Week 10 Message

March 30, 2023

Week Ten

“Growing Strong Through Adversity”

1 Peter 5:8-14

Vs. 8-9 The attacks of the devil

Vs. 10 How God’s grace works in our lives

Vs. 11 God’s glory

Vs. 12-14 Concluding notes

Discussion Questions

1. What do you think of when you think of the devil attacking you?

2. How does faith combat the attacks of the devil? (What does this tell you about the nature of his attacks?)

3. How does knowing that others are suffering give you strength when under attack?

4. Peter says that God’s grace in suffering can perfect (complete) us, establish (make us sturdy), strengthen (give us the ability to keep moving) and settle us (or keep us calm.) Which of these qualities do you feel the greatest need for at this time in your life?

5. Why is it important to remember that God’s glory and dominion are forever?

6. Peter refers to the “true grace of God in which we stand.” Have you ever seen a fake grace of God?

7. Peter closes his letter by imputing a blessing of peace. Why was it important that this would be his last word to them?

8. What lasting impression are you taking away from this entire study of First Peter?

Memory Verse: Be prepared to recite 1 Peter 5:10-11 out loud or in your heart during small group.  *Bonus: Also recite 1 Peter 1:13.

Week 9 Message

March 23, 2023

Week Nine

“Being The Church”

1 Peter 5:1-7

Vs. 1-4 Shepherding the flock of God

Vs. 5-6 Submission and humility

Vs. 7 Trusting in His care

Discussion Questions

1. How does spiritual leadership compare to shepherding sheep?

2. Do you think being a shepherd is only for pastors or do you think every mature believer shares this responsibility?

3. What kind of leadership would you see as “not compulsively but willingly?”

4. What does leading for personal gain look like?

5. Who have been some of the mature Christians in your life who set an example that you wanted to follow?

6. What does submission and humility look like in the church? Have you ever seen pride and bullying instead?

7. Is humility a battle for you? Why or why not?

8. How do you cast your cares on God?

Memory Verse: Share 1 Peter 5:10-11 with someone who is going through a hard time.  Share the story below.

Week 8 Message

March 16, 2023

Week Eight

“When We Suffer”

1 Peter 4:12-19

Vs. 12-13 Not surprised by suffering but rejoicing in suffering

Vs. 14 Blessed when under attack

Vs. 15-16 Suffering for the right things or the wrong things?

Vs. 17-18 Judgement begins with God’s people

Vs. 19 Committing our souls to Him in suffering

Discussion Questions

1. Do you sometimes think that if we are doing the right things that we will suffer less? And if I’m suffering, I must have done something wrong?

2. How can we find joy in suffering?

3. When someone is deliberately attacking you how can you find blessing in that?

4. Have you ever suffered because you were making poor choices?

5. How have you suffered when you were doing the right thing, to the best of your ability?

6. In what ways have you seen God judging His own people first?

7. What do you think it means to commit your soul to God? When did you first do this and how do you continue to do it?

8. What is the hardest thing about suffering for you?

Memory Verse: Draw a pictograph (sentence made of pictures) that represents 1 Peter 5:10-11.

Week 7 Message

March 9, 2023

Week Seven

“Living For Others”

1 Peter 4:1-11

Vs. 1-2 Prepared to suffer

Vs. 3-4 The alternative to Godliness (our past)

Vs. 5-6 Everyone is held responsible

Vs. 7 Serious prayer life

Vs. 8-9 Love and hospitality

Vs. 10-11 Using your gifts

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it hard to mentally prepare to suffer?

2. Who were you before you came to know Jesus, or who would you have become had you not come to know Jesus?

3. Verse 6 seems to say that everyone has an informed choice. What questions does this bring to your mind?

4. What does a vital prayer life look like to you?

5. Where do you need to grow in your prayer life?

6. Why do you think love and hospitality, without grumbling, is so important?

7. What do you think your gifts might be and how are you trying to use them?

8. What are you hoping to see God do in your life in the future?

Memory Verse: “But may the God of ____ _______, who called us to His eternal ______ by _________ ________, after you have ____________ a while, _________, __________, ______________, and _________ you.  To Him be the __________ and the _____________ forever and ever.  Amen.”

– 1 Peter 5:10-11 NKJV

Put this verse in your own words below and share what it means to you personally.

Week 6 Message

March 2, 2023

Week Six

“Godliness in the World”

1 Peter 3:13-22

Vs. 13-14 Blessings in suffering

Vs. 15-17 Responding to suffering

Vs. 18-20 Jesus as our example

Vs. 21-22 The symbolism of baptism

Discussion Questions

1. How can suffering lead to blessing? Is there anything in your past that hurt at the time but ended up being a blessing?

