The disciples saw Jesus preach, heal, and perform miracles. But they didn’t ask Him to teach them to preach. They asked, “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1)

Why? Because there was something different about the way Jesus prayed — it was intimate, confident, and rooted in who God is.

And Jesus began with two powerful words: “Father… hallowed be Your name.”

In this opening message of our Teach Us to Pray series, we learn that prayer begins with God. Before daily bread. Before forgiveness.Before guidance.

Jesus teaches us to approach God as Father — not as a distant judge or a genie granting wishes, but as a loving, secure, and present parent.

And when we pray, “hallowed be Your name,” we align our hearts with His holiness. Adoration reshapes our priorities and reminds us that prayer starts with worship, not requests.

Prayer begins with relationship. Powerful prayer begins with adoration.

 Key Takeaways

*Prayer begins with Father — access, relationship, security.

*What you believe about God shapes how you pray.

*“Hallowed” means to set apart as holy — start with worship.

*Adoration shifts our focus from ourselves to God.

This week, before bringing your requests to God, begin with: “Father, hallowed be Your name.” Pause. Worship. Then pray.

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What If Pride Is the Thing Holding You Back?

Peter had walked on water. He had preached to thousands. He had also denied Jesus three times.

Same man. Same night. Two different hearts.

By the time Peter writes 1 Peter 5, he’s no longer the loud, self-assured disciple. He’s a broken, restored, battle-tested follower of Jesus — and his final message in this letter is clear:

If we’re going to live SET APART… humility is required.

In this final chapter of 1 Peter, the apostle doesn’t give strategy. He doesn’t give survival tips. He gives something deeper. Humility.

Writing as an older man who has failed, been restored, suffered, and grown, Peter shows us five areas where humility is required if we are going to develop into devoted followers of Jesus:

• In leadership

• In relationships

• Under pressure

• In spiritual battle

• Anchored in promised glory

Humility is not weakness. It is strength under control. It is trusting God’s mighty hand even when we don’t understand it. It is casting our anxieties on Him because He truly cares for us. It is resisting the enemy together. It is keeping the light burning when the storm rages.

Being SET APART is not about drawing attention to ourselves — it’s about faithfully pointing people to Jesus.

Key Takeaways

1️⃣ Humility in Leadership

Leadership in God’s Kingdom is stewardship, not ownership. We shepherd what belongs to God.

2️⃣ Humility in Relationships

Clothe yourselves with humility. Pride builds walls. Humility restores.

3️⃣ Humility Under Pressure

Cast all your anxiety on Him. Pride says “I’ve got this.” Humility says “Lord, I need You.”

4️⃣ Humility in the Battle

Stay alert. Resist the enemy. Isolation fuels pride — humility fights together.

5️⃣ Humility Anchored in Promised Glory

God Himself will restore, strengthen, and make you steadfast. Our suffering is temporary — His glory is eternal.

This week, ask yourself:

• Where has pride crept into my leadership?

• Into my relationships?

• Into the pressure I’m carrying alone?

Clothe yourself with humility. Cast your anxieties on Him. Resist the enemy together. And keep the light burning.

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#SetApart #1Peter #JesusIsLord #ChristianDiscipleship #Baptism #Hope #TheCrossingDE

What do you do when suffering comes?

In this message from 1 Peter 4, Austin Garrett walks us through one of the most practical and challenging questions followers of Jesus face:

How do we suffer well?

Peter doesn’t pretend suffering is avoidable. In fact, he tells us to expect it. But he also shows us that hardship doesn’t have to weaken our faith — it can refine it. It can clarify our priorities. It can deepen our dependence on God.

As people who are SET APART, we don’t suffer like the world suffers. We endure with hope. We remain faithful. We keep doing good. And we entrust ourselves to our faithful Creator.

KeyTakeaways

1. Accept Reality

Suffering is part of life. Jesus suffered — and so will we. Faith begins with honest acceptance.

2. Remain Different

Don’t return to your old life when pressure rises. You were set apart — keep swimming forward.

3. Get Ready

Stay alert and sober-minded so you can pray and stay connected to the Lord.

