Lakeside Bible Church Sermons: 1 Peter

Christ Our Victor

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0100

Christ Our Victor

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 29th March 2026

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Having just told the suffering Christians in Asia Minor that an eternal inheritance awaits them beyond this time of exile and that they must persevere in following Jesus despite persecution, he now anchors that exhortation firmly in the good news of Jesus' death, resurrection, and exaltation. Peter's train of thought is quite clear: Jesus suffered, Jesus rose, and Jesus reigns. This is the essence of the Christian's hope, which they are to always be prepared to display and defend. Jesus has satisfied God's wrath against sinners, triumphed over death itself, and has authority to deal decisively with all our enemies, human or demonic. Therefore, as we suffer for righteousness' sake, we keep our eyes fixed firmly on Christ our Victor.

Thriving In Suffering

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0000

Thriving In Suffering

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 22nd March 2026

Passage: 1 Peter 3:13-17

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We have reached a point in Peter's letter where suffering for the faith is the main idea. Of course, the Christians to whom Peter wrote didn't need to be convinced of the reality of this kind of suffering; they were living it in real time. What they did need was to be reminded of the hope that was theirs in Jesus Christ and to be encouraged to persevere in faith and obedience despite suffering for it. That's the aim of this text. It shows us how to thrive in times of suffering for righteousness' sake. I want to present it to you as four requirements to suffer well for Jesus.

Called To Bless

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0000

Called To Bless

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 15th March 2026

Passage: 1 Peter 3:8-12

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After addressing the specific circumstances of Christian citizens, Christian slaves, and Christian wives, in this conclusion to the section, Peter addresses all of you. That is, all of God’s people, no matter what their specific circumstances may entail. It’s a fitting summary of all that he has written in the previous passages.

So, what exactly is it that Peter is concerned to say to all of us? The emphasis of this final instruction is on the Christian’s responsibility to bless others, no matter who they are or what they’ve done. As God’s people in the world, we are called to bless the people of the world, and by doing so, we will receive the blessing of God.

Thriving In Marriage

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0000

Thriving In Marriage

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 8th March 2026

Passage: 1 Peter 3:1-7

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In this text, Peter focuses on a third category of people who are especially vulnerable to abuse on account of their faith. But he does something different in this third address. He not only addresses Christian wives, who were vulnerable to abuse. He also addresses Christian husbands, who were in a position to abuse their authority in the home. It isn’t just about wives or husbands; it’s about Christian marriage and how to thrive in it. So, how can Christians represent God’s kingdom and faithfully follow Jesus in their marriages? Peter tells us right here.

The Gospel According To Peter

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:30:00 +0000

The Gospel According To Peter

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 22nd February 2026

Passage: 1 Peter 2:21-25

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The larger point of the text is that believers are to follow Christ in his suffering, and last week we considered Jesus' example of suffering well as a model to follow. But Peter also acknowledges that our suffering is not fully comparable to Christ's. His suffering was unique and atoning, providing the basis for salvation for his people. So, it is good for us to linger a bit longer on this passage to meditate on the unique nature of Christ's suffering as an atonement for our sins and how the benefits of his sacrifice can be applied to each of us. We might even say that this is the gospel according to Peter.

Thriving Despite Injustice

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:30:00 +0000

Thriving Despite Injustice

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 15th February 2026

Passage: 1 Peter 2:18-23

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Peter's description of the Christian experience as one of exile suggests that hardship on account of our faith and obedience to God is not unusual. The source of our sufferings may routinely come from those to whom God commands us to humbly submit. How are we to function as God's people in such hostile and unjust conditions? How do we represent Him well to such a wicked world? What does it mean to thrive when facing serious injustices? Those are the questions Peter answers here.

Thriving Under The Emperor

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 10:30:00 +0000

Thriving Under The Emperor

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 8th February 2026

Passage: 1 Peter 2:13-17

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Thriving in exile means thriving under the emperor, and Peter helpfully instructs us on how to do just that. His main point is this: Christians must submit to civil authorities under Christ, obeying the rule of law except when doing so would result in disobedience to God. The goal of this submission is to be like Jesus and to prove the goodness of Christian ethics in the public sphere.

Live As God's People

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 10:30:00 +0000

Live As God's People

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 18th January 2026

Passage: 1 Peter 2:11-12

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"Beloved" signals a major shift in the content of Peter's letter. Having well-established the gospel identity of believers, he now turns away from where we are going and to whom we belong and urges us to live in a way that is worthy of our calling––the calling to be God's children and God's people. The point is that if we are God's people, a priesthood called out of darkness to represent God to the world, then we need to take seriously the way we conduct our lives day by day. From here to the end of chapter four, Peter provides instructions on how to do that.

