About This Guide: This weekly groups guide, “Living Hope: Words of Life for Challenging Days — Eight Weeks in First Peter,” is designed as a companion to Living Hope, our Fall 2021 teaching series, fostering discussion, study, and prayer, especially in a group setting. Join a group for a meaningful way to connect to our community.

Introduction

Peter, who has quite a story of his own, is writing to groups of believers scattered across the Roman Empire in modern day Turkey. They are experiencing painful and difficult days. Peter is writing to help them endure and even thrive.

As he opens the letter Peter shows us what many of us will need to hear the most during the challenging times of our life.

A reminder of who we are — the life and future we have in the Gospel of Jesus.
How we can see our pain in the context of a large story — God is not wasting our pain.
How to humbly remember we rarely see the full picture — that we can trust God is at work in our time.

Hope in a Time of Testing

Teaching Text: 1 Peter 1:1-12

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birthinto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Themes

Consider these themes and ask your group what else they see in the passage:

They are scattered and exiled but they are also known and chosen.
Their hope has a foundation and substance that will not falter.
We see the reality of resistance and unpopular concept of testing.

Presence

Practice being present with one another and the presence of God:

Early in your time together, pray “Come Holy Spirit.” Expect that God answers that prayer and be aware of ways God is making it known that He is near.
Eat dinner together, play a game, and laugh.
Ask each other questions about the week, about your childhood, and about the future.
Exercise: Try to be quiet for two minutes as a group together. Repeat a phrase quietly: “You have caused us to be born again to a living hope.”

Formation

Explore these questions for discussion and action:

What stands out to you about the reminders of our identity in Christ?
- Inheritance
- Living hope
- Share in Jesus’ resurrection
How do you react to Peter putting their pain and suffering into the context of a larger story?
What do you think about the idea of God testing us? Is there a way this could be loving?
Are there any possible benefits to us not seeing God at this point in our lives?
Peter says that previous generations longed to experience what was available to those receiving this letter. What do you think are the opportunities available to you in this time of history?
- We rarely see the full picture.
- Think of the things God has positioned you for that are unique to this time of history.
- It is not accident when you were born in the story of the world.
- We have so much grace behind and so much ahead.

Additional thoughts to discuss:

God initiates and holds our faith in his promises that He will not break, but we experience so much of the abundant life God has for us by acting on faith.
God is about filling you with reliable substantial joy that isn’t simply based on a good turn of circumstance.