28 Sep
2025

A Living Hope

Passage: 1 Peter 1:3-6

“Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”

—J.R.R. Tolkien, Return of the King

SERMON OUTLINE
1. The Beginning
2. The End
3. The Middle

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

What comes to your mind when you hear the word: journey? How have you experienced the distinctives of a beginning, middle, and end of a journey?

Read 1 Peter 1:3-6. What does this passage show you about God’s character and about being his follower? What challenges, encourages, or sparks questions for you in this passage?

Share how and when you started following Jesus. In what ways is the description of this as being “born again” helpful in your understanding?
We are often drawn to fairy tales or fantasy because these stories give us a glimpse of a life with the following elements (according to Tolkien in his “Essay on Fairy Tales”): life outside of time, an escape from death, love without parting, ability to communicating with non-human beings, and a final defeat of evil. Because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, we have a true story that fulfills our deepest longings, God will cause all the bad things in our life to become good, God will allow all good things in our life to never be taken away, and God promises and ensures that the best things in life are yet to come. How does your inheritance in verse 4 that is being kept for you in heaven, instill hope in your life today? How do you strengthen your anticipation of this future reality?
In verse 6, rejoicing and suffering are both present tense. How are you experiencing both of these realities in this present season? How do we hold these realities together?
In 1 Peter 2:12, we receive an invitation:“Live such good lives among the pagans [those who aren’t Christians] that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they see your good deeds and glorify God.” Our good deeds may include our rejoicing and suffering, as well as other aspects of faithful obedience to God. In what areas are you longing to see God glorified in your life? Are there particular relationships or settings that you are aware of seeking to live faithfully and desiring God to be glorified? Spend time praying for God to be glorified in these areas of life.
What from this passage and this discussion is something you want to put into practice or be more aware of this week or praise God for?

 

PRAYER

Share with your group how they can be praying for you: what is weighing on you from this past week? What are you praising God for from this past week?

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6