4. Shift Perspective

View your suffering through the lens of eternity. What lies ahead is greater than what you face now.

5. Commit to the Creator

Entrust your whole life — your soul — to your faithful God.

6. Continue to Do Good

Love deeply. Serve faithfully. Speak carefully. Keep living for God’s glory — even in hardship.

📖 Key Verse:

“So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” — 1 Peter 4:19

This week, memorize 1 Peter 4:19.

Read it. Repeat it. Pray it. Live it.

And if you’re walking through suffering right now, don’t do it alone. Reach out. Connect with us. We would love to pray with you and walk alongside you.

Suffering is real.

But so is our faithful Creator.

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If Jesus is really Lord… why do you live the way you live?

That’s the question Peter says our lives should provoke—and in this message from 1 Peter 3, we’re called to do one central thing:

“In your hearts revere (set apart) Christ as Lord.” (1 Peter 3:15)

When we set Jesus apart as Lord, it doesn’t just change what we believe—it reshapes our homes, our relationships, how we suffer, and how we respond to the gospel.

In this sermon from our SET APART series, we walk through 1 Peter 3 and see what it looks like to live “for the Lord’s sake.” Peter shows us that the lordship of Jesus isn’t theoretical—it’s daily, visible, and compelling to a watching world.

Key Takeaways

✅ Set apart Jesus as Lord in your home (1 Peter 3:1–7)

Marriage is redefined under Jesus’ lordship—honor, respect, sacrificial love, and gentle strength. Husbands are warned: you can’t mistreat your wife and expect closeness with God.

✅ Set apart Jesus as Lord in your relationships (1 Peter 3:8–12)

Be like-minded, sympathetic, humble—and don’t repay evil with evil. The church should feel like a preview of heaven, not a mirror of the world.

✅ Set apart Jesus as Lord in your suffering (1 Peter 3:13–17)

Suffering doesn’t cancel hope—it spotlights it. Peter calls us to be ready to share why we have hope, and to do it with gentleness and respect (not hostility or argument).

✅ Set apart Jesus as Lord in your salvation (1 Peter 3:18–22)

The gospel in one sentence: “Christ suffered once for sins… to bring you to God.” Peter also points to baptism as the moment we appeal to God for a clean conscience through Jesus’ resurrection—declaring allegiance to Christ as Lord.

Ask yourself:

*Am I living with Jesus as Lord, or just admiring Him from a distance?

*Does my life—especially under pressure—make people curious about my hope?

*Is God calling me to renew my surrender, or to surrender for the first time through faith, repentance, and baptism?

If you’re ready to take your next step, reach out to us—or talk to someone at church today. Don’t wait.

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#SetApart #1Peter #JesusIsLord #ChristianDiscipleship #Baptism #Hope #TheCrossingDE

What do you do when following Jesus starts to cost you something?

In this message from our SET APART series, Peter gets uncomfortably practical: living holy in a hostile world requires more than good intentions—it requires humble submission. Not weakness. Not passivity. A steady, Christlike surrender that says, “Not my will, but Yours.”

1 Peter 2:11–25 was written to believers facing pressure, accusation, and opposition. Peter reminds us that we’re foreigners and exiles here—heaven is home—so our lives should look different. The big idea is simple and challenging: SET APART LIVING REQUIRES HUMBLE SUBMISSION.

This passage shows how holiness holds up under hostility—not by fighting like the world fights, but by living like Jesus lived.

Key Takeaways

*Submit your desires (vv. 11–12): Sinful desires wage war against your soul. Choosing God’s way becomes a powerful witness to a watching world.

*Submit to authorities (vv. 13–17): Submission is for the Lord’s sake—not because leaders are perfect, but because God is sovereign. We practice restraint with our words, do good, and pray for those in authority.

*Submit in suffering (vv. 18–20): Endurance when life is unfair can display deep trust in God. (This is not a call to remain in dangerous or abusive situations.)

*Follow Jesus’ example (vv. 21–25): Christ didn’t retaliate. He entrusted Himself to the Father, bore our sins, and left us a pattern to follow—His footsteps lead to the cross, through the grave, and onward to glory.

