A Precious Word from God

“Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless others because you were called to inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9 (NET)

Introduction

We are on the home stretch with our lessons. Hang in there another 3 weeks and you will complete the entire study of 1 Peter. I love the feeling of accomplishment that I get when I put the last touches on a study! If you have missed one or more lessons or days of homework, plan to do them during the period when we aren’t meeting. Don’t feel defeated but persevere day by day as best you can to finish the entire course.

During the second week of our homework, we looked at the fact that God uses trials of all kinds to refine us into the image of Jesus. In this lesson we consider the specific sufferings that believers face from other people. Some of this is persecution that we encounter. Our sufferings for Christ are generally not as serious as they are for those in some areas of the world. However, we must be faithful to respond to the persecution that we do encounter in God’s way. It’s not an easy thing to do even if we aren’t thrown in prison!

Day One Study

Read 1 Peter 3:8-22.

1. What qualities are we to exhibit according to v. 8?

• Diamonds in the Word: Look up the Greek words for these qualities and write down the verse, adding your expanded definitions into the verse.

2. As you can see, v. 8 begins with “finally” (NET) or “to sum up” (NASB). How do vv. 8-12 sum up what we have studied over the past couple of weeks? (You will need to reread 1 Peter 2:11-3:7.)

3. Sharing question: Consider each quality that you listed. How are you doing in these areas? Write down an assessment of your progress on each of these separately. For instance, how are you doing on being harmonious (consider it in terms of the relationships that Peter mentioned in 2:13-3:7 and then other relationships as well)? Do this with each specific quality.

4. How does being humble in spirit relate to the other qualities?

5. Responding to God: Write a prayer asking God for the grace to exhibit the qualities of v. 8. Confess to Him where you have fallen short. Pray for your attitude toward specific people with whom you are struggling in these areas.

Day Two Study

Reread 1 Peter 3:8-22.

I intentionally left off the challenge of v. 9 yesterday so that we could deal with it as an independent instruction. It is our “Precious Word from God” for this week. Work on memorizing it. This is one that could come in handy at any timeJ

6. Copy v. 9 below to help you memorize it. Why is it such a challenge?

• Diamonds in the Word: Peter quotes from Psalm 34:12-16 in 3:10-11. Read the entire Psalm and write down any insights that you have from it.

Usually I don’t encounter people who do evil against me personally, but I do almost daily come across a similar type of situation driving in Dallas! According to 1 Peter 3:8, when someone cuts me off, I am not to retaliate. When I get a green light and someone runs the red light on the other side, I am not to get angry and try to hit them (not that I have done this!). I should not make coarse gestures or speak condemning words under my breath. I guess I shouldn’t even be honking in anger - this is my usual mode of operation. As a believer, I am not to get angry with those who treat me badly; rather I must see them as God does and treat them as Jesus did those who crucified Him.

7. Sharing question: What actions make you want to retaliate - not necessarily driving? How have you returned that treatment in the past?

8. What specific ways to obey vv. 8-9 are given in vv. 10-12?

9. What specific blessings for the one who obeys vv. 8-9 are mentioned in vv. 10-12?

Today words of insult or evil against us would be called verbal abuse if they came from a spouse. Our culture suggests that we have cause to divorce a man who treats us this way.

10. What are we to do instead according to these verses and those in 1 Peter 3:1-6?

• Diamonds in the Word: Read Matt. 5:43-46. How does it relate to these verses in 1 Pet.?

11. Responding to God: Write a prayer for grace to respond correctly when you encounter insults from anyone. If there is someone in your life who speaks to you this way, pray for the grace of God to respond correctly. This is not an easy obedience. If you have no one like that in your life, think of someone whom you know who is in a hard situation at work or at home and pray for her. Write her a note of encouragement.

Day Three Study

Reread 1 Peter 3:8-22 to put yourself back into the context of these verses.

Peter says we are to keep our tongues from evil (v. 10). That sounds easy until someone speaks hurtful, evil words to us. Our automatic desire is to hurt them back with our words. James has a lot to say about the tongue - its use and its effect upon others.

Read James 3:2-12.

12. With what things does James compare the tongue? What other terms does he use to describe it? How do these help you picture the effects of the tongue?

13. Why are we not to speak to other people with insults and evil according to James 3:9?

14. Peter uses Jesus as our example of how to respond to this kind of treatment in 1 Peter 2:21-23. What do you learn from His example?

15. If we choose to respond in the way that we have been spoken to, what is the consequence according to 1 Peter 3:12? Why is that a scary thought?

16. Sharing question: Share with your group some ways that you have learned to seek and pursue peace with those who have mistreated you or ways that you have learned to give a blessing in response to insult. There is no need to mention the specific person with whom you have dealt in this area. Just share how you learned to respond well, not how the other person sinned.

• Diamonds in the Word: Read Galatians 5:16-26. Relate these verse to 1 Peter 3:8-12.

Day Four Study

Read 1 Peter 3:13-17.

• Diamonds in the Word: What is the theme of this paragraph? To determine this, ask these questions - What is it primarily about? What ideas are most repeated?

17. Mark in your Bibles the word “suffer” in this paragraph. To what kind of suffering is Peter referring? How do you know?

