Session 6
1 Peter 3:13-22
Memory Verse: 1 Peter 3:15
“That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”
is a trite statement, and yet there is at least an element of truth to it
when it comes to living as a Christian in an environment that is hostile to one’s faith. By enduring suffering like Jesus,
it may be that the very people who persecute us
begin to marvel at the hope that is in us (1 Pet. 3:15)
and inquire as to how it can be their own.
That which they reviled becomes that which they desire.
How, then, can we suffer like this?
By regarding Christ as holy.
The fear of God, not the fear of man, leads to the salvation of men and the glory of God.
HOPE
Spend a few minutes talking about what hope is and why it is so important to believers.
People sometimes refer to the first hour after a medical or tragic disaster as the golden hour.
At that moment, hope is at its highest.
As time passes, hope diminishes.
Medical responders and emergency responders work furiously because of that hope.
On the other side of the equation, those who have experienced the emergency sometimes struggle to keep hope alive.
As believers, we have a solid reason for hope even in the midst of suffering. (PSG, p. 55)
recall times when you felt hope in the middle of a dark time.
Much of Peter’s letter thus far has focused on how believers
were to behave in times of persecution.
Today’s session contains encouragement for Christians to maintain hope in Christ
and be strong in showing others their trust in Christ.