Marriage is one of God's greatest gifts, but it was never meant to carry the weight of being our greatest hope. As we look to Scripture to understand God’s design for marriage, we'll discover how God uses marriage (and all relationships) to shape us into the image of Christ and display the beauty of the gospel.

Following Jesus does not exempt us from hardship. In fact, Peter reminds us that suffering is often part of the Christian journey. In today’s passage, we’ll discover how followers of Jesus endure unjust treatment—not by retaliation or despair, but by following Christ's example and trusting in His saving work. As we look to Jesus, our suffering Savior and faithful Shepherd, we find strength to endure with hope.

We live as exiles with a new identity, a new community, and a new priority—but what does this look like in our daily life choices? In this passage, Peter explores the tricky question of how believers should relate to government and clearly admonishes: “Show your devotion to God by winsome and wise submission to human government.”

As “not-home-yet” followers of Christ, we are called to live as exiles who have a new identity, a new community, and a new priority. In this passage, the Apostle Peter is inspired to develop this by connecting our Christian life to the entire story of the Bible.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to live out of the reality of our new identity in Christ. Today, Peter reminds us that our new life in Christ should produce both a growing love for God's people and a growing hunger for God Himself.

“Holiness” is a word we often misunderstand. We reduce it to “moral perfection” or use it casually—even carelessly—in everyday speech. But in Scripture, holiness describes the fullness of who God is—His glory, greatness, power, majesty, and eternity. Today, through His Word, worship, and communion, we will encounter the reality of His holiness.

Peter shows us that holiness is not a religious burden but the grateful pursuit of those rescued and ransomed by the blood of Christ. Holiness is being set apart by God, for God. So, when we hear the command to “be holy as I am holy,” we hear an invitation to the life God desires and to which the Spirit empowers us to live—even while we are not home yet.

Today we’ll explore what it means to live as those who are not home yet but never lost— because, in Christ, our great salvation tells us who we are and where we are going.