EXILES | LIVING AS OUTSIDERS FOR GOD'S KINGDOM

This week Brian opens by challenging the idea that the only difference between a believer and an unbeliever is forgiveness. While forgiveness is real and glorious, Peter wants the church to understand something bigger: through the resurrection and the Spirit, followers of Jesus are a new humanity entirely. Born again through the living and enduring Word of God, they are not just pardoned sinners but a new kind of human being altogether. Brian calls the church to grow into that identity by craving Scripture, cutting sin out of the diet, and most importantly, loving one another deeply as the most powerful witness to a watching world.

Exiles is a 12-week journey through 1 Peter looking at what it means to follow Jesus in a world where we increasingly feel like outsiders. Rather than seeing this tension as a problem, Scripture shows it is the normal shape of life for those who belong to God’s kingdom. As citizens of the kingdom of God, we are called to witness to His reign in the world through faithful presence, courageous love, and enduring hope. This series invites us to live as a distinct people whose lives point others to Jesus in a world that is not yet restored and made new.

The Long Story Finds Its Center
1 Peter 1:22 - 2:3

Brian Berger | Pastor of Life Discipleship
5.31.2026

EXILES | LIVING AS OUTSIDERS FOR GOD'S KINGDOM

This week Cory opens 1 Peter 1 with a call for exiles to live differently because of what Christ has done for them. He frames the message around a culture obsessed with happiness, describing how many people treat life like a giant Easter egg hunt, chasing career, pleasure, and approval, only to find it empty. But Peter points to a fuller life found in Jesus alone. Cory unpacks three realities shaping the exile's life: recognizing the privilege of our salvation, embracing the expectation of holiness motivated by both hope and reverent fear of God, and understanding the cost of our redemption in Christ.

Exiles is a 12-week journey through 1 Peter looking at what it means to follow Jesus in a world where we increasingly feel like outsiders. Rather than seeing this tension as a problem, Scripture shows it is the normal shape of life for those who belong to God’s kingdom. As citizens of the kingdom of God, we are called to witness to His reign in the world through faithful presence, courageous love, and enduring hope. This series invites us to live as a distinct people whose lives point others to Jesus in a world that is not yet restored and made new.

The Long Story Finds Its Center
1 Peter 1: 10-21

Cory Kasperson | NextGen Pastor
5.24.2026

EXILES | LIVING AS OUTSIDERS FOR GOD'S KINGDOM

This week Brian opens 1 Peter's roadmap for living as exiles in a resistant world. Following Jesus creates real friction, new convictions, and relational pressure, and that tension is not a sign something is wrong. Using Peter's own story of cowardice turned courage through the resurrection, Brian challenges the church not to shrink back into a quiet, privatized faith. Instead, Peter's first instruction is to praise God. In the middle of suffering and loss, the Christian response is Hallelujah, anchored in God's mercy, the new birth we've been given, and the inheritance kept secure in heaven that no one can take away.

Exiles is a 12-week journey through 1 Peter looking at what it means to follow Jesus in a world where we increasingly feel like outsiders. Rather than seeing this tension as a problem, Scripture shows it is the normal shape of life for those who belong to God’s kingdom. As citizens of the kingdom of God, we are called to witness to His reign in the world through faithful presence, courageous love, and enduring hope. This series invites us to live as a distinct people whose lives point others to Jesus in a world that is not yet restored and made new.

Hope Breaks Into History
1 Peter 1: 3-9

Brian Berger | Pastor of Life Discipleship
5.17.2026