Betty

(5:10-11) Which promises in verses 10 and 11 are most meaningful to you at this point in your life? Why? The promise that God personally knows about my suffering, but, in comparison to eternity, it will only last for a little while; and He will pick me up and make me stronger than ever! This is important to me because after all this suffering is over, I am assured of an eternal life with Christ where there will be no suffering, no heartaches, no death. What a Day that will be!

5:8-9) What instructions does Peter give us to guide us in spiritual warfare? We must ever be watchful and stand firm when he attacks, trusting the Lord to be with us in the midst of whatever Satan tries to do to us. Sometimes we might feel alone and helpless when trials or troubles come our way, but we must stay focused on Jesus. We should remember that other Christians have gone through trials also, and we should pray for each other and encourage one another. Extra credit: How are these instructions similar or different than Paul's instructions in Ephesians 6:10-17? The instructions are somewhat similar, but Paul stresses that our strength to fight Satan comes from the Holy Spirit living in us, and we must use every piece of God's armour in resisting the enemy. When the battle is over, we will be standing; and Satan will be defeated!!

(5:8) Why is it important to be aware of Satan's existence? Because he is our enemy and we must constantly be on guard for his traps. What does this verse teach us about the devil? He wants to tear us away from the Lord, and he wants us to doubt Jesus and our salvation. Why is this teaching important? It should serve to remind us that we do indeed need to put on the whole armour of God in fighting against Satan. We need to stay in the Word of God and trust in His truth. We must stand true to God when we are being attacked by Satan. With the Holy Spirit living in us, we can see beyond our present circumstances and know with assurance that the ultimate victory is ours!

(5:7) According to this verse what should you do with your fears? What reason is given why you should do this? In what manner should you do it. How will you apply this verse's instruction in your own life? Turn them over to the Lord because He can handle them so much better than we can. He loves us so much and is concerned about us. We should do it in such a manner that we leave them completely with Him and not worry about our circumstances. I will apply this verse's instruction in my own life by praying to the Lord about the things that concern me and know that He is capable of dealing with them. I must not continue to worry about things after I have turned them over to Him. "Take your burdens to the Lord, and leave them there."

(5:5-6) What acts of humility are appropriate for church leaders? How can we discern a person's humility before putting him or her in a place of leadership in the church? What happens when we fail to do this? Church leaders should recognize that their power to lead comes from God, and they can do nothing of themselves. They must be willing to serve in any way necessary, no matter how small or how large the task, and give God the glory for being able to do it. Before a person is put in a place of leadership, the leaders and members should take notice of how the person conducts their life, not only in the church, but outside. How do they treat the older members? How do they deal with the young? A truly committed servant of God should have respect and compassion for every age group in the church. Most of all, they must glorify God and honor Him in all areas of their life. When we fail to discern a person's humility and place them in a leadership position, we are doing a dis-service to the church. People will eventually see through their hypocrisy and lose respect for them; therefore, their leadership becomes ineffective.

(5:3) How can we best keep elders and pastors from being power-mongers? By reminding them that everyone in the church is just as important in God's eyes as they are, and they have no authority to set themselves up as being powerful. They should be leaders by example and keep all business before the church, not doing anything under-handed that could cause conflict. In our church, we have a monthly business meeting where the members vote on any major issues involving church affairs; therefore, all the members who attend the meeting are informed of activities by the Pastor and Deacons, and the church has an opportunity to vote on the matter. We should be in constant prayer for our Pastor and Deacons (or Elders) because it's no easy task to be a serving, committed leader. From limiting a pastor's authority? What's the danger here? If a Pastor is fully committed to humbly serve the people in his church, it should not be necessary to limit his authority. However, a Pastor should not count the church as "his" and think that the people are there to serve him. God said, "I will build my church." The danger in limiting a Pastor's authority could lead to discontent and distrust between himself and the members. From testing a person before bestowing authority? How can this be difficult? It would be difficult to test a person in church concerning how they would handle authority; but they need a clear explanation of what is expected of them and how the church will have the right to challenge them if they disagree with something the leader is doing. The most important thing to do is pray for the leader to commit his or her life to serving God and the people in the best way he or she can, with God's help. How can we deal with this serious problem properly? Don't just look the other way or sweep it under the rug; and by all means, don't leave your church. When a problem comes up like this, it must be addressed. Possibly, the other leaders in the church could have a meeting with the person, pray with him or her and let them know that there is indeed a problem with the way they are handling things. They need to be reminded that they are there to serve God and His people and must answer to the people, but ultimately answer to God. Most of all, we must, as so many others have said, "PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!"

