Welcome to this week's Group Study! This winter we're doing an 8-week block starting January 17 running through the week of March 7.
Start your time with a Check-in (about 15 minutes)
inductive bible study (30-40 minutes)
Open your Bibles and begin with a prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to help you read God's word. Read the passage out loud once together and then silently once more on your own, noting your observations and questions. Then take a few minutes to share your observations and questions together.
Key Scripture: 1 PEter 2:4-10
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”[b]
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”[c]
8 and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”[d]
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Take some time to answer a key question you've raised as a group and think through how the issues you've explored apply to your lives.
Take a moment after your Bible study to watch this video:
DISCUSSION (about 20 minutes):
1) Verse 5 talks about living stones and a spiritual house. What does this mean and how does it connect to your understanding of the church?
2) 1 Peter 1:1 is written to exiles scattered throughout the world. How does this relate to us today?
3) What is your response to v.9? How does this verse shape the way we live on mission?
4) What is this passage calling us to do in our present day situation? What is the Spirit of God impressing upon your heart in regard to application?
5) In this past week's sermon, Steevens Audige talked about salt (Luke 14:34). What does it mean for us to be salt?
Close with a time of prayer.
