The gift God’s people longed for was a person — the Servant who would make things right with gentleness and power. Israel longed for political rescue, but God’s promised gift was deeper — the restoration of hearts, nations, and creation through His Servant. Advent invites us to hope in the One who quietly restores what is broken. Audio from Megan's sermon on November 30, 2025.

Peter closes his letter by turning to the leaders of the church. True shepherds are called not to domineer or seek status, but to serve with humility, following the pattern of Christ, the Chief Shepherd. Leadership in the kingdom is not about power but about faithful, sacrificial care for God’s people. Audio from Beau Smith's guest sermon on November 23, 2025.

Suffering is a part of life. In scripture we are told “In this life you will suffer” (John 16:33). Peter does not minimize the reality of suffering—in fact, he calls believers to expect it. But suffering is not meaningless. When we share in Christ’s sufferings, we also share in His glory. Far from being a mark of God’s absence, trials become opportunities for God’s Spirit to rest on us and for our lives to bear witness to Christ. This passage challenges us to see suffering not only as inevitable, but as formative. In our trials, we are shaped more into the likeness of Jesus. And when we endure with faith and joy, the watching world catches a glimpse of the hope and strength that can only come from Him. Our suffering, then, becomes part of our testimony: we belong to the crucified and risen Christ. Audio from Tyson's sermon on November 16, 2025.

Peter reminds believers that every part of life—our suffering, our love for others, our acts of service, even our hospitality—can become a testimony to Christ. When we endure hardship with grace, or when we open our homes and lives in love, we point beyond ourselves to the God who sustains us. At the heart of this passage is the call to always be ready to give the reason for the hope we have. This hope is not wishful thinking or shallow optimism, but a deep confidence rooted in Christ’s death and resurrection. To glorify God “in all things” means living so that our words and actions consistently point others to Him—the source of our hope. Audio from Megan's sermon on November 9, 2025.

As “foreigners and exiles,” Christians are called to live honorably within a society

Peter gives a rich vision of what it means to be the Church. With Christ as the cornerstone, we are being built into a spiritual house—a living temple where God dwells. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, set apart to declare the praises of the One who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. This passage reminds us that the

Peter calls believers to live into their new identity in Christ. To be holy is not about withdrawing from the world, but about reflecting God’s character in the midst of a world that is indifferent at best and hostile at worst. Holiness means living as people who are different—not in self-righteous separation, but in love, integrity, and hope that bear witness to the God who has redeemed us. The challenge for us today is the same: What does holiness look like in our modern context? How do we live set-apart lives that remain deeply engaged in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and relationships? Peter reminds us that holiness is not a burden, but a gift: it is becoming who we already are in Christ, so the world might see God through us. Audio from Tyson's sermon on October 19, 2025.

When we look at Elijah at Mt Horeb – before he ever saw the wind, fire, and

The desert place isn’t always a place of renewal and ecstatic experiences of God. Sometimes the desert place is where battle for our soul is waged. Before Jesus ever began his ministry, he went into the desert for 40 days and was tried and tempted by the devil. This was the place where Jesus’ identity and purpose was tested. It was the place of his temptation. Solitude can be that for us too. The Desert Fathers famously felt they were waging war with the devil in their isolated desert enclaves. Perhaps times of solitude is where we too wage war with the devil to test, sharpen, and refine our identity in Christ. Audio from Megan's sermon on September 28, 2025.

So far, we have been discussing what happens in silence. But equally important is solitude. When we look at the life of Jesus, he constantly retreated to a “a lonely place” or the “desert place”. His pattern was so significant that it is mentioned several times in scripture. That is significant. Jesus’ cycle was to do really powerful kingdom work and then retreat to be