Life Group Discussion Guide for November 6, 2022
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Life in the Lion’s Den: A Study of 1 Peter
11.6.22
Wounded in a Lion’s Den
1 Peter 4:12-19
Theme
Don’t be surprised when you get hurt in the lion’s den. Wounded and backed in a corner it can feel as if you have been abandoned…left all alone to fend for yourself. It’s a fantasy to think that there was any scenario (blend in, go along, fight back…) that would keep you from getting hurt. We are in enemy territory. This is the brutal den of the lion. We are going to get hurt. You could give your soul away thinking it might keep you safe and end up getting hurt anyway. Or you could stand your ground, claim your allegiance, and suffer for something that matters…with your integrity and your identity clear and intact.
Dinner Table Questions
“…do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come to you to test you…” 1 Peter 4:12
– All of us have experienced moments when our faith was tested. What have been some of those moments for you recently?
Open Bible Questions
Read 1 Peter 4:12-19 together.
– Once again, the NIV uses the words “dear friends” at the beginning of 4:12 (just as in 2:11). Look at a few other translations. How is this more often translated? Why does that matter?
– Peter uses this word “test” in 4:12, how do suffering (or even the threat of suffering) and “testing” seem to relate to one another?
– Consider Peter’s own experience in Mark 14:27-31. What did the threat of suffering look like for Peter in that moment? How did that represent a “test” of Peter’s faith? How did Peter respond? What else do you know about how that all played out for Peter? How might that be in the background of what Peter writes here in this letter?
– Notice the quote that Jesus borrows (Mark 14:27) from the prophet Zechariah. Look at the full context of that quote in Zechariah 13:7-9. How does that relate to what Peter is writing in this letter particularly here in 1 Peter 4:12-19?
Monday Morning Questions
– You are unlikely to experience the same kind of suffering, or even threat of suffering, that Peter faced in Mark 14 or that his original readers might have faced as those scattered across Asia Minor as “foreigners” and “exiles”, but that does not mean that you won’t face some sort of “fiery ordeal” that will test your faith. As much as you are able, what do you anticipate will “test” your faith this coming week? How might you “suffer” this week specifically for wearing the name Christian or following in the footsteps of Jesus?
– What might it look like for you to tangibly live into 1 Peter 4:19 this coming week?