Reviewing the Situation – 1 Peter 1:1-9

Read the headlines. Watch the news. Listen to the radio. Talk to your friends. Talk to your family. It won’t take long for the subject of evil doers and evil ways to come into the discourse. We live in a fallen world full of fallen people who do despicable things for detestable reasons. And should the discussion turn to the path which the Christian should walk in this fallen world, the tone can be discouraging, hopeless, and at times even fearful.

That is where the book of 1st Peter steps in. In it we find a living hope and practical instruction on how to live a Godly life in an un-Godly world. We find the Living Rock of our salvation on which we can firmly stand when the world around us is crumbling. In the decadent days in which we live, Peter shows us not only how to live holy lives in the face of moral depravity, but also how to lift others out of the pit of destruction that is devouring them. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart – I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Peter takes this promise and provides the insight into how the overcoming life of our Lord can be realized in our contemporary world and in our daily lives.

The Agape Life Bible Study group of Brenham’s First Baptist Church began a series of lessons from the book of 1st Peter on Sunday, January 5. The title of the series is Hunger for Holiness: Living Pure in an Impure World. This is the first lesson in that series and in it we lay out the situation of the people to whom Peter is writing. We also look at how his words of encouragement for them can apply to us as well.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, January 5, 2025. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Hunger for Holiness: Living Pure in an impure World. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/hunger-for-holiness-1-peter-digital-study-guide/ .Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Why Is Suffering a Part of Life? – Job 7:1-21 –Part 2

Job lost it all – family, business, health, property – and with all of that he lost all hope. In the 7th Chapter of Job he comes out swinging. He has nothing left to lose so he lays it all on the line before God. His entire life seems futile. He can’t find rest in his sleep. His misery haunts him night and day. The questions about the meaning and purpose of it all rage in his mind to the point where he feels he would be better off dead.

As we go through periods of suffering – times when we experience the worst that life can throw at us – we, too, find ourselves asking questions: Why me, Lord? Why do these things always happen to me? What have I done to deserve this kind of abuse? Are You even there, Lord? While it is possible to know some of the reasons for the suffering, that doesn’t calm the silent storm raging within us. The questions are valid as we see in the life of Job, but finding the answers should not be the ultimate goal. Our hope is not in finding the answers – our hope is in finding Him, Jesus Christ, the Suffering Servant. In Him we gain understanding, love, strength, and the hope to endure and even thrive in the midst of the suffering. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.


This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, June 16, 2024. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Praise Him in the Storm: When Life Falls Apart – A Study of Job. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/praise-him-in-the-storm-job-study-guide/ .Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas
YouTube – youtube.com/@fromthebackporch
X – FromtheBackPorch@nationalfast
TikTok – tiktok.com/@fromthebackporchintexas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com