18. List the responses that Peter suggests for this kind of suffering.

19. Sharing question: Have you ever suffered for doing what is right? If so, share the situation and your response with your group. Did you respond as Peter suggests?

Read 1 Peter 3:18-22.

This is a difficult section to understand. There have been a number of interpretations given for it. One thing that has really helped me as I have studied the Bible is to focus on what is clear and what I can learn rather than putting all my interest in the unknown and the strange! God has so much to tell us. We waste a lot of time worrying about the minor areas that are clouded from our perspective today. In heaven we will either learn the truth or we won’t care. I tend to believe the latter.

20. What is clear in this passage? How does it reinforce Peter’s teaching in vv. 13-17?

• Diamonds in the Word: Read a number of commentaries on this passage. Which interpretation seems the most likely to you and why?

21. Sharing question: What does it mean to you personally that Jesus died for your sins once for all, meaning for all time? Responding to God: Spend some time praising Jesus for what He has done for you.

Day Five Study

Reread 1 Peter 3:13-4:6.

22. According to 4:1-2, with what purpose are you to arm yourself?

The word “arm” is a military term, so we are preparing for battle by adopting this purpose. Battle terminology is not popular in some quarters of the church anymore. Yet, we are in a battle and must be prepared by being armed with proper weapons.

23. How does Peter describe the lifestyle of the Gentiles? How are they responding to the Christians? Why?

We also face opposition from those with similar attitudes. How are we responding to people who treat us poorly or unfairly? Are we truly reflecting the beauty of Christ in our actions and attitudes? This lesson is not an easy one. I have not mastered it in any way. Only by the grace and power of God can we respond as Peter has challenged us to do.

Mary’s Story

Rosie was my husband’s mother. My husband and I only dated 3 months prior to getting married and I had only met his mother twice prior to our marriage. Nothing could have prepared me for Rosie.

Rosie had grown up in a household of physical abuse from both her father and her brothers. She had married my husband’s dad to get away from home, but he was also physically abusive. She had a total of 7 children, one of whom died, within the course of 9 years before she and her husband were divorced. My husband was the oldest of these children. As a single mom of 6 children, she took in boarders and ironing in order to keep food on the table for her children. She was a very insecure and angry mother, who took out her fears and frustrations both verbally and physically on her children. However, her children became her life and she became a very controlling mother. She eventually remarried and was married to her second husband for 23 years. That marriage ended tragically as well, leaving her more insecure and angry.

Rosie had 5 boys and 1 girl. She was very protective and controlling of all of her children, and she was also very jealous of their affections for others. My husband was the oldest of her sons, so she felt betrayed when he married me and we moved into our own home several miles away from her. It was not uncommon for her to call our house 10 to 12 times per day. Many of the conversations were angry outbursts.

I found it very difficult to love Rosie. I did not have a personal relationship with the Lord during the early days of my marriage so my response to her was not Christ like. Rosie knew the Lord but did not know His word. Her faith was based on a mixture of truth and false teaching. As God began to work in my life and I surrendered to Him in faith, He began to deal with me about my relationship with Rosie.

In my husband’s family, if someone became ill, the assumption was that they needed to be left alone until they were healed. Therefore, if they were in the hospital, no one visited them until time to bring them home. My family was the opposite. If someone was in the hospital, one or more members of my family stayed with them until they came home. Rosie became ill and was in the hospital for a week. Every morning on my way to work I would stop at the hospital and pick up and deliver fresh laundry to her. I would visit with her on my way home from work. She was so stunned by my attention. I had no thoughts that I was serving the Lord or building a relationship with her; I was merely doing what came naturally. However, the Lord used that time of her hospitalization to develop our relationship with each other. It was during this time that we began to love each other. She seemed to be able to let go of her jealousies related to my husband and began to view us as one. I loved her and treated her with a godly love, but still in my heart there was always the wariness based on the early days of our relationship and her explosiveness. I really had no idea how much I truly loved her until she died.

She lived to be 93 years old. I had known her for 30 years when she died. I received a phone call on Feb. 10, 2001 telling me that she had fallen and hit her head. Before I could get to the hospital, she had died. The death certificate said she had had a stroke prior to her fall. To this day, I miss her phone calls and wish that I could hear her voice again. Maybe, if I could start over, I would not resent the interruptions and her telling me what preacher to watch on television but would be more tolerant. I wish I could have told her how much I loved her before she died. I wonder if we will be able to tell one another we love each other when we get to heaven.

24. Sharing question: Who is your Rosie? Who speaks evil of you or insults you? To whom do you have trouble responding with the beauty of Jesus? Carry with you a copy of our verse this week and pull it out when you know that you will be encountering this difficult and unlovable person.

25. Responding to God: Talk to God about this difficult person. Confess your failures in treating her or him with blessing, harmony, and sympathy. Pray for the person in positive ways rather than merely complaining. Thank God for one positive trait in that individual. Ask Him for the beauty of Jesus in your response next time you see her/him.

A Precious Word from God

“Maintain good conduct among the non-Christians”
1 Peter 2:12a

Introduction

Beauty attracts attention. You can see this in a crowded place when a beautiful woman enters. The groups in museums encircle the loveliest pieces of art. Cars stop by the side of a road so the passengers can watch a magnificent sunset. We want to surround ourselves with beautiful things. If we are to attract those who are looking for a faith that is real, we will do so only when we show forth an inner beauty that draws others to the Savior.

