Suffering for Christ 1 Peter 4:12-19 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If…

Two different destinies. Been fascinating to watch the M&S building going up. And I know that it’s a big project, and it takes a lot of planning to get everything in sequence. Not far away from completion now. But I couldn’t help but compare it to the site here during the building work. What strikes…

1 Peter 3. [Sorry – the audio is only partly complete for this sermon!] You’ll remember that 1 Peter 1&2 are about the ‘why’ of Christian life. I live in certain ways because Jesus has transformed my existence. I used to be outside of the community of grace, outside of the promise, and now I’m…

1 Peter 1:13 – 2:3 Last week we looked at the first few verses of 1 Peter, where Peter sets out the foundation upon which we build. Writing to a scattered collection of Christian communities, many of whom had their origins in the post-Pentecost scattering of the early church, whom he calls ‘exiles, scattered’, he…

Introduction to the book. You already know that it is addressed to God’s people in exile, scattered throughout the empire, and that it speaks to them regarding the way they should live in the light of their standing as ambassadors. Chapter 1 – 2:11 are the scene setting elements, the theology which lies behind the…