Understanding Submission

Understanding Submission     1 Peter 3:1

1.    What did you learn from this scripture passage?

2.    Why is submission such a divisive topic for this generation?

3.    What influences in your life have shaped how you view the word “submission”?

4.    How does the biblical submission taught here differ from other terms such as “domination” or “dictatorship”?

5.    How does the Trinity show that women can have a different role than men, while still being equal?

6.    Wives: How can you customize your submission to your husband?

7.    Husbands: How does your wife complete you? What inadequacies and areas of weakness does she fill?

8.    Singles: Are you submitting to Christ’s rule in your life now?

In My Place

In My Place     1 Peter 2:23-25  

Outline:

Christ’s Example: our perfect Standard in suffering (21-22)

Christ’s Atonement: our perfect Substitute in suffering (23-24)

Christ’s Guarding: our perfect Shepherd in suffering (25)

Application:

1.     Why is following the footprints of Jesus more than a sentimental poem or song about making the pathway glow? How does v. 23 show that His footprints are often bloody?

2.     When Jesus suffered on the cross, He didn’t use His words to retaliate against those who were hurting Him (v. 23). How are you tempted to use your words to complain or retaliate when you’re suffering?

3.     Jesus committed Himself to God, literally, He kept committing Himself to the Father for safekeeping (v. 23). How can you commit yourself and the outcome of your suffering to God?

4.     Peter calls God “Him who judges righteously: (v. 23). What are some examples of ways you have/could be wronged? How can you hand the vengeance over to God? How will that affect your life?

5.     Why is it important to see both truths in v. 24: that Jesus is an Example to follow in His steps and a Substitute who died in our place? Which truth do you tend to focus on? How could you live out the other truth?

6.     Why is the idea of God having wounds blasphemy to a Muslim, but precious to a Christian?

7.     As the Loving Shepherd of our soul, Christ not only pursues us, He calls us to repent and return to Him (v. 25). What are areas in your life where you find yourself needing to repent and return to the Shepherd of your soul?

8.     “In my place” means you’re liberated from the guilt of sin, but the call to walk “in His steps” means you’re liberated from the power of sin. How do these truths increase, not reduce, the good news of the Gospel?

9.     Pastor shared a story that tries to visualize Christ’s substitutionary atonement. How does meditating on Christ’s crosswork help us fight sin and endure suffering?

Loving Rahab (Pastor Dave Smith)

“Loving Rahab” (Pastor Dave Smith)

Hebrews 11:31

Application Questions:

1. Why is Rahab’s faith (Hebrews) and her works (James) mentioned specifically in the NT? Why are both (her faith & works) critical to knowing her full story?

2. How do you think Rahab is thought of today by most Christians?

3. How many women or girls do you know with the name Rahab? Why do you think that is?

4. Why do you think that both Hebrews and James include the title “harlot” when referring to Rahab? Do you think the authors’ intent was a negative reflection of her past sin or a positive reflection of God’s work of grace in her life?

5. Of the many godly women in the OT, why do you think Rahab is specifically honored to be in the lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:5), in the faith hall of fame (Hebrews 11:31) and honored in James (2:25) for her works?

6. What stands out about the 4 women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, & Bathsheba) mentioned by name in the lineage of Christ in Matthew 1?

7. What are ways that we can creatively engage those in our community who have never been to church?

8. What are some appropriate expectations in loving, evangelizing and discipling those who have been scarred deeply by sin and have not grown up in Christian homes and in a Christian culture?

Acceptable Worship (Pastor Jeriel Ontoy)

John 4:20-26

Pastor Ontoy

Problem: We do not worship properly. 

Proposition: We must worship the right God the right way. 

Questions:

 1)    What stood out to you from today’s sermon? Was there a new idea or good reminder that you needed to hear?

2)    How does knowing that worship is not confined to one location impact how you live Monday-Saturday?

3)    What are some false gods you are tempted to worship?

4)    How does this passage help you redirect your worship to the true God?

5)    What do you think about the question “What did you get out of the service today?” Is it a good question to ask? Are there any dangers embedded into it?

6)    By God’s grace, what area(s) do you need to work on: worshiping in spirit? Truth? Both?

7)    How will you seek to develop in those areas?

8)    Worship requires knowing God. How are you planning on getting to know God better this week?