Day One Study

Read 1 Peter 2:11-3:7 to get the flow of the entire passage.

1. The first two verses of this passage (2:11-12) basically sum up the overall teaching of this section of the book. What two principles are you to follow according to these verses? What result does Peter hope will come from your obedience (v.12)? Memorize v. 12a, our verse for the week.

2. Why do you think that Peter would remind his readers that we are strangers and aliens in this world at this point in the letter?

The term “fleshly desires” (NET) or “fleshly lusts” (NASB) sounds like these must be sexual acts of some kind. Dr. D. Edmond Hiebert explains this: “Peter’s words should not be interpreted to mean that desires related to our physical nature are evil, as though the human body in itself was evil. The thought is not limited to sensual indulgences; Peter’s words circumscribe all those cravings associated with the entire nature of man as a fallen being, whether they express themselves through the body or the mind. Flesh is used in its ethical sense to denote fallen mankind as characterized by depraved and corrupting desires.”⁵

3. Read these cross references and write down your insights about fleshly desires:

a. Galatians 5:19-21

b. Ephesians 5:3-5

c. 1 John 2:15-17

4. We are prone to think about fleshly desires as “Top Ten” sins. What do you see in these verses that proves that not to be true? How can these “minor” sins make us less than beautiful?

5. Sharing question: What deeds or attitudes of the flesh convict you personally from this list and why?

• Diamonds in the Word: Illustrate the truth that ”fleshly desires that do battle against the soul” with a story from the Scriptures.

6. Responding to God: Write down what is on your heart as God has used these Scriptures to speak to you today. Again, use whatever means works for you - a letter, a poem, a song or a prayer.

Day Two Study

Reread 1 Peter 2:11-17.

7. List the things we are to do according to 2:13-17. Also write beside them “why” the verses indicate we are to do them. In other words, what does God want to achieve by our doing these things? How does God’s purpose relate back to 2:11-12?

• Diamonds in the Word: Look up the Greek word for bondslaves (NASB) in v. 16. Cross-reference this word and write down all that you learn about what it means to be a bondslave of God.

8. Compare 2:13-17 with Romans 13:1-7. Write down similarities as well as additional insights from the Romans passage.

God’s purposes for our submission to government show us that we are obedient to the law when it means doing what is right. It glorifies God and makes us beautiful in the eyes of others to do the right thing. We have little witness before unbelievers when we break the law. I served on the grand jury, a real eye-opener! It was heart-breaking to be faced with the indictment of those who claimed to be Christians but who had lost their witness.

9. Sharing question: Review the instructions you listed in #7. How does it look to honor someone? Maybe you like the current President and find him easy to honor, but do you honor every President despite his political perspective? How do you honor other people in specific ways?

10. Responding to God: Read 1 Timothy 2:1-4. Write a prayer for our President and some of our other governmental leaders, keeping in mind the reasons Paul calls us to pray for them.

 

1 Peter 2:11-3:7 mentions submission several times. Dr. Spiros Zodhiates helps us understand the Greek word submit, hupotasso. It is a compound word meaning “to place in order”⁶ that comes from the root word hupo, meaning under or beneath⁷, and tasso, “to place, set, appoint, arrange, order”⁸. In these verses, it is in the middle voice in the Greek, meaning to place oneself in submission. Thus, literally it means to put yourself beneath someone. It is used in the military, meaning, “to place under rank.”⁹

If you are like me, you feel that you are a good, obedient citizen if you haven’t been convicted of any felonies lately. However, there is more to this than merely criminal laws.

11. What are some ways that you see Americans fail to submit to the law and consider it no big deal? Sharing question: In what area(s) have you been guilty?

Day Three Study

There are limits to submission, and the Scriptural example helps us understand when to draw the line and say no. We’ll read a story in Acts to help us understand the principle and then return to 1 Peter.

Read Acts 3:1-4:31.

12. Summarize Peter and John’s story and how the governmental authorities responded.

13. What do you learn from Peter and John’s example about the limits of submission to governmental authorities? Explain the limits as you would to someone questioning you about it.

Reread 1 Peter 2:13-3:7.

14. What phrases in this passage support Peter and John’s refusal to submit in the Acts story? Explain how they support limits on submission.

Read Daniel 1:1-21.

15. What do you learn from Daniel about how to honor those in authority when you encounter a situation where you cannot submit?

• Diamonds in the Word: Read Daniel 3:1-30 and 6:1-28, also. What do you see in these stories that relates to submission and government and the limits of submission?

16. Sharing question: Write the story of a situation where you failed to submit and suffered consequences. It may be a time when you were wrong not to submit or when you were justified in not submitting.

Day Four Study

Reread 1 Peter 2:11-25.

17. What kinds of masters are slaves to obey? Why?

18. Consider this passage in light of 2:12. What is God’s overall purpose in calling slaves to submit?

We are thankful that we no longer have slavery in the United States; however, there are many parts of the world where there are slaves, although this fact is somewhat hidden in the cultures where slavery is practiced. I am grateful for Christians such as William Wilberforce and Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, whose actions led to the outlawing of slavery in Britain and the United States. They realized that although God called slaves to submit because He had a higher purpose, this institution did not reflect the character of God and needed outlawing. Their godly compassion led them to speak out.

