Discussion Questions:

Watch the past message, then choose questions to get your group thinking and create openness.

  1. What was something that stood out to you from this past Sunday’s message? Share what you learned and how it will impact your life.

  2. Read 1 Peter 3:13-4:19. Peter compares Noah's rescue through water with Christian baptism. According to these verses, what comparison does Peter make between Noah's experience and water baptism?

  3. Peter says baptism is "not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. What does this teach us about the true meaning of water baptism? Why is baptism more than simply a religious ceremony?

  4. Why is it important that Peter grounds the meaning and power of baptism in the resurrection of Jesus rather than in the water itself? What does this teach us about the basis of our salvation?

  5. Read Romans 6:3–4. Paul teaches that believers are buried with Christ through baptism and raised to walk in newness of life. How does Romans 6 help you better understand Peter's teaching that baptism points to salvation through the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

  6. According to 1 Peter 3:13–17, how does Peter say believers should respond when they suffer for doing what is right?

  7. Why does Peter repeatedly connect suffering with hope and joy rather than fear and defeat? What does this reveal about God's purposes?

  8. As you read 1 Peter 4:7–19, what instructions does Peter give believers as they wait for Christ's return?

  9. Peter tells believers to entrust themselves to "their faithful Creator" (4:19). What does this title teach us about God's character in seasons of suffering?

  10. Read Romans 8:18–39. Both Paul and Peter encourage believers who face hardship. What similarities do you see between Romans 8 and 1 Peter 3:13–4:19? How do these passages strengthen your confidence that suffering will never separate believers from God's love and His eternal purposes?

  11. Peter doesn't tell us to look through the lens of suffering to find Christ; he tells us to look through the lens of Christ to understand our suffering. How does this perspective change the way we respond to hardship and disappointment?

  12. What is one situation in your life where you need to stop looking at your circumstances through fear and begin looking at them through the victory of Christ?

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