Preparing to Preach 1 and 2 Peter

American Christians are accustomed to Christianity having cultural influence and being viewed positively. But when we face antagonism for living as believers, how do we respond to government, unbelievers outside the church, our families, and even an unbelieving spouse? The companion letters of 1 and 2 Peter address these things. The epistle of 1 Peter equips the church to deal with the pressures from without (persecution), and 2 Peter equips the church to deal with pressures from within (false teaching). In this RE:CHURCH episode, Marshall Fant discusses 1 and 2 Peter with Ben Smith, pastor of Vacaville Bible Church in Vacaville, CA. Pastor Smith has served as senior pastor for nine years. Speaking of difficult topics in the epistles such as the sovereignty of God in salvation, our obligation to believe, and the rejection of the Gospel by children who grew up in church, he says, "You need to be prepared in a biblically accurate, theologically informed, and pastorally sensitive way to deal with those challenges when they arise in the text."