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
Our Identity as Servants flows directly from our Identity as Beloved Children of God, his special people. Our chosen status as God’s special people does not remove us from the world to await the return of Jesus. On the contrary, the freedom we have in Jesus allows us to be in the world for the good of the world and yet to remain unstained by the ways of the world. Listen as Steve explains the freedom we can have if we are only willing to accept it as he continues in 1 Peter 1 Peter 2:11-17
Gospel-Proclaiming People 03/01/09
1 Peter 2:4-10
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
What does it really mean to be "born again"? Steve picks up in 1 Peter 2:4 as Peter continues to build off of what he has been saying about being "born again" through he gospel word, and lays out an incredible vision of the purpose of God in calling us to Himself.
Gospel-Transformed People 02/22/09
1 Peter 1:13-2:3
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
The degree to which we obey God is a direct reflection of the degree to which the grace of God in Jesus has truly taken root in our hears, filling us with "joy inexpressible and full of glory!". The commands of the New Testament are always proceeded by a "therefore". Listen as Steve explains what the "therefore" is there for.
Gospel-Formed Community 02/15/09
1 Peter 1:3-12
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
Point number 1: it’s not about you. Point number 2: it’s totally about you. Point number 3: if you get the first 2 points, it totally transforms you. What the heck is Peter talking about and who's he writing to anyway? Listen as Steve breaks down and dialouges about 1 Peter 1:3-12.
Chosen and Scattered 02/08/09
1 Peter 1:1-2
Series: Chosen and Scattered: A Study in 1 Peter
Pastor: Steve Hart
What does it mean to be chosen and scattered by God? Listen as Steve breaks down 1 Peter 1:1-2 in the first of a new series in 1 Peter.