Line Upon Line

Concluding his series in 1 Peter, Pastor Miles teaches from 1 Peter 5:5-11 on the kingdom values of submission, humility, and vigilance against the devil, urging believers to humble themselves, respect God-ordained leadership, and resist evil while trusting in God's sufficient grace through sanctification.

Teaching through 1 Peter 5:1-4, Pastor Miles unpacks Peter's exhortation to elders, showing that biblical leadership is servant leadership marked by humility, love, and stewardship rather than lordship. He closes by ordaining and praying over Nick Burt, a faithful longtime servant of the church.

Drawing from 1 Peter 4:12-19, Pastor Miles teaches that trials are normal for the Christian, not strange, and that abnormal suffering endured for the name of Christ proves God's faithfulness, refines ours, and partners us with Christ in both His suffering and His glory. He distinguishes normal suffering (common to all in a fallen world) from abnormal, supernatural suffering experienced by believers who promote God's glory in a hostile world.

A teaching on 1 Peter 4:7-11 that begins with five points most Protestants agree on about the end of all things, then pivots to Peter's "therefore"—how belief in Christ's return should reshape our living through prayer, love, hospitality, faithful stewardship, and lives lived for God's glory.

Working through 1 Peter 4:1, Pastor Miles teaches that because Christ suffered unjustly for us, believers must arm their minds with His mindset—seeing suffering for righteousness' sake as a tool God uses to sanctify, redeem wasted time, and ultimately reward us in eternity. Such a transformed life baffles and convicts unbelievers, but the believer can leave his case with God, the righteous Judge.

Continuing his "Keys of the Kingdom" series in 1 Peter, Pastor Miles teaches that God willed Christ's unjust suffering for the purpose of our salvation, and that Christ's victory means the suffering and even death of his followers is temporary and not to be feared. He works through the notoriously difficult passage of Christ preaching to the spirits in prison and the statement that "baptism saves us," concluding both ultimately point to the saving power of Christ's death and resurrection.

Working through 1 Peter 3:13-16, Pastor Miles confronts our deep fear that submission and meekness will lead to harm, showing that Christians are all but guaranteed suffering yet are called to fix their hearts on Christ and the hope of eternity. Because Christ's suffering secured our salvation, a believer can face persecution with a peace that confounds the world and opens the door to share the gospel.

Drawing on 1 Peter 3:8-12, this Resurrection Sunday teaching calls Christians to seek and pursue peace (Hebrew *shalom*) by reflecting the compassion, mercy, and grace of the Prince of Peace. Because Christ extended grace to us who reviled Him, we are called to repay evil with blessing and to do good, with the promise of greater reward in eternity.

Pastor Miles teaches 1 Peter 3:1-7 on submission within marriage, defending the biblical call for Christian wives to honor and respect their husbands against modern objections while grounding it in the equality of men and women. He shows that submission is a form of worship and a witness, then turns to husbands, who must dwell with their wives with understanding, honor, and respect as equal heirs of grace.

From 1 Peter 2:11-17, Pastor Miles teaches that Christians—citizens of another realm—are called to submit to every human governing authority, even corrupt ones, because all earthly power is ordained by God for His sovereign purposes. This submission, far from being weakness, is a witness to God's ultimate authority and requires an internal war against ungodly desires like anger, malice, and bitterness.