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This is the audio from the August 25, 2024 sermon, “Chosen To Be Patient: Learning To WAIT!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 2 Peter 3

• Worship:  2 Peter 3:1-2

  • As those chosen by God to be patient, we must learn to worship God in the waiting.  As we reflect on the mighty works of God recorded in scripture and experienced in our own life, we find a God deserving of our worship.

• Act:  2 Peter 3:11-13

  • As those chosen by God to be patient, we find that God wants us to learn to act as those who are His children.  While waiting can often feel very passive, God has work for us to do as we long for His coming.  

• Inspect:  2 Peter 3:14-16

  • As those chosen by God to be patient, we use our time of waiting to inspect our life in comparison to the standard set in God’s Word.  While our tendency is to try and shape God’s Word to fit our choices, His command is that we shape our choices to fit His Word.

• Trust:  2 Peter 3:17-18

  • As those chosen by God to be patient, we learn to trust that God knows not only what He is doing, but also knows the proper time to accomplish it.  Waiting can be difficult, but when we trust what is coming is worth the wait, we find a reward of peace.

Today, how will you live as one chosen to learn to WAIT?

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This is the audio from the August 18, 2024 sermon, “Chosen To Be PURE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 2 Peter 2

“Even a child is known by his actions,
by whether his conduct is pure and right.”
Proverbs 20:11 (NIV)

• Protected:  2 Peter 2:1-9

  • As those chosen by God to be pure, it is important to know that in the midst of all the evil in the world, God can and will protect those who are His.

• Understanding:  2 Peter 2:10-12

  • As those chosen by God to be pure, it is important that we grow in our understanding that God is the One who makes us pure through a cleansing by the blood of Jesus.  

• Repentant:  2 Peter 2:13-16

  • As those chosen by God to be pure, He has an expectation and command that we repent every time we find ourselves caught in sin.

• Example:  2 Peter 2:17-22

  • As those chosen by God to be pure, we have the privilege of following the example of Jesus so that we can be an example of purity for others.

Today, how will you live as one chosen to be PURE?

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This is the audio from the August 11, 2024 sermon, “Chosen To Be SURE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 2 Peter 1

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.”
Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV)

• Steadfast:  2 Peter 1:1-4

  • We can be sure because of a steadfast faith in a steadfast God.  When we choose to build on the solid foundation of Jesus, we find our house is able to withstand the storms of this world.  When the righteousness we claim is the righteousness of Christ rather than our own, we can be sure that God is with us and not against us.

• Useful:  2 Peter 1:5-11

  • When we are sure of the work of God in our life, and continually grow in the fruit produced by faith, we find that we are useful instruments prepared to do our Master’s will.  While the specific nature of the work God prepared in advance for us to do may vary from person to person, the useful result of the work is to help us know Jesus and to make Him known.  

• Reminded:  2 Peter 1:12-15

  • Not only are we forgetful people, but the enemy does everything he can to distract us and fill us with doubt.  It does us good to be reminded, and to be those who remind others, of the great value we have as those chosen by God to be His.  The reminders from God’s Word help us to remember how we ought to live and how we ought to represent Jesus.

• Eternal:  2 Peter 1:15-21

  • Living with our eyes fixed on the eternal prize, which belongs to all who are found in Christ, helps us be sure in our faith.  When the troubles of this world cause us to doubt the goodness of God, we need to step back and look at everything from the perspective of eternity.  When our confidence is built on an eternal God, we can look forward to the day when our faith shall be made visible.

Today, how will you live as one chosen to be SURE?

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This is the audio from the August 4, 2024 sermon, “Chosen To Be SHEEP!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 1 Peter 5

“Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”
Psalm 100:3 (NIV)

• Submissive:  1 Peter 5:1-4

  • It is the responsibility of each believer to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Even those who have leadership roles of any kind are to lead in such a way that they are serving those being led as they submit to the lordship of Jesus.  Shepherds of people only have that role as servants of the Chief Shepherd who sets the example of submission to God in all things.

• Humble:  1 Peter 5:5-6

  • Our submissiveness is only possible when we learn to take on the attitude of humility which was found in Christ Jesus.  We’re just sheep in the pasture of God, and as such we’re not better or worse than the other sheep which belong to Him.  It is through a spirit of humility that we find ourselves prepared to be lifted by God in ways we could never lift ourselves.

• Equipped:  1 Peter 5:7-11

  • The good news of being sheep is that it is the responsibility of the Good Shepherd to equip us with the protection which is necessary to stand against the attacks of the evil one.  Our ability to resist the temptations of evil is possible because our Shepherd equips us with spiritual armor that helps us to stand on the day of evil.

