Today's passage: 1 Peter 5:6-14

Helpful thoughts:

• We are to humble ourselves.  God is the one who does the exalting.
• Anxiety is not hard things happening. Anxiety is how we are thinking about hard things happening.  The reason we can cast our anxieties on God is because He is in the work of caring for us.  He is going to exalt us in the proper time.  Faith in God and in His process (Which includes obedience to His commands) wipes away our anxieties and fears.
• Satan is not the causer of all suffering.  This means:
  • He is not to be blamed for all of our hardships.  Sometimes it is the fault of others.  Sometimes it is our own fault.
  • He is looking for times of weakness, distraction, anger at God, etc. to attack.
  • He can be resisted, even during times of great difficulty.
  • Resisting him will not automatically result in the end of our suffering.
• All suffering is for “A little while” and will be followed by eternity with Christ!
• “Babylon” was most likely a code word for the city of Rome.

Questions to consider:

1. What would be the difference between humility and pride during suffering?  What would they look like?
2. Why would obedience also be a part of exercising faith in God and in His process?  How would that also remove anxiety?
3. What are some ways we could come to understand our enemy better as a result of reading this passage?  How do we sometimes blame him for too much?  Too little?
4. How much of a “Little while” will our suffering feel like after our first 10,000 years in eternity?

Today's passage: 1 Peter 5:1-5

Helpful thoughts:

• Peter exhorts (Comes alongside) elders as a fellow elder and as one who will share in eternity with all of us.  Peter, an apostle (Having “witnessed” Christ), humbles himself first as an example before telling elders to be an example.
• The flock (The church) is God's.  It does not belong to the elder(s).
• Eldering (Or pastoring) is to be accomplished among the flock that is among you.  This passage gives further evidence for the structure of the Local Church.
• Pastors are to exercise oversight.  They are to lead, guard, and feed:
  • Willingly
  • Selflessly
  • Humbly
  • Without intimidation
  • By example
• Every shepherd is under the authority of the Chief Shepherd

Questions to consider:

1. Why is humility so important for godly leadership?  Did Christ come to be served or to…?
2. What might be the reason “younger” people in the flock were singled out in this passage to be submissive to their elders?  What does the word “likewise” in verse 5 point us back to?
3. Why is it so important for pastors to remember that churches do not belong to them nor that the “buck stops” with them?

Today's passage: 1 Peter 4:12-19

Helpful thoughts:

• It wouldn't be strange to endure hardships and persecution.
• Difficulties in this life will make His glory revealed that much sweeter.
• “According to God's will” = Suffering as a Christian, NOT suffering as an evildoer.

Questions to consider:

1. Why might we be surprised by persecution in our time and culture?
2. What does judgment and discipline accomplish for the Christian, since we cannot be condemned? (Romans 8:1, Hebrews 12:3-11)
3. What does it mean to entrust our souls to our Creator?  How does the fact that He is “faithful” make that sound like a good plan?

Today's passage: 1 Peter 4:7-11

Helpful thoughts:

• Jesus Christ is coming again, and we don't know how soon that might be.
• Having control of your thoughts and thinking rightly are critical for prayer.
• Every command in verses 8-11 are for me to bless others with and sourced by God…and for His glory.

Questions to consider:

1. How does looking to God for all my strength and looking to others for opportunities to serve keep me from being consumed with how I am being treated (Persecution)?  How would that help you to remain self-controlled and sober-minded?
2. Whose love covers a multitude of sins?  Does this passage encourage us to ignore people's sin or to love them even when they sin against us?  What are some ways we could mix up this verse and its application to others' detriment?
3. How does the promise of God's glory and eternal dominion give you rest and joy?

Today's passage: 1 Peter 4:1-6

Helpful thoughts:

• Again, Christ is our example and precedent for persevering through suffering.
• Even if we were to suffer in the flesh as Christ did (Unto death), it would result in complete freedom from sin.
• The will of God in this passage is referring to God's revealed will in Scripture.  We already know how He intends for us to live because He has given us His sufficient Scripture.
• The Bible really does talk about when people make fun of us because we don't participate in their parties.
• “…preached, even to those who are dead.” is referring to those who had heard the Gospel, believed and perished before Peter's audience had received this letter.  They were again being reminded that upon death, life continues right on with the Lord.

Questions to consider:

1. What different levels of suffering are mentioned in this passage?  What seems the least worrisome?  Which seems the most severe?
2. Why is it hard to sympathize with the original audience of this epistle?  How would your priorities and thoughts concerning others be affected if this letter had been sent to you originally and you personally knew people who had been martyred?
3. How does our view of God, eternity and judgment help us to overcome whatever level of persecution that may come our way?

