45 minutes
- Opening
- 4
- Passage
- 5
- Questions
- 25
- Application
- 7
- Prayer
- 4
Total · 45 minutes
Sermon Study · Leader Edition
Hope For The Best
September 13, 2026 · Austin Axen
Leader preparation · 2–3 minutes
Your aim for this conversation
Read 1 Peter 1:3–9.
Keep the discussion grounded in the sermon’s three movements: future, fire, and faith.
Timing plan
The Big Idea
Because Jesus has secured our eternal inheritance, we can hope for the future, endure the fire of trials, and rejoice through faith in him.
Remember Sunday’s message
Sermon reminders
01
Hope for the future
Jesus gives believers a living hope and a secure inheritance through his resurrection.
02
Hope in the fire
Trials are grievous and temporary, yet God uses them to test, purify, and strengthen faith.
03
Hope through faith
Though we have not seen Jesus, faith enables love, belief, and inexpressible joy as we await salvation.
Wednesday’s conversation
Reflect & discuss
Read 1 Peter 1:3–9 together. Where do you naturally lean: hoping for the best or preparing for the worst?
1
1 Peter 1:3–5 · Essential · 8 minutes
Hope with a foundation
Austin described Christian hope as an eager expectation of a guaranteed result. What makes that different from ordinary optimism, and where do you most need that kind of hope right now?
Leader notes
Where it is headed
Ground hope in God’s mercy and Christ’s resurrection rather than a desired outcome.
Follow-ups to have ready
- Which word in Peter’s description of the inheritance most stands out to you?
- How does Jesus’ resurrection change what you can reasonably hope for?
If it stalls
Return to the phrases “living hope,” “through the resurrection,” and “kept in heaven.”
2
1 Peter 1:4–5 · Essential · 7 minutes
A guarded inheritance
Peter says both the inheritance and God’s people are being kept. How does that security speak to a fear or uncertainty you carry?
Leader notes
Where it is headed
Help the group connect God’s guarding care with present uncertainty.
Follow-ups to have ready
- What is the difference between being guarded by God and having an easy life?
- What would trusting God’s keeping look like this week?
If it stalls
Avoid promising a particular outcome. Keep the discussion with Peter’s promised inheritance and God’s present care.
3
1 Peter 1:6–7 · Essential · 10 minutes
Hope in the fire
Peter does not minimize trials. What does this passage honestly name about suffering, and how does the promised future change the way you face a present difficulty?
Leader notes
Where it is headed
Make room for grief while considering Peter’s hope.
Follow-ups to have ready
- Which descriptions of trials in verse 6 feel especially honest?
- What is one faithful next step that does not require you to explain why the trial is happening?
If it stalls
Do not claim to know God’s specific reason for anyone’s suffering. Do not imply that trust requires passivity or denial of pain.
4
1 Peter 1:8–9 · Optional · 7 minutes
Joy through faith
Though we have not seen Jesus, Peter says we can love, believe, and rejoice in him. What practice could help you express gratitude or seek his joy this week?
Leader notes
Where it is headed
Move from the sermon’s promised joy to a concrete response.
Follow-ups to have ready
- Would prayer, singing, telling a friend, or another practice be a meaningful response for you?
- How can the group pray with you this week?
Carry it into the week
Next Steps
From the sermon
- Think about heaven.
- Express gratitude, and thank God for the joy you have or ask him to show you that joy.
- Say a prayer, sing a song, talk to God, or tell a friend about the hope and joy found in Jesus.
Application
Name one way the group can help you keep hope in view this week.
My notes
Close in prayer
Pray for each other to endure present trials with honest faith and a living hope in Christ.
Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV Bible, © 2001 by Crossway. Text Edition: 2025. Used by permission. Permissions. Prepared for this small group from the September 13, 2026 sermon; questions and applications are editorial study material.
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