2. Verse 15 tells us to be ready to explain to people why we have hope. If someone were to ask you why you are so optimistic, what reasons could you give them as to why you don’t feel hopeless?

3. Peter tells us to share the Lord with people using meekness and fear. Have you ever seen someone share the Lord in a way that lacked meekness? What do you think we should be afraid of?

4. When you are under attack, how can humility be an effective defense?

5. Verse 17 says it is better to suffer for doing good rather than for doing evil. Can you think of a time when you suffered for doing the right thing? How about a time when you suffered for doing something dumb or selfish?

6. If Christ suffered for our sins, why do you think we sometimes have to suffer for them too?

7. What is your guess as to what verses 19-20 mean? (There is no wrong answer. It’s an odd passage.)

8. What, for you, is the key to maintaining hope and optimism while suffering?

Memory Verse: Write out 1 Peter 5:10-11.  Underline and define all the key words below.

Week 5 Message

February 23, 2023

Week Five

“Godliness At Home”

1 Peter 3:1-12

Vs. 1-2 The godly influence of submissive wife

Vs. 3-6 True attractiveness

Vs. 7 The understanding, honoring, praying husband

Vs. 8-12 Mutual compassion in all relationships

Discussion Questions

1. What do you think of when you hear that wives are supposed to submit to their husbands? [Note: The word “submit” (hupotassoe in the Greek) means “to adjust yourself according to.” It doesn’t imply inferiority or surrender.]

2. What adjustments have you had to make to get along with men? How does it work?

3. We all know the lengths we go to in our efforts to look better outwardly. But what does our inward adornment process look like? Why is it so easily neglected?

4. In verse six Peter ties fear in with this whole process. What scares you about these verses?

5. Verse seven says a lot to husbands in just one verse. Men are told to understand, honor (value), be delicate with, share in grace and pray with their wives. Arrange these commandments in your personal priorities for a relationship. Which of these is most important to you and which is least?

6. Verse eight zooms back and talks about all our relationships, and he exhorts us to be unified, mutually compassionate, loving like family, sensitive and to show common courtesy. Which of these are you most lacking from the people in your life? Which of these is most lacking in you?

7. In verses 10-12, which of these reminders do you need the most?

8. Are there ideas in this section that give you hope about your home life?

Memory Verse: Be prepared to recite 1 Peter 1:13 out loud or in your heart during small group.

Notes:

Week 4 Message

February 16, 2023

Week Four

“Treat People with Honor”

1 Peter 2:13-25

Vs. 13-16 Respect government authorities

Vs. 17 Honor all people

Vs. 18-23 Lessons from slavery

Vs. 24 Jesus took our sins

Vs. 25 He is our shepherd

Discussion Questions 

1. Why is it important that we treat leaders with honor and respect? How do you think we are doing on that nowadays?

2. How does doing good silence ignorance?

3. What are some responses to ignorance that don’t work so well?

4. Why does Peter tell slaves to submit to masters? What would’ve happened to them if they did otherwise?

5. What does the suffering of Jesus, without complaint, tell us about our responses to suffering?

6. Was there a time in your life when you were wandering like a lost sheep? How did the Good Shepherd call you back?

7. What is the greatest pain in your life right now? In what way could acceptance of the situation provide hope?

8. Why do we tend to think of hope as the expectation that pain will go away?

Memory Verse: Share 1 Peter 1:13 with someone this week.  Write about how that went below.  

Week 3 Message

February 9, 2023

Week Three

“His Own Special People”

1 Peter 2:1-12

Vs. 1-3 Reject phoniness, receive the Word

Vs. 4-8 Jesus was rejected yet precious. So are we.

Vs. 9-10 We are chosen to be special

Vs. 11-12 Living honorably as pilgrims, leading others to God

Discussion Questions

1. How do all the things listed in verse one steal our hope and get in the way of our growth?

2. Why is the picture of a baby wanting milk so powerful in a spiritual context?

3. What does the phrase “tasted that the Lord is gracious” in verse 3 speak to you? How did you first get a taste of God’s grace?

4. Have you ever felt worthless and discarded? How does seeing that God sees you as precious impact that?

5. God chose you. How does it feel to be described as “His own special person?”

6. We are called “sojourners and pilgrims” in verse in verse 11. How does that description resonate with you?

7. Why would lust be inconsistent with being a pilgrim or traveler? (Have you ever packed too much stuff for a vacation?)