5:2) What's wrong with the common practice in churches of "twisting a person's arm" to get him or her to serve as a church leader. I think it's shameful that a so-called born-again Christian would have to have his/her arm twisted to take part in the ministry of the church. Christ loved the church and gave his life for us; why should we do any less for Him? "Christians" who are not willing to take leadership roles need to get their priorities straight and get their focus back on Christ as a willing servant of His. What damage does this do to the church? The church is going to be as strong as its leaders. If we don't have committed leadership, then the members are not going to think it's important to have a role in the ministry of the church. A church that is based on the principles of Jesus Christ will survive because members will strive to be Christ-like in their service; otherwise, the church will fail. What kind of leader does it produce? I think arm-twisting will produce a leader who will not be committed to the position. If he/she does not accept the position (after much prayer) with love and compassion for those in the church, then they should not step forward. The worst thing a person can do is take a leadership role just to get self-glory, when we know that the glory belongs to the Lord for anything He enables us to do.

(5:1-2) What do you learn about the responsibilities of an elder from the definitions of "elder," "pastor," and "overseer"? What stood out to you as you considered these words? I look at the pastor as being the undershepherd of the flock, and the elders and overseers as his assistants to provide instruction, protection, and discipline to the members. All of them, of course, are expected to serve willingly in a compassionate manner and be good examples of Christian behaviour. The leaders (teachers, youth workers, etc.)in the church also should help with any responsibilities and work to maintain the unity of the church. The one thing that stood out to me in this Scripture is the fact that Peter was not writing to them in a superior tone, but he placed himself equally with the elders. He places the emphasis on service, not on power.

Why is a willingness to die, if need be, essential to healthy Christianity during persecution. Because it shows that we are dependent on Christ for our strength, and if He does not deliver us from the persecution, then He will go with us through it. What happens when we aren't willing to die, when we are afraid to "take up our cross daily" (Luke 9:23) and follow Jesus? We are telling the world that we don't have enough faith in Christ to believe that He will take care of us. What does this have to do with "commiting ourselves to a faithful Creator"? If we are committed to God, then we must be committed to Him in all areas of our life; we cannot pick and choose.

(4:14) If we are never persecuted, what does that say about how people view us? In what way should persecution make us happy? It has been quite a while since I have suffered any persecution for the cause of Christ and I consider myself fortunate to be around people who are like-minded Christians. Since I have retired from the workforce, I am not around a very large number of people except at church. However, the people I am around from time to time (outside the church) seem to understand my stand on Christianity and can recognize the love I have for my Lord and Savior. I am in no way ashamed of Christ;and if someone wants to persecute me for loving Him and serving Him, then so be it, because I know in my heart that Christ will be with me all the way. Persecution should make us happy because we can experience just a little of what Christ went through when He was on the earth, and He will be with us through the rough times. We should look at these times of suffering as opportunities to grow closer to the Lord, and "It will be worth it all when we see Christ."

(4:13) When you meditate on the idea of partaking of or being a sharer in Christ's sufferings, what perspective does it give you on whatever persecution you may experience? I think when we suffer for Christ's sake (though by no means the depth of His suffering), it should make us more sensitive and dedicated in our service to God. Nothing we suffer can ever compare to the price Jesus paid to save us! Since Christ suffered so much, He understands and comforts us in our time of suffering and gives us the strength to endure. We only need to turn to Him for this strength and the patience to get through the trials. What a wonderful blessing! Hebrews 13:5 tells us that God will never leave us nor forsake us; and in my weaknesss or suffering, I know that I can fully rely on Him. I don't know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future! Thank you, Lord!

