Becoming more like Christ begins with seeing ourselves rightly. Through the example of John the Baptist, we’ll consider how a humble understanding of who we are (and who we are not) frees us to embrace our true identity and purpose in life.

God’s purpose is not merely for every believer to know about Jesus, but that we would increasingly become like Him. Today, we will see that, as we behold Jesus, the Spirit frees us and transforms us into His likeness.

Today, we come to Peter’s final words to believers living as exiles in a difficult and hostile world. His closing encouragement also summarizes the entire letter: This is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. As we conclude our study, we’ll see how God’s grace enables us to humbly trust His care, firmly resist the enemy, and confidently hope in His promises until the day He finally brings us home.

The gospel teaches us how to come alongside those who are suffering.

Peter anticipates continued suffering and exhorts his readers to persevere

through suffering and fully entrust our souls to God. Peter encourages us

through a series of commands to live resolute, faith-filled lives in the face of

ongoing difficulty.

As Christians, we live differently from those who do not follow Christ. As we look at Scripture, we

see a reason for being unique in this world, even if it means facing rebuke or suffering.

Marriage is one of God's greatest gifts, but it was never meant to carry the weight of being our greatest hope. As we look to Scripture to understand God’s design for marriage, we'll discover how God uses marriage (and all relationships) to shape us into the image of Christ and display the beauty of the gospel.

Following Jesus does not exempt us from hardship. In fact, Peter reminds us that suffering is often part of the Christian journey. In today’s passage, we’ll discover how followers of Jesus endure unjust treatment—not by retaliation or despair, but by following Christ's example and trusting in His saving work. As we look to Jesus, our suffering Savior and faithful Shepherd, we find strength to endure with hope.

We live as exiles with a new identity, a new community, and a new priority—but what does this look like in our daily life choices? In this passage, Peter explores the tricky question of how believers should relate to government and clearly admonishes: “Show your devotion to God by winsome and wise submission to human government.” 

As “not-home-yet” followers of Christ, we are called to live as exiles who have a new identity, a new community, and a new priority. In this passage, the Apostle Peter is inspired to develop this by connecting our Christian life to the entire story of the Bible.