Glencairn Church

Going Deeper is designed for use with your small group, a friend or on you own. Its aim is to create time for you to spend with God and his word. Do as much or as little as you like. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact one of our pastoral staff.

1. Pray for the needs of your Life Group, for our church and our leaders, for personal and corporate renewal, and to allow God’s word to transform us. Share a recent entry from your Life Journal with the group.

2. This Sunday we talked about the fact that Christians should be the most hopeful people in the world, because our future is bright, secure, and available now!” What thoughts or questions did the message raise for you? Which ones, in light of this “coronavirus world,” encouraged you or posed a challenge to you?

3. Read 1 Peter 1:3-9. In. v. 3 Peter proclaims that, because of Jesus’ mercy and through His willing death and resurrection, we have been born again to a whole new life in Him. Have you experienced this? What are some signs you have seen in your own life pointing to this brighter future?

4. In verses 4-5 we see that the quality of our “new life,” our inheritance, does not perish, spoil, nor diminish. How would your life be different if you knew you were going to receive a large inheritance? If you’re a believer, how has your life changed because of your promised inheritance through Christ? What further life changes might He desire?

5. Verses 6-9 call us to look forward to our anticipated future with hope. When our hopes are not realized, we often question the basis for our trust and faith. However, when these thoughts enter our mind, our gracious Lord provides hope along the way to carry us through those times. What blessings and signs of “new life” (joy, peace, community, power, wisdom, etc.) has the Lord given you to encourage you now, and provide a taste of the future? How have these given you hope?

6. Our own pride and/or self-confidence often causes us to neglect our dependence on God. Why is it necessary to recognize and admit our own pride and an inflated opinion of our own abilities, before appealing to God for his help? Share with the group some of the battles you are waging against pride. Have you won any of those battles? How?

7. Take a moment of silence to consider how God is speaking to you through the message you have heard today. Is God asking you to make changes or to do something new? What concrete steps of response do you want to take? How can your group support you in these steps?