So how does this passage apply to us today? There is not a direct correlation between slavery and employment. It is not the same in any way. Employees have freedom and opportunity to speak out that slaves never had. Yet, I think there is an attitude involved that we need to apply from this passage.

19. What do you learn from Jesus’ example in 1 Peter 2:21-25 about attitude in the midst of mistreatment? Consider what His concern was when He went to the cross. How does it parallel the concern of this whole section of the book as expressed in 2:12?

• Diamonds in the Word: Read the gospel accounts of Jesus’ trials and crucifixion. What do you learn from Him about keeping God’s higher purpose in mind and bearing up under injustice?

God is not necessarily asking us to suffer unjustly in our workplace and keep quiet about it; yet, we must have the right attitude as Jesus did and we must consider God’s higher purpose of 2:12. Too often we have mistakenly believed that Christians are not supposed to speak out about injustice and mistreatment, having somewhat of a martyr complex. God is concerned about injustice and unrighteousness more than we are because He is just and righteous in all His ways. As we pray about how to handle such situations, we take all of this into account.

20. Sharing question: Do you evidence Jesus’ attitude in your workplace? How would your fellow employees see this in your life?

21. Sharing question: What is one way that works for you to help you keep the right attitude when you are faced with difficult or foolish people?

22. Responding to God: It can be extremely difficult to work for unreasonable, unjust, or unwise people. If you are employed outside of the home, write a prayer concerning your own attitude at work. Pray for your supervisor as well. If you work for a fair and caring boss, write a prayer of thanks. If you are not employed, write a letter of encouragement to a friend who is. Pray for her every day this week.

Day Five Study

It is difficult to submit to an authority who is foolish, misguided, unwise, or just mistaken. You may work under the supervision of someone who makes bad choices for that business. Yet, there is nothing really wrong in what he asks you to do; thus, you must submit. You may disagree with the tax laws because the money is spent foolishly; yet, you must submit and pay your share. What is the key to submitting when you see such situations? I believe it is faith. Do you trust God to handle the situation? Do you believe that God is at work in whatever happens? Do you believe that Romans 8:28 is really true and that God will use this to make you more beautiful within? Do you believe that God will use your right actions and attitude to be a witness to those around you?

• Diamonds in the Word: Explain what you have learned about submission to government and bosses in a way that you could share with a new believer. How would you approach a situation at work when asked to do something suspect?

The bottom line of this lesson is being a light in the darkness, living with excellence before a world that doesn’t know Jesus. People notice when we fail to live up to what we profess to believe. What kind of witness are you in your everyday life? Does your excellence at work reflect the God of excellence? Does your witness extend to the words that you say about people? In what areas do you need to work on excellence?

This story is from my own experience. I had hoped to receive one that I could use from a friend, but since I never did, I will share something from my own life about having excellent behavior among those who do not believe. I am sorry to say it is a story about what not to do!

Kay’s Story

As I look back on my life, I am so ashamed of the wasted years when I didn’t openly live for Christ. No one would have accused me of being a Christian for there was no evidence that I was. I certainly did not behave with excellence according to God’s standards. If I had suggested that I was a Christian in those years, I would surely have been called a hypocrite!

My concern at that point in my life was to be accepted and fit in. It is so humiliating to realize that there are some people whom I knew then that would still have a hard time accepting that I am a believer. I talked about others behind their backs; I used bad language; I laughed at dirty jokes; I went to places where I should not have been and avoided church like a plague. I cannot remember being particularly kind to anyone and certainly had little love for anyone who didn’t love me first.

How do I live with the fact that I was an embarrassment to Jesus? How do I go on and actually serve God when I brought Him shame before unbelievers? I can do that because I trust that He will use even my sins and mistakes for His glory and for my good. I live with the daily belief that He is more powerful than my sins. I accept His grace and His forgiveness and really believe that He gives more grace than I could ever need. I take it to heart that He is using even that period when I didn’t walk with Him to make me more like Jesus. I recite Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”

God has surely used that time in my life to help me recognize His amazing grace for me, a sinner. He has helped me learn to give grace to those who are faltering because I was once there. I have seen His mercy and love and know that I am only here because of it. I am grateful that He can redeem even what is dark and ugly and make me more beautiful because of it.

23. Sharing question: What has God said to you this week?

⁵Hiebert, 144.

⁶Complete Word Study Dictionary, 1427.

⁷Complete Word Study Dictionary, 1419.

⁸Complete Word Study Dictionary, 1367.

⁹Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Hopeful (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1984), 68.

A Precious Word from God

“The grass withers and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” 1 Peter 1:24-25 (NET)

Introduction

God’s Word is our authority for life and godliness. It holds the truths that we are to believe and by which we are to live. My heart so wants you to believe what you read there and to open your life to all that God wants to do in you through His Word to make you a more beautiful woman. Just reading the Bible, however, is not enough - we must commit to live out what we see there; we must turn from the things that God hates and pursue the things that He loves; we must recognize that God is revealed in all that He does and seek Him in the stories of His Word and the truths that are stated about Him.

