What's the Big Idea?
I Peter is a letter written to encourage Christians who were under severe pressure to renounce their faith. They were arrested or imprisoned, held without bail or rights, physically abused by their captors, subjected to seizure of property, exiled, and even killed.
Peter’s letter offered living hope in a world that seemed to have none. For that reason, I Peter is relevant to our lives today.
Though our freedoms are not challenged or abused in the same way as the early Christians, the world around us offers little in the way of hope. It promises that one more distraction, one more relationship, or more achievement will fulfill us. Every time those promises fail.
Peter’s letter was a refreshing contrast to what the the first Christians were experiencing. The words in his letter gave living hope for Christians in a hopeless world. If it offered that for them in those circumstances, it certainly can offer the same living hope to us!
Service Information
Join us on Sundays!
On Campus
9:30 am • English
11:30 am • Spanish
10311 NW 58th Street
Doral, FL 33178
Online
Join us live from anywhere every Sunday at 9:30 am.
Sermons in this Series
Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.
Series Plan
April 7 | Joy in Suffering
Grief. Suffering. Hardship. Loss. These experiences can cause hopelessness. We need a deeper joy, a deeper hope to live for to make it through. Easter gives that to us. So does the fact that God was thinking about us since before creation! The God who chose us before time began isn’t going to let go of us now. The future we have to look forward to will make everything worth it. That gives us reason for joy. Our suffering isn’t meaningless – it focuses us ever more sharply on the inheritance waiting for us.
April 14 | How Shall We Now Live?
It’s not easy being a Christian in our world. The living hope of Easter makes it easier, it makes it possible. We learn how to think with hope and how to live with hope. The way we live shows what we are hoping in. God made us “strangers” in this world with the new home He has promised us. Do we live as strangers? Or do we forget that there is more than this? We won’t enjoy living with the love of God until we have the right fear of God. What Jesus did for us at Easter gives us all the reason in the world for hope and for living differently!
April 21 | The Greatest Building, The Greatest Story
Jesus purified us and made us new! So it doesn’t make sense to keep living the way we used to. Let’s live new lives, imitating Him. Loving the hard-to-love. Let’s grow in our faith by continuing to be fed with his Word. Devour it! He is building us into a building – the greatest building – a spiritual building – His Church! The greatest building with the greatest story! He is the cornerstone and foundation. Our purpose it to glorify God in the world around us with our lives, our words, and our witness!
April 28 | Follow In His Steps
We live in two different kingdoms – the kingdom of the world, and God’s kingdom. As citizens of this kingdom, we are called to submit to the governing authorities. It is part of how we honor God. But we do this remembering there is one true King, and He isn’t voted in. We honor our leaders, but we worship The King. Our submission shows worship to our heavenly King. The truth is, we are free. Free in Jesus – in the living hope of Easter. So let’s live as free people. But as servants honoring God. We aren’t the first to suffer. Jesus did for us. Let’s follow in his steps. We will never have to suffer what He did. And at moments of unjust suffering, we will discover whom we truly worship!
May 5 | Joint Heirs In Life
Christian husband and wives are an object lesson to the world of Jesus’ love for us. They submit to one another and love each other the way Jesus loves the church. This isn’t always easy. And we don’t like to deal with words like “submit.” But there is a beauty here in how God uses husbands and wives, equal and joint partners, heirs together of his salvation and blessings, not only to love each other, but to share his gospel with the world. It is a beauty that never fades. It isn’t weakness – it shows strength. This lesson will help husbands and wives live out the calling God has given us.
May 12 | Better To Suffer For Doing Good
It’s not easy to suffer. We want to fight back and get revenge. But as Jesus followers, we live a new way. We don’t repay evil with evil, but evil with good. We are called to actively bless people! Even hard-to-bless people! If we are afraid of people, we will keep our mouths shut and not share the life-giving hope we have to share. Let’s remember the living hope of Easter. That will open our mouths and give us reason to share our hope. We have a living, eternal hope! Death is not the last word. The faith the Holy Spirit has given us brings us into that hope. Our “suffering” will lead to hope for many!
May 19 | Living For God
Jesus knows what it is like to be ridiculed, abandoned, and humiliated. He suffered for us and by doing that, gave us a reason to live for Him, even when that is hard or means suffering for us. The first enemy we have to fight is our own sinful self. It craves things that God knows aren’t good for us. Let God change our hearts and minds – which will begin to change our behavior. The best way to do this is living with the end in mind – especially when the going is difficult. Living for God includes self-control, wisdom, loving, showing hospitality, serving, giving. We do all these things together as the body of Christ.
May 26 | Don't Be Surprised Life Isn't Easy!
It’s not easy being a Christian today. It never has been. Jesus said that would be the case. We need a deeper joy, a deeper hope to live for to make it through. Easter gives us that living hope. But don’t be surprised by the suffering. Jesus experienced it too. Rejoice in it! It’s proof you belong to Him! Don’t be ashamed – be honored! We have nothing to fear about the future – but everything to look forward to! We are in the hands of the God who loved us so much He suffered for us and gave his life for us!
June 2 | Follow Your Shepherds and Stand Firm
As sheep, we are prone to wander. We need a Shepherd over us and we need to shepherd one another. Let’s follow our shepherds, pray for them, and encourage them. We are all serving The Shepherd who gave his life for us. So we humble ourselves, but God will exalt us! There is no safer place in the universe than in God’s hands – so let’s cast all our cares on Him. We need his protection – the enemy is real! But we are safe with God. Forever. The world can take away everything… but it cannot take our identity or our future. So stand firm in that living hope! And look forward to what Jesus is coming back to do for you!