In our study today, the Apostle Peter uses clear and powerful language to describe two very different roads a believer could choose to follow.Oleh de Martimprey, Phil

2 Peter 1:3-8 reveals that Jesus has granted us everything needed to become like Him in character, values, attitudes and actions. But to what end? For what purpose? We have also discovered that becoming partakers of the divine nature; of possessing the character, values, attitudes and actions of Jesus Himself, requires effort on our part.…

As followers of Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to become like Christ in character, values, attitudes and actions. This transformation starts with a growing knowledge of Jesus and His promises. Then we are to make every effort to supplement, or add to, our faith with the qualities found in 2 Peter 1:5-7.…

Self-control is the war between impulsivity and doing what's right or beneficial. It's the ability to control emotions, impulses or behaviors to achieve a greater goal.Oleh Nelson, Paul

Jesus has granted us everything needed to become like Him, but we must put effort into the process of transformation as well. The very first principle we see in this passage is that: Becoming partakers of the divine nature; of possessing the character, values, attitudes and actions of Jesus Himself, requires serious effort on our part.…

The goal of God’s salvation plan for you wasn’t completed the moment you trusted in Jesus as your Savior; that was just the beginning. God wants to reform you into the character, values, attitudes and actions of Jesus Himself. This is the message of 2 Peter.Oleh Nelson, Paul

Peter introduced himself, which was usual for a letter, but did so with an unusual juxtaposition. He identified himself with two nouns that could not be farther from each other. He began with the title of "servant / slave" in greek, doulos. This word was used to describe someone who was fully and completely under the authority of another.…

As we embark on a study of 2 Peter, it is always so important for us to rightly understand the context. We practice the historical-grammatical approach to interpreting the scriptures, seeking to arrive at the author's original intent and then we can appropriately apply God’s Word to our lives.Oleh de Martimprey, Phil

Down through the centuries of the church, many things have been taught and practiced with regard to water baptism. Some churches sprinkle, some baptize infants, some make baptism a requirement for church membership, some believe baptism is necessary in order to be reconciled to God. This morning I will share what we believe about baptism and why.…

Peter concludes his letter to his beloved brothers and sisters in Christ to endure the humiliations that come with suffering knowing a day is coming when God will make all things right.Oleh Nelson, Paul

Wise leadership is a blessing from the LORD especially during times of stress and calamity. Peter calls upon the elders of the churches of Asia Minor to shepherd their church families as they suffer persecution for being Christians.Oleh Nelson, Paul

Persecution is here in the United States and by all indicators, it will increase in frequency and intensity. This is hard for Christians in America because of the support Christianity has enjoyed historically. Those days are gone. We need to learn how to think about and respond to Christian suffering from Peter’s instructions to his suffering audie…

How are we to understand this? We’re prone to think Peter was saying that the end of the world was near. With the resurrection, ascension and exaltation of Jesus (3:22) God’s plan of salvation here on earth entered its final stage that will culminate in the second coming of Jesus. This may well be what Peter had in mind when he made this statement.…

Pagans of the first century viewed Christians as killjoys who lived gloomy lives devoid of pleasure. The pleasures from which Christians of the first century typically abstained earned Christians the reputation of being haters of humanity and traitors to the Roman way of life.Oleh Nelson, Paul

Peter is writing Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, who were expelled from the vicinity of the city of Rome and resettled in remote parts of Asia Minor which is modern day Turkey. They are foreigners living in hostile communities.Oleh Nelson, Paul

Peter wrote to Christians expelled from Rome and resettled in remote parts of Asia Minor. They were foreigners living in hostile communities. Even in a hostile setting like that of Peter’s readers, believers can live in such a way as to get along peacefully with their neighbors. Being honest, being respectful, working hard and doing good work go a …

When faced with unjust insult and evil, Peter’s readers must decide whether to respond in kind out of the old nature and perpetuate strife or to demonstrate the power of God’s grace through radically new conduct.Oleh Nelson, Paul

The phrase "with all fear" specifies the way that servants are to be subject to their masters. However, we need to identify the object of that fear. The one they should fear is determined by 2:17 building off of 1:17, where Peter makes the claim that one of the primary motivations for Godly living in a hostile environment, is the "fear" of the Lord…

Called To Suffer - 1 Peter 2:11-25Oleh Ingvoldstad, Nate

God has honored your faith in Jesus by making you a living stone and a holy priest in His Temple; His dwelling place on earth today.Oleh Nelson, Paul

Because LOVING ONE ANOTHER is one of the primary purposes of God’s Covenant Community of which you are a member.Oleh Nelson, Paul

We Will Give Account to Jesus and Receive either Reward or Rebuke!Oleh Nelson, Paul

Puzzled Prophets, Envious AngelsOleh Nelson, Paul

In our section today Peter will address how the various trials we face should be thought of, and that when we are thinking rightly about these difficulties, there is even joy to be had in the midst of them. That there really is "Good Grief."Oleh de Martimprey, Phil

Not only was Peter setting out to teach and remind these "chosen foreigners" that they were indeed the children of God, but he wanted them to rightly understand their new birth into God’s family and some of the incredible truths that were part and parcel of being born again.Oleh de Martimprey, Phil

Peter drew parallels between his readers and Israel.Oleh Nelson, Paul

There were some believers (Christians) in the Thessalonian church who were not working to support themselves. They were ‘walking in idleness’. Instead of working, they were relying on the church or those in the church to provide for their daily needs. This caused discouragement, and unnecessary strain on the rest of the believers.…

