City Life Church San Diego

1 Peter 4:1-6 Holiness Looks Like Rebellion Against Your Own Desires


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What if the parts of you that feel most contradictory are the very places God plans to build something strong? 

We sit with the hard truth that transformation invites friction. Old crowds get confused when you stop saying yes to the flood—unrestrained behavior, lust, drunkenness, idolatry—and sometimes they push back. Through vivid analogies (from “cat brain” instincts to the tadpole becoming a frog), we explore why holiness is not grim self-denial, but a reordering of desire. Sobriety, fidelity, simplicity, and generosity don’t shrink life; they expand it. Stories from everyday choices—turning down the hotboxed ride, swapping haunted houses for bright community events, choosing service over status—show how trust in Jesus reshapes what feels good and what truly is good.

Then we zoom out to the larger story. The temple sacrifices were an X-ray pointing to a better cure: a perfect Priest, a true King, and the Lamb who would carry our guilt. Isaiah’s prophecy and the Emmaus-road moment tie Scripture’s arc to Jesus’ rescue plan. That plan doesn’t just save us from; it saves us for—so we become people who read to serve, pray to love, and go where God sends, whether across the street or across the world. Expect misunderstanding. Expect grace to outlast it. And when the chance comes to speak, offer a reason for your hope with gentleness and clarity.

If you’re tired of survival-mode living and ready to breathe different air, press play. Share this with someone who needs a new start, subscribe for more teaching in our Peter series, and leave a review with the one habit you want to trade for real freedom.

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City Life Church San DiegoBy Dale Huntington