Bear the Name

• 1 Peter 4:12-19

  Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,

  “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

  So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES

Read 1 Peter 5:1-4, four times this next week.
Use the ‘O.I.A.’ Study method to look at 1 Peter 5:1-4

DISCUSSION GUIDE

Personal Reflection Questions:

1. Think back on your day, did you bear the name of Christ? Talk with the Holy Spirit about ways you did this well and ways you didn’t.

2. When did you suffer for bearing the name of Christ? How did you respond? Is ‘rejoicing’ the first thing to come out of you? Why or why not?
   

Group Reflection Questions:

1. How can we help each other when we suffer for being ‘Christians’?

2. How do you know you’re suffering for Christ and not suffering for sin?

3. How can we encourage each other to bear the name of Christ?
   

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for your word to us, thank you for revealing yourself to us. Help is to rejoice when we suffer for your name. Help us to bear your name well and to reflect your love faithfully to the world around us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Take some time to sit silently before God.

What action will you take this week because of what you heard from the Lord during the teaching of His Word?