After declaring the indicatives of what was true of them in Christ, Peter laid out several imperatives for the first-century readers of his first letter to take to heart. As Alistair Begg points out, his instructions—to prepare their minds, be sober-minded, set their hope on Jesus, be holy, live in reverent fear, love earnestly, and obey the truth—remind us today of our need for grace and of the abiding truth of God’s Word.

The initial readers of Peter’s first epistle were an eclectic group, comprised of both Jews and gentiles dispersed throughout a broad geographical region and facing various trials and persecutions. Even so, they were unified by the shared reality of having been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Alistair Begg examines the opening verses of 1 Peter, which describe this great salvation and the hope it offers to all who are in Christ.

Above all things, God exalts His name and His Word. This became evident to Moses when, feeling inadequate, he questioned God’s choice of him as a spokesman. In response to these doubts, God assured Moses of His presence and identified Himself as the great “I AM.” In his final sermon at Parkside Church, Alistair Begg focuses on this unique encounter found in Exodus 3. God met Moses’s need with assurance of His “isness” as well as His presence—spiritual realities that remain reliable and trustworthy for believers still today.

After failing in his first attempt as Israel’s deliverer, Moses spent the next forty years living the routine life of a shepherd. During these “silent” years, God was preparing Moses to shepherd His people. In this study in Exodus 3, Alistair Begg walks us through God’s appearance in the burning bush, His assurance of His sovereignty, and His assignment for Moses. Whether our lives seem out of control or stuck in humdrum routines, God is still in charge, and His promises remain trustworthy.

The Bible clearly teaches that God created the universe, orchestrates all of life’s events, and knows us intimately. In this sermon on Exodus 2, Alistair Begg explains how God’s providence shaped the early life of Moses in particular. Before the burning bush, the plagues, and the parting of the Red Sea, Moses murdered an Egyptian and, fearing retribution from Pharaoh, fled to Midian. There, however, instead of judgment, he found God’s favor. As with Moses, our lives unfold beneath the unseen hand of God, who promises to forget our sins, which He forgives in Christ.

God makes all things beautiful in His time—even if His timing isn’t always our ideal! When the Hebrews were enslaved and treated harshly in Egypt, one Hebrew infant was spared. Nurtured in the faith by his own mother, Moses also enjoyed the privileged life of an Egyptian prince. While little is known of Moses’s first forty years, Alistair Begg explores two tragic events—and the resulting disgrace and delayed deliverance—that occurred when Moses imposed his own will instead of relying on God’s providential hand.

Amid trials and hardships, have you ever wondered where God was? When life’s difficulties seem random and apparently pointless, it’s vitally important to know what we believe about God. In this message on the opening of Exodus, Alistair Begg reminds us that even when heaven is silent, our heavenly Father is still at work behind the scenes. The same power that provided a way for Moses to become a redeemer for his people is at work in the vast array of details of our lives today.

The story of our earthly pilgrimage is not a straight line—yet when our lives twist and turn and we face unanswered questions, hardship, and sorrow, there is hope for all who trust in Christ. Beginning with the transition from the end of Genesis to the opening of Exodus, Alistair Begg reminds us that God’s providence underpins everything, as He is sovereign over all things, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. What was true for the Israelites is true for us today: We can trust that the unseen controller of history is working out His purposes in His way, making everything beautiful in His time.

In the moments before He died, Jesus saw His mother, Mary, standing with John and tenderly commended them to one another’s care. In this Mother’s Day message, Alistair Begg ponders the history and heart of Mary, reminding us that Jesus’ loving and temporal provision for her in this moment is an emblem of a far greater reality—the eternal provision Christ makes for all who believe in Him. With this act of loving grace, Jesus establishes a whole new category, fashioning a family of faith that finds both forgiveness and fellowship in the work of the cross.

In the final section of his first epistle, the apostle Peter issued a series of challenging exhortations to the elders of the churches to which he wrote. In the concluding message of Basics 2025, Alistair Begg shows how Peter’s words remain relevant to today’s pastors and church leaders, reminding them of the key imperatives of Gospel ministry. The only hope we have, he reminds us—in ministry and in life—is in the God of grace, who provides support so that we won’t topple, strength so that we won’t collapse, and a foundation so that we won’t be blown away.