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Q4. (2:21-23) How does Christ's example speak to your situation? How is your behaviour going to be different because of what you see in Jesus' character in this passage? If only we could truly follow Jesus

Q4. The vision of Christ among the lampstands (1:12-20) is much different than the Carpenter-Teacher who walked the roads of Galilee and Judea. Why? What overall emotions is this vision of Jesus among the lampstands designed to evoke in the reader? Why is this understanding of Jesus important to a balanced faith? Here we see our Lord Jesus in full glory, splendour and majesty, not the humble carpenter-teacher He was while on earth. John

Q3. (2:18-20) How does being an employee "conscious of God" affect the way we act and react to injustice in the workplace? Can a conscientious Christian be a complainer? Why or why not? How do you usually react to prolonged, unfair treatment at your work? We are to stand bravely for Jesus and to reflect His love, no matter what. We as believers must be above any injustices at work and to be obedient and respectful to all. This does not mean we are never to complain if we come across any misconduct or wrongdoing. I think here we must take a stand and not overlook such occurrences. Fortunately I have had my own business and I can honestly say I have tried to be honest and fair to all my employees; but I must have slipped up some times, and I ask forgiveness for this.

Q3. In what countries are Christians presently experiencing tribulation or persecution for the faith? How can the Book of Revelation be a comfort and encouragement to them? Nearly all Muslim countries, and certain African countries where Muslims have political control all persecute Christians and do not allow the spread of the Word. We can all take comfort from the book of Revelation, knowing what our future is. We know where we will be spending eternity. We also know our Lord will triumph over evil. As the hymnist says

Q2. (2:18) If we are to submit to our employers and respect them, what is that saying about God's expectation that we do a good job? In what sense do we dishonour God when we don't give our full effort to our jobs? Being a Christian makes demands on us. In the workplace we have to seen as living testimonies for God. Normally we are in the minority and we will be placed under the spotlight; people will be quick to criticize us, and even accuse us of being hypocrites. This can bring dishonour to our Lord. We have to obey God

Q2. What does 1:8 tell us about the Father? The Father is the speaker here in 1:8 and in 21:6. But Jesus is the speaker in 1:17 and 22:12-13. What is the significance of this for our understanding of who Jesus is? Our Heavenly Father is the Alpha and the Omega, and the

Q1. Revelation is written to encourage and strengthen a church facing intense persecution. Why is the theme of testimony and witness so important to that purpose? How is Jesus as the "faithful witness" (1:5) supposed to encourage us? Why are we afraid to be clear witnesses in a culture where we aren't persecuted? We live in a world were true believers are being bombarded with false ideologies, teachings and religions. We need to stand strong and firm for our Lord Jesus against all these attacks. We know our final victory is guaranteed and that Jesus will return to reign forever. Jesus, being God, as the

Q1. (2:15-16) In what way is God's glory dependent upon us living submissive, obedient lives? How is God hurt when we get rebellious? We have this paradox of Christian life, we are free yet we are slaves. We can live as free people but we must use our freedom to glorify God. This we do when we serve Him faithfully. It is when we start disobeying God that we dishonour Him and hurt Him. Of course, everything we do should be for the glory of the Lord and the good of His kingdom!

Q5. (2:12) How can the good deeds we commit by living openly as Christians increase God's praise. How does our "blending in" detract from God's praise? Our lifestyle should be distinctly Christian; we are to be living testimonies of His love and mercy towards sinners. It should serve to encourage others to follow our example, because it is through our actions of love that He calls unbelievers to Himself. Our conduct and deeds are evaluated constantly by unbelievers who want to see if we are indeed living the Christian life. If not, we are labelled as hypocrites, and this will turn people away from our Lord.

Q4. (2:11) Read 1 Peter 2:11 carefully. The world tells us (1) to conform and (2) that sin won't hurt us. What does Peter tell us to combat these lies? How can this reminder help us? Just as Christian values and beliefs are rejected by the world, so we are to live apart from the immorality and sinful desires that surround us today in this fallen world. Peter is warning us about these sinful desires. Desires in itself are not wrong, but Peter warns us that evil desires can give rise to sin, and this ultimately gives rise to death (James 1:15). He writes that these sinful desires will wage war against our soul with the sole purpose of destroying it. Later on in 1Pet 4:3 he goes on to mention these sinful desires as

Q3. (2:9) What actions and attitudes should this idea of being part of God's own people inspire in us? Our attitude should be one of gratitude and we are to live out the Christian life based on our being a special people belonging to God. We should be telling everyone about His grace and mercies. The more we know the Lord Jesus the more we can proclaim him. The world tends to read the Christian far more than they read the Bible. They see us, but they only hear about the Lord Jesus. So we have a duty to let everyone know about our Lord Jesus, and what He has done in our life.

Q2. (2:5) If your praise is primarily for God's benefit, not your own, how should you be offering praise? We make our praises an offering to God. It is not a burden but a joy and privilege to praise our Heavenly Father. We cannot have acceptance by God on the basis of who or what we are, it is only through Jesus Christ that God accepts our praises.

