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 4:12-19 by Lindsey
Did you know that Peter says the word “Suffer” or “Suffering” sixteen times in this letter that he wrote to God’s people? It must be pretty important to pay attention to. But suffering is probably not a word you use very often, is it? What does suffering mean? Suffer means to go through something painful, hard, or difficult.
We will all experience painful, hard, or difficult things in this life, but Peter here is talking specifically about people who go through painful, hard, or difficult things because they follow Jesus. These are the people Peter is writing his letter to. In fact, even Peter was put in prison for preaching about Jesus. There are many Christians throughout the world who suffer because they follow Jesus.
Spend some time each day this week praying for Christians around the world who suffer for the sake of following Jesus. Did you know that the EPC is planting churches in some of these hard places? I invite you to join EPC World Outreach in praying for the Malay people.
You can find more information on religious persecution among Christians in Malaysia here.
Check this out
In the service this week, we’ll read the Beatitudes, Jesus teaching on a similar theme to Peter here. Check out this video: The Beatitudes-through the voice of a child.
Going Deeper With …
Preschoolers
Listen to the song In All Things by Slugs & Bugs. We’ll be singing this in the family service this week! Maybe your family would like to memorize these verses (1 Peter 4:12, 13, Romans 8:28, John 16:33) together.
Elementary Kids
Read 1 Peter 4:12-19 in a child-friendly version of the Bible (like the NIrV).
What is the most surprising thing to you in this passage?
Does anything in this passage remind you of something else we’ve read in 1 Peter?
Read Matthew 5:1-12. or watch this video of it. What is similar between these two passages?
What do you think it looks like to “commit [yourself] to their faithful Creator. And… continue to do good”?
Middle & High Schoolers
Read 1 Peter 4:12-19 in the New Living Translation.
Does anything surprise you in this passage?
Why do humans typically think that the blessing of God means an easy life? Why do we usually think a hard life means that God is angry with us?
Have you experienced any suffering? Thank God for letting you share in the suffering of Christ! Peter says that we will know “the wonderful joy of seeing his glory.” How can you fix your mind on the joy ahead of you?