Sermon Snippets with Max Taylor

2 Corinthians 1:3-7   The words “comfort” and “consolation” appear ten times in this short passage. In today’s bonus episode, we are going to pause and reflect on Christ’s consolation in the midst of our suffering in this life. And we also remember the imminent rapture of believers which will end all suffering for the followers of God.

1 Peter 5:5-14   Hope is the thread that runs through the entirety of this epistle, and it goes all the way to the end. In the concluding statements, Peter instructs us believers to continue in the daily disciplines listed here, to understand the duration of our suffering, and to keep our eyes on the final destination. May we be able to say as Paul did that none of these things move us when we are...

1 Peter 5:1-4   When it comes to pastoral qualifications, many of us turn to 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, however I have grown to treasure this section in 1 Peter 5 as one of the best passages on God’s expectations for a pastor. Unfortunately, many pastors have “cared more about the mission than the people. And they [don’t] realize that the people are the mission (July Roys Report Podcast ‘The Body of...

1 Peter 4:12-19   The end of chapter four and the majority of chapter 5 contains some of the best condensed teaching on suffering, in my opinion. We have already mentioned suffering several times as we have gone through this book, and I think that is one of the major themes God had in mind for this book. Chapter four closes with some helpful reminders and straightforward charges on how to handle s...

We are taking some time to both reflect back and also plan for future episodes. We plan to be back next week with our regular episode as we study through the book of 1 Peter. Thank you for listening to the weekly Bible study! 

1 Peter 4   There is suffering all around us in real, bitter, even sickening ways that make our hearts sink and our stomachs turn. And there are disappointments and hardships and sorrows that we all carry with us. I don’t have the answers to all of the heartaches people face, but I do know that God gives us hope in the midst of all of it. Look to Him in your suffering, He is the source of hope.  ...

1 Peter 4:1-11   Before we get into how to handle and deal with suffering, the text takes a look at some benefits to suffering. This in no way minimizes or marginalizes the suffering and pain that it brings, but it does help us to see that God works all things out for good according to His will. May these verses help our outlook and inspire us to live holy separated lives for the glory of God!

1 Peter 3:18-22   The last several verses in 1 Peter 3 are tricky because they involve some deeper theological topics such as (1) Penal Substitutional Atonement, (2) Christ preaching to Spirits in prison, (3) the days of Noah, (4) the figure of baptism, and (5) the authority and power of Christ. We will touch on each of these only briefly in order to get an overview of how the theology ties into t...

1 Peter 3:13-17    Here we see a compelling case to live for the Lord in righteousness, joy, holiness, and the peace that comes from a pure conscience. As believers, we can expect suffering and persecution, but we can still remain joyful and experience God’s peace through the rough times. Though these trials are hard and painful, suffering for well-doing produces sweet fruit unto the Lord. Our res...

1 Peter 3:8-12    When we come to these verses, it is easy to start with the applications in our relationships with others, however we must be properly aligned with Christ first. Only when He is preeminent in our lives can we truly live out these results towards others. This section actually has much more to do with our standing with God than with others. Ultimately, it is God’s watchful eye that...

1 Peter 3:7    This week we are looking at several ways the husband is to show compassion for his wife. He should (1) pursue his wife, (2) prioritize his wife, (3) protect his wife, (4) be present with her, (5) pray with her, and ultimately picture Christ to his bride. His role should be to lift up his wife, recognizing her calling and gifting, and push her to be the godly woman she is called to b...

1 Peter 3:1-6   This passage focuses on the kind of person a wife should be, it is completely focused on her character above her appearance, possessions, and showiness. This is not how the world typically measures a person’s worth, but it is what God is concerned with. According to this passage, a wife should be (1) arranged under her husband, (2) adorned in the heart, (3) ascribed with humility,...

1 Peter 2:21-25    Christ is the greatest example of suffering, and He endured all of it without ever reviling, threatening, or complaining against God. As Christians, we are called to follow suite. We must be willing to suffer in order to follow Christ because, as Jesus said, the servant is not greater than his master. May we consider the cost of discipleship and determine to sacrifice whatever n...

1 Peter 2:18-21   What an encouragement to know that Jesus can relate to all of our suffering! There is a suffering that we are called to endure and a suffering that we should escape from, and we will touch on both of those in this episode. If you suffer unfairness or slight mistreatment, we are called to endure that with patience for the sake of the testimony of Christ. But I want to be clear tha...

1 Peter 2:13-17   What does it mean to be submitted and who should we be submitted to? The basis of our submission must be a yielding to God. From that will flow our submission to one another, to the government, and even submission through persecution. I hope we will not view submission as a bad thing, it is a beautiful description of what we are to be as the family of God. We will continue with t...

1 Peter 2:9-12   We are chosen (not ordained to be saved, but entrusted with the highest of callings) to demonstrate the very brightness and nature of God. We are called to be kings and priests unto God. And as such, we must abstain from our sinful tendencies. Prone to wander, the composer wrote. This passage shows us that we are to see the holiness of God, show forth the holiness of God, and then...

1 Peter 2:4-9   What a depiction of the saved. We are built upon this rock that is Christ and joined together into a spiritual building in order to show forth the nature and very essence of God. This is why we must walk in the light. This is why we are called to be holy. I hope this short episode somehow encapsulates the amazing calling we have as the building of Christ and the awesome responsibil...

1 Peter 2:1-3   This is one of the simplest lessons of God’s Word, and yet it has some of the deepest and farthest-reaching implications on our lives. The more we seek and pursue the Word of God, the more we experience the satisfaction and goodness that only God can bring. Trust in God’s promises produces assurance of our salvation produces growth out of the carnal and sinful habits of the flesh p...

1 Peter 1:21-25   Here we see a snapshot of the Christian life in four steps: (1) hearing the truth from the Spirit, (2) obeying the truth through belief, (3) purifying our souls from sin, and (4) loving the brethren sincerely. The passage turns from this description of the Christian life and our hope in God to assurance of salvation. God’s Word is the fountain of our salvation (see also 1 John 3:...

1 Peter 1:18-21   The ‘Gospel’ seems overused and trite today after it has been featured in the titles of so many mini movements and become a rallying cry in some Christian circles. Many are understandably confused as to what the gospel actually means due to its overuse and misuse. In some cases, the word has been used to mean almost anything. But the Bible gives us a clear look into the original...

1 Peter 1:13-17   The gospel is such an unsearchable gem, and as we look at it we are faced with the challenge to not forget the splendor of the gospel, not let it slip, and not neglect to share it. Today we are moving on to the two-part call of the gospel that has to do with soberness. We are called first to hope and second to be holy as God is holy. What a privilege to be called a child of God!...

1 Peter 1:10-13   “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). God has given us a magnificent treasure called salvation, and that is what we are being reminded of today. The plan of God is something that has been wondered about for thousands of years, especially before history was made on the cross. And now we ar...

Zechariah 11:4-17   I hope this brief study from one of my favorite minor prophets encourages you to pursue Christ. He is exponentially better than anything else this world has to offer us.

1 Peter 1:6-9   “The Christian's joy is bound up with love to Jesus: its ground is faith; it is not therefore neither self-seeking or self-sufficient" [STEIGER]. Our salvation carries us through our suffering. So often how we come to know what is real is by going through these times of heaviness and hardship. That is when our faith is refined, being much more precious than gold that perishes. Our...

1 Peter 1:5-7   As I have thought about last episode, I have come to change my definition of assurance of salvation, and I want to clarify how I think assurance is defined throughout Scripture. I hope this episode gives us a better understanding of assurance before we continue looking at our position in Christ. My hope is that this also challenges you to think deeply about these things. There is n...