Today's passage: 1 Peter 3:18-22

Helpful thoughts:

• Christ set the example of suffering unjustly, on our behalf and as a result of our sin.
• There are demons who were:
  • Wickedly acting in a specific way at a specific time (e.g. Genesis 6:1-2).
  • Imprisoned for their wickedness (2 Peter 2:4)
  • Told by Jesus Himself that they had lost, and He was victorious!
• The word “Baptize” means immerse, so:
  • Noah and his families were NOT immersed in the water.  They were immersed in the ark and saved from the water.
  • The ark pictures Christ!  Therefore, the immersion that saves us is our immersion into Christ.
  • Peter emphasizes that he is NOT talking about water baptism by saying “Not as a removal of dirt from the body…”

Questions to consider:

1. How are we able to be saved?  What had to be done?  Who did the work?
2. Some people ask if Jesus went to hell after He died on the cross?  What does this passage teach us?  What was His purpose?  Where did Jesus say He was going to be the same day He died in Luke 23:43?  Was He suffering for three days or did He make a quick visit to make an important announcement?
3. Can you see why some people think this passage teaches we have to get baptized in water to get saved?  Why is that interpretation wrong?  How could you answer this question with gentleness and respect?

Today's passage: 1 Peter 3:8-17

Helpful thoughts:

• Do good to people, even if they aren't good to you.
• If you want to live a life free from fighting and animosity, pursue peace, kindness and righteousness.  This could be especially applicable in our day in regards to social media and comment sections on news sites.
• Three keys to being a good witness:
  • Christ should be set apart and revered above everything else in our lives.
  • We should be ready and able to give a defense of our faith.
  • We should give that defense with gentleness and respect.

Questions to consider:

1. How does our desire and effort to do good to others, regardless of how we are treated, free us up to enjoy life?  How does that lifestyle mimic Christ?
2. What motivates us to be rude with others during discussions (Religious, Political, etc.)?
3. Is it more important for me to have freedom on this earth and avoid all persecution, or to give another what they need to know to have eternal freedom/life?
4. Why does set Christ apart from and above everything matter so much?  If Jesus isn't the most important person to me, how will that effect my responses and actions when other pressures/temptations come?

 

Today's passage: 1 Peter 3:1-7

Helpful thoughts:

• There are various imperfect relationships that we are called to submit to within in these passages.  Marriage is included in that list.
• An unbelieving husband will not be won to the Lord with external physical beauty, but with internal humble godliness.
• This counsel is being given to women who are specifically under the pressure of ungodly leadership from their husbands.
  • Sarah's example of submission should make us think of the episodes where Abraham told her to say she was his sister! (Genesis 12:10-20 & Genesis 20:1-18)
• A husband who takes advantage of his wives' responsibility to be submissive (Treating her as if she is inferior) will not be heard by God when he prays.

Questions to consider:

1. Why is it often so hard for women to commit to the idea of submission?  What is inevitably, eventually, going to happen with an imperfect man leading in the home?
2. Why is it often too easy for a man to misuse, abuse, or even abandon the leadership role he has been given?
3. How could the counsel to “Not let your adorning to be external” or of the “beauty of a quiet and gentle spirit” be misused?  Why is it wrong to use this passage to tell women they shouldn't wear make-up or be allowed to speak their mind?  Is it possible to speak your mind and still be submissive?  What would that look like?
4. Who must women see as their example in submitting to imperfect leadership? (Hint: Go back and read 1 Peter 2:21-25)

Today's passage: 1 Peter 2:13-25

Helpful thoughts:

• God has ordained government to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.
• Christians are free from the bondage of sin and therefore willing and able to serve the Lord, honor and love others and submit to authority.
• Being punished for a crime, for sin, is not suffering.  Being treated poorly for following Jesus is suffering, and it's what God has called us to do.

Questions to consider:

1. For who's sake should we submit to our authorities?
2. Since Christ is our example in suffering, how should we respond when the world might try to persecute us?
3. What does “By His wounds you have been healed” mean in this context?  Is that phrase meant to be applied to physical healing?  From what have we been healed?

Today's passage: 1 Peter 2:9-12

Helpful thoughts:

• The world disobeys the word (Rejects the Gospel/Christ) and therefore is destined for destruction.  But Christians are a chosen people, set apart.
• In verse 9-10, Peter brings us to thoughts of glory and marvelous light, then in verse 11-12, we come back down to earth.
  • We are a royal priesthood and a holy nation!
  • And, we are sojourners and exiles.
• The world will speak of us as evil doers.  It says, “when”, not “if”.  But have no fear, the world is not our judge.

Questions to consider:

1. Christians, what are we set apart for?  What is our purpose?
2. Are the names given to us (A race, the priesthood, a nation, etc.) singular in nature or plural in nature?  How should this effect the way we view our involvement in the church?
3. How does thinking vertically, and thinking forward (Our God-given identity, purpose, and future), help us to rightly view the world around us and our role in it?