1 Peter 1:3 – "He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
1 Peter 1:13 – "Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
1 Peter 1:21 – "Your faith and hope are in God."
On the side of the stage before I went up to preach, I came up with some last minute practical points and discussion questions for the thousands of people in community groups who will be talking about the sermon this week. Since they were last minute, I wanted to put them and some other information in this blog to be helpful. Here are the main points of the sermon, followed by each applicable discussion question:
#1. I can be a wise learner (1 Peter 1:13).
"Therefore, preparing your minds for action . . ."
These are the five ways I gave to increase one’s learning:
Discussion Question: What do you need to learn right now?
#2. I can be a sober thinker (1 Peter 1:13).
". . . and being sober-minded..."Discussion Question: What clouds your decision-making or judgment?
#3. I can be a grace seeker (1 Peter 1:13).
". . . set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."Discussion Question: Where is God’s grace evident in your life?
#4. I can be a holy worshiper (1 Peter 1:14–16).
"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’"Discussion Question: How are you not like Dad?
#5. I can be a ransomed sinner (1 Peter 1:17–19).
"And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."Discussion Question: What are your shackles?
#6. I can be a legacy leaver (1 Peter 1:18).
"You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers."Discussion Question: What will your legacy be?
#7. My faith and hope are in God (1 Peter 1:20–21).
"He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."Discussion Question: Are your faith and hope truly in Jesus Christ?
Jesus was a man who claimed to be God. Think on that for a minute. If that were true, how would it change the way you thought, felt, and lived this life?
At Mars Hill, we believe that Jesus is God. We take him at his word. Because of this, everything we do is all about Jesus. We invite you to learn more about this man who is God and how you can find forgiveness and new life in him.
Visiting a church for the first time can be nerve-racking. But having an idea of what to expect can help. There are three main parts to every Sunday service: preaching, worship, and kids. To learn more about each of these, click the links below.
Church is more than a service. It’s people living life together and helping one another throughout our cities to serve our cities. Each week, thousands of people at Mars Hill meet in hundreds of small communities to learn about God, pray, eat, laugh, and live. We call these Community Groups—and they’re the heart of our church.
Jesus is the most generous person who ever lived. He gave his life so that we might live. As Christians, we give our time, talent, and money joyfully in response to Jesus’ generosity and to help more people meet Jesus.