(4:12) What's the danger of trying to avoid persecution and suffering for Christ? We will get lazy and take the easy way out of things instead of relying on Christ for strength and determination to get through the suffering. We should be so thankful that we have a Savior we can depend on who will never leave us nor forsake us. When suffering or persecution comes our way and we take a bold stand for Christ, then the world can see that whatever happens, we are still in His hands. Have you ever been distracted by persecution from what you should have been doing? Yes, unfortunately. When something happened in our church several years ago, some of the folks tried to make me feel that I was part of the problem, and I left the church for about a year or so. During that time, I visited other churches, but was not actively serving the Lord as I had done in our little church. Finally, the Lord led me back to the church, and I have been faithlully serving Him ever since. Have you ever observed this in other Christians? Yes, and I can relate to some of them, having gone through a bit of persecution from other church members. It's sad to think that more persecution comes from your church family than from outside church. But, I pray for these Christians who have been hurt by people in the church and hope they will keep their focus on the Lord, who will give them the strength and boldness to get through any situation.

(4:10-11) If people are always promoting themselves and pointing to how God is using them, what does that say about them? They have forgotten where their abilities came from. When they feel they have the right to use their abilities as they please rather than use them to bless others and bring glory to God, they are treading on dangerous ground. Just as God gave those abilities to them, He can also take them away. Their sense of self-worth? Their maturity? Their sense of self-worth must be very important to them because they are attempting to show off their talents without having God in the picture at all. I don't think their level of maturity is very high because their pride and ego are standing in the way. Their realism? Their humility? They are not being at all realistic to think that they should receive the glory for their abilities rather than give glory to God, where it belongs. What humility? I think they are so full of pride and self-worth that they don't know the meaning of humility. What spiritual gifts has God given you, and how are you using them to his glory? God has allowed me to do so many things in His name, from being Secretary-Treasurer of our little church, to teaching the Senior Adults, among other things. Also, He has given me so much guidance in planning our Ladies Prayer Retreats over the years, and it is always so exciting to know that God is in it. I just give Him the praise and glory for anything He enables me to do in order to serve Him and those around me, whatever that might be.

(4:5-7) Why don't non-Christians like the idea of giving an account of their actions? Why don't we Christians like it? Because non-Christians think what they do is their business, and they don't have to answer to anyone. They don't pretend to believe in Christ, so their thinking is, "What right does he have to judge me?" Christians don't like the idea of giving an account of their actions because they don't want others to know that they have done things that are not in a Christlike manner. They may think they can do things in secret and not be exposed; but sooner or later, they will have to face the judgment and give an account of everything they did, good or bad. What should the realization that we must give an account of our actions inspire in us? It should inspire us to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in our daily walk, to strive to live in a way that would be pleasing to God, knowing that we alone are responsible for the choices we make. With what attitude should we live as a result? We should have an attitude of submission and obedience to God's will for our lives, and we should reach out in love and compassion to those around us who are in need, both spiritually and physically.

(4:3-4) Why do non-Christians try to get you to sin with them. Why are we tempted to do so? How can we resist this temptation? Non-Christians just don't look at life the way Christians do. We as Christians know that there is so much more to life than just partying and doing sinful acts. We can have good, clean fun and serve our Lord at the same time. But, when we cross that line and join in with the non-Christians in their style of living, then that really hurts our testimony and the cause of Christianity altogether. I think we are tempted at times to sin because we are not living as closely to Christ as we should. Maybe we feel we are over-burdened with responsibilities in the church, home, community, etc., and no one seems to appreciate all our work. Then, along comes a "friend" who entices us to take part in some things we know are not Christlike, but we are too weak to turn it down. These "friends" make us feel important and temporarily show us a good time. We can resist this temptation by letting these "friends" know our priorities have changed since becoming a Christian and we want to live a life that is faithful to Christ. If we lose their friendship, then so be it. We must not have a "holier than thou" attitude with them, but we should do all that we can to show them how Christ has changed our life and how He can change theirs, too, if they will only accept Him as their Lord and Saviour.