You Are God's People

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 10:30:00 +0000

You Are God's People

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 11th January 2026

Passage: 1 Peter 2:4-10

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This is one of the most important passages in this book. The focus is on who we are, not as mere individuals, but collectively as the Church of Christ. The key phrase is in verse 10: now you are God’s people. This statement of identity anchors this entire book. In this passage, Peter reminds us how we become God’s people, what marks us as His people, and what purpose God gives us in this time of exile. It’s brief and simple, but it demands our earnest attention.

All According To Plan

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 10:30:00 +0000

All According To Plan

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 14th December 2025

Passage: 1 Peter 1:20-21

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Robert Burns' famous poems called "To A Mouse" explores the struggle of planning and building toward something that can all be destroyed in a moment by things beyond our control. The most famous stanza comes toward the end: The best-laid plans of mice and men; often go awry; And leave us nought but grief and pain; For promised joy! At the end of this second section of Peter's letter, the apostle draws our attention to an infinitely glorious plan that cannot be thwarted. It is neither the plan of a mouse nor a man but the eternal plan of God through Christ to save us from sin and death.

Live In Fear

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:30:00 +0000

Live In Fear

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 7th December 2025

Passage: 1 Peter 1:17-19

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According to this text, and many others, there is a sense in which it is right for Christians to live in fear. We aren't to be anxious about life or question God's sovereignty and faithfulness. But we are to live in holy reverence of Him as the one to whom we will all give account of our lives. That begins with obedience to the gospel by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Heb. 11:6). And for those of us who call on Him as Father must conduct our lives in such a way to honor God's name and treasure Christ's sacrifice. This is the life that flows out of gospel hope and assurance, and living in this kind of fear of God is how any of us will thrive in our time of exile.

Focus On Grace

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:30:00 +0000

Focus On Grace

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 16th November 2025

Passage: 1 Peter 1:13

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The call to worship in verses 3-12 transitions here to a call to holiness that spans verses 13-21. The main idea is that our calling in Christ that secures our future inheritance should have a dramatic effect on our present life. Thriving in exile requires that Christians live distinctly in the world, both in how we think and how we behave. With the gospel indicatives in mind, Peter instructs us on thriving in exile through setting our minds on hope and our hope on grace.

Praise God For Our Gospel Privilege

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 10:30:00 +0000

Praise God For Our Gospel Privilege

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 9th November 2025

Passage: 1 Peter 1:10-12

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The point of this entire opening section of the letter is to call Christians to worship, and in these verses, the focus is particularly on praising God for our gospel privilege. Peter contrasts our privilege with two different groups of messengers that God used to bring us the gospel message: prophets and angels. Both groups long to know and experience the fullness of grace that is available to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ, yet God used them to serve us. This dispels any notion that the hardship of exile means that God doesn't care about us and gives Christians another reason for sincere and joyful praise.

Praise God For Our Present Joy

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 10:30:00 +0000

Praise God For Our Present Joy

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 2nd November 2025

Passage: 1 Peter 1:6-9

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While we all certainly want to feel happy, what our hearts truly crave is something the Bible calls joy. Joy is a far more profound and transcendent experience than mere happiness. It persists even in the most devastating of situations. Peter turns our attention to this present joy so that we might rejoice and praise God during our time of exile.

Praise God For Our Future Inheritance

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 10:30:00 +0000

Praise God For Our Future Inheritance

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 26th October 2025

Passage: 1 Peter 1:3-5

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For Christians struggling as strangers in this world, worship can quickly grow cold. The various difficulties of our exile can overwhelm our joy and distract us from the hope that God has given us in Christ Jesus. Yet, we were made to worship! Many times, what we need most is not for our problems to be fixed but for someone to simply remind us of the glories of the gospel and call us back to sincere, joyful praise to God. That's what Peter does here.

It is to the future eschatological reality of salvation that Peter refers in verses 3-5, and he speaks of it in terms of an eternal inheritance. Believers are to praise God for the right, quality, and certainty of their future inheritance after the days of exile, and by doing so, they will continue to thrive now.

Thriving In Exile

Jared Blankenship — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 10:30:00 +0100

Thriving In Exile

Series: 1 Peter

Preacher: Jared Blankenship

Date: 19th October 2025

Passage: 1 Peter 1:1-2

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Often, we feel like all we are doing is surviving as Christians in this life. We just hope to stay the course and make it to the end. The purpose of 1 Peter is not to help you merely survive the days of your exile but to thrive in them! Right here in the opening greeting, Peter underlines three foundational truths we must hold on to if we are to thrive in exile.