Day One Study

Read 1 Peter 1:22-2:3 .

1. Write down all the commands or instructions that you are to do according to this passage. (You will recognize them by the lack of a subject. When I say to my child, “Clean your room,” I do not put a subject as to who is to do it. The “you” is understood.)

2. Why would it be important to recognize the instructions given in a passage?

When you study a verse, it is helpful to consider how each phrase relates to the others. Every part of the verse will tell either who, what, where, when, how, or why about the main idea. This is one way to help us do the observation part of Bible study that forces us to really look carefully at what is being said. If you look for the answers to these kinds of questions as you read the Bible, you will be able to see amazing truths for yourself!

3. Here is 1 Peter 1:22 in the NASB: “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.” Write down the phrases that answer these questions:

a. What are they to do (the basic instruction)?

b. How are they to do it (2 ways)?

c. What have they already done that allows them to obey the instruction?

d. Why are they to do this according to v. 23?

The truths that we are to obey are found in God’s Word. God wants us to use the Scriptures like soap to scrub us clean of the things that make us dirty if we are to grow in beauty. I know that each day I need to be washed by God’s soap. It reminds me of a shower when my hair and clothes are full of sand from being on the beach all day. There is no better feeling than to come out of there totally clean!

4. What does God promise about His cleansing power in 1 John 1:8-9?

5. Why is it necessary for you to be pure if you are to love others? What are some sins that might keep you from truly loving others?

• Diamonds in the Word –Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a. Look up the Greek words for the various qualities of love. How do you measure up with your husband, your roommate, your parents, or your boss?

Spend some time before God, asking Him to show you the areas of your life that are preventing you from truly loving other believers. You might even think of a specific person that you are having trouble loving (not a feeling but an action). Confess your lack of love and any sinful attitudes that God reveals to you.

6. Sharing question: What is one specific way that God has shown you to put 1 Peter 1:22 into action in your own life?

Day Two Study

Reread 1 Peter 1:22-25.

7. What do you learn about God’s Word in these verses? Make a list of everything that is said about it. Use words straight out of the text. Don’t paraphrase.

8. When we see a contrast between two things in the Scriptures, it makes an emphasis and helps us better understand God’s point. How does the contrast in vv. 24-25 make Peter’s point about God’s Word stronger or help you understand it better?

This is your verse to memorize this week. How are you coming with your verses? It will help if you will review all of them each week. What were the verses from Week 1 and Week 2?

• Diamonds in the Word –Read Isaiah 40:1-11, which is where Peter gets his quote, and write down any additional insights that you have from the context of that passage about God’s Word.

In 1:23 Peter says that God’s Word is an agent in our salvation. In Wayne Grudem’s commentary on 1 Peter, he says, “The implications for evangelism are obvious: ultimately it is neither our arguments nor our life example that will bring new life to an unbeliever, but the powerful words of God himself - words which we still have preserved today in Scriptures. It is in reading or hearing these words that people are given new life.”²

9. How can we use the Scriptures when we share Christ with others without beating them over the head with the Bible? Share your ideas and/or strategies that have worked for you.

Reread 1 Peter 1:22-2:3.

The Bible uses many analogies to help us better understand truth. We are visual people and these images give us insights. We have already seen God’s Word contrasted with the grass and flowers.

10. What other images are compared to the Scriptures in 1:23 and in 2:2? How do these two images help you in your understanding of the Bible? In other words, what truths do they show about the Word of God?

• Diamonds in the Word –What other images for God’s Word are used in Scripture and where are they found? If you don’t know of any, try using your concordance. How do they help you better understand the work of God’s Word in our lives?

11. Sharing question: Describe a specific experience in your life when God’s Word acted in ways like these images.

In order for the Scriptures to make a difference in our lives, we have to take it into our hearts. Although I would have always said that the Bible was important in my life, my actions would have proven otherwise. It’s hard for God to speak to us when we aren’t reading His Word, which is His message to men and women everywhere.

12. Sharing question: If the importance of God’s Word to you were to be judged by the amount of time you spend in it, how would you be doing? Evaluate yourself on a scale of 1-5.

 

13. Sharing question: Think of a specific plan that you could implement in order to help you make the Word of God more of a priority. As your group shares these answers, you may get some good ideas from one another.

Day Three Study

Today we are going to take a short break from 1 Peter itself to study Psalm 119, which extols the benefits of God’s Word in our lives. You may be aware that it is also the longest of all the Psalms. Don’t worry; you don’t have to read the whole thing unless you want to! Take your time as you read and truly think about the message that this Psalm has concerning the Scriptures.

• Diamonds in the Word –Read all of Psalm 119. Read the instructions to #14 below and write down the same kinds of insights for the entire Psalm. You will have to use a separate piece of paper for any that aren’t listed below.

14. Read these verses from Psalm 119 and meditate upon both their significance in your personal life and also the benefits that God’s Word can bring to us when we pay attention to it. Choose a favorite from the group and copy it at the bottom of the list. Write down your insights:

a. vv. 1-2

b. v. 11

c. v. 14

d. v. 24

e. v. 28

f. v. 38

g. v. 50

h. vv. 97-100

i. v. 103

j. v. 105

k. v. 165

My favorite verse from Psalm 119:

15. Responding to God: Several of the verses in this Psalm are prayers as the Psalmist asks God to take the Word and use it in a personal way in his life - vv. 18, 25, 58, 133, 169. Read these verses and then write a prayer, a song, a poem, or a psalm from your own heart incorporating the thoughts that you want to pray for yourself. You can draw a picture if you prefer. Use whatever meaningful method works best for you to respond to God!