• Encouraged:  1 Peter 5:12

  • As sheep of God’s pasture, we are part of a herd.  This means we are not meant to do life alone and we are not left to do life alone.  It is said that hurt people hurt people, which I believe to be true.  The good news for the believer is that it is also true that encouraged people encourage people.  We have the responsibility, and ability, to encourage others with the same encouragement that we ourselves receive through our connection with Jesus as our Good Shepherd.

• Peaceful:  1 Peter 5:13-14

  • Some animals, and people, just seem to be mean by nature — good sheep are generally not that way.  In fact, as sheep of God’s pasture, He calls us to not only live at peace as far as it depends upon us, but to also be a peacemaker in everything we do.  When we surrender our desire to be in charge and learn to be a submissive, humble, equipped, and encouraged sheep with Jesus as the Chief Shepherd, we find the secret to a peaceful life in Christ.

Today, how will you live as one chosen to be SHEEP?

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This is the audio from the July 28, 2024 sermon, “Chosen To Be RIGHTeous!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 1 Peter 4

“Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
Philippians 3:9 (NIV)

• Repentant:  1 Peter 4:1-4

  • Since we do not have a righteousness of our own, a change must take place for us to be declared righteous.  That change comes in the form of our repentance from all that is sinful.  When we choose to identify with the suffering of Christ, we choose to die to sin which means it has been rejected by us and we now live in a new way.  Our desire for sin is dead and our repentance leads us toward the righteousness which can be found in Christ.

• Instructed:  1 Peter 4:5-7

  • In a world filled with information, it can be challenging to know what is good and right.  In fact, many will tell us to go by what we feel or by what makes us happy.  Unfortunately, going along with the world will never lead to righteousness simply because the world is caught up in a pursuit of evil desire.  It is when we turn to God’s Word for true instruction that we find ourselves being cleansed of all unrighteousness so that we are prepared for God to judge us according to the spirit.

• Giving:  1 Peter 4:8-10

  • While the hallmark of unrighteousness is selfishness, the shining star of righteousness is love.  But the love defined by righteousness is not a love which is self-serving, but rather a love which is giving.  When we are declared righteous by God, we recognize that everything we have has come to us as a gift from God.  Our understanding of God as the owner of all things should lead us to be a more generous person as we seek to reflect the nature of God.

• Humble:  1 Peter 4:11

  • Sometimes the temptation of being declared righteous is that we begin to think we are good enough to actually be righteous.  When we use the gifting of God in our life to serve others, we do so with the humility which gives God the credit for all the good being done.  It is a spirit of humility which helps us serve with an attitude that considers the needs of others to be more important than our own.

• Tested:  1 Peter 4:12-19

  • Perhaps the most difficult part of being declared righteous is the testing that takes place in this world.  We want to think that being right with God should remove all trouble from our life, yet Jesus declared that in this world we would have trouble.  Just as a test in school is designed to confirm what we know, the testing of our faith through the trials and struggles of life serve to confirm the righteousness God has declared is ours.

Today, how will you live as one chosen to be RIGHTeous?

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This is the audio from the July 21, 2024 sermon, “Chosen To Be READY!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 1 Peter 3

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

• Respectful:  1 Peter 3:1-7

  • One of the things that often gets lost when people look at the first part of 1 Peter 3 is the context of submitting to one another so that we are ready to give an answer for the hope which lies within us.  God’s desire is that our attitude toward one another would be respectful so that unbelievers would desire to know the Savior we know.  When our submission is a reflection of our reverence for Christ, we find that it has purpose and brings fulfillment to us and to others.

• Encouraging:  1 Peter 3:8-9

  • The world is filled with so many discouraging things which weigh us down and attempt to keep us from being ready to share the good news of Jesus and His return.  The way in which we encourage one another goes a long way in not only helping others remain faithful, but i helping us be ready to share about the hope Jesus gives us.  The Bible says we ought to be actively involved in meeting together for the purpose of encouragement, and to be doing so more and more as we see the day of Christ’s return approaching.  When we are encouraged, and encouraging, we prepare ourselves to be ready.

• Active:  1 Peter 3:10-14

  • Being ready is not something that passively occurs simply because we want it to happen.  God’s Word instructs us to be active in our participation even as God’s Spirit does the work of conviction and transformation.  Refraining from evil and doing good requires an active desire on our part to know that which is God’s good and perfect will, and then set about with the fruit of God’s Spirit to help us live according to that will.  We find ourselves ready when we are active in our repentance and obedience to all God’s instructions.

• Direct:  1 Peter 3:15-17

  • Many of us like to be liked, so it often becomes difficult to be as direct as we ought to be.  When asked about the hope that lies within us, we beat around the bush so badly that the truth of Jesus being that hope never gets heard.  The necessary balance to being direct is to do so with gentleness and respect.  Helping a fellow believer notice a sin in their life which they may be blinded to, must be done with love, compassion, and care.  Our answer about what God has done in our life should be as clear as possible so that others would know the hope they desire is attainable.

