QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK

1.   In 1 Peter 4:1, Peter connects suffering with the cessation of sins. In verse two he connects that  with our ability to live the rest of our time on Earth for God, not ourselves. In verse four we see how others respond to our turning from sin –surprise and anger. Why does righteous living surprise?  Why does it anger? Does that help you deal with negative comments?      
2.  First Peter 4:8 is often misunderstood. How, exactly, does love cover a multitude of sins? “Cover” does not mean ignore, hide, or overlook sin but deal with it quietly in a way leading towards repentance. It’s like Proverbs 10:12–instead of highlighting someone’s sin, you deal with it privately. Whose sin have you been forced to deal with recently? How did you deal with it?         How could you, in God’s strength and wisdom, do better?  
3.   Some of us have lost out on promotions because of faithfulness to God. Some of us have lost     friends or been ridiculed. While hard, those are not really “fiery trials” like early Christians         experienced –some were actually burned for their faith. Why could those back then “rejoice” in         their sufferings? How does knowing it’s the same God, then and now, help you deal with          difficulties today? Are you willing to “entrust your soul to a faithful Creator,” (1 Peter 4:19)?

Want to dig deeper? Go directly to www.mikethebaptist.com. You will be able to listen or watch a conversation with Temple's pastors as they sit down and dive deeper into the weekly questions and content.