Living as Chosen Exiles: Beginning Our Journey Through First Peter

1 Peter was written to believers learning how to follow Jesus in a world that no longer felt like home. In this opening episode of the Chosen Exiles series, Jay Strother and Brian Ball set the stage by exploring the letter’s historical context, pastoral heart, and enduring relevance. Written to early Christians facing social pressure, exclusion, and suffering, 1 Peter offers both clarity and comfort—naming the tension of faithful living in a fallen world while pointing believers toward a deeper, steadier hope.

The conversation centers on Peter’s opening description of believers as chosen and exiles. Jay and Brian unpack how these two truths shape Christian identity—secure in God’s sovereign grace, yet honest about the reality of suffering and displacement. Drawing from Peter’s own story, the episode shows how obedience, maturity, and trust are often formed through hardship. Rather than promising escape from difficulty, Peter reminds the church that God uses suffering to refine faith and form Christlike character.

As the series begins, listeners are invited to read 1 Peter with fresh eyes, watching for themes of living hope, Spirit-empowered obedience, humble submission, and endurance under pressure. This episode serves as both an orientation and an encouragement, reminding believers that they are not alone in exile. Anchored in the resurrection of Jesus and sustained by God’s grace, the church is called to live faithfully right where God has placed them—until the day they are finally home.