Pastor Phill Howell preaches this Sunday (March 26, 2023) on 1 Peter 1:17-21. The big idea this week is that as hope produces and empowers holiness, the fear of God protects our hope-filled holiness. Using a plane as an illustration, the destination is holiness, the fuel is hope, and the two wings are the fear of God and the fear of forsaking one’s salvation. The text shows us how Christ paid the supreme cost of the flight and how we, even in temporary discomfort, can rest assured that God will take us all the way.

Scripture Readings:

• 2 Corinthians 5:1-21 (1st Reading)
• Isaiah 52:3-12 (2nd Reading)
• Revelation 1:5-6 (Benediction)

Discussion Questions:

1. How does verses 3 and 13 help us better understand verses 17-21.
2. How does hope produce holy living? What does it look like?
3. What does fear of God have as a role in people’s live to live holy lives?
4. What does treating the precious gift of salvation in a trite manner look like?
5. What does it look like to value and fear God as Judge?
6. What does it look like to conduct yourself in fear?
7. How regularly do you call on the Lord as Father? How has that impacted your walk with God?
8. Describe a person’s life who lives in please and live for the Father.
9. How does God’s discipline in our lives look?
10. How does God’s discipline lead to love and fear of God?
11. How does it impact our daily living to know that God will judge us?
12. How does 1 Peter 4:3-5 help us better understand our passage?
13. Why would James, Jesus’ half brother, say that teachers would judge them more strictly? How does this help us understand how God is calling us to live as His believers?
14. What kind of living does this verse encourage us to live in order to fear God in our daily life?
15. How does 1 Peter 2:13-25 help us better understand our passage?
16. How is it comforting to know that God does not play favorites with His people? How is it convicting to know that God doesn’t play favorite and judges His people?
17. How would it look to be disrespectful to God’s gift of salvation through Christ?
18. What does it look like to be amazed that we are saved in our daily living? What has encouraged you by others who live daily amazed in God?
19. What does it look like to use our freedom to honor God with our lives?
20. What do you think contributes to go back to being in slavery of our passions and former living? What does it reflect about our view of God and His engagement in our lives?
21. How does how we live as a Christian directly linked to the gospel?
22. How does God’s love for us help shape our identity and how we live our lives?
23. How does our hope and trust bring glory to God?
24. How does verse 11 help us better understand our passage?
25. How does complaining indicate what we believe about God and believe about our identity in Christ?
26. How does this passage encourage us to live, while engaging with difficult people and difficult situations?