Ask yourself:

*Where am I resisting submission because I want control?

*What desire do I need to surrender to Jesus today?

*How can I respond to hostility with integrity, restraint, and prayer this week?

If you’re ready to take your next step with Jesus—or you need prayer in the middle of a hard season—we’d love to connect with you.

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#SetApart #1Peter #FollowingJesus #ChristianLiving #Holiness #FaithUnderPressure #TheCrossingDE

What if the biggest threat to your faith isn’t failure… but forgetting who you are?

In this message from our SET APART series through 1 Peter, we’re reminded that God doesn’t ask us to invent our identity—He declares it. And when we remember who we are in Christ, it reshapes what we do every day.

1 Peter 2:4–10 shows us two inseparable realities for every believer:

IDENTITY: We are God’s people—chosen, holy, and treasured.

ACTIVITY: We continually come near to Jesus and proclaim His excellencies to the world.

This sermon is a wake-up call against “identity amnesia”—the subtle drift that happens when we get distracted, anxious, or busy and start letting the world define us instead of Jesus.

Key Takeaways

*Essence comes before existence: God’s design and purpose come first—identity isn’t self-made; it’s received.

*You are not alone—“we,” not “me”: The passage speaks to us collectively as living stones being built together.

*Your identity is secure: You are God’s special possession—His by creation, redemption, and adoption.

*Proximity is ongoing: “As you come to Him” is present tense—following Jesus isn’t a one-time moment but a continual drawing near.

*Purpose is clear: We are saved to declare the praises/excellencies of the God who called us out of darkness into light.

*Declare His excellencies to four directions: to the lost, to yourself, to one another, and to God in worship.

Take a moment and ask:

• Am I living from my identity in Christ, or from what the world says I am?

• Am I coming to Jesus daily, or living off a past experience?

• Where is God inviting me to proclaim His goodness this week?
  

If you’re exploring faith or ready to take your next step with Jesus, we’d love to talk with you. And if you’re part of our church family—let this be your reminder: you belong to Him.

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How many times do we need to be reminded before truth really sticks?

In this message from our SET APART series, Peter does what loving parents—and faithful pastors—often have to do: he repeats what matters most. Writing like a spiritual father, Peter reminds believers how to live out the identity they’ve already been given in Christ.

This passage calls us back—again—to what it looks like to live holy, set-apart lives as God’s redeemed children in a world that is not our home.

Building on last week’s teaching, this sermon walks through four practical steps for living out our identity in Christ:

*Fear God rightly – Not with dread, but with reverent awe that leads to joyful obedience.

*Remember your redemption regularly – Our lives are shaped by remembering the price paid for us: the precious blood of Jesus.

*Love one another deeply – Moving from surface-level affection to Christlike, sacrificial love.

*Crave the Word continually – Developing a hunger for God’s Word that nourishes growth and maturity.

Peter reminds us that holiness isn’t about earning God’s love—it’s about living in response to it.

Key Takeaways

*Reverent fear produces wisdom, obedience, and peace.

*Remembering redemption leads to freedom, joy, and gratitude.

*Christlike love grows when it’s practiced—especially under resistance.

*Spiritual growth requires craving the Word, not just consuming it occasionally.

*Holiness is loyal, not loud—it flows from knowing whose we are.

Ask yourself today:

*Who do I fear?

*What do I love?

*What do I crave?

God invites us to live lives shaped not by our old identity, but by the new one purchased for us through Christ. As we respond in worship, may we live—not out of obligation—but out of awe, gratitude, and love for the One who set us apart.

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#SetApart #1Peter #ChristianIdentity #Holiness #LivingSetApart #BibleTeaching

What if the hardest parts of life aren’t just obstacles to survive—but opportunities to see God at work?

In this message from our SET APART series, we continue through 1 Peter as we explore how our new identity in Christ reshapes everything—how we suffer, how we think, and how we live. Peter reminds believers that perspective matters, and that truth—not circumstances—must shape the way we see the world.

Written to Christians facing real hardship, this passage shows us that faith in Jesus doesn’t remove trials, but it reframes them with hope, purpose, and eternal perspective. Because of our new birth in Christ, we don’t just endure life—we live it differently.