Q1. (2.5) Christians often look at their relation to God as consumers, delighting in what God does for them. What is the mindset of a priest towards God? What actions does this mindset inspire in you? We, as believers, are all priests with instant access to our Heavenly Father. We are to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God through our Lord Jesus. It is only through Jesus that we can approach God, and it is only He that can make our offerings acceptable to God. I must remember that everything I do is imperfect and flawed by sin, so I need a mediator to remove all my sin, making it acceptable to God. This inspires me to praise Him, do good works for Him, and share with others for Him. Instead of relying on Him to serve me, it is up to me to acknowledge Him and serve Him!

Q5. Why should Christians look forward to the events surrounding our resurrection? Why do you think Christians have largely lost this as their active expectation and hope? What should be done to reclaim these truths? We will receive a new resurrection body which is flawless in every respect. We know our final home will be in heaven with our Lord. We will be able to share in Christ

Q4. What will our resurrection bodies be like? Why do you think we will be given resurrection bodies? What is the point? Our resurrection bodies will be physical and material, made perfect and forever free from weakness, sickness, and death. We will have a body just like Christ

Q4. (1:18-19) Have you ever felt you were of no worth or of no value? What does 1 Peter 1:18-19 say about your worth? What does it say about God's love for you? What does it indicate about the long-term value of your balance sheet and financial assets? What are your true long-term investments? Why? Yes, I think that perhaps we all feel this at some stage or other. For me it usually is only a fleeting thought; I realize the high cost of our salvation - the precious blood of Jesus. For God to have done this shows His love for us. We know from 1 John 4:8 that

Q3. (1:17) Why are people in our culture so upset when they sense they are being judged by someone else? How do you reconcile final judgment with God's love for the world? Why must final judgment be at the core of the Good News of Jesus Christ? What happens to the Gospel when final judgment is left out or ignored? They see our judgment as hypocritical; often finding fault when we our selves are at fault. Also they ask who are we to judge. God

Q3. What does the phrase "redemption of our bodies"(Romans 8:23-24) tell us about our resurrection? What words in 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 describe our resurrection bodies? We will be resurrected with glorified bodies, similar to the body our Lord Jesus has now in heaven. Our resurrection bodies will be incorruptible, raised in glory and power, and it will be a spiritual body.

Q2. (Philippians 1:23-24; 2 Corinthians 5:8) According to these verses, where will Christians be immediately after death? Where do we await the resurrection? When our souls depart from our worldly life, it is to be immediately with Christ. We will be free from sin and from suffering and with Jesus forever. We are in heaven awaiting the resurrection.

Q2. (1:15-16) In your own words, how would you define "holiness"? In what sense are you (by definition) holy now? In what sense must you be obedient in order to become holy? What is your biggest struggle with holiness? I would define holy as being God

Q1. (1:13) What about Christ's coming should get our undivided attention? Why should it inspire hope? Why should it inspire self-control and soberness? What happens in our lives when we don't really expect Christ to come soon? We should be living a life that is ready to meet our Saviour. We know His return is imminent and therefore we must be ready to meet Him. Our life should be motivated to live for Him; we have to be careful not to live a life of complacency, thinking Jesus is not coming soon. It would be wrong to think that there is much more time to live a worldly life, and that we can change our lifestyle later. We must be disciplined, alert, and focused on the coming of our Lord. Be ready.

Q1. What is the word used in the Bible instead of "rapture"? When will the resurrection take place in relation to Christ's return? In relation to judgment? In relation to glory? (This is NOT the place to debate various theories of the rapture and the millennium.) Rapture means

Q5. (1:8-9) According to 1Peter 1:8-9, what is the basis of Christian joy that is "inexpressible and glorious"? How does this joy interplay with human emotions? Is it essentially emotional? How does it differ from what is generally regarded as the pursuit of "happiness"? Extra Credit: How can you tell the genuine article of joy from the counterfeit? The basis of our joy is our faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Joy is a gift that we receive from God. We read in Scripture that God is the giver of joy (see Psalm 16:11; John 16:24; Rom 15:13). So we receive this gift when we put all our trust in God. It is not some sort of emotional occurrence that does not last. Our happiness is like this; when everything is going well, we are happy. Whereas joy, is not a response to our circumstances, because we can have great joy during hardship, suffering, trials, and persecutions. We often express our joy by loving God and obeying His commands. Joy is the fruit of the Spirit, and is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. We cannot get joy on our own, we have to have Christ in us

Q5. (1 Corinthians 15:58) What does being steadfast and immovable have to do with the hope of the resurrection? Why is our labour not in vain in the Lord? The truth of the resurrection is our only hope. We are to remain steadfast and immovable which enables us to carry on in the face of overwhelming and difficult circumstances. We are to continue in the faith and remain steadfast or firm in the Lord and are not to waver. In the same way we are to stick to our spiritual roots

Q4. What assurance do you have that you will be physically resurrected rather than experience disembodied immortality? What does it mean that Jesus is the "firstfruits" (1 Corinthians 15:20) and "firstborn" (Revelation 1:5) from the dead? The fact that Jesus is God and He was physically resurrected is our guarantee as believers of our own resurrection. We are told in Scriptures many times that Jesus