1)Listen to Podcast here
2) GG Questions 08/19/2018
Living Hope 1 Peter
1. (optional!) Close Reading: Read through all of 1 Peter and look again for LIGHTBULBS (things which surprise or jump out to you from the text), QUESTION MARKS (verses you still don’t understand), and ARROWS (things which have changed your life from the study of this book). Share the results of your study with your group.
Skim the below passages and reexamine some of Jonathan’s application questions from his sermons:
2. 1 Peter 1:1-12: The most powerful witness to Jesus is how we deal with difficult circumstances (how we live with hope). Peter teaches that we can REJOICE in the living hope of our resurrection (1:3) and future kingdom inheritance (1:4) no matter our circumstances (1:6). Does this seem unreasonable to you? If so, why?
3. 1 Peter 1:13-25: A life focused fully on our hope of eternity (1:13) is different, “set apart” (1:15-16). What does that look like day by day? And what challenges have you faced in the effort to ‘stand out’ rather than ‘fit in’?
4. 1 Peter 2:1-12: How strong is our longing to feed on God’s word (2:2)? What are we doing to ensure our unity (“built togetherness”) is a priority (2:5)? How easy is it to forget we are being watched, not just as individuals, but as a community?
5. 1 Peter 2:13-25: How does our attitude to each level of authority (2:13, 18) in our lives compare to the way Jesus behaved (2:21-24)?
6. 1 Peter 3:1-12: How might you bless your “enemies” (or, those who might your life difficult) instead of repaying evil for evil (3:9)?
7. 1 Peter 3:13-22: Have the “twin terrors” of fear (3:14) and defensiveness ever affected your witness (3:15) for Christ? How do you react to the statement, “God tailors a package of suffering best suited for each of his own” (Acts 9:15-16)?
8. 1 Peter 4:12-19: What is your first reaction when you face suffering? Are you “surprised” (4:12)? Would this suffering be easier to deal with if your Heavenly Father told you to expect it? And that there was purpose in it?
9. 1 Peter 5: In the places where you are leading, are you leading like a shepherd, caring for the flock (5:2-3)? Do you present yourself with humility (5:5-6)? Where are the places that you are at risk of being separated from the flock (5:8-9)?