16. Sharing question: Has there ever been a time in your life when God used His word in a similar way? Share with your group your praises about that situation.

Day Four Study

Today we return to 1 Peter as we continue to look at God’s Word and its work in making us beautiful.

Reread 1 Peter 2:1-3.

17. In our Day One Study we looked at the instructions or commands in the passage from 1:22-2:3. One of them is found in 2:2. Copy it below:

18. We already noticed the analogy in 2:2 describing how we should relate to God’s Word and why. How does this picture help you understand Peter’s instruction?

19. Look again at 1 Peter 2:1. What is the prerequisite for growing in God’s Word? Why would that be necessary if you are to grow more beautiful internally?

When Peter tells us to be like babies, he doesn’t mean that in a bad way. Even if we are mature believers, we are to still act like babies in the sense that he suggests. In fact, by acting like a baby, we become mature. Some believers are like children who are stunted in their growth because they don’t eat as they should. Doctors always check a baby’s growth to make sure that she is growing in accordance with her age. I am glad that no one had a spiritual growth chart with which to compare me for much of my Christian life! What if there could be a way to measure our growth at church each week - sort of a check-up? How embarrassing to be a Christian for years and still look like a baby!

20. Compare similarities you see between immature believers and the actions of children. (No names and no specific stories!!!)

• Diamonds in the Word –Paul describes the Corinthians as “babes” (NKJV). Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. Sometimes we miss the fact that the “fleshly” (NASB) or “carnal” (NKJV) believers are synonymous with infants in Christ. What do you learn here (and in the rest of this book if you have time to read it) about the actions of Christians who are acting like babies?

21. Sharing question: Is your growth consistent with your age as a believer? Why or why not? Name one specific thing that you will do in applying 1 Peter 2:1-3. Write it in the first person - “I will . . . .”

Day Five Study

When we looked at Psalm 119 we saw that God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path in times of confusion; it is our counselor in times of uncertainty; it brings us peace in times of distress. I am sure that you can testify to periods in your own life when the Scriptures impacted you in those kinds of ways.

22. What does the Bible do for us according to Hebrews 4:12?

23. What do you learn in 2 Timothy 3:16 about the work of the Scriptures?

In the following story, Betty Jo shares how God’s words from Habakkuk have been both a light and a peace in her life. Look up Habakkuk 2:2-4 and 3:17-19 before you read her story.

Betty Jo’s Story

Beginning in December 2000, the words in Habakkuk 2:2-4; 3:17-19 took on personal meaning for my husband and me. After twenty-four years on staff in a sports ministry, my husband and I felt the Lord telling us to take a huge step of faith and walk away from it--to come aside for a sabbatical season with the Lord while awaiting His next assignment. Little did we know at that time that His timing would be much longer than anything we could have imagined.

We began to "watch" intently as several opportunities were presented, but kept being impressed that we were to continue to "wait." One day about six weeks after our resignation, I remember my husband (being very much the male and Type A personality) declaring that we had "waited" long enough and surely the sabbatical season was over. It was time for him to get a job and move on with the next assignment, a new "passion", as many well-meaning friends encouraged him to find. About three months after this declaration, during his morning quiet time, the Lord spoke to his heart: "Dennis, You keep looking for your new passion. You said you had passion for coaching and then for ministry, but now you are struggling with finding a new passion. The reason you can't find a new passion is because I never intended for you to have a passion for anything but ME! All of your passion is to be attached to ME, not another job. Be patient, I will give you another assignment. But right now, you are to concentrate on sitting at MY feet and being more like Mary and less like Martha." So the waiting continued. About eighteen months later, God began to give the "vision" and we began "to write it down". Currently we are still in the process of "writing it down" (almost two and half years after He gave us the verses in Habakkuk 2:2-4). It has been a definite re-shaping of my husband's posture and position before the Lord.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 has been such a comfort during this time when material things appear so barren. Each time that we turn on the news or read a paper declaring the drastic decline of the economy and record unemployment increases, or hear reports of long-time established ministries financially struggling, only God's assurances in His Sovereign plan keep us going forward. Attendance at any peer function usually includes being asked, "What are you doing now?"; once again, these verses sustain us. As our savings account is now depleted and our meager ministry retirement fund dwindles, we are "rejoicing in the Lord and being joyful in God our Savior." The Sovereign Lord is (has been and will continue to be) our strength.