(4:1-2) When the scripture says "arm yourselves with the same attitude" as Christ had, how should this attitude help keep you from sin? By keeping my mind focused on Christ and not let Satan defeat me in any suffering I may undergo in the name of Christ. Suffering can bring out the best (or the worst) in Christians, especially if we remember how Christ suffered for our sins, even though He was completely sinless. What attitude are we talking about? The attitude to do God's Will and be prepared to suffer for it. When life is easy, we are sometimes prone to forget how obedient we should be to His Will. Only when hard times come and our faith is tested do we have the opportunity to have the attitude of Christ in our suffering.

(3:20-21) Various Christian traditions have different practices of baptism. Let's not argue about that in this forum. The crucial question for you -- Have you pledged your faith in Jesus Christ and promised to serve him as his disciple? How does this pledge relate to your own baptism? Yes, I was baptised by immersion when I was a teen-ager; however, in later years, I did not serve Christ as faithfully as I should have. After my husband accepted Christ as his Saviour and when our children came along, I saw the necessity of taking them to church, and this helped to strengthen my relationship with the Lord. For the past 40 years, I have served in various capacities in our small church, and continue to serve Him faithfully to this day. I realized the seriousness of my pledge of faith in Jesus Christ several years after I was baptised, and have received so many blessings in my walk with Christ. Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before!

(3:18a) Meditate for a few minutes on this verse: "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." Now personalize it to imagine (1) your sins, (2) your unrighteousness, and (3) your reconciliation with God. Each of these ideas is awesome! Which of these three aspects of the verse has God impressed most strongly on you today? Select one of the three and share it. I just can't imagine Christ going voluntarily to the cross and suffering as He did in order to save me from my sins. It breaks my heart to think of how He was beaten almost beyond recognition, and still He kept silent. But, thank God, His final words "It is finished" and then, of course, His resurrection, gives all of us who accept Him as our Lord and Saviour that assurance that we do not have to pay this sin debt. In spite of our unrighteousness, He loved us so much, and His love makes it possible for us to be reconciled with God. There is no way we can repay Him for what Christ has done for us, but we should be so willing to share His Word with the lost so they, too, can have eternal life with Him.

(3:15-16) Why is it so hard for us to be a witness when we're persecuted? Sometimes I think we just don't trust God enough; do we fully believe that He is still in control of things, both good and bad? Persecution is hard for us to take, but we must not retaliate in a way that would harm our witness. We just have to remember that "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." Unless we believe that God will see us through a situation, we are already on the losing side. Why is it easy in tough places to be the wrong kind of witness? Because often times it's easier to go with the flow rather than take a stand for Christ. But when we stop to consider what He has done for us, giving His very life for us and giving us eternal life, we should always strive to be the best witness we can be, no matter what the circumstances. Which one of Peter's four instructions do you find most needed in your particular situation? I think I need more boldness in sharing my testimony with others. I know what I want to say, but sometimes it doesn't come out the way it should. It is such a thrill to be a part of leading someone to Christ, and I pray that God will give me the confidence and the boldness that I need. (By the way, I will be much in prayer for Helen Spaulding and her daughter, because I am sure that is such a heartbreaking situation).

Q1. (3:8-9) Which of the qualities Peter mentions in 3:8-9 are most evident in your congregation? I think love and compassion are very evident in our church family. When someone is in need, we respond to that need. When someone offers a praise, we rejoice with them. At one time, we had a few folks in our church who did not exhibit these traits, but they are no longer in church; and the atmosphere is so much better. However, I continue to pray for these folks, that they will find peace in Jesus Christ and have a more loving attitude towards others. Which are most needed? A concern for the lost in our community. We pray for them, but sometimes we are not so quick to visit with them and witness to them about Jesus Christ. We have love and compassion for those in church, but we also need to spread that love to those outside the church more than we do. What can you and your friends do to change the relational climate at your Church so it is more Christ-like? Share the blessings we have received from Christ with those around us. Have a joyful attitude; let others see Christ in us so they will want to become a part of God's family. Continue to pray for one another and stay in the Word so we can give our testimony at any time to those who are seeking the joy and peace that we have found in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

How can treating one's wife wrongly hinder a husband's prayers. How can treating a husband wrongly hinder a wife's prayers? When one or both partners treat the other one wrongly, trying to control each other, both are being selfish and manipulative; and this is sinful. Unless they repent and ask forgiveness for their actions, God will not hear their prayer. How can we petition God to answer any prayer for us if we mistreat our spouse? Every action has results; God will not be mocked.

