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'd be surprised if anyone listening to this program is confused about the evils of slavery. The fact that slavery still exists in parts of the world, though, is a testament to the true sinfulness of man and the enduring nature of certain power dynamics.--However, there are some people, that still want to claim the Bible supports the institute of slavery. They argue the passage we'll be studying today is proof that rather than condemn slaveholding, the Bible legitimizes it.--That is far from the truth - as we will see. And proving the eternal relevance of the Bible, through Peter's discussion of the slave-master relationship, we'll learn a lot about how God prioritizes things and how we are to behave towards authority -- as we'll listen to the first part of today's message

As Christians, our relationship to government can be tricky - even confusing at times. Depending on where you live, government can be a benign force for good or an oppressive, even deadly force for evil.--In the United States, we have the somewhat unique opportunity to influence our government, to speak freely, and to criticize our leaders, but there are limits and boundaries that we must observe.--How do we find these boundaries-- Well, God makes spells them out in Scripture. And though not always easy to apply, these boundaries are clear - if we pay attention - as we'll learn in the second part of today's message

Politics have almost always been a part of the human story. Authorities have risen and fallen, governments have been formed and replaced, for millennia. It should not surprise us then that God has something to do with this.--But when we try to put God in the picture, we often get it wrong. We can't imagine how He could be associated with some of the awful, evil, or even just inept governments in history.--Today we'll learn more about our relationship with authority and what God expects of His people stationed here as sojourners on the earth - as we'll listen to the first part of today's message

Peter reminds us that our testimony is an essential part of our sharing the Gospel and bringing glory to God - which is our primary reason for remaining here on the earth. But what does that mean----As we learned last week, our testimony confirms our Gospel presentation. And we learned that we fight the battle for personal righteousness on two fronts- internal and external. On the internal front, we have our own sin nature to defeat. It requires God's help to do so.--Today, after wrapping up that part, we'll learn about the external battle we face and why it matters - as we'll listen to the second part of today's message

Most of us know of someone who has either walked away from the faith or refused to accept the Gospel because of the bad behavior of Christians. That's not a valid excuse for unbelief, but it is interesting that even the harshest critics of Christianity expect high moral standards from Believers.--Peter reminds us that our testimony is an essential part of our sharing the Gospel and bringing glory to God - which is our primary reason for remaining here on the earth. We fight the battle for personal righteousness on two fronts- internal and external. It's the internal front we'll learn about today, as we'll listen to the first part of today's message

Peter's been telling first century believers about the spiritual life they've gained through their salvation. This life isn't something they've earned or created on their own- it's a work of God. In this portion of his letter, we discover our new ministry as Christians. We have things to do, we're not just left to enjoy the blessings of salvation.--We started with our four-fold status. Brothers and sisters in Christ share many things, both rights and responsibilities. But we also share a primary purpose - a reason for our existence. So if you've ever found yourself asking -why--- Peter explains that in his letter, as we'll hear in the second part of today's message

Peter is telling first century believers about the spiritual life they have gained through their salvation. This life isn't something they've earned or created on their own- it's a work of God. In this portion of his letter, we discover our new ministry as Christians. We have things to do, we're not just left to enjoy the blessings of salvation.--We'll start with our four-fold status. Brothers and sisters in Christ share many things, both rights and responsibilities, and we should live proper lives in the light of these blessings, as we'll hear in the first part of today's message

Last week we started investigating the things that changed when we accepted Christ as our savior, at least the ones Peter chooses to highlight in his letter to the churches in Asia Minor.--For example, we now share in the nature of Christ. That's truly an incredible thought, given how sin has corrupted our human nature. And our new nature, empowered by the Holy Spirit, is a life lived with hope in spite of our circumstances.--Today we'll hear more about our new nature and identity as Christian - particularly the night and day difference between belief and unbelief. One brings blessing and one brings doom, as we'll hear in today's message

Last week we started investigating the things that changed when we accepted Christ as our savior, at least the ones Peter chooses to highlight in his letter to the churches in Asia Minor.--We now share in the nature of Christ - that's pretty incredible when you think about it. We surely are not God, nor will we become gods, as some suggest, but we have some of Christ's spiritual DNA in us, now that we are in Christ and He is in us.--Today we'll hear more about our new nature as Christian - the features of the life we have now as imitators of Christ. And we'll discover the sacrifices required of true Believers, in this second half of today's message

I think most Christians would agree things changed when we accepted Christ as our savior. However, asked to give details about that change and some Believers might be hard pressed to come up with an answer.--Peter has an answer for us in his letter to the early Church.--Among other things, we gained a new identity when we were saved. And that identity is entirely grounded in our Savior. So, we need to know Him, and we need to know more about our own new nature that's we've inherited at our new birth, as we'll discover in the first part of today's message

Peter is concerned for the believers of the early church. They are about to experience intense persecution and he wants them to be ready for what is to come. So, in part, he describes a spiritual growth plan for these people.--How do you survive difficult times-- How do you participate in the spiritual transformation God promises to everyone that is born again-- And how do we convert our beliefs into behavior - and demonstrate our commitment to the God that saved us----These were all important questions for the early church and for the church of today, as we'll discover in today's message

Love is a word used everywhere and for everything. We love our dog, we love coffee, we love our family. Ignore, for now, the fact that those are radically different kinds of love. But there's no question we should love.--The question you might not have asked recently is why-- Believers are taught to love one another from the very start of their faith. In fact, we're told the world will know we are Christians by the love we show each other. But why should we love people-- And, also, how should we love people----Well, Peter explains the why and how in his letter to the church, as we'll discover in today's message