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This week we talked about the loneliness we can feel as Christians in a secular world, and that sometimes this feeling of exile seems purposeless. But Peter brings forth two challenges to these early Christians in exile. The first is that personal obedience to Christ protects and guards our souls from the schemes and attacks of satan. The second is that obedience even in the midst of persecution and exile exemplifies our witness of Christ. We have the privilege to show others the life given to us in Christ through our obedience to Him!

Keaton, our Middle School Associate, brings the truth of God's Word and a strong challenge to be confident and bold with the Gospel. This passage emphasizes that our identity and purpose is built upon the cornerstone of Christ. This sermon walks us through our acceptance in Christ, our unified identity in Christ, and our unified response in Christ. This is a strong gospel message that will encourage and challenge your heart! Go and share!

This week we learned together from 1 Peter about how our Gospel rooted identity allows Christians to be the "Gold Standard" of love. Unfortunately, we often fall into sin through self preserving motives which produce unholy fruit. Although, when we understand the love with which Christ loved us we are compelled to take and share this love with others around us! This is not a self seeking love but a self sacrificial love for all those around us!

Wednesday night we talked about what it looks like to faithfully chase after Jesus and away from the passion's of our old lives. As God's children we have been given an identity which calls us to a sober and holy obedience! What a joy it is to be set apart and made holy by the righteousness of God!

This week, we continue in our series through 1 Peter as we look at 1 Peter 1:3-12! Our discussion centers on the living hope that can only be found when Jesus Christ resides in us. This living hope is unlike the things of this world that fade and perish. It is a secure, eternal promise found in Jesus. This living hope is joy-filled—not only in the good times, but also in the trials that each of us will face. Finally, this living hope is eternal. The salvation we experience today was foretold long ago in Scripture, fulfilled through Jesus, and will remain true for eternity. Are you experiencing this living hope today?

We have jumped into a new series through 1 Peter where Scripture teaches us how in Christ, there is an abundance of grace and peace. We can experience unmerited grace and complete freedom because God saves us. The Word shows us that we can experience grace and peace because the Holy Spirit sanctifies and Jesus steers us into a life of flourishing! God calls us to be obedient and set apart and through that, we live in the grace and peace that allows for us to flourish! How are you experiencing the grace and peace in Christ?

God says you are worth it // John 3:16 God says you can be saved // John 3:17 What do you say to God? // John 3:18-21

Dylan preaches on how Jesus is not a national Jesus, which is often viewed as either the mascot of America or that we cannot love America because we are only supposed to love Jesus. Jesus and the Gospel are for all nations, including our nation. Therefore, we must submit to the call of the great commission, make disciples of "our nation," and make disciples of all nations. We must live out an active faith of evangelism, not a passive faith of deferring the responsibility to missionaries.

Barrett Jones preaches that our Jesus is not a boring Jesus; he is a Jesus that is alive and brings about excitement! Following the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, the word is going around that He has risen from the grave and is alive. The Jews then were overwhelmed with excitement and we get to have the same excitement today! Because Jesus is alive, everything changes. Our salvation and the transformative work through the Scriptures is only possible because Jesus is alive and this brings about the greatest excitement and joy!

Pastor Connor encourages our students by preaching intentionally through his life verse: 2 Corinthians 5:21. This Gospel-centered message emphasizes that God is for you, God trades with you: your sin for his righteousness, and that God creates a new you. Through the Gospel, God saw Jesus as a sinner, accepted him as a sacrifice, and now sees us as sinless. Our lives will never be the same because of the goodness, kindness, amazing grace, and mercy of our God. He loves you with the greatest sacrificial love so that you can have a relationship with him. Go therefore and tell others of the Good News that has transformed your life!

Jesus is the only way to salvation! He is the truth, the way, and the light. Dylan preaches that salvation is found is personally responding to Jesus as Savior and Lord. The Gospel is exclusive and inclusive because it is only through Jesus and for all people who repent and believe. You may have grown up in the church with Jesus-loving parents or are a really good and kind person, but this does not transfer for our salvation. It is a response that you personally must make to turn away from your sin and turn toward Jesus! Praise the Lord that salvation is a gift for us through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross because of His great love for us.

Our Next Gen Pastor, Nate Crawford, teaches us that Jesus is not distant in your pain and suffering, rather he is a God that is near, close, and at work. Walking through the passage of Mary and Martha with the death of Lazarus, Nate teaches us three key truths of the person of Jesus amidst suffering and hurt: when life gets hard, Jesus gets close; when your heart is heavy, take it to Jesus; and when your problem is big, Jesus is bigger. Praise God for Jesus who gets up and comes near to us in our brokenness!

Continuing on with our "Not my Jesus" sermon series, Dylan emphasizes that the Biblical Jesus is not the accepting and agreeable Jesus some may want him to be. Rather, Jesus is the perfect judge. Throughout these passages, Dylan teaches that Jesus is a judge that rules with compassion, standards, and authority. Jesus does not affirm our sin, but he holds us to a standard and calls us up and out of our sin, which is truly loving. He is a holy God that will judge righteously according to our sin, and yet, he steps into our brokenness to take the punishment for our sin so that we can experience his great mercy and grace.

Our student mission trips have returned back from serving in Denver Colorado, Santa Cruz California, and Northallerton England and on this episode, leaders and students shared about how they saw God move in each of those places while they served. The students shared testimonies of encouraging gospel conversations, growth, evangelism, and their own boldness in sharing the good news with those that need to hear it. We are so thankful for our church partnerships, the faithfulness and service of these students, and the sovereign and gracious work of God. Please continue praying for the Living Stone Church, Santa Cruz Baptist Church, and New Life Baptist Church!

Kicking off our new series, "Not My Jesus," Dylan preaches on how Jesus' authority is our biggest blessing. Jesus is not a God that we can mold into whoever we want and need him to be; rather, Jesus is the authoritative God who molds and transforms us into looking more like Him for His glory and goodness. Jesus has authority as Creator, Savior, and Lord following the passages of Colossians 1:15-20, Ephesians 2:1-10, and Matthew 28:18-20, respectfully. We have to understand and know who the true Jesus is, not who we want him to be!