Sunday, March 29: Discussion Questions for 1 Peter 1:6-9–"Joy and Sorrow"

FOR PRESCHOOL AND YOUNG ELEMENTARY CHILDREN:

Last Sunday, we talked about things that make us excited and afraid. What were some of the things you said that make you excited or happy?

The Bible uses many words to talk about being happy, but the most important one it uses is the word joy. That word shows up more than 100 times in the Bible.
Joy is a special type of happiness God gives us when we put our hope and trust in Him (Psalm 126:3). Lots of things can make us happy—going to the park with friends, eating ice cream, movie nights with our families, getting new toys. But only God can give us real joy.

Read 1 Peter 1:6-9 together, and tell your kids to listen for the word “joy” (they may also catch “rejoice”!).

These are the apostle Peter’s words at the beginning of a letter he wrote to Christians who were going through a hard time in their lives, and it was making them sad. He worried that they would not feel joyful.

What face do you make when you feel sad? Share about something that made you feel very sad.

That’s how Peter’s readers felt! And he wanted them to know that it’s OK to feel sad or scared sometimes. Did you know Jesus felt this way, too?
We know Jesus felt very sad at least two times—when His friend Lazarus died, and when He knew He had to die on the cross to save us from our sins. (If you have time, read or summarize the story of Lazarus from John 11, or from a Bible storybook, being sure to read John 11:32-36. Next, read Matthew 26:38.)
Jesus felt sad because the things happening on earth—like the death of His friend Lazarus—are reminders of sin. (For helpful language on sin, see tracks 13 and following on the catechism CD, Ask Me Whooo? Volume 1.)
The important thing Jesus and Peter remembered, and the important thing for us to remember, is that if our hope is in Jesus (like we talked about last week), then even when we feel sad, we can feel joyful, too, because God promises that one day we won’t have to feel sad anymore!

Review these songs we sing in catechism:

Who made you? God!
Why did God make you and all things? For His own glory!
Why are you to glorify God? Because He made me and takes care of me!
Does God know all things? Yes! Nothing can be hidden from God

God knows all things, which means that He knows when you feel sad or scared. On days when you feel that way—and on every day!—God wants you to remember that He loves you and that He always wins.

FOR OLDER ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN:

If your child used the sermon listening guide to follow along with the sermon, take a few minutes to talk through his or her notes.

Read 1 Peter 1:3-9 together, pointing out the new verses from this week’s sermon text.

What is Peter’s main point in verses 6-9? How does it connect to 1 Peter 1:3-5?

Help your kids think of words they hear repeated in verses 6-9.

One example is the word “though.” Help your kids see that this life has lots of “even though” moments, times when God shows Himself faithful and sufficient.

Come up with your own definitions for joy and sorrow.

For the Christian, joy is a settled state of contentment, confidence, and hope that comes from God. Sorrow is a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others.
Share about the last time you felt very joyful. Then share about a time when you were sorrowful—a time when you were disappointed something didn’t go the way you felt it would.

Matt reminded us that Jesus felt joy and sorrow, too. Can you think of any examples from the Gospels of times when Jesus felt sorrow?

We know Jesus felt very sad at least two times—when His friend Lazarus died, and when He knew He had to die on the cross to save us from our sins. (If you have time, read or summarize the story of Lazarus from John 11, or from a Bible storybook, being sure to read John 11:32-36. Next, read Matthew 26:38.)
Jesus felt sad because the things happening on earth—like the death of His friend Lazarus—are reminders of the sin and brokenness in our world.

Read Hebrews 12:1-2. What do we learn about feeling both joy and sorrow from Jesus’ example?

The important thing Jesus and Peter remembered, and the important thing for us to remember, is that if our hope is in Jesus (like we talked about last week), then even when we feel sorrow, disappointment, or sadness because of the things going on in our lives, we can feel joyful, too, because we know that the sorrow will be gone one day.

In the sermon, Matt mentioned that Peter “places our sorrow in the proper story.” That story is the gospel story. Take a few minutes to remind your children of the gospel: God created everything. Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve. God sent Jesus to rescue us from our sin. Through Jesus’ perfect life, death on the cross, and resurrection, He offers us the gift of eternal life, which is a joyful future we can put our hope in.