Session 4 – Small Group Study Guide
Study Questions
- Meditate carefully on 1 Peter 2:24-25. These verses are a presentation of the gospel. As pastor David said, “we can get overly familiar with it and begin to tune it out.” So as you meditate on it, consider these questions:
- What fresh gospel treasures make you want to rejoice?
- What portions of the gospel have you become overly familiar with that you need to consider more deeply?
- What areas of the gospel confuse you that you would like to understand more?
- Write out a brief confession of sin to the Lord for a particular struggle in your life, then read over your confession of sin. How we confess our sin helps us understand our own view of sin. How do you understand the nature of your sin and how has that knowledge grown and matured over your life? (e.g. as a child I saw sin as breaking an abstract law or moral code, as I grew I saw sin as a product of spiritual warfare. While sin is breaking God’s law and involves spiritual warfare, today I can see how my sin comes primarily from my worshiping heart that wanders away from God to worship idols in his place)
- Pastor David mentioned that there are two potential results waiting for every person at the end of their lives because of sin. What are those two results and what determines what we will face at the end of life because of our sin?
- What is the significance of Peter using the word “tree” instead of “cross” as the location of Jesus’ death? (Hint: See Deuteronomy 21:22-23 and Galatians 3:13)
- Peter himself was a gospel cynic, he rolled his eyes at the gospel in Matthew 16:21-23 when Jesus talks about dying and rising from the grave. In that passage Peter rebukes Jesus saying, “Far be it from you Lord! This shall never happen to you.” Jesus says, “But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” What “things of man” do you meditate on that can dull your worship and prevent you from considering the glory of Christ in the gospel?
- Consider the three realities of a cruciform life that Pastor David covered: “our sins are paid for, our lives are transformed, our care is secured.” Briefly reflect on how God has deepened your enjoyment of these realities in your life. How does this passage deepen your ability to worship your Savior in light of these realities?
- Pastor David closed his sermon by keeping our attention on our caring shepherd and seeing how his care for us changes us, “trimming away the parts of us that don’t look like Jesus”. As we behold Christ, we better understand the ways we need to live out his likeness in this world. In light of this, what aspects of your life would you like God to trim away to make you look more like Christ? How might you pray about those things? Who in your life could you invite to pray for you about those things as well?
Practicing Prayer Individually
One of our hopes this season is to not only meditate on the contents of our study, but to allow such meditation to transform how we think and interact with God. So answer the following questions:
- Think back to session 1. What was the one area of your life that you identified that you’d like to grow in praying over for the rest of this season? How have you since grown in praying for that one area from our last study?
- We are reminded from this session that the cross should trickle down to everyday life. So based upon what you learned from this session, how might you use the following ideas in your prayers:
- Our sins have been paid for in full by Christ through his substitutionary death on the cross.
- Our lives are being transformed by God’s grace, because through our faith in the gospel we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
- Our care is secure, no matter how far we have strayed. We have a faithful Shepherd of our souls who pursues us and brings us home again and again.
- Write out a prayer based upon what you learned and take time to pray that prayer for work.
Sharing and Prayer in Groups
- Based upon what you wrote down in “Practicing Prayer Individually,” how has this study impacted the one area of your life you’ve been praying for? Share this with your prayer group so they know how to pray for you.
- Share other prayer requests:
