Against The Current - 1 Peter Series - Week 4
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
How Not To Live In Fear When Life Is Hard?
Discovery Bible Method
Watch Andrew share on the DBM Method - HERE
The Bible is the most-read book in history. It is a beautiful, meaningful and at times complex document. It is the revelation of who God is, who we are and God’s plan for salvation as told through the historical words and stories of his people. This revelation spans many time periods and cultures. Starting at the creation of the world and ending in the return of Jesus to the world, setting all things right.
The Bible is the “word of God” in the sense that it is a written document about God's revelation to humanity and that God uses it to reveal himself to believers through the Holy Spirit.
A critical step in helping people grow as disciples of Jesus is teaching them to read the bible and find their story in God’s story.
A simple way to do this is to use a tool called “Discovery Bible Method” (DBM). This tool can be used with people who are disciples of Jesus or with people who are interested in finding out more about Jesus and looking into the Christian faith.
During our 1 Peter series, we will be basing our connect group studies around the Discovery Bible Method.
Here is how it works:
Before you jump into the Discovery Bible Method. Open up the conversation:
Open up
To begin the study, ask these questions:
What are you thankful for?
What is causing you stress?
Who needs our help? How can this group help them?
Read
Read 1 Peter 3:8-3:22 as a group.
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
Re- Read
Read the passage again as a group. Then take 1 min of silence to think about what has been read.
Retell
Shut your Bible and ask one person or a few people to volunteer to retell the Bible passage in their own words.
Reflect:
What stood out to you in that passage?
What character or theme did you most connect with?
What does this passage teach us about God?
What does this passage teach us about people?
Respond:
What do you want to keep thinking about or do this week as a result of this passage? (What application am I taking from this study?)
Who do you know that could benefit from hearing about this passage?