8. How can our conduct attract those who haven’t yet believed in Jesus? What kind of behavior or attitudes can drive them away?

Memory Verse: Draw a pictograph (sentence made of pictures) that represents 1 Peter 1:13.

Week 2 Message

February 2, 2023

Week Two

“Living Up to Our Inheritance”

1 Peter 1:13-25

Vs. 13          Our hope is in God’s grace

Vs. 14-17     Taking our behavior seriously

Vs. 18-21     We are precious and valued

Vs. 22          Love with purity

Vs. 23-25     Living by the eternal Word of God

Discussion Questions

1. How does the grace of God make us mentally stronger?

2. How does a lack of hope lead to sloppy or self-destructive behavior?

3. Verse 17 refers to fear. What do you think he is saying we should be afraid of?

4. Verse 18 refers to “aimless conduct.” Why do we so often live aimlessly, without intention or purpose?

5. What does the resurrection tell us about our daily lives?

6. We are told to love with a pure heart. What other kinds of love are there?

7. Why is the Word of God so crucial in giving us hope?

8. How do you incorporate God’s Word into your daily life?

Memory Verse:  ” Therefore, ______ up the _______ of your _________, be __________ and rest your _______ fully upon the ________ that is to be brought to you at the ____________ of ________   __________.”

 -1 Peter 1:13 NKJV

Put this verse in your own words below and share what it means to you personally.

Week 1 Message

Introduction

Simon Peter was one of the most fascinating characters in the Bible. He was a fisherman who became a disciple of Jesus, who was then hugely instrumental in leading the early church. He is mentioned in the Gospels more than anyone else other than Jesus Himself. He often put his foot in his mouth (Jesus once called him “Satan”), he publicly denied knowing Jesus when He was taken to be killed, but he was also the one who initially tried to defend Jesus with a sword when He was being taken. He was also the only one who walked on water with Jesus. Jesus committed Peter personally with feeding His sheep before He ascended into heaven, and Peter was chosen to be the first Christian evangelist on the day the Holy Spirit was given, as he preached to thousands of people in Jerusalem. Later he also became the first to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles.

But with all Peter’s highs and lows, the thing that maybe stands out the most about him is that he is real. You never had to wonder what he was thinking. He might offend you at times, and he was far from perfect, but he didn’t beat around the bush, and he didn’t leave you guessing. With Peter, what you see is what you get. And that makes him a refreshing character.  And in the midst of reality, Peter never gave up hope. We need his reality and hope today.

Peter wrote this book of First Peter probably more than 30 years after Jesus ascended. It reflects decades of experience as a leader in the church. Paul was likely already dead by this time, after having written probably 14 books of the New Testament and having established churches throughout Asia Minor and Greece. Now Peter is writing to a church that is in crisis. Persecution is spreading throughout the Roman Empire and the Christians are being scattered. These were difficult times. And when you find yourself in difficult times, and your beliefs are increasingly contrary to modern culture, and you are being blamed for everything that’s wrong in the world, it really helps to get some real talk from a real person who’s seen a lot, will tell it like it is, and can help you find a reason for hope.

Peter is a voice we need today. As we are surrounded by a collapsing culture, and we see even those who claim to follow Jesus imitating the phoniness of the world, Peter gives us a perspective we need. We need hope more than ever before. Lots of people offer hope that isn’t based in reality. They tell us what we want to hear but offer a short term hope based on delusions. So let’s spend the next ten weeks listening and learning from the real Peter, telling us about a genuine living hope.

January 26, 2023

Week One

“Our Rich Inheritance”

1 Peter 1:1-12

Vs. 1-2 Our identity- pilgrims disbursed but chosen by a Triune God.

Vs. 3-5 Our hope is in our inheritance

Vs. 6-8 Trials test our joy

Vs. 9-12 We are a fulfillment of prophecy

Discussion Questions 

1. When in your life have you felt most like a pilgrim? Like you didn’t really fit in?

2. How does being rejected by others give us more of an appreciation that we were chosen by God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and Jesus?

3. What have you inherited in your life? How did it affect you, positively and negatively?

4. What will you inherit from God? What does that mean to you now?

5. Have you ever seen someone go through trials and maintain their joy?

6. Have you ever gone through a trial that sucked the joy right out of you? If so, how did you recover?

7. What would we become if our joy was never tested, and we never went through trials?

8. How does it make you feel to know that you are personally a fulfillment of God’s divine plan throughout history?

Memory Verse:  Print 1 Peter 1:13 below.  Underline and define all the keywords.