Welcome
As we journey through 1 Peter together, we want to equip you as households to have conversations with one another about the sermon series. Each week, there will be a blog post featuring a brief recap of the sermon passage for the week, and a few quick ideas for how your family can dive deeper into the passage together during the week.
Recap
1 Peter 3:8-12 by Lindsey
This passage tells us a hard truth: the way of Jesus is one of laying down our lives for others. This can be so hard, especially for kids your age, because your brain can be screaming at you “THIS ISN’T FAIR!” It’s good that your brain is learning to think this way—to know right from wrong and justice from injustice, but it is important for us to remember like Peter says here that we are chosen to repay evil with kindness and unkind words with kind words. Can any person really do this? Not without God’s help! This passage tells us that to see how we should deal with people who disagree with us, we should look at Jesus. Can you think of a story where Jesus disagreed with someone? Did he fight back when others were accusing him unfairly? Did he make everything fair for his people when things were very bad for him? Did he refuse to come be with us because he was God and he didn’t have to? NO. Jesus shows us that this amazing way of living and loving others is possible for people who have God’s Spirit living in them. Do you remember your baptism? Your baptism reminds you that God’s Spirit lives in you! You can give back kind words for unkind words, you can forgive people who hurt you, you can pay back evil with good. Peter even says that you will be blessed when you do this. Do you think this means a lot of money or a big car or a big fat smile on your face? No. The only way to live like this, really and truly, is to have a heart that is made new by Jesus. If you can treat people this way, it is because you belong to Jesus. It means you are a person who is filled right up with God’s Spirit. And that is the greatest blessing of all. God making his home right inside of you.
Check this out
Read a story of when Jesus did not pay back evil with evil.
A few ideas are:
Jesus dies: John 18:17-37
Jesus rises from the dead, defeating death: John 20
Jesus forgives Peter: John 21:15-25
What can you think of?
Going Deeper With …
Preschoolers
Read The Forgiving Prince from the Jesus Storybook Bible. Or watch it here!
When did Joseph’s brothers do or say unkind or evil things to him?
What did Joseph do in return?
When you are finished ask:
I wonder what your favorite part of the story was.
I wonder which part was most important.
Pray together that God will change your hearts to make you people who give back kindness when they are hurt. Like Joseph, and like Jesus.
Elementary Kids
Read 1 Peter 3:8-12 in a child-friendly version of the Bible (like the NIrV).
Make a list of the things Peter says he wants God’s people to do in vs. 8-9.
How many things are on that list?
Peter says “this is what you have been chosen to do.” What do you think that means?
Can you do these things by yourself?
The rest of this passage is a quote from Psalm 34:12-16. The Psalms are a collection of prayers and songs of God’s people. Can you turn these verses from Psalm 34 into a prayer you can pray to God this week, asking him to help you live the way you have been chosen to live?
Middle & High Schoolers
Read 1 Peter 3:8-12 in the New Living Translation.
How does God’s word challenge you in these verses?
Peter says, “Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you.” Have you ever been insulted or made fun of? How did you respond?
Look back at 1 Peter 2:22-23. How does Peter say Jesus responded when he was insulted?
Read all of Psalm 34 (the psalm Peter quotes here). The psalmist says, “Search for peace, and work to maintain it.” How can you be a peacemaker in your family and in your school?