Sep. 28, 2025

Pastor Dave's sermon begins at 15:25 min into the video. The music "Forever", "May The Words Of My Mouth", "Wonderful Merciful Savior" , "Hymn of Heaven",  and "His Mercy is More" are licensed under CCLI Copyright #2723035 and Streaming Media #22024223 licenses.

Living Before the World: A Call to Holy Living

Pastor Dave examined 1 Peter 2:11-12 and Galatians 5:16-21 this week, reminding us of our identity as "sojourners and pilgrims" in this world. As he put it, "This world is not where we belong. Heaven is our home." The message was particularly meaningful because 1 Peter was written to believers facing extreme persecution—much like the challenges we face today as Christians living in a culture that doesn't always align with our values.

Before addressing how we should live, Pastor Dave took time to remind us who we are in Christ. Building on chapter 1, he listed the incredible truths about every believer: we are chosen, blessed, objects of God's mercy, recipients of a living hope, graced with an incorruptible inheritance, protected by God's power, saved past/present/future, called, ransomed, born again, and blessed with God's living word. "Just think about who you are and never drift too far from the gospel truths of what God has done in your life," he encouraged. "If you just had that list of words seared into our thinking, would it not change how we live?"

Pastor Dave acknowledged that talking about holy living "is out of favor in modern times" but emphasized it's essential for believers. He defined holiness beautifully: "living a life that's dedicated to the One who saved us and consecrated to Him for His glory and in His presence." It's not about external appearances but about being "other and different than the world we're passing through."

Three Key Principles for Holy Living

1. Resist Carnal Desires
 Pastor Dave explained that "abstain" means to keep away from or be distant from fleshly lusts that "war against the soul." Even after 50 years of following Christ, he admitted the battle continues: "Do you have any battles since you've been born again of knowing what to do right, knowing what to rightly do, not wanting to do what is right?" He turned to Galatians 5:16-21, which lists works of the flesh including sexual immorality, idolatry, jealousy, anger, and division. The daily battle is real—from road rage to wanting to "give somebody a piece of your mind" (though he quipped, "You might want to keep it").

2. Retain Your Integrity
 "Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles" means living with integrity where "your words and your walk are the same." Pastor Dave defined honorable conduct using beautiful words: "beautiful, good, pleasant, valuable, and excellent." He challenged us to live in such a way that brings honor to our Savior, blessing those around us. His practical advice was memorable: "Bite your tongue sometimes. Walk away. Don't say everything that pops in your mind... Don't send the email. Don't argue with people on Facebook. You're never going to win. Just stop."

3. Represent God Well
 Using the church's signs and billboard as illustrations, Pastor Dave explained that we are like signposts pointing people toward Christ. "The signs are not the destination," he noted. "Representing God well as a people of God, as a person of God, is to point people toward Him." When unbelievers observe our good works, they may "glorify God in the day of visitation"—either when God draws them to salvation or when they face judgment.

Pastor Dave's closing thought was particularly powerful: when people see our lives aligned with our words, and the Holy Spirit draws them, "they'll give God praise because you were one of the markers, the billboards, the signs with an arrow saying, 'Look at Him, look to Him. If you like what I am, look at Him because it's only Him in me.'"

The message concluded with two reflective questions: "What is God saying to me today through His word and through His spirit?" and "What am I going to do?" His message left us thinking deeply about how our daily choices either point people toward Christ or away from Him, and how our identity as God's beloved people should transform how we live as pilgrims in this world.