In His Steps

In His Steps 1 Pet. 2:21-22

1.    What did the Holy Spirit teach you from this passage?

2.    Where are some places in scripture where we see God’s people suffering?

3.    Where are places in your own life where you or God’s people have suffered?

4.    How could the Health and Wealth Prosperity Gospel discourage genuine believers?

5.    How could a “gospel” that promises health or wealth or prosperity elicit false conversions?

6.    What is an area of your life where God may be calling you to follow in Christ’s steps even if it means suffering (v. 21)?

7.    Peter tells Christians we are called by God to suffer unjustly (v. 21). How does that reconcile with your view of God?

8.    How have you experienced that in your life?

9.    Why is it easy to respond sinfully (v. 22) when you’re suffering?

Grace in Suffering

Grace in Suffering               1 Pet. 2:19-20

Hope in Trials

1.     What did the Holy Spirit teach you from this passage?

2.     Why is it challenging to go through suffering?

3.     Why is it even more challenging when you suffer for doing what is right?

4.     What are examples of unjust suffering for doing right in your context?

5.     What are examples of just suffering?

6.     Why do you think Christians will suffer more unjust persecution for doing right in America?

7.     How can you be conscious of God in your suffering?

8.     Why is it significant that charis (lit. “grace”) appears in v. 19 and v. 20?

9.     How does God’s giving grace to those who suffer unjustly connect to the truth found in 1 Peter 5:5-6 and James 4:6-7?

When You Work for a Jerk

When You Work for a Jerk   1 Pet. 2:18  

1.     What did the Holy Spirit teach you from this passage?

2.     Have you had someone tell you that the Bible condones slavery?

3.     How does this sermon help you answer that accusation?

4.     What’s an example of a time when a person in authority over you was harsh, mean or unjust?

5.     What was it like having to be under that kind of authority?

6.     How was it easier to submit when a person in authority over you was kind, pleasant and fair.

7.     In what ways does submitting to an unreasonable authority give you a better opportunity to reflect Christ?

8.     How does that kind of submission prove the transformational power of the Gospel?

9.     How does realizing your work is ultimately for the Lord (Eph. 6:5-7) help you submit even when your boss is a jerk?

Navigating Allegiances

Navigating Allegiances          Pastor Crockett          1 Pet. 2:15-17 

1.     In what ways would freedom in Christ encourage a believer who is being persecuted or unjustly deprived of freedoms?

2.     Are there areas where you tend to abuse your freedom in Christ and take advantage of God’s grace? What are those areas?

3.     What is the relationship between restraining your freedoms and maintaining your witness?

4.     Are there areas of your life that you haven’t yielded to Christ? What steps can you take today to live according to the demands of your true Lord?

5.     Are there specific people, or categories of people that you find it difficult to respect? How does that typically manifest itself in your actions and attitudes?

6.     How would your attitude change, if you thought, “This is someone made in God’s image”?

7.     Do you find that sometimes loving those in your church family is harder than loving unbelievers? If so, why do you think that is?

8.     How do you define the fear of God? What does that phrase mean?

9.     How can you express disagreement and still obey God’s command to respect authority? 

Christians and Government

Christians and Government Pastor Josh Crockett 1 Pet. 2:13-14

1. In Genesis 1, how do we see that authority is God’s idea?

2. In verse 13, what is the first reason given for our submission?

3. How does this principle influence your understanding of submission?

4. Who should you submit to? In what ways can you do this?

5. Why should you submit?

6. How do we differentiate submitting to God and submitting to people? In other words, when does submitting to God take precedence over submitting to people?

7. What are some examples of this?

8. What did God reveal to you in this passage?

9. Is there anything that applies directly to you or to someone you know? How can you take aim at changing a negative behavior in a biblical way?

Influencing Those Around You

Influencing Those Around You Pastor Josh Crockett 1 Peter 2:11-12

1. What did the Holy Spirit convict or encourage you about in this passage?

2. How can a “dearly beloved” salutation (11) encourage a healthier discussion between believers

3. If we are strangers and pilgrims (11), how does that affect our conformity to the culture around us?

4. What are some fleshly lusts (desires, passions) that war against your soul?

5. How could your desire for a clean house, success in the workplace, or academic success go from being a good thing to a ruling thing in your life?

6. How are you tempted to make sins your pets, rather than make war with sin?

7. How does Satan use our own desires to devour and destroy us?

8. Why should we try to rescue (point to our Savior) the ones who speak against us and call us evildoers? Why is that hard?

