Different: Part 2 "Different Values in an Unholy Culture" with Craig Groeschel - Life.Church

Called to Be Different: Living Holy in an Ungodly Culture

Scripture References

• 1 Peter 1
• 1 Peter 1:18-21

Overview

Peter writes to persecuted believers reminding them, “This world is not your home.” Building on that theme, Pastor Craig Groeschel shows how followers of Jesus are called to live by a higher standard—holiness. Our greatest barrier is the craving to blend in, yet God’s priority is not our happiness but our holiness. Knowing Christ changes us from the inside out, empowering us to stand apart in values, relationships, and daily choices.

Context

Peter’s first letter (written AD 60-65) addressed Christians suffering under Emperor Nero. He urged them to anchor their hope in Christ and to embrace their identity as “foreigners” on earth, a backdrop Pastor Craig revisits to frame our own cultural pressures.

Main Points

This World Is Not Your Home

• Peter repeatedly calls believers “foreigners” and “temporary residents.”
• Because eternity is our true home, earthly norms cannot set our standards.
• Different values will affect parenting, marriage, work, time, and resources.

“God is calling you to be different.”

The Desire to Fit In Is the Biggest Obstacle

• Wanting acceptance keeps many from full obedience.
• Jesus never said, “Blend in.” We are told “do not conform” but be transformed.
• Normal today equals anxiety, debt, addiction, and broken relationships; the broad road leads to destruction.

“God did not call you to sit in—He called you to stand out.”

God Calls Us to Be Holy, Not Merely Happy

• 1 Peter 1:14-16: “Be holy because I am holy.”
• Western Christianity often elevates personal happiness above obedience.
• The “theology of happiness” lets us justify divorce, sexual compromise, or overspending whenever “it makes me happy.”
• Holiness outranks happiness; comfort, money, and pleasure must not become idols.

Don’t Slip Back—Guard Against Subtle Compromise

• 1 Peter 1:14 (NLT) warns, “Don’t slip back into your old ways.”
• We never “fall into holiness”; slipping is always toward sin.
• The enemy’s tactic: “Did God really say…?”—inviting small rationalizations that erode distinctiveness.

Illustration: The Basement Shock

• Story: Newly-wed Craig tried to save Amy’s wedding dress from a flooded basement. Standing in waist-deep water he plugged in a sump-pump, was electrocuted, and involuntarily shouted a profane word. The same mouth meant to preach the gospel exposed an un-transformed inner source, showing outward control is not enough—heart change is needed.

Practical Difference-Making Standards

• Groeschel family practice: replace Halloween door-to-door candy with a big family night at Chuck E. Cheese, teaching kids it’s okay to be “weird” for Christ.
• Two daughters saved every kiss for the men they later married—fruit of intentional standards plus courage to live them.
• Parents can’t expect different children without modeling difference themselves.

Knowing Christ Is the Pathway to Holiness

• 1 Peter 1:18-21: we were redeemed not by silver or gold but “with the precious blood of Christ.”
• Holiness is not behavior modification but spiritual transformation.
• Deep roots in Christ produce outward “fruits of the Spirit.” We obey not from obligation but from a new heart that desires to please Him.

Key Truths

• Earth is a temporary assignment; followers of Jesus live by heaven’s values.
• A craving to fit in keeps believers from fulfilling their calling.
• God prioritizes our holiness above our momentary happiness.
• Small compromises begin with the subtle question, “Did God really say…?”
• Lasting change flows from knowing Christ, not merely trying harder.

Response

• Examine areas where you conform and repent of justifying them.
• Pursue practices—media, money, relationships—that set you apart for God.
• Invite the Holy Spirit daily to renew your mind and reshape your desires.
• Parents: establish and explain distinct family standards that honor Christ.
• Choose community (life group) for accountability and shared courage to live differently.

Closing

Peter’s charge still stands: “Be holy because I am holy.” Holiness is not grim restriction but joyful alignment with the God who redeemed us by Christ’s blood. We reject the wide, destructive road of normal and walk the narrow path that leads to life, confident that the Spirit transforms us from the inside out.

“Just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.”

Prayer

Father, show us any area that displeases You. We cannot change ourselves, so fill us with Your Spirit, renew our minds, break strongholds, and give us courage to live set-apart lives that shine Your light in a dark world. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Resources

• YouVersion Bible App (Bible.com/app)