Trust, Grow, Be Faithful

NEW SCHOOL

SUFFERING & STAGNATION:  PERPETUAL GOSPEL CHALLENGES

 1 Peter: Trust in Suffering

        A Passing World, A Living Hope

            Taste and See!: A Light and High Beauty

         Refined by Fire

            Moving Forward by Letting Go

            Displaying the Infinite Value of Christ

 2 Peter: Growing in Grace

        Obedience: Burden or Blessing?

            Old Corruption, New Fruitfulness

       False Teachers: Peddlers of Counterfeit Freedom

1 John: Faithful in Love

         Love —> Obedience —> Assurance —> Love

              The Importance of Self-Examination

         2 John: Truth and Love

         3 John: Discernment and Love

Conclusion

         The Persistence of Imperfection and the Sufficiency of Christ

COMMUNITY MEDITATIONS

• In what ways and to what degree have you faced the challenges of suffering and stagnation? Are these an obstacle to your faith and understanding of God? How have you learned from the experience of others in these areas?
• Read 1 Peter 4:12-14 together and slowly work through each phrase. Restate Peter’s line of thinking in your own words. What is his basic argument/encouragement in this passage? Have you seen others suffer with this mindset?
• Read 2 Peter 1:3-11. What is most motivating to you in this passage? Which qualities that Peter mentions do you desire to see most in your own life?
• “God’s commands are not the ‘job description’ of an employer that we must do to earn our wage, but the ‘health regiment’ of a doctor (indeed the ‘Great Physician’ himself– Mk 2:17) which we must obey ‘that we might overcome our spiritual sickness’”¹ Discuss.
• 1 John 4:19 says “We love because He first loved us.” Why?
• Given what we’ve discussed the last two weeks, how would you articulate the relationship between faith and works or belief and obedience?

¹ The God of Promise and the Life of Faith, Scott Hafemann, p. 179.