— Watch the overview of 1 Peter by the Bible Project
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/1-peter/?utm_source=web_social_share&medium=shared_video
— Read 1 Peter 1
1.What does this text tell you about the character of God? Where do you see God’s love at work in the midst of these verses? What section or verses in the text speak most personally to you?
How do you see a maturity in the life of Peter from when you first met him in the Gospels to reading this letter?
2. Who is the letter written to, and why does Peter write it?
3. Peter says we’ve been given three things.
- a new family centered around Jesus,
- a new identity as God’s beloved children
- a new hope of a world reborn by God’s love when Jesus returns as King.
4. What do these gifts mean to you in your everyday ordinary life? How do these gifts encourage you in seasons of struggle or suffering? How are you growing in these three gifts?
— Reflect on verse 3-12 and answer the following questions
5. What would suffering have looked like for these first Christians?
6. How would they be encouraged by reading these words from Peter?
7. In what ways have you seen the truths of these verses encourage you in the midst of suffering?
8. In your own words, define “salvation.” How is your salvation being lived out in your world?
9. Notice the language in verse 9, Peter writes, “You are receiving.” What does Peter mean by this phrase specifically as it relates to your salvation?
— Reflect on the phrase, “This salvation” (10) and on the comments of J.D. Walt
This salvation doesn’t begin with original sin but with original glory. It doesn’t begin with the fall from grace but the glory of Eden. It doesn’t begin with the problem of sin but with the power of God. Before there was ever a sinner there was already a Savior.
This salvation does not just save sinners from the penalty of sin, it delivers saints from the power of sin. This salvation is a comprehensive, full-throated, sin has lost its power and death has lost its sting.
This salvation recognizes you are created in the image of Almighty God. Darkness corrupted and sin distorted this image beyond recognition, but grace restores it utterly and completely.
This salvation is not merely a spiritual solution. This salvation is the totalizing cure, as in the blind see, deaf hear, lame walk, lepers cleansed, dead raised, poor hear good news.Verse 12 references the Holy Spirit and His active work in the life of all believers. Look back on the past week, where have you seen and experienced the Holy Spirit at work in you, and how have you experienced Him at work through you?
— Reflect on verse 13-21
10. In your own words define “holiness.” What does Peter mean when he says, “be holy in all you do.”
11. Describe the difference between an “empty way of life” and a life of holiness.
12. How are you learning to grow in the holiness that has already been given to you? How does being holy affect your obedience?
— Read 1 Peter 22-25 and John 15.9-13
13. How do you see Peter’s words advocating for us to live out the words of Jesus?
14. Peter says, “Love one another deeply, from the heart.” What does it feel like when someone loves you “deeply?” What does it cost you to love someone “from your heart?”
