Dear Friends
Pastor Steven Simpson
Speaker
Writing to scattered, marginalized believers, Peter opens with two of the most tender words in Scripture. This message explores what it means to receive that identity — to be a people who once had no standing before God but have now been embraced by his mercy, and what it looks like to live as foreigners and exiles who belong somewhere else.
In a world that constantly tells us to define ourselves by our achievements, our politics, or our social status, the apostle Peter offers a radically different identity. Writing to scattered, marginalized believers living as outsiders in a hostile culture, Peter opens with two of the most tender words in Scripture: Dear friends. This message explores what it means to receive that identity — to be a people who once had no standing before God but have now been embraced by his mercy. But mercy is not merely a gift to receive; it reshapes the way we live. Drawing on Peter’s call to live as “foreigners and exiles,” we examine the costly and beautiful invitation to hold this world loosely — not because it doesn’t matter, but because we belong somewhere else. If you have ever felt out of place, overlooked, or uncertain of who you are, this message is for you.