1 Peter 2:11-17

Peter says to "honor the emperor". He says to "submit for the Lord's sake to every human authority"....and we all pause and wonder, "What about when that authority is harming humanity?"

In the background of this Scripture is a real Roman Emperor. We explore the story of the Roman Emperor, Nero. We also look at what exactly Peter did and didn't say and how Peter was saying something very radical in his day.

Credits & Sources:

Joel Green, Tacitus, Suetonius, Tertullian, Paul Achtemeir, Karen Jobes, John Howard Yoder, Erland Waltner, Lee Camp, John H. Elliott, Craig Keener, David Bartlett, Greg Boyd, Sharyn Dowd, Warren Carter, James Aageson, Scot McKnight, Justo Gonzalez, Bruce Winters, Douglas Harink, Stanley Hauerwas, William H. Willimon, Pheme Perkins, Dennis Edwards.

For further reading: The Trouble with “Submit” - Joel B. Green

Sermon by Aaron Carlson

For more information or to support this podcast visit www.netartsfriends.org

(08/23/26)

1 Peter 2:9-10

We are inundated every day be voices trying to tell us to choose our tribe. Our sense of "WE", that identity is socially formed by class, ethnicity, race, political party, religious tradition, nation, tribe, family, and education. This one looks at how our idea of our "WE" determines what possibilities we are willing to consider and pursue.

Who is your "we"? This question is crucial.

Credits & Sources:

Emmanuel Katongole, Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove, Miguel De La Torre, Dennis Edwards, Erland Waltner, Douglas Harink, Sharyn Dowd, Pheme Perkins, John H. Elliott, Craig Keener, Lee Camp, Andrew Whitehead, Roland Bainton, Karen Jobes, Greg Boyd, Tony Campolo, Shaine Claiborne, Francis Collins, Scot McKnight, Moises Silva, Juana Bordas, Allan R. Bevere.

Sermon by Aaron Carlson

For more information or to support this podcast visit www.netartsfriends.org

(08/16/26)

1 Peter 2:4-10

Rejection is a common human experience. Ignored. Fired. Deported. Sent away. Ghosted. Divorced. Nobody wants you around. Not invited.

This episode uses a metaphor from the world of construction waste and old scraps of material that get thrown in the dumpster to paint a picture of how God operates differently, and to describe the kind of home God is building through humanity.

Credits & Sources:

John H. Elliott, Erland Waltner, Lee Camp, Malcom Guite, Andrew Root, Kara Root, Douglass Harink, Moises Silva, Pheme Perkins, Scot McKnight, Karen Jobes, Dennis Edwards, David Bartlett.

Sermon by Aaron Carlson

For more information or to support this podcast visit www.netartsfriends.org

(08/09/26)

1 Peter 1:22-2:3

Have you ever found yourself constantly checking in on a relationship, needing to make sure it's secure? Over and over.

Have you ever found yourself trying to keep everyone at arm's length, feeling trapped in relationships, like you can't meet people's expectations?

Have you ever found yourself wanting intimacy and closeness in a relationship- but not trusting it when you get it?

The path to maturity is bringing your youngest and most vulnerable self to God.

The apostle Peter uses a motherly image of God to help us move beyond our own unhealthy survival strategies, adaptations, and attachment styles, into secure attachment to God.

Credits & Sources:

René Girard, Steve Cuss, Stephanie Rigg, Geoff Holsclaw, Erland Waltner, John Elliott, Eugene Peterson, Scot McKnight, Sharyn Dowd, Dennis Edwards, Douglas Harink, Pheme Perkins, David Bartlett, Peter Davids, Craig Keener, Moises Silva, Edwin Yamauchi, Karen Jobes.

Sermon by Aaron Carlson

For more information or to support this podcast visit www.netartsfriends.org

(07/19/26)

1 Peter 1:14-23

So much of who we are is a product of our ancestors and the family we grew up in. We are a product of the narratives and scripts that were handed down by the generations that came before us. We have been handed some really good stuff by our ancestors....and we have also been handed some patterns, narratives, and scripts that are deeply lacking. This episode explores what Jesus has to say to us here.

Credits & Sources:

Dennis Edwards, Steve Cuss, Lee Warren, Murray Bowen, Douglas Harink, David Bartlett, Craig Keener, Scot McKnight, Peter Scazzero, Roberta Gilbert, Don Riso, Russ Hudson, John Elliott, Karen Jobes, Peter Davids, Edwin Friedman, Moises Silva, Brian Ross, Ilene Strauss Cohen, Jessica Koehler, Pheme Perkins.

Sermon by Aaron Carlson

For more information or to support this podcast visit www.netartsfriends.org

(07/12/26)

1 Peter 1: 6-13

This episode explores the ways in which we humans are limited in our capacity to grasp the grace of God, and the grace that God in Christ continues to reveal.

Credits & Sources:

Karen Jobes, John H. Elliott, Dennis Edwards, Craig Keener, Pheme Perkins, Douglas Harink, David Bartlett, Scot McKnight, Peter Davids, Erland Waltner, Lee Camp, Moises Silva, N.T. Wright.

Sermon by Aaron Carlson

For more information or to support this podcast visit www.netartsfriends.org

(07/05/26)

1 Peter 1:3-9

When life turns up the heat on you, what can you do? You want to turn down the heat. You want to manage the heat. You want to escape the heat. The much more difficult task is to get curious about the heat. What is the heat revealing about you?

Credits & Sources:

Marsha Linehan, Bessel van der Kolk, Karen Jobes, David Williams, Eldon Fry, John H. Elliott, Dennis Edwards, Craig Keener, Pheme Perkins, Douglas Harink, David Bartlett, Scot McKnight, Peter Davids, Erland Waltner, Lee Camp, Tish Harrison Warren, Helmuth Pehlke, Ken Shigematsu, Thomas Oden, Athanasias, P. Gregg Blanton, Moises Silva.

Sermon by Aaron Carlson

For more information or to support this podcast visit www.netartsfriends.org

(06/28/26)

1 Peter 1:3-6

God's actions always precede our actions. This one explores how hope is a gift that enables us to live differently: without walls and defenses up. It's not only about actions, but inner narratives underneath the actions.

Credits & Sources:

Eldon Fry, Casey Gwinn, Chan Hellman, N.T. Wright, Karen Jobes, Adam L. Bean, Rodney Stark, John Elliott, David Bartlett, Dennis Edwards, Pheme Perkins, Scot McKnight, Peter Davids, Sharyn Dowd, Craig Keener, Erland Waltner, Douglas Harink

Sermon by Aaron Carlson

For more information or to support this podcast visit www.netartsfriends.org

(06/14/26)