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Sunday services: 9, 10:30 Wednesday: 7 pm 200 East 38th Street Marion, IN (765) 674-8541

Holiness Under Pressure Integrity in Holy Living (July 15, 2009) 1. How would you define "integrity"? Being complete/unbroken/whole In perfect condition Being honest, sincere, moral 2. Pastor Steve offered examples of how the perception of integrity is changing? Can you add some examples of your own (or do you disagree)? Taking enhancement drugs in sports is seen as perfectly acceptable to some. Stealing office supplies from work is so common, it is assumed to be OK. Our actions are "justified" if we can come up with a good argument. 3. Reread 1 Peter 2:1-5, 9-12. How would you describe these words from Peter (for example: judgmental, encouraging, admonishing, or congratulatory)? It would seem that Peter is exhorting these new Christians to strive for a better life than they are living so far. They have been convinced that Jesus died for their sins, but they have not yet perceived that receiving such a gift demands a sense of love and devotion that will lead them to radically changed lives. 4. In verses 1-3, there are two actions to be taken. What are they, and is there any significance to their sequence (can they be accomplished in either order)? a. Eliminate sinful behavior b. Crave the spiritual nourishment offered by the Word of God (the Bible). For most of us, both of these tend to be a process. We strive to eliminate the sins of which we are aware, but our Bible studies reveal other areas in our lives that need some work. 5. In verses 4-5 there is a reference to "living stones". What image does that bring to mind? (If you are struggling with this, look at both verse 6 and Ephesians 2:19-22. Does that help?) Jesus is the corner stone and foundation of the Christian church, and each of us is a living stone, an integral part of that family of God. 6. If Christ is the corner stone and we are all living stones that make up the "church", how does that affect the way we live? If all of that is true, then a) we are all in this together b) no one of us can do it alone (a building of one rock is not much of a building) c) we are each valuable in God's eyes 7. In verse 5 it talks about offering a sacrifice. Wasn't Jesus the last sacrifice? (Look at Hebrews 13:15-16 for a description.) Jesus was the last blood sacrifice required by God, but we each offer up to God sacrifices of praise, doing good, and sharing with others. Sacrifices like these are acts of worship. We use them as part of establishing a stronger relationship with God. 8. In verses 9-12, Christians are first called "the people of God" and then aliens and strangers. Is that a good news/bad news contrast or is there any connection at all between those descriptions of us? Actually, these are directly connection. If we are people of God, then we are not people focused on worldly things. That makes us a strange fit in a society that is based on a belief that this earthly life is all there is to existence. Thus we are aliens (citizens of heaven, not of this earth) and strangers (do not conform to the current culture). 9. Pastor Steve stresses that v. 11 requires a careful pairing of two actions. What are they and does the sequence matter? a) acknowledging that we are followers of Jesus Christ (extensions of Jesus, living stones, belong to the Father, redeemed) b) we are called to live good lives (live a holy life; to be a people of truth, goodness, & endurance) We are hypocrites if we try to live a good life on our own without God's help. It is only when we are constantly aware of who we are and whose we are (children of God) that we have the ability to live good lives. Endurance: 1 Peter 5:6-10 (August 3, 2008) 1. If integrity has to do with being whole, complete, and of sound moral principle, what does that have to do with endurance? 2. What are some of the things we do on a regular basis because of a lack of trust in others? 3. What is this lack of trust costing us? 4. How would things change if we interacted with trust? 5. Read 1 Peter 5:6-7 and summarize in your own words what these verses say to you. 6. Read 1 Peter 5:8-10 and summarize in your own words what these verses say to you. 7. If we are promised a spiritual battle because of following Christ, what happened to the abundant life that we are promised if we follow Christ? 8. Why is it that, in times of moral crisis, one of the first casualties is trust? 9. According to Pastor Steve, what are the enemies of endurance? Why? 10. What is the antidote for fear and fatigue? Questions by Dennis Brinkman and Don Sprowl