After 400 years of slavery and oppression, God's promised deliverance finally comes to his treasured people Israel. At the base of Mount Sinai, God's people meet with their Lord to receive and accept his covenant. “From Slavery to Sinai,” the fourth part of this series on God of the Covenants, looks at the story of redemption through God's covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai. Visit us online at www.graceforsiouxfalls.org.

The fall of mankind into sin continued to grow into a deep worldwide rebellion, “but Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” The story of the great flood brings together the judgment and grace of God. “From Judgment to Hope,” the second part of this series on God of the Covenants, looks at the story of redemption through God's covenant with Noah. Visit us online at www.graceforsiouxfalls.org.

“In the beginning God created…” God is the creator of all life and he has placed mankind as the chief over all of his creation. The opening chapters of Genesis orient us to understand the nature of God and mankind, our relationships with one another, and the suffering we experience in this life. “From Glory to Gloom,” the first part of this series on God of the Covenants, looks at the story of redemption beginning in the Garden of Eden. Visit us online at www.graceforsiouxfalls.org.

Peter ends his letter the same way he began, reminding us that we are God's chosen exiles. The sense of exile had haunted the people of God as far back as the Babylonian captivity, yet the sense of being chosen dated back farther to the ancient days when the Lord had delivered his people from Egyptian bondage. This exile, too, will end. In the meantime, we have the "true grace," a mercy big enough to stand in. "This is the True Grace" is the twenty-third and final sermon in God's Chosen Exiles, a study of the apostle Peter's letters to the church. Visit us online at www.graceforsiouxfalls.org.

On Saturday, June 3, Rev. John St. Martin was ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and installed as Grace's assistant pastor of church planting. Pastor Mark preached the sermon at this service. In 1 Kings 13, a false king puts his politics ahead of his worship. An old prophet passes off his own word as the word of God. A man of God disobeys in private the command he declared and kept in public. What do these examples teach a minister of the Gospel today? And how do the words of Jesus point us toward the true kingdom? Visit us online at www.graceforsiouxfalls.org.

When we comfort the anxious, we often say, "There's nothing to be afraid of." But what if there is? First the apostle Peter tells us not to worry and then -- in the very the same breath -- warns us that Satan will devour us if he can. Where can we turn for comfort in the face of such a powerful enemy? More importantly, where can we find the courage to resist him? "Resist Him" is the twenty-second sermon in God's Chosen Exiles, a study of the apostle Peter's letters to the church. Visit us online at www.gracesforsiouxfalls.org.

A flock without a shepherd used to be a bad thing. Now that we've learned to question authority and be ourselves, though, a flock without a shepherd sounds ideal. If getting older just means getting more out of touch, if self-expression and individuality beat conformity ever time, then what use does the church really have for elders? The answer seems to be, "Not much." Yet Peter speaks directly to elders -- the presbyters of the church -- and exhorts them to shepherd the flock. "Shepherds of the Flock" is the twenty-first sermon in God's Chosen Exiles, a study of the apostle Peter's letters to the church. Visit us online at www.graceforsiouxfalls.org.

In the closing verses of chapter four, Peter sums up his teaching on life as one of God's chosen exiles. Don't be surprised when you suffer for Christ, he writes. Instead, rejoice. Simple as it sounds, this is a hard ethic to live. It only makes sense once we have come to see ourselves truly as exiles, our expectations fixed not on this world but the world to come. "Surprised by Suffering" is the twentieth sermon in God's Chosen Exiles, a study of the apostle Peter's letters to the church. Visit us online at www.graceforsiouxfalls.org.

Whether it's ecological disasters, global pandemics, nuclear destruction, or good old-fashioned zombies, we are obsessed with the End of the World. What do all our apocalyptic stories teach us? That morality and civilizations are luxuries, and the ruthless law of nature is supreme. But the Apostle Peter believed the end of all things was near, and shared a strategy for surviving that end. You may be surprised how optimistic, even joyful it is. “Surviving the End of the World” is the nineteenth sermon in God's Chosen Exiles, a study of the apostle Peter's letters to the church. Visit us online at www.graceforsiouxfalls.org.

The call of the Gospel is a call to arms. The question is, who are we meant to be fighting? Some Christians make war on the world, others fight the culture, and some do battle with modernity itself. Yet none of these is the enemy Peter names. As God's chosen exiles, we need to be prepared for the struggle Christ has called us to -- and make sure our swords are pointed in the right direction. "Arm Yourselves" is the eighteenth sermon in God's Chosen Exiles, a study of the apostle Peter's letters to the church. Visit us online at www.graceforsiouxfalls.org.