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 5:1-5 by Lindsey
Peter ends his letter to God’s people by speaking to older and younger believers. This first section is written to older believers, the leaders of the church. Do you think this means we can just ignore it, zone out, and not pay attention? NO. One day, we will be the older believers, one day some of you might be leaders in God’s church. It is important for us to know what we are looking to and what we will one day become by God’s grace.
So what does Peter say to the older believers? He says to look out for those other Christians who are near you. The people God has given to you. He says older Christians should be like shepherds for younger Christians. Now, we do this officially in our church. Have you heard of the Session or the Elders? We will pray for them in our services this weekend. These are men and women who have been chosen to lead our church in following Jesus. They are our shepherds. They follow Jesus, and they help our church to follow him too.
Peter is helping God’s people here to think about how they can help one another follow Jesus. Some of us are called on to lead God’s people, and some of us are called on to follow those people. None of us can do this on our own. Peter tells us that all of us have to have humility, pointing to another verse in Proverbs 3. What is humility? Is that something we can work really hard to get or try really hard to be? No. Humility grows in our hearts when we spend time with Jesus. Other verses in Proverbs 3:5-6 help us to understand how humility grows in us.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding.
In all your ways obey him. Then he will make your paths smooth and straight.”
Who are the older Christians in your life who follow Jesus and who help you follow Jesus. Can you think of them? Can you write them a note or draw them a picture or pray for them? Friends, we are not walking on this trail alone. We have other, older believers who can help us to follow Jesus, and we are all following the great shepherd, Jesus.
Check this out
In this passage, Peter calls all believers to humility. But what is humility? We all know that just focusing on “not being proud” won’t actually help that much. Proverbs 3, which Peter cites at the end of this passage paints a beautiful picture of the good that comes from wisdom, and includes one of my favorite verses, “Don’t be wise in your own eyes.” The song Trust in the Lord by Slugs & Bugs is a great way to illustrate a life lived humbly before God.
Going Deeper With …
Preschoolers
Read Psalm 23 together, perhaps even memorizing it this week. You can read from a Bible or from a story book like Found by Sally Lloyd Jones or Psalm 23 by Tim Ladwig. This is a wonderful passage of Scripture for children to memorize. Talk about how Shepherds care for their sheep, then look for ways this week to talk about how Jesus cares for you and your child. Pray for the leaders of our church as they seek to shepherd God’s people faithfully.
Elementary Kids
Read 1 Peter 5:-15 in a child-friendly version of the Bible (like the NIrV).
What is Peter saying to the elders in this passage?
What does he say to younger Christians?
Read Proverbs 3. How does it help you understand humility?
Who are the people who shepherd you? Can you thank God for them, pray for them, encourage them in some way? Are there younger believers you can help as they follow Jesus?
Middle & High Schoolers
Read 1 Peter 5:1-5 in the New Living Translation.
What do you think about older people (anyone over 40)?
How does the Lord command you to think about and relate to the elders of our church? How does the Lord command the elders of our church to think about and relate to you?
Have the pastors and elders of our church cared for you or for your family? How? And who comes to mind when you hear the phrase, “lead … by your own good example”? Who in our church do you look up to?
Praise the Lord that he uses weak and sinful humans to care for one another! And praise the Lord that he has given us all the Lord Jesus as our Great Shepherd!