"Loving Life"

1. Living in harmony means we have to be careful about how loud we are; and which song we are
singing (1 Peter 3:8).

2. Sympathy means listening with feeling (1 Peter 3:8).

3. Brothers and sisters need to man-up and love in hard times (1 Peter 3:8).

4. When the going gets tough at church, those whom God blesses are kindhearted or compassionate (1 Peter 3:8).

5. To sum up, we must be humble, thinking continually about God and others (1 Peter 3:8).

6. We are called to bless when we are insulted, demeaned, degraded, embarrassed, dishonored, shamed, debased, offended, injured, slighted, snubbed, slurred, slighted, attacked (Matthew 5:44; 1 Peter 3:9; 2:21-25; Romans 12:9-21; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15).

7. When God blesses us with Himself, and we return good for evil, then we love life and see good days (1 John 1:1-5; 1 Peter 3:9-12; 2 Chronicles 16:9; Proverbs 15:3; Hebrews 4:13; 2 Samuel 23:1-7).

Life/Community Group discussion guide

1. What is a church? Why do we call it a family? What are some struggles that families have? Do church families have the same struggles?

2. Which elements of the definition of a local church below are essential, non-essential (without which you do not have a real local church)?

“A local church is a community of true believers in Jesus Christ, established by God, who live life together (that includes gathering together) in order to make the glory of God visible through the Gospel, using biblical means and purposes - the Word, fellowship, discipline, worship, and
ordinances being central - under recognized spiritual leadership, who care for and affirm each other’s salvation, and then are trained and sent into the world to preach and practice
the Gospel and multiply churches everywhere."

3. Why are there so many verses that address believers getting along in churches? Instead of working through our differences, what do we do sometimes?

4. What are some mechanics of loving instead of hating? When you feel yourself getting angry, what do you do? Pray, read the Bible, count to 10?