2 Peter

Joshua P. Howard
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2 Peter is a final, urgent warning from the Apostle Peter (written before his death) urging believers to pursue spiritual maturity, grounding themselves in the truth of Scripture to combat false teachers. It emphasizes growing in the knowledge of Christ, affirming the certainty of His return, and living holy lives.

  1. Jun 21

    Be at Peace, Persevere, and Grow in Christ.

    This week we will conclude our series in 1st and 2nd Peter, which is a bittersweet moment. I have greatly enjoyed these books, and I hope you have grown in your love for Christ through Peter's writings! This Sunday, Peter will conclude his second letter in a way that is very similar to how he began his first: he encourages us to remember. There have been several warnings to us regarding false teaching, sins within the church, worldly pressures… so how are we to resist these things? Peter's answer: we remember. Remembrance is how we stand firm against false teaching, spiritual drift, and worldly pressure. Remembrance is the great antidote for the attacks that come against the Church.

    41 min

  2. Jun 14

    Living in the Light of the End

    As we near the end of 2 Peter this Sunday, Peter asks a poignant question: "what sort of people ought you to be?" It's an important question—and a challenging one. Peter has reminded us that Christ's final coming is with such awesome power that the heavens melt like fire before the power of his glory. So, Peter asks, what sort of people ought you to be? Consider that what Peter is describing in Christ's coming is present in our worship—a bit like an anticipation (or foretaste) of what is yet to be revealed. When we gather for worship, it's not "just" hymns and songs, not "just" a sermon and a creed, not "just" a Sunday service. It is the presence of Christ among his worshipful people. And Peter would have us remember, Christ is awesome in power. In addition to Peter's question, I also find myself considering: so what sort of worship should we render? It is a glorious and powerful thing to worship in the presence of the risen Lord!

    39 min

  3. Jun 7

    The Patience of God

    2 Peter

    36 min

  4. May 31

    When Men Forget the Flood

    We are nearing the home stretch of Peter's second letter, and we will be returning to the Older Testament this summer. Here's the hint: if our previous journey in Joshua showed conquest, this next series will show compromise in slow motion. God's people need the true King, and our King deserves our faithful worship. I'm excited for this next series. But this Sunday, Peter will begin in the third chapter of His second letter. Many have disagreed over some details in this chapter, but here is Peter's message: God does not destroy, He renews. Even with cataclysmic judgments like the Flood, or the judgment of purification by fire, God redeems what He has made. God's grace does not destroy nature—it perfects, purifies, and redeems nature. This should be an encouragement to us, because God is redeeming, purifying, and perfecting His people! The encouragement for us is also simple: be faithful in small things. God does not need you to change the entire world, nor does He need you to wait to be equipped in a way you might see fit. God simply calls us to faithfulness in what He has given to us. If we want to see creation restored and the world discipled, we can start around our dinner tables, in corporate prayer and song, and in the gathered worship of the Church. God is pleased to do mighty things through our small acts of faithfulness.

    44 min

  5. May 24

    Do Not Return to the Mire

    2 Peter

    42 min

  6. May 17

    Sin is a Terrible Teacher

    This Sunday we have our fellowship meal, and let me extend a big "thank-you" to our Fellowship Committee for their hard work in pulling these together! These times when we eat together are wonderful opportunities to enjoy one another's company, but it is also important to recognize the spiritual significance of fellowship meals. The early Christian church regularly devoted itself to times of "breaking bread," where they regularly and frequently took Communion together, but also ate meals together. This is a very old practice for God's people—the Older Testament often speaks of God's people gathering together for meals and feasts in times of worship. It should be very little surprise that Jesus often used those times of fellowship meals as a time of teaching, or welcoming in those who were outsiders, and as a way of generally encouraging the koinonia (fellowship) of the Church. The meals were far more than food; they were times of participating in fellowship. So, when Christ instituted the Lord's Table, it was a fitting meal—a sort of foretaste of the future meal that Christians will share together (Matt 26:29; Rev 19:9). There are many encouraging things I could speak about at our church (for which we're grateful to God), but the spirit of fellowship is right at the top of my list. And it's not just the enjoyment of the food or friendship (though those things are certainly wonderful), it's also recognizing that fellowship is a way that God knits His people together. God brings us together at the table. As with so many things in the Church, breaking bread together is a way (a means) by which God truly and spiritually blesses His people.

    41 min

  7. May 10

    Rescue From Judgment

    This Sunday we will be considering 2 Peter 2.4-10a, as Peter confronts false teachers and false prophets within the church—and in this passage, he gives some examples of God's judgment that have fallen in previous times. Specifically, Peter lists three times in the book of Genesis that God's judgment fell in days long ago. This passage is sobering, because it is a warning of the reality of God's judgment, but it is also a massive encouragement. Christ cares far too much for His flock to let false teachers lead them astray! As you read this passage, reflect on the comfort of God's judgment—God cares far too much for you and for His Church than to let it be led astray into darkness. These passages are not only warnings; they're also tremendous encouragements!

    42 min

  8. May 3

    Guarding the Truth from Deception

    This Sunday we'll be in 2 Peter 2, discussing false teachers and false prophets, greed and sensuality, and the threats that arise from within the Church through the generations. I found this passage to have some close parallels with 1 Timothy 6, and I encourage you to be reading along with us in preparation! We will also be celebrating Communion together—a time when we participate in the body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and partake of Him through the Table that has been set for us. Gather for worship with a sense of expectation!

    41 min
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2 Peter is a final, urgent warning from the Apostle Peter (written before his death) urging believers to pursue spiritual maturity, grounding themselves in the truth of Scripture to combat false teachers. It emphasizes growing in the knowledge of Christ, affirming the certainty of His return, and living holy lives.

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  • Creator
    Joshua P. Howard
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © New Covenant Presbyterian Church
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    2 Peter