9. How are the world’s priorities often upside down?

You are Valuable to God

You are Valuable to God Pastor Crockett 1 Pet. 2:9-10

1. What are some things the world tells you about your self-image?

2. As priests we enjoy God’s presence (5, 9). Why is this access important?

3. In the OT, who was the only one who had access to God? And how long did this last?

4. Why do we not need a priest or human mediator to have access to God?

5. Why does the privilege of access as a priest also bring the responsibility to serve?

6. As God’s people, we are His possession. Why is important to belong?

7. Being God’s people has the privilege of belonging, but what responsibility does it bring?

8. Your self-image was forged in darkness but is now defined by the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (9). How does that change how you view yourself?

9. Why are you valuable to God?

The Stumbling Stone

The Stumbling Stone (1 Pet. 2:6-8)

1.    What did the Holy Spirit convict or encourage you about in this passage?

2.    What does it mean for you to count Christ the Cornerstone as more precious than anything else? What does it look like in your everyday life to treasure Jesus above all else?

3.    If you reject Christ as your Cornerstone, what will He become to you? What does that mean?

4.    Have you found your place in the Church— the spiritual house that God is building?

5.    Are you an active member being built up in God’s spiritual house? Are you committed to one another? Are you serving one another?

6.    Instead of being connected to one another, it’s easy to become frustrated with other living stones in the church because of their rough edges, but what is God doing to their rough edges and ours as He fits us together for His spiritual house?

7.    Are you making Christ your cornerstone? Are you building your whole life on Him? Your marriage, your family, your job, your finances, your reputation?

The Cornerstone

The Cornerstone Pastor Josh Crockett 1 Peter 2:4-5

1. Do you ever feel “rejected by men” (4), not “acceptable to God” (5), or “put to shame” (6)?

2. What is significant about the fact that Peter calls Christ the living Stone (4)?

3. How do you think Christians will experience persecution and rejection (4)?

4. What does Peter mean that Christ is the Cornerstone (6, 7)?

5. What does it mean to “believe on Him” (6, 7)?

6. How can you tell that you’re truly believing on Christ?

7. How can you know your spiritual sacrifices will be acceptable to God (5)?

8. What does it mean that you can come boldly into God’s throne room not only because you have a High Priest (Heb. 4:16), but because you are a holy priest (5)?

9. What does Jesus say about how our union with Him affects the Father’s love for us (John 17:23)?

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Diet for Healthy Growth (Audio)

Diet for Healthy Growth  Pastor Crockett     1 Pet. 2:1-3

1.    What did the Holy Spirit convict or encourage you about in this passage?

2.    What are some reasons you can be tempted to quit growing spiritually?

3.    Why do you think it’s important to put off the old to put on the new?

4.    Is there someone in your life that you wish ill toward?

5.    Why is it easy for religious people (Miriam & Aaron, Joseph’s brothers, religious leaders in Jesus’ day) to envy?

6.    Why are we tempted to gossip (bear bad news behind someone’s back out of a bad heart)?

7.    Why does Peter command us to desire (crave) the pure milk of the Word?

8.    Why doesn’t Peter command his audience to “read your Bible every day”? What implications does that have for us?

9.    What’s the connection between your horizontal relationships with others and your vertical relationship with God (tasting His goodness)?

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Loving Each Other

Loving Each Other                 Pastor Crockett          1 Pet. 1:22                  

1.     Why is it tempting to become self-focused and forget about others when you’re suffering?

2.     How does having the same Father cause us to love each other as brothers?

3.     Why are churches often full of sibling rivalry instead of brotherly love?

4.     Do you tend to err on the side of Love or Truth? How can you mature in being balanced between the two like the Apostle John became?

5.     What are ways that we can demonstrate insincere love?

6.     How can the community of a small group allow you to show sincere love?

7.     How is Agape love different than Philadelphia love?

8.     Why is fervent love (love that stretches) necessary to cover a multitude of sins according to 1 Pet. 4:8?

9.     If biblical love is not sentimental sappiness, then what is it?

Hope in the Resurrection

Hope in the Resurrection       Pastor Crockett          1 Pet. 1:20-21

1.     What are some reasons you think people are losing hope?

2.     What are ways you are tempted to evaluate your worth using the culture’s standards?

3.     How does knowing God’s plan of redemption was before the foundation of the world increase your hope?

4.     How does being the object of God’s redemption (“for you,” v. 20) give you a sense of value?

5.     If the ransom paid for your soul is so precious, what does that say about how God values you?

6.     Why could the symbol of Christianity be the empty tomb, even more than the cross (1 Pet. 1:3; Rom. 10:9)?

7.     What does it look like to put your faith in God (v. 21)? When’s the last time you invited someone to do that?

8.     What are ways you can look to the Resurrection for your living hope, instead of losing hope this week?

9.     What are ways you can remind yourself of your value in Christ this week? Consider the stanzas to the hymn “My Worth is not in What I Own.”

