2025-10-12 Exiles Week 8 - Benjamin White

·52 min·5 clips

Pastor Benjamin White reveals why elders Steve and Scott are the church's humble teddy bears.

This episode is the eighth and final installment of a series on 1 Peter at New City Church Edgerton, led by Pastor Benjamin White. It begins with a lighthearted opening about binoculars and short jokes, then transitions into a sermon on 1 Peter chapter 5. White reads the scripture, emphasizing themes of shepherding, humility, and casting anxieties on God. He announces that October is Pastor Appreciation Month and shifts to honor local elders Steve Sanford and Scott Mathos, sharing personal anecdotes about their leadership and presenting them with gifts like ESV chronological Bibles and date night gift cards. The congregation prays over these families. White then delves into deeper exegesis, explaining how humility involves surrendering control to God and using the example of Jesus feeding the 5,000. He discusses spiritual warfare, referencing 1 Peter 5:8 about the devil prowling like a lion, and introduces the phalanx shield formation as a metaphor for Christian community where believers support each other. White stresses the need to know each other deeply, citing core values like 'know and be known.' He explores Peter's doxology and the promise of restoration through Christ. The latter part covers unity in the church, with White explaining historical context like Peter's mention of Silas and Mark, and decoding 'Babylon' as a code for Rome to show solidarity among suffering churches. He ties this to New City Church's multi-site mission in Kansas City. White addresses the 'holy kiss' greeting in cultural terms, emphasizing equality and reconciliation. He concludes with an invitation to confess faith and get baptized, leading to a live baptism of Fred, a new believer introduced through missions work. The episode wraps with three challenges: honoring shepherds, staying spiritually alert in community, and pursuing visible unity.

As heard by us

A closing sermon on imitation, surrendered anxiety, and baptism as a next step.

Closing 1 Peter around the question of who is worth imitating, this single-episode review follows a sermon that sees the church body as a living field of examples.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You get a sermon that starts with binocular jokes and ends beside baptismal water.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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