Group Guide
This Week's City 7:
2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
Ice-Breaker:
- How did you hear about the City Church, and when did you start attending?
Scripture
2 Peter 1
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Paying Attention to Scripture
12 Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. 13 And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. 14 For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, 15 so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Paying Attention to Scripture
12 Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. 13 And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. 14 For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, 15 so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.
Discussion Questions:
- In 2 Peter chapter 1, it's all about the FRUIT. A true FAITH will produce FRUIT in your life. In verse 5, Peter says we should "make every effort to respond to God's promises." This is in reference to the fruit of EFFORT. As a follower of Jesus, we should be zealous and passionate, not lazy. Our heart's desire SHOULD be to work to become more and more like Jesus. Not "do better, try harder," but allowing the Holy Spirit to change you from the inside out (sanctification). What does the fruit of EFFORT look like in your life? Are you full speed ahead when it comes to your faith? Or are you just sitting back and watching?
- Verses 6 and 7 show us a little more what the process of sanctification looks like. It speaks to the fruit of your ACTIONS. Peter is encouraging us to increase in moral excellence, knowledge, self control, patient endurance, godliness and love for others. These are things that will be a natural outflow of a life surrendered to Jesus. To some people, they hear this and will call it legalism. They might say, "Oh, so if you don't do all these things then you're not saved?" But people that think in this way just don't get it. Peter isn't giving us a legalistic code to make sure we get to heaven. Instead, he is showing us the desires of a transformed heart. Good works are the EVIDENCE of our salvation, not the BASIS of it. Read through the list in verses 5-7 again. Is there an area in which you fall short? Where are you needing to grow the most?
- The next fruit of the faith Clayton talked about was the fruit of INTEGRITY. In verse 8, Peter talks about being useful and productive as a believer. The knowledge of Christ provides everything we need for godly living. But it's not just knowledge for the sake of knowing, it's knowledge that leads to a changed life. If we look like Jesus, we will live with integrity. What about you? Who are you when no one is looking?
- In verse 10, Peter tells us to work hard to prove that we really do belong to Him. He says if we do those things, we won't "fall away." This is the fruit of PERSEVERANCE. Clayton explained the doctrine of the "perseverance of the saints. This simply means that those who are truly born again will end up persevering to the very end. For those that are NOT truly saved, going through trials and difficulty will crush their faith. For those who belong to Him, it will only make their faith stronger as it is tested. Scripture warns that those who fall away give evidence that their faith was never real. Christians always come back. They confess their sins to God often and quickly. Have you known anyone fell away when things got difficult? Was there a time in your life that a hard season made you doubt your faith? How did that season help you grow in your relationship with God?
- Finally, in verses 12-15, Peter reminds us of what is truly important in this life. This is the fruit of PRIORITY. Peter knows his time on this earth is coming to an end very soon. He is living with death in mind. Scripture teaches that it's wise to think about death... why? Because it keeps our priorities where they should be. Living with your own death in mind will give you an urgency to make sure people in your life know and follow Jesus. It helps you keep primary things primary and secondary things secondary. And it makes you consider what kind of legacy you want to leave. What do you think people will remember you for if you leave this world tomorrow? How does that differ from how you hope you will be remembered? Do your priorities speak of someone who is living with the end in mind?
Prayer Topics:
- That the fruit of our lives will scream the name of Jesus.
- That we would live lives of integrity.
- That we would live with the end in mind.
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