This is the story of the man who didn’t finish his. He was called. His personal details show that he was born in. But no doubt that isn’t. Not much is known about.
Whether in sentences or in life, ends matter. Without them, things don’t make much sense. And this is precisely the issue at the heart of 2 Peter.
In the coming weeks, we will be learning from this short (and often overlooked) letter that contains a powerful but timely reminder: people who follow Jesus well always keep the end in mind.
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(WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE)
Title: End In Mind // Scripture: 2 Peter 1:1-4
ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out.
SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes
How do we live our lives with the end in mind? This is the question we are diving into headfirst with our new series, “End in Mind,” through the book of 2 Peter. From the start, some of Peter’s last words to the church remind the believers what is most important. In a world of complex multicultural community issues, Peter reminds them that it is their faith that places them all in equal standing. This faith, combined with the grace of God and the knowledge of the person of Christ, gives them everything they need for a life of godliness. But there is a challenge: this gift of God comes in the midst of a corrupt world presenting them (us) with a choice to make. Will they (we) be partakers in the divine nature, or will they (we) remain captive to their (our) sinful desires? Far too often, external temptations and internal doubts keep us from God’s best for our lives. So right from the start of 2 Peter, Peter reminds the church to invest our lives in the things that truly matter and in what will truly last—living as a people of promise in our world.
THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion.
Start with the end in mind
SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes
Picture (What is the story saying?): What do you think it looks like to live with the end in mind? Why is this important? Who was Peter writing to? (People of faith with equal standing) What was the opportunity for these believers? How does living with the promise of Christ’s return impact that opportunity? How is this opportunity potential robbed by external temptations or internal doubt?
Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What external temptations are you currently facing? What internal doubts do you have? How might these external temptations and internal doubts potentially rob you of God’s best for your life? How might living with the end in mind change the way you deal with temptations and doubt?
Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Do you really believe that you have everything you need for a life of godliness in Christ? Why or why not? What do you think it would look like to live with the confidence that you do? What would it look like to live as a person of promise in your world?
BE IT – Practice 15 minutes
Change UP // Tombstone Tweet 10 minutes
Take a moment this week to invite your community to think with the end in mind. Encourage your group to think about their funeral (Who will attend? What do you hope it includes? What do you hope others say about you?) Then encourage each group member to write a Tombstone Tweet (140 characters or less) which they hope describes the way that they lived their lives. Give your group 6 minutes to write their personal Tombstone Tweet. Then take a few minutes to share your tweets with each other.
Change IN // Spin Cycle 5 minutes
This week Jon talked about getting caught in the “Spin Cycle” of life, where we never really believe that things can change. And in our disbelief, we get caught in doubt and temptation that sabotage God’s best in our lives. Encourage your group to name where and how people’s lives get stuck in the Spin Cycle. Take time to write the things they share on the board. Then ask each member which one of the items resonates most with their own lives—where they get stuck in their own spin cycle. Make these confessions together.
Change OUT // Show Hallelujah Anyway 5 minutes
Encourage your group to think through the top 3 things they have accomplished with their life so far in the kingdom of God. What sacrifices have they made to accomplish those things? How are those things worth the sacrifice of the past? Share these things with each other. Then encourage each person in your group to think about the top 3 kingdom things they hope to accomplish with the rest of their lives. Name them and share together.
CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes
Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week.