Our prayer has been always to know Him better, deeper, and to go to new heights with Him. We have now come to realize that passion for Him does not mean the absence of wilderness experiences in our soul along the journey. But rather passion is a Spirit-led ability to walk in obedience--bringing deep joy to the soul--even when His answers to our prayers don't come wrapped like we expect. However, we are grateful for His wrappings today, because He has shown us what true passion for Him means: to trust Him when our eyes cannot see and our minds cannot perceive, knowing that He walks beside us to take us to the heights. In these past two and a half years, our intimacy with Him has grown sweeter, richer and fuller than ever before. "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Cor. 15:57)

In various situations of life we turn to various verses as our strength. I like to have them memorized, but if not, I find it helpful to write them down where they are handy as I pray. In times of trouble, I have often turned to the Psalms for strength or reassurance. In grief, there is comfort in God’s promises of heaven. As I pray for what looks hopeless, I remember that nothing is impossible for God to do (Jer. 32:17). When I pray for my children, I often ask Him to complete the good work that He has begun in them (Phil. 1:6). Many of you probably have favorite verses that you use as you pray for certain things. There is power in the Word of God and it is so helpful to pray that word back to Him. Then we know that we are praying with the mind of Christ and in His will.

• Diamonds in the Word –Find some verses that you can claim in a specific situation in your life right now by using your concordance. Write them on cards or put them in a journal that you can carry with you and whip out whenever you need a reminder of God’s power and His promises for specific situations.

24. Sharing question: We have seen this week that one of the ways that we are adorned with true beauty is through the power of God’s Word. Share a way that God has used the Bible in your life to make you more beautiful.

25. Responding to God: Write a prayer thanking God for the power, comfort, etc. of His Word. Incorporate some of the verses that have been meaningful to you this week as you write.

² Wayne Grudem, 1 Peter, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Leon Morris, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002), 91.

A Precious Word from God

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.” Proverbs 31:30 (NET)

Introduction

As you begin this first lesson, realize that you are precious to God, and as His daughter, He wants you to be adorned internally, not just externally, for true beauty resides in the heart. Each week we will focus on an aspect of true beauty from the book of 1 Peter. Do you have a desire to be so beautiful that everyone notices? More and more as the years pass, your character rather than your looks will attract others. As our memory verse this week explains, beauty is vain - meaning temporary like a vapor. I have found that to be all too true as I age. Without inward beauty, I have no beauty left!

Before you start the first day’s lesson, take the time to ask God to bless your time with Him, to give you insight and understanding of His Word, and to help you walk with Him more intimately than ever before as a result of this study. Don’t forget to memorize our verse!

Day One Study

If you can, read through the entire book of 1 Peter as if you had just received it in the mail. It is a letter from Peter to first-century believers. Have the following questions in mind as you read so that you can write today’s answers as you go.

1. Note any initial thoughts that you have as you read. What is God saying that is meaningful to you where you are right now in your life?

2. Do you notice any repeated thoughts or ideas? If so, record them.

If you were not already familiar with this book, you may be surprised by the content. It is not a book about beauty, but in a sense you can see the whole book in that light. As we grow as believers, we should reflect more and more the beauty of Jesus, and this book helps us understand how to do that.

3. Responding to God: Write a prayer asking God to change you through this study into a truly beautiful woman in His eyes.

• Diamonds in the Word –For those of you who want to dig deeper into the diamonds of God’s word, work on a book chart, if you know how to make one, or an outline of the flow of this book. Consider the repeated thoughts and ideas that you found, and use them to find the book theme. This is a whole week’s assignment!

Day Two Study

The first and most important part of being truly beautiful is being adorned with faith. You may be just beginning to explore the meaning of faith, or you may have been on the journey of faith for many years. Wherever you are and whatever your background, this week’s lesson will be helpful in seeing that to be truly beautiful, faith is essential.

Read 1 Peter 1:1-21. We are going to focus on only some of these verses this week and then dig into the others next week, but by reading them all, you will get them in context.

4. According to the first verse, Peter identifies the people to whom he sends this letter as strangers or aliens. How is a person of faith like an alien in a foreign land, or even a foreign world?

5. Read Phil. 3:20-21. What truths does Paul keep in mind that help him value heaven more than this world?

6. Sharing question: Consider your own life. Do you share Paul’s hope? How does your life reflect the fact that your citizenship is not here? Name one specific way in which someone may see that in your life. (I know that this is your first lesson with your group and you do not know these other women well, but this is a safe place and we need to be open and honest with one another.) If you are more attached to this world than heaven, ask God for one practical way that you can grow in your love for Him and His kingdom, write it below, and be prepared to share it with your group.

You may have noticed that in 1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter describes those who receive this letter as not only strangers or aliens but also as chosen. There are entire books written about the truth that God has selected His children. God has decided not to reveal more than the fact that we are chosen. Instead of debating how this works, I would like you to think about how it feels to be chosen. Perhaps as a student you usually made the athletic teams. Maybe your job experience has been one of feeling chosen by a boss or company to tackle a specific task. We all have experienced times when we were picked and times when we weren’t.

7. Read Romans 3:10-18. How are you described here? Be specific!

Clearly, we are not beautiful naturally. We are stained and ugly because of our sins; thus, by faith alone are we able to become beautiful in God’s sight. Despite the ugliness of your sins, God has chosen you to be His daughter. His choice has nothing to do with your being better than anyone else, which this passage in Romans makes clear. He chose you in His mercy simply because He loves you and wants a relationship with you. I often hear people say that God loves you just the way you are, but that is not exactly correct. God loves you despite the way you are! If you truly believe that God selected you regardless of what He knew about you rather than because of it, you recognize how undeserving you are of God’s mercy.