A Solid Foundation 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17; 3:1-5 Pastor Nate IngvoldstadOleh Ingvoldstad, Nate

In his previous letter Paul taught the Thessalonians they would be rescued from the day of the Lord (Tribulation) by being gathered to Jesus before the beginning of the day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Since receiving that first letter, someone, somehow had begun to spread the lie that the day of the Lord had come and therefore, by implic…

2 Thessalonians was written soon after 1 Thessalonians; perhaps within a few months in the summer of 51 A.D. Before writing 2 Thessalonians, Paul received news that both encouraged him and concerned him. He was encouraged to hear the Thessalonians were growing in faith and love in spite of persecution. But he was concerned to learn false teachers w…

Easter 2024Oleh de Martimprey, Phil; Ingvoldstad, Nate; Bush, Bob

Paul closes this letter in the same manner as he does his other letters – with instructions how to live out the Christian life as a church family.Oleh Nelson, Paul

The day of the Lord is an idiom used to emphasize the swift and decisive nature of the Lord’s victory over His enemies on any given occasion. The day of the Lord to which the Apostle Paul refers in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 is the Great Tribulation, the time period Jesus described in Matthew 24:21-22a.Oleh Nelson, Paul

To choose to walk in sexual purity is a profound step of faith. It is God’s will that we walk in sexual purity and it pleases Him when we walk in sexual purity. Through the Holy Spirit Whom He has given us, He empowers us to walk in sexual purity; the Holy Spirit producing in us His fruit which includes patience, faithfulness and self-control.…

In the time Paul had with the Thessalonian believers it appears he taught quite a bit on end times. He certainly taught that Jesus was coming again and very possibly in their lifetime. When Timothy returned from Thessalonica, he came with questions from the Thessalonian believers.It appears that a few believers in the Thessalonian church family had…

Paul's enemies in Thessalonica were slandering Paul saying 1) the Thessalonians’ conversion was not real, therefore Paul’s message was not from God. 2) Paul was a charlatan peddling his message for money and fame, and 3) Paul had abandoned them because he didn’t care about them. Realizing these accusations had teeth, Paul felt compelled to defend h…

In our study today, we will see Paul answered numerous vicious accusations by reminding the believers of both his character and theirs. And we will be reminded that - Our character either supports or undermines the gospel message.Oleh de Martimprey, Phil

For the Apostle Paul, there were many concerns on his heart and mind as he waited to hear the report card that Timothy was bringing him from the young church in Thessalonica. Paul had been run out of town by those who opposed the gospel and he was anxious to hear if the opposition had been successful with the fledgling believers, or if they had ove…

The book of Acts records for us how the Good News of Jesus the Messiah spread from city to city across the world. In our study today, we will begin a series on the letters to the church in Thessalonica, but before we dive head first into 1 Thessalonians, it is important for us to look at the background and context of these incredible letters.…

WHEN GOD FORGIVES A BELIEVER: He releases the believer from having to personally bear the punishment for his sins on the basis that JESUS has already suffered the punishment for all his sins. He accepts the substitutionary death (the blood sacrifice) of JESUS as the full and sufficient payment for the entirety of the believer’s sin debt.…

FORGIVENESS is only possible because GOD punishes all violations of His Law. WHEN GOD FORGIVES A BELIEVER: He releases the believer from having to personally bear the punishment for his sins on the basis that JESUS has already suffered the punishment for his sins.Oleh Nelson, Paul

In this world we need more, not less, forgiveness. But seeking and granting forgiveness are not well understood and poorly practiced. One Christian counselor teaches that apologizing is the world’s substitute for forgiving. He points out that there is not a single reference in the Bible to apologizing. It is an unbiblical concept. It allows the wro…

What cancer is to the body; bitterness is to the soul. It eats us up from the inside out. Like a root, bitterness puts off poison fruit like slander, lying, malice, hatred, anxiety, and division.Oleh Nelson, Paul

Christmas Eve Service. The Christmas StoryOleh de Martimprey, Phil; Ingvoldstad, Nate; Lowther, Nick

The rebuilding of the Temple was not a cure all, however, and the nation of Israel needed to be rebuilt, for they had a serious lack of spiritual maturity and leadership. Into this void of leadership stepped Ezra. He was the Godly leader who YAHWEH would use to bring His people out of idolatry and back into obedience.…

Two weeks ago, we discovered the name “Israel” means “he struggles with God”. The Jews have a long history of struggling with Yahweh. But a day is coming when the name “Israel” will no longer fit. A day is coming when Yahweh will give His people a new nature and a new name.Oleh Nelson, Paul

In Isaiah 44 & 45, Yahweh, speaking through Isaiah in 700 B.C., revealed in detail how He will accomplish His people’s return to Israel and how He will accomplish the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple.Oleh Nelson, Paul

The majority of Jewish exiles were idolators. They considered Yahweh as one god among many. They interpreted the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 B.C. as the defeat of Yahweh at the hands of the Babylonian gods. They doubted Yahweh’s commitment to the covenants He had made with them. They doubted Yahweh’s ability to fulfill His promis…

The truth that there is only one God has been part of Israel’s history since its very beginning. The Hebrew prayer known as the “Shema” was taken from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and recited daily by devout Jews, and its first line clearly expresses that monotheistic truth, “Hear Oh Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.” There is and has ever been on…

God gave an explicit promise to Israel. He would bring down the mighty nation of Babylon and turn them into refugees and fugitives. The ships that they once took pride in will be used to help them flee from the destruction God would bring on them at the hands of the Persians. God desired for His people to be free and to worship Him, so He promised …