Why should a husband relate to his wife with knowledge and wisdom? Since the wife is his partner in receiving God's blessings on their marriage, he should use his knowledge and wisdom in cultivating their life together so that his prayers will not be hindered. In what way does this demonstrate love? By showing his wife that he wants to do the things that please her and he will take care of her because he wants their marriage to be the best it can be. In what way does this demonstrate self-interest? If a husband and wife treat each other with love and respect, both of them will benefit by having a much happier marriage. Why do men sometimes try to dominate their wives? Why do wives sometimes try to dominate their husbands? What harm does this do? Sometimes they grow up in a home where one parent dominates the other, and the trend continues when they marry. Once they accept Jesus Christ, they should understand the meaning of true "agape" love and have a spirit of servitude, doing whatever it takes to make each other happy. However, for those who have not accepted Christ, this domination perhaps gives them a sense of power and makes them feel important, not realizing how selfish and cruel they are being to their mate. Dominating your mate can be so harmful because it causes him/her to have no self-esteem and feel that they are not worthy in anyone's eyes, not even God's. When a person is continually being berated or not given a chance to contribute anything to the marriage, that marriage is in deep trouble, all due to selfishness and control. How is domination of another person contrary to God's nature? God's nature is to love and serve. A dominant person does not understand this, or at least does not practice it. A husband should love his wife just as Christ loves the church; and when you love in that manner, domination will not exist.

How does a person cultivate inner beauty? By opening our hearts and minds to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, exhibiting a sense of peace, love, joy, patience, self-control, emulating Christ as we simply show our love for Him and for others. We cannot cultivate inner beauty unless we know and love God, because God is love; and as we grow in His love, we will begin to develop character traits such as Christ had when He walked on earth. How does one gain character? Why is true character so important and precious to God? You gain character by being sincere, honest, and forthright with those around you, dealing with everyone in a Christ-like manner. We must be the same tomorrow as we are today and not show partiality to anyone. I think true character is so important and precious to God because we represent Jesus Christ to other people, and what they see in us may impress on them to either become a Christian or not to become one, depending on our behaviour. How can character help a Christian woman win and hang onto her husband? Character can help a Christian woman win and hang onto her husband when she lets him know how important God is in her life; and she shares with him how blessed she is to have a husband who can appreciate her position. She should make him feel very special, making him aware of her love for him in the good times and bad.

Why should women try to look their best? I think it makes us feel good about ourselves when we look clean and neat, and it certainly pleases our husbands. Since I have retired, I don't dress like I did when I was working, but I still want to look good for him, even if I don't see anyone else all day. How can trying to look their best divert women from what is more important? What is the balance? By spending too much time on themselves outwardly when they could be using that time to nurture their inner spirit, which is much more important. The balance can occur when the woman realizes that inner beauty surpasses outer beauty every time. I have seen spiritual women with no make-up on and were dressed modestly who were much more beautiful than the fashion-minded women. It's not wrong at all to dress nicely and be in style, but don't spend all your time and money on clothes just to impress other people.

Why is submission so difficult for us humans? Because so many people have lost respect for authority. Many years ago when I was in school, we had the utmost respect for our teachers and principal; but through the years, the students seem to have taken over the schools. The majority of them do not submit to anyone, either in the home or in school. Also, there's so much emphasis on "human rights" now that people think they can just do their own thing, no matter what. This kind of thinking has caused the homes and schools to be ineffective as a source of correction and discipline for our young people today. So, I think it's just an attitude of selfishness and apathy as well as a lack of respect that makes it difficult for humans to be submissive. Does submission require you to be silent when you don't agree or feel something can be improved? No. I think it's our responsibility to disagree in a Christian manner with something which we know is not right or may be harmful to someone. If we have some ideas about how something can be improved, we should make our views known in a way that would not be offensive. We can agree to disagree, and still let others see that we are doing this in a spirit of love and concern. When is submission wrong for Christian? Anytime that we allow someone to cause us to do something that is contrary to what we feel Christ would have us do. We must strive to please God first because He is more important than anyone who would want us to go against His Word.