Orchard Hills Church

Orchard Hills Church
  • 4.6 (7)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Biweekly

Incase you missed us on Sundays tune in to catch up with Scott during the week. Perfect for car rides or just some quiet time.

  1. 2d ago

    EXILES: What Exiles Fear

    Fear is one of the most powerful forces shaping human life, but the question is whether we are fearing the right thing. The fear of the Lord is not a cowering terror but a joyful, reverent awe that draws us closer to God and drives out every other fear. As elect exiles in a world that does not share our values, we are called to fear three things: a wasted life, conforming to culture, and treating the blood of Christ as worthless. The price paid for our redemption was not silver or gold but the sinless blood of the Son of God. The way we live will either show the world that Christ is a glorious treasure or suggest He is merely a casual addition to an otherwise self-directed life. May we fear the Lord so deeply that every other fear loses its grip on us.

  2. Oct 18

    Be Different

    There is a deep human longing to stand out, to belong, and to find meaning in who we are. That longing finds its truest answer not in trends, subcultures, or personal style, but in Jesus Christ. First Peter 1:14-16 calls followers of Jesus to live as people set apart by God. Peter writes to those he describes as elect exiles, people chosen by God, adopted into His family, and now living as citizens of heaven while still on earth. His call is not a checklist of behaviors but a declaration of identity. If you are in Christ, obedient child is who you are, and everything else flows from that. One of the most important distinctions in the Christian life is understanding that obedience flows from love, not the other way around. Jesus said that if we love Him, we will keep His commands. The more we grow in a genuine, loving relationship with God, the more naturally obedience follows. Religion focuses on performance and whispers that enough obedience will earn God's favor. But Jesus did not call us to a religion. He called us to a relationship, and out of that relationship comes the desire to follow Him. Before Christ, we are slaves to sin with no real freedom. After Christ, we are freed from that slavery and drawn toward righteousness, with a growing desire to love others and please God. To be holy is to be set apart in the way Jesus was set apart, different not for the sake of being unusual, but because we are shaped by the character of God Himself. Most of us want to be a little different while still fitting in, treating Jesus like seasoning added to an existing life rather than allowing Him to transform it entirely. But the call of Jesus is radical. He invites us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. The life on the other side of that surrender is free of regret and full of hope, grace, and love. Holiness is not about being strange or rigid. It is about being genuinely set apart by love, conformed to the image of Christ, and living in a way that reflects the One who called us out of ignorance and into His remarkable light.

  3. Oct 11

    EXILES: Sober Up

    Are you spiritually intoxicated? In this message from our Exiles series, we explore 1 Peter 1:13 and God's call to live alert, sober-minded, and anchored in hope. The world offers plenty of things to capture our attention and shape our thinking—from success and money to entertainment, fear, and the pressure to keep up. But are these things distracting us from what matters most? Peter points us to something greater: the grace and hope that will be fully revealed when Jesus Christ returns. Discover what it means to take your thoughts captive, resist the pull of worldly distractions, and fix your hope on Christ. Learn how to live with a clear mind, an eternal perspective, and a heart anchored in the promises of God. If you're feeling distracted by the world around you, this message will challenge you to examine what is shaping your thinking and rediscover the freedom of living with your hope firmly fixed on Jesus. Scripture List: 1 Peter 1.13 Romans 8.37 2 Corinthians 10.5 Joshua 1.8 1 Thessalonians 5.16-18

  4. Oct 4

    EXILES: We've Got it Good

    The salvation we have in Jesus Christ is far greater than we often realize. In 1 Peter 1:10-12, Peter highlights three groups of beings who point to the extraordinary weight of what believers have received. The Old Testament prophets searched and longed for what we now freely hold in our hands. Ordinary people, empowered by the Holy Spirit, carried the gospel across generations to reach us. Even angels, who have never been offered redemption themselves, lean in with wonder at what God is doing in saving human souls. This reality calls us to search intently for God, proclaim the gospel boldly to those around us, and live with a deep and renewed sense of awe at the grace we have been given.

