Series: 1 Peter: "Living Faith Out”
Reading: 1 Peter 2:4-10 “God's Building Project”
Sermon Date: September 17, 2017

Note for leaders: the most important part of this study are the last seven questions (vs 9-10 & Action), if you notice that you don’t have enough time, please jump to those last questions.

Ice-breaker 

1 - Could you think of any time in your life when you felt really identified with something?
(eg. Sports at school, your family, some kind of group, music group fan, possibly teenage years)
Re Cap!
We’ve seen during the last two weeks that through God’s grace we are called holy because of what Jesus has done for us. Through him we are born again, through him we believe and have a living hope. We are invited with minds that are “alert and fully sober” to set our hope on God’s grace. As we have tasted that the Lord is good, we are also called to be His obedient children. 

Please read 1 Peter 2:4-10

2 – Which is the verse that you most like? Why?
3 – What do you think is the passage’s main theme?

Please read vs 4-6

Peter is using the image of a building. 
4 - What do you think he means by Jesus being the “cornerstone”?
5 – What does he mean by a “spiritual house”?
6 - Which are the “spiritual sacrifices” that we offer which are “acceptable to God”?

Please read vs 7-8

7 – Why do you think that people disobey God’s message?

(please jump to question 11 if you are running out of time!)

8 – Why do you think that we “stumble” when we don’t trust in God? 

Please read Psalm 118:1-4,15-27 (it is long but completely worth it) 

9 - In v. 7 Peter is quoting this Psalm, do you think he is just thinking about vs 22 or the whole Psalm?
(Hint: The Psalm 118 is one of the known messianic or prophetic psalms, because it points to Jesus. Peter quotes it, but as a whole we can find many expressions that point to Jesus)
10 - What else in the Psalm do you think relates to what 1 Peter is talking about?

Please read vs 9-10

11 – How does Peter describe us in Christ?

Please read Exodus 19:3-6

12 – Peter is using the same words as Exodus, in his description we are “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (v.9). What do you think each of these phrases mean?
A – Royal Priesthood?
(Hint: Royal priesthood: we don’t need anyone to stand between us and God, we have access to his amazing presence. It is also a position of service, the priests served God in the Temple and helped the people in their journeys with God.)
B – Holy Nation?
(Hint: Holy Nation: Basically what we’ve seen the last two weeks, we are called holy by God’s grace, our response is believing and changing our behaviour)
C – God’s special possession?
 (Hint: Special possession: we are valuable to God, the Christian life isn’t easy, it is great to know that we are loved, important, precious and valuable)
13 – How do you feel when the Bible says that you are “a royal priesthood”, “a holy nation” and “God’s special possession”?
14 – In what ways do you think God has called you “out of darkness into his wonderful light”? Can you share some specific way in which God has got you out of darkness?

ACTION:

Do you feel like God’s priests, holy people and special possession? 
Do you feel part of God’s building project? 
How can you get more involved in building God’s Kingdom in Ashtead and surroundings? Think of ways in which you can collaborate with God to build his Kingdom here.