13. 2 Peter 3 | David Baumgaertel

13. 2 Peter 3

The coronavirus has exposed the fragility and uncertainty of our world. Can we have hope for the future? In this message on 2 Peter 3, David Baumgaertel, one of Thrive’s alums, walks through what Scripture says about Christ’s glorious return, answering along the way key questions about the end times, such as: Why does it seem like Jesus is taking so long to come back? What is “the Day of the Lord”? And why should we study Bible prophecy?

For more biblical insights from David, check out his blog, www.testing521.com, or follow him on Twitter @testing521.

12. 2 Peter 2 | Ed Longabaugh

12. 2 Peter 2

We live in a world of fake news—and of fake gospels! In this message on 2 Peter 2, Ed Longabaugh, pastor of Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church, expounds Peter’s dire warning about false teachers and how to spot them. Along the way, Ed also points out how secularism—the dominant worldview in our culture today—is eerily similar to the very false teachings Peter writes about.

11. 2 Peter 1:12-21 | Matt Edwards

11. 2 Peter 1:12-21

How can you be certain that something is true? In this message on 2 Peter 1:12-21, Matt Edwards, pastor at Believers Fellowship, explains how Peter makes the case that one day Jesus will return. As one who beheld Jesus in His glorified state on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter invokes his own eyewitness testimony, as well as the testimony of the prophetic Scriptures that predict the Messiah’s return.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5; Matthew 17:1-13; and 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.

10. 2 Peter 1:1-11 | Mac Davis

10. 2 Peter 1:1-11

Being a Christian is like going up the down escalator—without forward motion, you’ll go backwards! In this message on 2 Peter 1:1-11, Mac Davis, one of Thrive’s own, teaches on what it looks like to have a faith that grows and is active rather than passive. A growing faith is a God-centered faith: we advance in the Christian life when our focus is on knowing God better! And when faith grows, so too does the fruitfulness that comes out of our lives.

9. 1 Peter 5:1-11 | Tim Stobbe

9. 1 Peter 5:1-11

The last few years have witnessed a host of Christian leaders who have lost their positions due to scandal and abuse of power. The result is a tremendous hunger in our world today for leaders of character and integrity. In this message on 1 Peter 5:1-11, Tim Stobbe, lead pastor of Waypoint Church, unfolds Peter’s exhortation to those in leadership, which calls authority figures to be mindful of how they lead, why they lead, and who is leading them.

8. 1 Peter 4:12-19 | Dustin Langley

8. 1 Peter 4:12-19

According to 1 Peter, Christianity is often the path not of least resistance but of most resistance. In this message on 1 Peter 4:12-19, Dustin Langley, lead pastor of Peninsula Life Church, teaches on the cost of discipleship, emphasizing that following Jesus is a choice we make on a daily basis, even if to do so opens us up to pain and suffering.

Scripture passages cited in this message include Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Matthew 26:14-16; 27:1-5; and Luke 14:27.

6. 1 Peter 3:8-16 | D'Vante Rolle

6. 1 Peter 3:8-16

From slandering your opponent, to lashing with words, to shouting down the other side, toxic dialogue has become a fixture of our not-so-civil discourse. Is there a better way? In this message on 1 Peter 3:8-16, D’Vante Rolle of One Hope Church unfolds Peter’s instructions to respond with love to those who resist you, in order that our words and actions might be aimed at reconciliation, not retaliation.

5. 1 Peter 3:1-7 | Michael Bouterse

5. 1 Peter 3:1-7

As marriage rates decline and gender roles shift, does the Christian vision of marriage have anything to offer? In this talk on 1 Peter 3:1-7, Michael Bouterse, Thrive’s local director, unfolds 1 Peter’s instructions to husbands and wives, addressing along the way its many cultural “landmines,” such as: What does the Bible mean by submission? What is “a gentle and quiet spirit”? And why are wives called “the weaker vessel”?

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include 1 Peter 2:12-18; 3:8; Ephesians 5:22-24; Proverbs 31; Acts 5:29; and Genesis 2-3; 18:12.

2. 1 Peter 1:13-21 | Michael Bouterse

2. 1 Peter 1:13-21

We’ve all met hypocrites—people who speak one way and act another. And religious hypocrisy can be worst of all. God’s solution to rescue Christians from hypocrisy is to make them holy: to change them from the inside out so that their lives and behavior resemble Jesus. In this message on 1 Peter 1:13-21, Michael Bouterse, Thrive’s local director, describes what holiness looks like and how God makes people holy. 

Scripture passages cited in this message include John 20:31; 2:11; 4:53-54; Mark 8:34-36; Matthew 20:26-28; 24:45-51; 1 Peter 2:11-12, 19; 3:1; 5:10, 12; Philippians 1:6; 3:7-14; Hebrews 11:10; Genesis 23:4, 6; 13:12; 14:12; 19:1, 9; 2 Peter 1:3; and 2 Corinthians 5:10.

1. 1 Peter 1:1-12 | Michael Bouterse

1. 1 Peter 1:1-12

According to our culture, the good life consists of comfort, success, and personal fulfillment. But the Bible casts a different vision of the good life as one of cross-bearing, suffering, and discipleship. How can this be? In this opening message in Thrive's series on 1 & 2 Peter, Michael Bouterse, Thrive's local director, offers three reasons from 1 Peter 1:1-12 that God invites us to reinterpret suffering as a grace disguised.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Acts 2:9-11; Luke 22:31-32; John 17:3; and 2 Corinthians 1:3-6.