Why could people who made millions laugh never find joy themselves? A guest speaker from the United States walks us through the first chapter of 1 Peter, showing that true joy cannot be manufactured, it grows like fruit from the seed of the gospel: out of hope, faith, and love. The key turns out to be Peter’s story at two fires, the one where he denied Jesus, and the one on the beach where he heard the question: do you love me? Listen and find out where the joy comes from that even the hardest circumstances cannot take away.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Peter writes to believers around AD 60, when persecution under Nero was beginning. What in 1 Peter 1:3-7 could give them joy despite such hard circumstances?
- Peter compares faith to gold refined by fire. According to this image, what do trials do to our faith, and how do you understand this comparison?
- The preacher said we cannot force joy to grow, but we can create conditions for the seed of the gospel to grow. What do those conditions look like in your life?
- The sermon said that without hope rooted in Jesus' resurrection, we look for it in famous people or in what others might write about us. Where are you most tempted to look for hope apart from Christ?
- Peter denied Jesus three times by a fire, and later, by another fire on the beach, he heard the question: do you love me? What does this story tell you about where true joy comes from?
- Love helps us see the suffering of the person next to us, not just our own. Who can you show that kind of love to this week, even while facing your own struggles?
