Scattered·Saturday

Hear it whole: a living hope

1 Peter 1:1-12

Listen

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the elect who are exiles of the Dispersion throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,

who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials

so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

now that you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who foretold the grace to come to you searched and investigated carefully,

trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

1 Peter 1:1-12 · Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain

This week Scattered walked through 1 Peter 1:1–12 a few verses at a time. Today, hear it whole. In the session, Flatcap read all twelve verses aloud; listen to him, or read them slowly yourself, out loud if you can, and notice how Peter moves: chosen exiles (verses 1–2), a living hope and an inheritance kept in heaven (3–5), joy in the middle of trials (6–9), and prophets and angels leaning in to see what these scattered believers now have (10–12). WordiGirl said it best at the end of the session: "the Bible is something that we can just read it 100 times and still get something new out of it."

Then explain it back to yourself in a sentence or two. One way to put it: God chose people on the edges, gave them a hope no one can take, is proving their faith in the hard places, and the whole story of Scripture was leading to them. Your sentence will be different, and that's the point. Put it in your own words.

Now apply it to one place in your ministry: one channel, one group, one person you serve online. Which verse speaks to that place this week? Then respond to God in your own words. That's the whole HEAR rhythm: highlight, explain, apply, respond.

Next week Peter turns all of this into a "therefore": "Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1:13). Read ahead into 1:13–25 before Tuesday's session, live on Twitch at 5:00 PM ET.

Watch: Flatcap reads 1 Peter 1:1–12

Apply

Which verse in 1 Peter 1:1–12 speaks most to your ministry this week, and what is one way you'll act on it?

This weekend, write your HEAR journal on this week's passage: https://thechurch.digital/journal/today/

Respond

Lord, thank you for a living hope that can't perish, spoil or fade. As I hear your word this weekend, help me understand it, apply it and respond to you honestly. Amen.

HEARJOURNAL

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