Weekly Teaching Reflection
May 11th Reflection
Discussion Questions:
Discussion Questions:
Peter calls his audience “exiles” and “chosen” at the same time—how do you think that tension shapes the way we live as Christians today?
Follow-up thought: What does it mean to feel displaced in your culture but still deeply chosen by God?
How does the idea of being “born again” into a new identity challenge or reshape the identity you’ve inherited from your culture, family, or background?
What part of your inherited identity has been most difficult to reimagine in light of your faith?
What do you think Peter means by a “living hope”? How is it different from the kind of hope people normally have?
How does the resurrection of Jesus make your hope “alive”?
In what ways have you felt the tension of living out your Christian identity in a culture that doesn’t share your values?
Can you think of a time when your faith made you feel “strange” or even excluded?
Which of the three cultural approaches—accommodation, colonization, or separation—do you tend to lean toward, and why?
How do you think Peter would challenge or affirm that tendency?
The early church lived in radical contrast to Roman society, yet they were also incredibly attractive to others. What can we learn from their “social project” today?
Which of the five elements (multi-ethnic unity, care for poor, non-retaliation, sexual ethic, and work in light of infanticide) stands out to you most as needed today?
What does it mean to become who you already are in Christ? How do you stay grounded in that identity in your day-to-day life?
Is it possible to live faithfully and still live publicly in today’s cultural moment?
Peter emphasizes grace and peace "in abundance." In what ways do you need that abundance as you navigate life as a Jesus follower today?
How have you experienced God’s grace shaping your cultural engagement lately?