These are Sunday talks on the first letter of the apostle Peter. For the very latest, see the "Latest Recorded Talks" page. Sermon series are available on church, Exodus, selected Psalms, Isaiah, Luke, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians and James. Previous talks not in those series are on the Recorded Earlier page. You can download still older files, back to 2011, from the Sermon Archive. For some of our favourites from all these collections, see the panel at the lower right of this page.
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Sermon series, September 2018 to January 2019:
1 Peter – Reading of the whole letter
(Pat Grant, Assanatu Wundeh, Sue Pattison, Yinka Oladejo, Musa Watila, 9 September 2018)
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1 Peter 1:1-2 – Chosen scattered strangers
The striking way that Peter speaks of our identity. (Erik Pattison, 9 September 2018)
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1 Peter 1:3-9 – Proved genuine
Why do trials come in this life, and what will there be at the end of it? (Neville Reid, 16 September 2018)
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1 Peter 1:1-12 – Enjoying salvation
Peter insists that we can enjoy salvation now, in the midst of trials. (Erik Pattison, 23 September 2018)
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1 Peter 1:13–2:3 – Reasons to be holy
Peter tells believers that they are called, redeemed and born again. He then makes important connections with his reminders to us that our daily lives must be holy and loving. (Neville Reid, 30 September 2018)
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1 Peter 2:1-12 – The House of the Spirit
"Living stones" is a strange image, apparently contradictory. Why does Peter use this idea to describe both Christ and his people? (Erik Pattison, 7 October 2018. Please bear with background noise from the children in the first 12 minutes of this recording.)
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1 Peter 2:1-12 – Destiny and calling
Peter says some people are destined to reject Christ, others called into God's chosen people. What makes the difference between these destinies? (Erik Pattison, 14 October 2018)
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1 Peter 2:11-17 – Show proper respect to everyone
Peter urges us to live undeniably good lives. Being obedient citizens is just part of a wider pattern. (Neville Reid, 21 October 2018)
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1 Peter 2:18-23 – Called to suffer unfairly
Suffering finds us all, and there is usually no fairness about it. How does Peter start telling us to respond? (Neville Reid, 28 October 2018)
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1 Peter 2:24-25 – He carried our sins in his body
How does this connect to the way we live, and why does Peter add "By his stripes you are healed"? (Neville Reid, 4 November 2018)
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1 Peter 3:1-9 – Free submission
We are set free by learning to submit. Peter's command to wives fits with what he has been saying to everyone about Christian living. His demand on husbands is not easy either, but it is essential. (Erik Pattison, 11 November 2018. This is a longer recording including Q&A at the end)
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1 Peter 3:8-22 – How to inherit a blessing
People say Christianity doesn't work. But Peter is not idealistic; he is giving us a practical way to live. (Erik Pattison, 18 November 2018. This recording again includes Q&A at the end)
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1 Peter 3:18-22 – Reasons to Persevere
Peter knows that sometimes it is hard to keep going in the Christian life, so he gives us reasons: the encouragements of the great Flood, of baptism, and of the pattern of Christ's life. (Erik Pattison, 25 November 2018.)
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1 Peter 4:1 – Jesus is done with sin
"He who has suffered is done with sin." This is only fully true of Jesus. But what did Jesus ever have to do with sin? What is sin, anyway? What does Peter mean by saying that he "is done with sin", and what does it mean for us? (Erik Pattison, 2 December 2018.)
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1 Peter 4:1-7 – Live no longer for human desires
For many people around us, desires have the last word in how we live, and define their identity. Not so for the Christian believer. (Neville Reid, 9 December 2018)
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1 Peter 4:7-11 – Above all, love each other deeply
What new reasons does Peter give for this command? More to the point, how do we do it? What if I don't feel gifted for that? (Neville Reid, 16 December 2018)
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1 Peter 4:12–19 – Judgment begins with the household of God
If we are God's family, why do we experience suffering, which Peter calls "judgment", in this life? (Erik Pattison, 13 January 2019)
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1 Peter 5 – The Flock of God
We are God's flock, beloved of God, his goal in creation. The world exists for us. So value one another, equally, humbly, and faithfully. (Erik Pattison, 20 January 2019)
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1 Peter 5:8-14 – The True Grace of God
Peter tells us that there is such a thing as true grace, and you can stand in it. God makes us alive and keeps us steadfast, despite our doubts and suffering, all the way into eternity with him. (Erik Pattison, 27 January 2019)