Follow Along

Focus: Our foundational identity: chosen by God, purified by the Spirit, and called to obedience.

• Day 1 | 1 Peter 1:1 | Matthew 16:18-19: Peter, an Apostle. Peter introduces himself by his calling. What does it mean to be an "Apostle of Jesus Christ"? How does the authority behind Peter's message shape how you receive it?

• Day 2 | 1 Peter 1:1 | Ephesians 2:19-20: "Elect Exiles, Sojourners." What is the tension between being 'chosen' (elect) and being 'scattered' (exile)? In what areas of your life do you feel like a "foreigner" living under God’s rule?

• Day 3 | 1 Peter 1:2 | Romans 8:29-30: "According to the foreknowledge of God the Father." Peter grounds our identity in God's eternal plan (that conformity to the image of Jesus is the end goal of all who accept God). How does knowing God’s ultimate goal for us provide stability for you today? 

• Day 4 | 1 Peter 1:2 | 2 Corinthians 3:18: "Through the sanctifying work of the Spirit." In the Wesleyan tradition, sanctification is ongoing. What current habit or attitude is the Holy Spirit "setting apart" or purifying in you this week?

• Day 5 | 1 Peter 1:2 | Romans 12:1: "For obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling by His blood." This points to both dedication (obedience) and cleansing (sprinkling). How is your daily commitment to obedience a response to the grace given through Christ’s blood?

• Day 6 | 1 Peter 1:2 | John 14:27: "Grace and peace be multiplied to you." This greeting is a prayer. How can you actively seek the multiplication of God's grace and peace in your life, especially as you navigate being an "exile"?

Focus: The new birth, our inheritance, and the call to be holy as God is holy.

• Day 1 | 1 Peter 1:1-5: Peter addresses us as "elect exiles." Reflect on your identity today. Do you feel more like a citizen of this world or a sojourner? How does the "living hope" of the resurrection anchor you in times of uncertainty?

• Day 2 | 1 Peter 1:6-9: Peter speaks of faith being "refined by fire." In what ways have your current trials revealed the genuineness of your faith? How can joy coexist with grief in your life right now?

• Day 3 | 1 Peter 1:10-12: The prophets searched for the grace that was to come to us. Spend time thanking God for the "true grace" you now live in—a grace even angels long to look into.

• Day 4 | 1 Peter 1:13-16: "Be holy, because I am holy." In the Wesleyan tradition, holiness is heart-conformity to the love of God. What "former ignorance" or old patterns of Simon (the old self) is the Holy Spirit asking you to set aside today?

• Day 5 | 1 Peter 1:17-21: You were ransomed not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, the spotless Lamb. How does the cost of your redemption change how you view your "conduct" (anastrophē) in the workplace or at home?

• Day 6 | 1 Peter 1:22-25: Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth, love one another earnestly. Who is one person in your Life Group or family you can love with "sincere brotherly affection" today?

Focus: Our communal identity as the Church and our response to suffering.

• Day 1 | 1 Peter 2:1-3: Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk of the Word. What is your current "appetite" for Scripture? How has tasting the kindness of the Lord changed your desires?

• Day 2 | 1 Peter 2:4-8: You are "living stones" being built into a spiritual house. Reflect on the "Cornerstone," Jesus. How is your life currently aligning with Him? What happens when we try to build our lives on a different foundation?

• Day 3 | 1 Peter 2:9-10: "Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people." This is our "Once... But Now" testimony. Write down two words: one for who you were before Christ, and one for who you are now.

• Day 4 | 1 Peter 2:11-12: As sojourners, our conduct among "the Gentiles" matters. How can your "good deeds" today act as a silent testimony to the goodness of God to those who don't yet know Him?

• Day 5 | 1 Peter 2:13-17: Peter calls for submission to authority for the Lord's sake. How do we live as "free people" while also being "servants of God" in a complicated political or social landscape?

• Day 6 | 1 Peter 2:18-25: Christ suffered for us, leaving an example. To suffer for doing good is a "grace-filled participation" in His life. When you face unfair treatment, how can you entrust yourself to Him who judges justly?

Focus: Submission, suffering for righteousness, and the hope within.

• Day 1 | 1 Peter 3:1-7: Focus on the "imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit." In a loud and chaotic world, how can your relationships (marriage or otherwise) reflect the honoring nature of Christ?

• Day 2 | 1 Peter 3:8-12: "Do not repay evil for evil... but on the contrary, bless." Think of a difficult person in your life. What would it look like to offer them a blessing instead of a retort today?

• Day 3 | 1 Peter 3:13-15: "Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." If someone asked you today why you have hope, what would you say?

• Day 4 | 1 Peter 3:16-17: Keep a clear conscience. How does a "good conscience" provide a refuge when we are slandered or misunderstood?

• Day 5 | 1 Peter 3:18-20: Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. Meditate on the "bridge" Christ built for you. How does this motivate your own "holy conduct"?

• Day 6 | 1 Peter 3:21-22: Baptism is an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection. Reflect on your own baptism (or the desire for it). How does the power of the resurrection impact your daily battle with sin?

Focus: Living for the will of God and using our gifts in the face of trials.

• Day 1 | 1 Peter 4:1-6: Since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking.
  Think about a season of suffering you’ve endured or are enduring. Don't look at it as a punishment, but as a "winter" that is shaping you.

  What did/does that winter feel like?

  What "false feathers" (pride, control, habits, etc.) did the winter strip away?

  How do you see the character of Jesus emerging in your life because of it?

• Day 2 | 1 Peter 4:7-9: "The end of all things is at hand... above all, keep loving one another earnestly." How does a sense of "urgency" change how you prioritize hospitality and love in your church?

• Day 3 | 1 Peter 4:10-11: You are a "steward of God’s varied grace." What gift (speaking, serving, etc.) has God entrusted to you? How can you use it today "by the strength that God supplies" so He gets the glory?

• Day 4 | 1 Peter 4:12-14: Do not be surprised at the "fiery trial." Peter redefines suffering as a way to share in Christ’s sufferings. How does this shift your perspective from "Why is this happening?" to "How is God being glorified in this?"

• Day 5 | 1 Peter 4:15-16: If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God in that name. Reflect on the "labels" the world gives you versus the identity Christ has given you.

• Day 6 | 1 Peter 4:17-19: Entrust your soul to a faithful Creator while doing good. Spend today in "active entrustment"—giving your worries to God and then looking for a way to serve someone else.

Focus: Leadership, humility, and the God of all grace.

• Day 1 | 1 Peter 5:1-4: To the elders/shepherds: lead not under compulsion but willingly. We are all "shepherds" in some capacity (parents, mentors, friends). How are you "exercising oversight" with a heart like Jesus?

• Day 2 | 1 Peter 5:5-7: "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility... casting all your anxieties on him." What is a specific anxiety you need to cast onto the Lord right now so you can walk in humility rather than self-reliance?

• Day 3 | 1 Peter 5:8-9: Be sober-minded; your adversary the devil prowls like a roaring lion. Where do you feel "intimidated" by the enemy? How can you "resist him, firm in your faith" alongside your brothers and sisters?

• Day 4 | 1 Peter 5:10: "After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace... will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." Read this verse three times. Which of these four promises do you need most today?

• Day 5 | 1 Peter 5:11-12: Peter’s goal was to "testify that this is the true grace of God." Look back over the last five weeks. Where have you seen the "true grace" of God sustaining you?

• Day 6 | 1 Peter 5:13-14: "Peace to all of you who are in Christ." End your study of 1 Peter by practicing the "peace of Christ" in your home. How can you be a peacemaker in your sphere of influence today?