Redeemed by Blood

Redeemed by Blood Pastor Josh Crockett 1 Peter 1:18-19

1. What did the Holy Spirit convict or encourage you about in this passage?

2. How much do value money and wealth?

3. How much of your life has been formed by traditions? How can we sometimes conflate tradition with biblical truth?

4. As you think about being redeemed by Christ’s precious blood, what do you truly value? If you look at your attitudes and actions, what do you value as precious?

5. Why is the idea of blood atonement abhorrent to many in 21st-century Western culture?

6. Where do we see the importance of blood atonement throughout scripture? Look up these passages: Gen. 3:21; Exodus 12; Isaiah 53; Acts 20:28.

7. How does understanding atonement as making a relationship “at one” explain a cosmic consequence for defying the eternal Creator?

8. Why is it more important that you’ve been covered by the blood of Jesus than that your life is perfect, or your bills are paid, or everybody likes you, or you avoid sickness and suffering?

Hope-Giving Fear

Pastor Crockett - 1 Pet. 1:17
In his article The Fear Of The Lord: Seeing God As He Is, Sinclair Ferguson defines the Fear of God as...

(1) a consciousness of being in the presence of True Greatness and Majesty; (2) a thrilling sense of privilege; (3) an overflow of respect and admiration; and perhaps supremely, (4) a sense that His opinion about my life is the only thing that really matters. To someone who fears God, His fatherly approval means everything, and the loss of it is the greatest of all griefs.

1. How is this Fear of God different than the anxious dread or terror of God that we see in passages like Gen. 3:10; Ex. 14:31; Rom. 3:18?

2. How does viewing God as your Father (17a) motivate a fear of God that gives you hope in God?

3. We may think of love for God and fear of God as incompatible. But how could that change if we viewed fear of God as “love plus respect”?

4. God is an impartial judge seeing us “without a mask.” What are some masks that you’re tempted to put up (tough & intimidating, nicer & better, that you have everything together)?

5. If the Bible makes it clear we’re saved based on Christ’s crosswork, not on our own works, how can we be expecting a day of judgment?

6. What’s the difference between the Great White Throne and the Bema Seat?

7. 1 Cor. 3:11-15 describes some Christians’ life’s work being reduced to ashes. What is this referring to?

8. Why should the fear of God diminish your fear of man (Matt. 10:28)

9. What do you think John Newton’s line in Amazing Grace means “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved.”? And how could you apply it to your life?

HOPE AND HOLINESS

Hope and Holiness Pastor Josh Crockett 1 Pet. 1:13-16

1. How does Satan try to trip up your mind to take you out spiritually?

2. How can you “gird up the loins of your mind” (v. 13) or prepare yourself mentally for spiritual battle?

3. What does it look like to put on the belt of truth (Eph. 6:14)?

4. Why do you have to be sober to have spiritual discernment?

5. What are desires that you can give into, that cause you to ignore your spiritual discernment?

6. How does your hope in Christ’s return help you through current trials (v. 13)?

7. If you knew Christ would return at the end of next month, how would that change your present behavior? Give concrete examples.

8. Why can pursuing holiness out of guilt cause further problems?

9. Why should looking like your Father cause you to pursue holiness?

Our Great Salvation

Our Great Salvation       Pastor Crockett      1 Pet. 1:10-12

1.     Do you ever wish God would speak directly to you like He did to the prophets? What would you want to know if He spoke to you like that?

2.     How can His revealed Word address that same question?

3.     Why is it important to understand that God’s grace comes down to you, and you don’t lift yourself up to deserve it?

4.     Though the prophets did not have a complete picture of God’s plan of redemption, how did they exemplify living “by faith” (Hebrews 11)? 

5.     What are specific ways your salvation is great?

6.     Why should you be grateful, not bored or disinterested, in your salvation?

7.     Why is it ironic that so many are fascinated by the spirit world and angelic beings?

8.     How do we see that God’s plan is not to promote perfect people, but to come down to sinful, broken people who are in the dark and give them grace?

9.     What are some ways that you are sinful and broken? How do you receive God’s grace?