Suffering | Just Visiting | Drew Moore

How will you handle suffering? That’s the real question. Peter’s words remind you that following Jesus doesn’t mean escaping hardship. It means embracing it with a purpose. Jesus walked the road of suffering, and through it, God met people. Now, you are called to walk in His steps—not to avoid suffering, but to do good even when it brings pain. When trials come, will you choose to suffer well? Your response becomes an opportunity to show the world who Jesus is. How will you let God shape you through it?

KEY VERSES

  • 1 Peter 2:22-24 NLT: He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

  • 1 Peter 3:18 MSG: If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.

  • 1 Peter 2:21 NLT: For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

  • 1 Peter 4:19 NLT: So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

  • 1 Peter 3:9-11 NLT: Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

  • 1 Peter 3:13-15 NLT: Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good?But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

  • 1 Peter 3:15-16 NLT: Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.

  • 1 Peter 4:1-2 NLT: So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.

  • 1 Peter 4:1-2 MSG: Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.

  • 1 Peter 4:12-13 NLT: Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

HEARING WHAT GOD IS SAYING

One of the best ways to hear what God is saying right now is to look at what He has said in the Bible with a few friends. Discovery Bible Study is an easy-to-use way to hear from God, make good changes in our lives, and share with others what God is up to. Grab some friends, pick a verse or story from above, and dive deeper into this week’s message.

Recap

+ Reconnect

To begin the study, each person answers these questions:

  • What are you thankful for?
  • What is causing stress for our neighbors and people around us?
  • What can we as individuals or as a group do to help?

+ Recap

  • Have someone retell the story from your previous meeting.
  • Did you live out your response from last week?
  • Did you tell anyone else about the story from last week?

Discovering What God Is Saying

+ Read and Retell the Bible Story

  • One person reads the story out loud to the group.
  • Someone else in the group retells the story in their own words as they remember it, and others fill in what’s missing.

+ Read and Look

  • Read the passage again (different version if possible)
  • What does this passage say about God, Jesus, or His plan?

+ Read and Look Again

  • Have 1-2 more people retell the story as if they were telling a neighbor outside their home.
  • What does this passage say about people in general?

Doing What God Is Saying

+ Consider

  • What in me needs to change to better DO what God is showing me today?
  • How will you respond to/obey this passage in a tangible, perhaps even costly ways in the next 47 hours?
  • Have someone record these for prayer time, and for the beginning of the next meeting.

Sharing what God is saying

+ Praying Together

  • Take prayer requests
  • Pray together

+ Share

  • Who in your life needs to hear this story?
  • Who could you invite to study the Bible like this?

Become a Partner

Every time you give in Jesus’ name, you make a difference in others AND you make a difference in your own life! Partnering together in generosity helps accomplish things together that could never be accomplished alone! You can partner together in giving today with a single gift, or schedule recurring giving using your checking account, debit, or credit card.

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