1)Listen to Podcast
2 )GG Questions 07/15/2018
Living Hope: Seven Lessons in Suffering 1 Peter 4:1-11
1. Close Reading: After praying for God to enlighten your mind, read through 1 Peter 4:1-11 a couple times, slowly. Look for these three things: LIGHTBULB – something that shines from the passage, draws your attention; QUESTION MARK – something difficult to understand; ARROW – a personal application. Share the results of your study with your group.
2. Ceased from Sin (4:1-2): Peter writes that “whoever has suffered in the flesh” (undergone hardship because of their faith) “has ceased from sin” (experienced rapid spiritual growth). Have you found this to be the case in your life? Can you think of a moment when you obeyed God in tremendous difficulty and received a flood of assurance of His presence as a result?
3. Their Surprise (4:4): Often Christians’ unsaved neighbors, friends, and family ridicule them for their change in behavior. Concerning this Warren Wiersbe says, “Unsaved people do not understand the radical change that their friends experience when they trust Christ and become children of God. They do not think it strange when people wreck their bodies, destroy their homes, and ruin their lives by running from one sin to another! But let a drunkard become sober, or an immoral person pure, and the family thinks he has lost his mind!” In what ways have you experienced this kind of opposition to your faith as your lifestyle has changed?
4. God’s Varied Grace (4:10): Peter teaches that each Christian has received a spiritual “gift” designed to outfit them for specific ministries. Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 include some of the representative gifts. Have you ever stopped to consider what gift Christ has given you? What do you think this gift is? (NOTE: If you are struggling to ascertain what your spiritual gift is, take some time this week to ask a few friends how they see God using you in their lives. This will be a good clue as to how God has gifted you.)
