After encouraging the believers with their status in Christ and anchoring them to the truthfulness of the message, Peter warns the church that false teachers will come. However, they are already in their midst. His future statements are not wrong, but they serve to encourage the repentance of the false teachers. 

What authority did Peter have? Was the message he shared with the church more reliable than the message of the false teachers? Peter uses two claims to support the authority of the gospel: his eyewitness account of Christ and the account's connection to the Old Testament. 

Peter tells the readers why he desires to "stir them up." He knows that his time on earth is drawing to a close, and he desires to use the remainder of his time to remind them about their new life in Christ. How do they know whether they are on the right track? They must participate in a spiritual check-up. 

What does it look like to mirror the glory and excellence of God or share in his divine nature? To answer this question, Peter provides the work to which we are to put our hands–living a virtuous life.  

After the greeting, Peter writes a brief sermon-like section that lays the groundwork for the rest of the letter.  In this lesson, we look at why Peter desires that grace and peace be multiplied to the believers; they have been given all they need for life and godliness.

Why a second letter from Peter? In this lesson, we start a new series on the book of 2 Peter. This letter challenges the readers to continue growing in grace and knowledge. 

In the pastor's closing prayer, he asks God to equip the people for the work of ministry. The transforming power of Christ in the heavenly realm transforms Christians with the power of obedience. 

What role does leadership play in the life of a church? One unmistakable characteristic is that they operate in deep relationships with the congregation's members.  

Without Christ, our words and our works are empty worship.

In the final warning passage of this letter, the readers are told they need to listen -- listen to what the Lord is telling them. However, we are not only told to listen, we are provided with examples of what listening looks like.