Bible Study: March 4, 2026

Prayer

Since last week, has God answered any of our prayers? Let us know! Or, share something great that's happened in the last week. Then, let’s focus on our present prayer requests: What's on your mind or heart that we can pray for concerning you or someone you love?

Praise Poem

A Living Hope (1 Peter 1:3-9)

Blessed be the God and Father,

Of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Who according to His abundant mercy,

Gave us a living hope that will suffice.

God gave us this hope through Jesus,

By raising Him from the tomb.

Now we have a home reserved in heaven,

Our souls saved from spiritual doom.

We are kept by His side by His power,

Through faith salvation we’ll receive.

Even though life’s trials come upon us,

We become stronger and are not at all grieved.

To possess a genuine faith,

More precious than gold that will fade.

The praise, honor, and glory,

Which revealed by the price Jesus paid.

Even though we have never seen Him,

Or looked upon His face.

With inexpressible joy we delight in,

Salvation by His wonderful grace!

Jay Launius – 2022

Proclimation

Passage

1 Peter 1:3-16

A Living Hope

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead ⁴ and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, ⁷ so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸ Although you have not seen him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace intended for you made careful search and inquiry, ¹¹ inquiring about the time and circumstances that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings intended for Christ and the subsequent glory. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look!

¹³ Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. ¹⁴ Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. ¹⁵ Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct, ¹⁶ for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Proclamation

This passage in v.19 speaks of the “immeasurable greatness" of God’s power. And with that in mind, our sister Luz will take 5-10 minutes to share about her time in the Philippines, and what God is doing there!  

Ponder

1.     What warms your heart from the poem or biblical passage above, and why?

2.     Peter speaks of ‘new birth’ into ‘a living hope’ in verse three. If, over coffee, a friend asked you about ‘new birth’ or that they heard the term ‘born again’ somewhere and didn’t know what it meant, how would you answer them in a way that could help them understand what you’re saying?

3.     A usual topic people ask about when faith discussion is happening is about Christians not seeing Jesus but still believing in Him and experiencing an ‘indescribable and glorious joy’ (v.8).  How would you describe that belief...and that joy?

4.    Verse thirteen calls the church to “prepare your minds for action”. In Peter’s world, this includes 'disciplining ourselves' so that we fully set our hope on the grace that reveals itself in Christ. What are great disciplines you have found to set your hope that you are willing to share with the group?

5. In verses six through seven, Peter states,  ^“In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” That being the case, how could our stories of trials overcome by faith help those who are not Christian face their own sufferings (without us coming across as self-righteous)?

6. Verse twelve states, “ It was revealed to [the Old Testament prophets] that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look!” How did the prophets do that for us?

Purposeful Prayer

Part