Loosening the Bonds

Week 2: Setting Our Faith and Hope

1 Peter 1:17-23

Fellowship – Snacks or a Meal (10 minutes with snacks; longer, obviously, if there is a meal)

Gathering and Opening (10 minutes). In pairs, share a story that brings you hope.

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes)

Read: 1 Peter 1:17-23

• Hope is a key concept for Peter. Read the following verses: 1 Peter 1:6, 13, 21; 3:15. What do we learn about hope from these verses?
• What does Peter command in the following verses 1 Peter 1:8, 15, 17, 22? [8 – Believe and rejoice; 15 – become holy; 17 – live in reverent fear; 22 – love one another deeply] How might the first and the last of these commands help us to do the middle two commands? [Becoming holy and living reverently are based on believing God’s work within us and loving our neighbors as our self.]
• What do you think it means to “live in reverent fear” (v. 17)?
• What does Peter’s contrast of “perishable things like silver or gold” with “the precious blood of Christ” highlight? [Even the finest commodities and things of this world will not sustain you like a relationship with Christ (remember blood often denotes life).]
• What might Peter’s statement “Through him [Jesus] you have come to trust in God” mean?
• How does what Peter has said lead to his command to “love one another deeply from the heart” (v. 22)? [We can only do so through our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.]
• It is routinely said this time of year that Christians are Easter people. How do you think Peter would explain what it means to be Easter people based on this passage? [Especially see v. 23.]

Prayer (10 minutes). Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.

Sending Forth (2 minutes). End by praying the following or a similar prayer: