A precious faith. What is precious about the faith that Christ gives us? How long could we survive without that faith? For how much of that time would we be happy? How do we learn to love God? What are the elements of faith that make it possible to love Him? Can you and I, sinful … [Click to read more …]
Peter’s Love for Jesus. No doubt you remember reading in the Bible the story of Peter’s reprehensible attitude when he spat out the words (NIV), “I don’t know Him,” and, a little later when he grumped, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” in reference to his association with Jesus. Now, centuries later, we remember … [Click to read more …]
Jobs for servants. Suppose you saw a notice that read, “Wanted: Servant for soul-winning program at Adventist church.” What would you expect a “servant” to do for the soul-winning program? Has the church you attend ever had a pastor you believe filled the role of “servant” as Peter wrote about in his day? Would you apply … [Click to read more …]
Persecution for the Christian: coming? going? or always there? When things are going great and you feel good–really good–does the idea of being persecuted for being a Christian have any appeal? In the New Testament book we’ve named 1 Peter, how real was persecution to the early Christian believers? Why do you think Peter felt that … [Click to read more …]
Being of “One Mind.” Wouldn’t it be great if we all had the same opinions, the same talents, the same outlook on life and all of its components? “No!” You are probably saying, “That would be boring, useless, and just plain awful.” Of course Peter didn’t advocate deadly uniformity, but what was he talking about when … [Click to read more …]
1. Fervent Love. It’s not enough to tolerate or get along with or even to like our brothers and sisters in Christ. What do we need in our relationship with fellow believers? What does Peter suggest we need when dealing with difficult people? Do the principles of “getting along” translate as agreeing with everything the government … [Click to read more …]
Royal Priesthood. Do you cringe from Peter’s using language appropriate for the Jewish people of the Old Testament and applying it to us today? Are you proud to be a “Gentile believer in Jesus”? Or do you think of yourself as a person with a Jewish theological background who has accepted Jesus as Saviour? What key responsibility … [Click to read more …]
To the Exiles. What were Peter’s credentials for writing the two books in the New Testament that bear his name? Does Peter identify “exiles” as his primary audience as your lesson guide does? Scholars still debate whether Peter was writing to a Jewish or to a Gentile audience. What do you think? As a modern-day … [Click to read more …]
The Person of Peter. Would Peter be a well-liked member of your congregation? What kind of a character was he? How can his mistakes help you and me in our life’s struggles? Was Peter a born leader? Are you ready to walk with Peter for the next several weeks as we consider the path he left … [Click to read more …]
Concluding our Study on the Holy Spirit. Have you gained spiritual blessings from this quarter’s presentations on the Holy Spirit? Share some of these blessings with your class. What is the specific work of the Holy Spirit that we have not covered so far in this first quarter study? What special meaning does the word, parakletos, have … [Click to read more …]
