EXPLORE THE TEXT
Believers can trust God even when suffering.
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household,
and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?
18 And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?
19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will
entrust themselves to a faithful Creator
while doing what is good.
Identify who will be judged.
Create two columns on the board.
one column God’s household and the other column Ungodly/Sinners.
Divide into two groups and assign each group one of the columns on the board.
briefly describes judgment day for their assigned group.
base their description on 1 Peter 4:12-19 but also reference other appropriate scriptures.
Note that Peter concluded with an exhortation to those who suffered for Christ.
Call for volunteers to amplify Peter’s instruction to the Christians to
“entrust” themselves into the hands of their Creator.
this all depends on “doing what is good.”
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 90 of the Personal Study Guide:
The memory verse for this session is 1 Peter 4:16. Recite it for the group and then invite them to repeat it with you. Suggest that each person writes the verse on a card and carries it throughout the week. Lead adults to continue using the prayer prompts for 1 Peter 4:16.
Guide the group to discuss the first set of questions on page 90 of the PSG. Encourage the group to be specific in their answers and leave the conversation with practical ways they can minister to suffering believers.
Lead the group in prayer. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who provides encouragement and direction during times of suffering for Christ.
Reinforce the session by sending the group an email or text sharing a personal story about a recent experience you had when confronted with opposition to your faith in Christ. Share what you felt and how you responded. Reflect on the impact the experience had on your faith and your impression of how it might have affected the opposition. Encourage the group to reflect on Peter’s words and counsel to be prepared when suffering
for Christ.
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. (See Deuteronomy 32:6; Jeremiah 10:10.)
Dig deeper into the background and usage of key words or phrases.
Make note of words and phrases related to suffering in 1 Peter 4:12-19. Compare how these terms are rendered in several Bible translations. Use a concordance to find other uses of these terms in the Bible. Scan the passages and make notes of any findings that help you better understand the terms. Then read the entry for the terms in a Bible dictionary, adding to your notes.