  5. Sep 27

    EXILES: Love and Inexpressible Joy (Scott)

    Can you experience deep, lasting joy even when life is hard? In 1 Peter 1:8–9, we discover how faith in Jesus offers an inexpressible joy rooted in the hope of salvation. In this week’s message from our Exiles series, we explore what it means to love and trust Jesus even though we haven’t seen Him. We often treat salvation as just a future destination—a ticket to heaven when we die. But Peter reminds us that salvation is a present reality. Through the Holy Spirit, we can experience an "inexpressible and glorious joy" right here, right now, even in the middle of our hardest trials. If your relationship with Jesus has felt stuck in your head and hasn't made it to your heart, or if you find yourself settling for lesser joys, it's time to go deeper. Don't settle for a lukewarm, complacent faith! If you've never experienced a relationship with Jesus, ask Him to reveal Himself to you. And if you have, ask Him for more of His love and joy, and choose it every day over lesser things. Scripture List: 1 Peter 1.3–9 1 John 4.19

  6. Sep 21

    EXILES: Joy in Trials

    Suffering and joy are not opposites in the Christian life. They can exist at the same time, and First Peter 1:6-7 makes this clear. The believer's joy is not rooted in present circumstances but in a living hope, a heavenly inheritance, and a salvation already secured by God. Trials are not permanent when measured against eternity. They are purposeful, testing and refining genuine faith. And they are producing something of eternal weight, resulting in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Because of what Christ has done, those who endure in faith have a hope the world simply cannot offer.

  7. Sep 13

    EXILES: A Heavenly Inheritance (Scott)

    Maybe you’re not supposed to fit in. In this message from 1 Peter 1:3–5, we explore the unshakable hope God gives His people: new birth, a living hope, an eternal inheritance, and faith that shields us by God’s power. Peter wrote to scattered believers who did not fit into the world around them, and reminded them that their citizenship was somewhere else entirely. That changes how you handle fear. It changes what risks you are willing to take. The good news is that as followers of Jesus, we are exiles and this world is not our final home. We're not supposed to fit in. Because of Jesus, we have a living hope and an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. Scripture List: 1 Peter 1.3-5 John 6.38-40

  8. Sep 6

    EXILES: Scattered Seeds

    Have you ever felt out of place, like you just do not quite belong? If you follow Jesus, that feeling might not be a problem to fix. It might actually be a sign that you are living exactly as you are called to live. In 1 Peter 1:1-2, the apostle Peter addresses his readers as elect exiles, and those two words carry everything. To be elect means to be chosen by God, not by accident, not by your own effort, but by His deliberate and pursuing love. To be an exile means that because you belong to the kingdom of heaven, you will never fully belong to the kingdoms of this world. That tension is not something to escape. It is something to embrace. Peter also uses the word diaspora, meaning scattered or seeded throughout. Wherever God has placed you, whether in a difficult job, a hard relationship, or an unfamiliar season, you are there on purpose. Like a seed planted in the ground, you are not there by accident. You are there to grow and to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. This message also walks through one of the clearest pictures of the Trinity in all of Scripture. The Father foreknows us in His covenant love. The Spirit sanctifies us and sets us apart. The Son sprinkles us with His blood, fulfilling the Old Testament covenant and accomplishing our redemption completely. Salvation is entirely a gift, initiated by the Father, applied by the Spirit, and accomplished by the Son. So what does this mean for everyday life? It means that the discomfort you feel as a Christian in a secular world is not a sign that something has gone wrong. It may be a sign that something has gone right. Jesus promised His followers not ease or popularity, but purpose, presence, and an eternal reward. And He calls us not to blend in, but to stand out, to be obedient, and to be a visible witness to Him in every space we occupy. Topics covered include the meaning of elect and exile in the Bible, the doctrine of election and what it means for your identity, the role of the Trinity in salvation, why Christians face suffering and hardship, what it means to live as a citizen of heaven in a fallen world, and how to apply the concept of diaspora to your everyday life and calling.

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4.6
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About

Incase you missed us on Sundays tune in to catch up with Scott during the week. Perfect for car rides or just some quiet time.

Information

  • Creator
    Orchard Hills Church
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    97
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Orchard Hills Church