In 1 Peter 1:6–16, Peter teaches that when we truly believe who we are in Christ, it transforms:

*How we suffer – Trials are temporary and purposeful, refining our faith.

*How we think – Salvation realigns our perspective and fuels our hope.

*How we live – Holiness becomes our response to grace, not a requirement to earn it.

Our identity as God’s set-apart people leads to lives marked by readiness, obedience, and godliness—all rooted in the finished work of Jesus.

Key Takeaways

*Perspective shapes practice—what we believe drives how we live.

*God uses trials to strengthen genuine faith, not destroy it.

*Salvation is something we live from, not something we strive for.

*Holy living requires intentional readiness and rejecting old patterns.

*Being set apart means reflecting God’s character in all we do.

Take a moment to reflect: Does the way you’re living reflect the new life you’ve been given in Christ?

Whether you’re walking through suffering, wrestling with doubt, or learning what it means to follow Jesus, God invites you to trust Him, take Him at His Word, and live a SET APART life shaped by grace and truth.

If you’re exploring faith or ready to take your next step with Jesus, we’d love to walk with you.

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#SetApart #1Peter #ChristianIdentity #LivingHoly #HopeInTrials #BiblicalTeaching

A new year feels like a fresh start… but what if the real reset you need isn’t a new habit—it’s a renewed identity? In 1 Peter, God calls His people “elect exiles”—chosen by Him, living in a world that isn’t home.

Welcome to Week 1 of Set Apart, our series through 1 Peter. In this message, Senior Minister Adam Woods opens 2026 by reminding us that spiritual maturity doesn’t start with trying harder—it starts with remembering who we are in Christ.

Peter wrote to believers facing hostility and pressure, and he begins with hope: you are chosen, set apart, and secure—not because of your strength, but because of God’s mercy and power. From new birth and living hope to an inheritance that can’t be lost, this passage shows us how to live faithfully as outsiders in a world that isn’t our home.

Key Takeaways

*Your identity comes before your activity: you can’t live “set apart” until you remember you are set apart.

*Christians are elect exiles—chosen by God, but not at home in this world.

*God’s work involves the whole Trinity: chosen by the Father, sanctified by the Spirit, obedient to the Son.

*In Christ we have new birth and a living hope rooted in the resurrection of Jesus.

*Our future is a guaranteed inheritance—it cannot perish, spoil, or fade.

*Our present is secure: through faith we are shielded by God’s power until salvation is revealed.

If you’ve never been made new in Christ, there’s no better way to begin the year. If you want to talk about baptism or next steps, reach out or come connect with us at a service. And if you’re already in Christ—let this be your reminder: you have been set apart, not set aside.

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#SetApart #1Peter #ChristianSermon #TheCrossingDE #BiblicalTeaching #LivingHope

If peace is what your heart has been searching for, Christmas announces a name who can actually give it: Jesus—the Prince of Peace.

In the final message of our All I Want for Christmas series, Austin Garrett invites us to face an honest question our world is asking more than ever: Is peace possible? After a terrifying moment in Hawaii when everything felt out of control, Austin connects that same “spinning world” feeling to the deeper ache so many of us carry—stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and the craving for stability.

Rooted in Isaiah 9:6, this sermon unpacks what Scripture means when it calls Jesus the Prince of Peace—and why “peace” in the Bible isn’t just calm circumstances, but shalom: restoration to the way things ought to be. Austin walks through four foundational truths: peace is Jesus’ identity, His specialty, our stability, and found in Him exclusively. From Genesis to Luke 8 to John 14 and Philippians 4, we see that Jesus brings peace into storms, over evil, through suffering, and even in the deepest places of the human heart.

And there’s more: Austin closes with the powerful reality that ultimate peace includes a clear conscience before God—a peace made possible through Jesus’ death and resurrection and received through baptism (1 Peter 3:21–22). If you’ve ever wondered, “Are God and I good?”—Jesus offers a real, lasting answer.

If you’re searching for peace—real peace—don’t keep chasing what can’t satisfy. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and He invites you to come to Him.

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