• Yielded:  1 Peter 3:18-22

  • Being ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us begins by first setting apart Christ as Lord in our life.   We live a life yielded to Him and a life that continues to yield to Him.  Being immersed into Christ often makes no logical sense other than it is an act of obedience which identifies us with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  It is God choosing to work in us a resurrection from the deadness of sin which had laid claim to our soul.  If the heart of being ready involves submission to one another, the foundation on which we build is a life fully yielded to God.

Today, how will you live as one chosen to be READY?

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This is the audio from the July 14, 2024 sermon, “Chosen To Be A Living STONE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 1 Peter 2

“As you come to him, the living Stone — rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him — you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:4-5 (NIV)

• Sacrifice:  1 Peter 2:1-5

  • Chosen to be a living stone involves our choosing to be a living sacrifice.  God calls us to live a life that is first given to Him so that our giving to others is meaningful.  It is when we offer our self as a living sacrifice that we engage in the worship of God which is both reasonable and spiritual.  As building blocks for a living kingdom, we must willingly sacrifice our desires to the will of the Builder.

• Testimony:  1 Peter 2:9-10

  • Chosen to be a living stone involves our choosing to be a living testimony.  Every person has a story to tell and our story is the opportunity to testify to the goodness and power of God.  As God shapes us and forms us into the living stones of His kingdom, our testimony can help others seek and experience the power of God working in them.  As building blocks in the kingdom of God, we give testimony when we tell our story and give God the credit.

• Occupant:  1 Peter 2:11-12

  • Chosen to be a living stone involves our choosing to be a living occupant.  While we do live on this earth as kingdom citizens, we still live as occupants of this world.  We must continually draw on the help of God’s Spirit to know how to effectively live in the world but not of it.  God has us each occupying a unique combination of home, school, workplace, recreation areas, and so many other places so that together the light of Jesus shines in ways it never could if it depended on any of us individually.  As building blocks in the kingdom of God, we are His living occupant wherever we are.

• Nation:  1 Peter 2:13-17

  • Chosen to be a living stone involves our choosing to be a living nation.  We have been called out of darkness into the light of Christ so that we have a new citizenship that is not of this world.  While I don’t take lightly the benefits and privileges of living in the great nation I call home here on this earth, I must constantly be mindful of the living nation of God’s kingdom to which I belong.  When I live as a foreigner, I respect the ways of my temporary home while not losing sight of my true citizenship.  As building blocks in the kingdom of God, we are a living nation as His holy people.

• Example:  1 Peter 2:23-25

  • Chosen to be a living stone involves our choosing to be a living example.  There is an old phrase that says, “you can talk the talk but can you walk the walk?”.  It is important that we rid our lives of all things which are sinful and that set a bad example for those who observe us.  People tend to watch what we do long before they seriously listen to what we say.  Our lives ought to be lived as such an example that people will not only “see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”, but they would also see those works and have reason to “ask about the hope which lies within you”.  As building blocks in the kingdom of God, we are to be a living example to everyone around us.

Today, how will you live as one chosen to be a living STONE?

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This is the audio from the July 7, 2024 sermon, “Chosen To Be HOLY!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 1 Peter 1

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”
1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV)

• Hopeful:  1 Peter 1:1-5

  • Chosen to be holy begins with a recognition that the God who chooses us has the power and desire to make our holiness possible.  While is ought to be apparent that holiness is not possible on our own, we can live with confident hope in a God who chooses us to be His and transforms us by the power of His Spirit so that we can be holy as He is holy.

• Obedient:  1 Peter 1:13-15

  • Chosen to be holy should lead us in a growing desire to be obedient to Christ in all things.  When we obey in order to avoid unpleasant consequences, our obedience usually ebbs and flows based on whether or not we think our disobedience will be noticed.  When we live with the realization that God chooses us, our obedience ought to grow from a position of desire to honor the One who has chosen us.

• Loving:  1 Peter 1:22

  • Chosen to be holy is not only about how we relate to God and respond to His love, but it also shows us how we ought to love others.  When we view holiness as a sacred purity devoted to God, the way we love others should begin to reflect the way God loves them.  It is in this act of loving others sacrificially that we live out the instructions of Jesus who says the world will know we are His disciples by the way we love one another.

• You:  1 Peter 1:23-25

  • Chosen to be holy should remind us of the great value each person has to God simply by being you.  But this isn’t you as defined by self, or by the world.  No, this is you as created and defined by God and made new by the power of His Spirit.  Chosen to be you doesn’t mean you can continue in sin with the excuse that it is simply who you are — God makes it clear that you are chosen to be holy just as He is holy which means being you must be defined by the purity and righteousness of His Word.

Today, how will you live as one chosen to be HOLY?