8. Responding to God: Write a prayer thanking God for His great love and mercy and for choosing you despite the fact that you did not deserve it.

I had a difficult time believing that God chose me - it didn’t seem fair and I couldn’t comprehend it. I was willing to accept only those things that I could wrap my mind around and embrace. Yet, the Bible clearly said that God chose His children. How could I believe that? But I went to God and asked Him to open my mind to the truth whether I understood it or not. Over time, I began to acknowledge this as true. I still cannot explain it and would never attempt to reconcile it with the truth that we are responsible to believe. To do so would be adding to God’s word an explanation that He never gave. I have just accepted it by faith, and it has made me so much more aware of the mercies of God in my life. I wasn’t wise enough or smart enough to choose Him; He chose me despite me!

• Diamonds in the Word –Read Romans 9:6-18. What examples does Paul use here to explain the truth that God’s choice is not because of our present or future actions? How can these verses help someone accept the truth that God selects His children?

Day Three Study

Who is Jesus? Becoming a Christian means that you become a follower of Jesus. He is the essential of our faith. If we are to adorn ourselves with faith, we must first know who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Many of you have already trusted in Him and if so, ask God to take your lesson today and help you fall more in love with Jesus than ever before as you are reminded of His great love for you.

Reread 1 Peter 1:1-21 to get back into the context of the verses.

9. What do you learn about Jesus from vv. 3, 18-21?

10. In order to recognize Jesus for who He really is, look up the following verses about Him. Note what you learn about Jesus’ identity from the people who knew Him:

a. Matt. 16:13-17

b. John 1:1-3, 14

c. John 1:29-30

d. John 4:42

11. Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. This is the good news, the gospel. What truths about Jesus does it involve?

Imagine how exciting it must have been to see Jesus alive again after His terrible death on a cross! His friends had lost all hope, forgetting what they had learned about His identity and not understanding the necessity for His death. Seeing Jesus alive totally changed their lives. When we believe, it should change us as well.

12. Read John 20:31. What are we to do with the truths about Jesus that we have seen in this lesson? What do we receive at that point?

13. Read John 14:6. Record Jesus’ words below. What other options did Jesus give people for acquiring eternal life in heaven?

14. Sharing question: If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, summarize your story of how and when you came to believe in Him and trust Him as your personal Savior.

If you have never trusted Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to give you eternal life with Him, today is a wonderful time to do that. Call upon Him, believing that He is God’s Son who died on your behalf to pay the penalty for your sins and rose again from the dead, and desiring a personal relationship with Him as God’s daughter. Share your faith with your group or leader. Read His promise to you in Romans 10:13.

Day Four Study

Reread 1 Peter 1:3-5.

15. Once you are born again, what do you receive according to 1 Peter 1:4?

16. What guarantees that your entrance into heaven is absolutely secure (1 Peter 1:5)?

17. How does Romans 11:29 help you understand the security of your salvation?

18. Responding to God: Based on 1 Peter 1:3-5 and Day Four Lesson, write a prayer thanking Jesus for your salvation and the inheritance that you now have because of His death and resurrection. You might want to take some of the phrases from these verses and reword them into a prayer.

19. Sharing question: Do you have a friend who needs to know that Jesus died for her sins? Write down a specific way that you plan to show her the love of Christ and share with her the news that she can have the inheritance of heaven.

Day Five Study

20. Copy Proverbs 31:30 below, our “Precious Word from God” for this week, and memorize it.

Fearing the Lord means in a practical sense that you trust Him, knowing that you are accountable to Him, realizing that you must fall upon His mercy. We have seen in our study this week that we are all sinners before a holy God. Only by His forgiveness through Jesus’ death for our sins are we able to enter into a family relationship with Him. As we trust Him, God begins to change us.

21. Sharing question: Does your life reflect the beauty of your faith? Write down one practical way in which your faith has changed you into a more beautiful woman.

Jerry’s Story

At the age of probably six or seven I "walked the aisle" at the little country church that I grew up in. I followed in baptism. No one counseled with me about what it really meant and the steps one needed to take to give her life to Christ. I just remember thinking that it was neat that I was going to be baptized and that I would now be able to take the Lord's Supper whenever it was offered. I certainly didn't understand the meaning of that ordinance!

My husband was ordained as a deacon when I was in my mid twenties. The ordination committee came to our house to talk to us and asked me for my testimony. I realized then for the first time that I really didn't have a testimony, but I was too proud to admit it and made up a pretty convincing one. The Lord didn't let go of me. I struggled for several years with this. Every time an invitation was given, I would grip the back of the pew in front of me so hard that I almost broke it in half.

Finally in 1979, we went on a youth choir mission trip as sponsors and I was so convicted of not "playing the game" any longer that when we got back from the tour, I made a profession of faith and followed in believer's baptism. I had for years been so worried about what people would think, let pride get in my way and let the devil convince me that I didn't need to give my life to Christ. What a peace came over me, once I turned loose of all of these things. Has everything been great since then? Of course not, but I do have open access to Jesus Christ as my Savior and He can comfort me, intercede for me, and be my best friend. I wouldn't trade that relationship for anything else in this world.

22. Sharing question: Write down any area of pride in your life that prevents you from being open and honest with those in the community of faith. What do you need to do about it?