Hope in Our Suffering

OPEN: When you were a kid where did you fall in the line up for sports:
--- A. Team Captain B. First Round Draft Choice C. Better Than Nothing or D. Left till Last

Read 1 Peter 1:1 & 2

1. To whom is this letter written?

2. How are we:
a. God's Elect
b. Strangers in this world (see Hebrews 11:13-16)

3. What does it mean to you that you are chosen? (see also Ephesians 1:4)

4. How & Why were you chosen (see also 1 Thessalonians 5:9 & 2 Thessalonians 2:13)

5. The word "trinity" never appears in the Bible, but how do we see the evidence of it here?

6. What is Peter's blessing for the "elect"? What does his blessing mean for you?

Read 1 Peter 1:3-5

7. Why is Peter praising God in this passage?

8. What kind of earthly inheritance have you been born into? How is this different from the inheritance God has allowed you to be born into?

9. What hope do you find in verse 5 when you realize the "who" is "you" (see verse 4)?

Read 1 Peter 2:9-12

10. What does it mean that we are a royal priesthood?

11. Why were we chosen?

12. As priests, what does Peter say is the message we are supposed to share?

13. Peter says again that we should live like strangers in this world. What should be the evidence of this?

14. How can you more effectively live like you are the "elect," the chosen, the one whose been given new birth and a heavenly inheritance?

15. How can Peter's message help you to accomplish your goal?

OPEN: What is the one thing you say "I Hope" about most?

Read 1 Peter 1:6-12

1. So, what does Peter (and James in 1:2-4) say he's rejoicing through. Why do these things come? What should be their result?

2. How does testing prove our faith genuine? How would you describe faith that was never tested?

3. What does this passage say our faith is worth? How can it possibly be worth that much?

4. How do you determine or show how valuable your faith is?

5. Reread verses 8 & 9. How do these verses compare with your relationship with Christ? How can you improve?

6. What hope do you find in verses 6-9?

7. Peter says we are "receiving the salvation of our souls." Why does he put use a present/ongoing tense instead "have received"? What difference in does the verb tense make in your life?

8. How do verses 10 & 11 help prove that Jesus always was?

9. Who does Peter say the prophets were serving. Who does that include? Who are you serving Christ for?

10. What does it mean that even "angels long to look at these things?"

11. How can this verse (vs 12) give us Hope?

OPEN: What is it that you'd like to be remembered for?

Read I Peter 1:13-2:1-2

1. Each time you see the word "therefore" in the Bible, it's important to find out what it's there for. What's this therefore there for?

2. Find five things that Peter is calling us to do to be holy and discuss each one and how to apply it to your life.

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

3. In verse 17-How is it that God "judge's impartially"?

4. What does "call Him Father" have to do with "live as strangers here in reverent fear?

5. Reread verse 18-What does it mean to be redeemed? How were we redeemed? How can one be redeemed from a "way of life'?

6. In our last lesson we talked about how salvation occurs (through faith in Jesus), but how does Peter tell us we are purified?

7. Share how you're doing with the purification process.

8. What's the difference between perishable and imperishable seed?

9. What do verses 24-25 tell us about our holiness and its impact on our legacy?

10. Go back to the Open question . . . Has your answer changed?

11. Another "Therefore" - what's it there for? What is Peter calling us to do because of this? What seems to be the hardest of these for Christians to "rid themselves of"?

12. It seems that Peter is telling us "the rules" for Christianity. How can we make sure we're "born again" and not "self-righteous" in following the rules

13. How can craving "spiritual milk" help us live like we're born again? How does being born again tie into being holy?

14. What will you do to show that you've "tasted that the Lord is good"?

OPEN: Who is it that you have a hard time submitting to or respecting?

Read 1 Peter 2:13-25

1. What are the full ramifications of "submitting to every authority instituted among men"? When is it difficult?

2. How does our doing good silence the foolish? Why should we show respect to everyone? When is this difficult?

3. Since none of us our slaves here, how can we relate to verse 18?

4. Peter tells us that we may have to suffer for good, but how does our suffering compare to verses 22 & 23?

5. What is Peter trying to tell us should be our motivation for being holy and different than the world?

Read 1 Peter 3:1-12

6. Do you notice a problem in the first century church that hasn't changed much in the 21st century?

7. For the Women: What's the problem we have living by the first few verses in chapter 3?

8. For the Men: How is verse 7 (along with Ephesians 5:22-23 & Colossians 3:18-19 difficult to live by?

9. Peter gives us some final instructions on relationships in verses 8-12. What is the hardest part of this?

Read 1 Peter 5:1-10

10. Who are the elders? Who are the "young men"? Which category do you fall into most of the time?

11 Peter gives us more instructions on living holy. What are they? Which are the most difficult for you?

12. Do you seem more like an alien in the eyes of those who watch you or one of the guys?

13. How can living by these passages we read today make us seem like aliens here on earth?

Coming in 2012 . . . .

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