Note: This activity is also included in the Week Four Bible Study.

 

Review:

Last week’s activity that explored blessing our institutions. Click here to review last week's activity.

  • What group or person did you choose to bless?
  • How did the experience help you see God’s servants with the mindset of Christ Jesus?
  • How is submission to God’s authorities impacting your witness to the hope you have in the Gospel?

 

Offering Spiritual Sacrifices:

Peter uses the language of giving offerings to show how we put our living hope into action. Our offerings express many truths of Biblical stewardship and sacrificial giving. Discuss with others in your household (or friends you reach out to in your Christian community) at least two of the seven joys listed below of offering spiritual sacrifices. How have they impacted your faith and life personally?

  • Worshipping together in praise and thanksgiving to our Triune God
  • Serving as “a holy priesthood” together as the Body of Christ
  • Expressing sacrifice voluntarily, rather than compulsory
  • Celebrating belonging to each other in the Church
  • Expressing the creative activity of working together as Christ’s Church
  • Blessing our community as witnesses to the Gospel
  • Multiplying the Kingdom of God as servants in the mission of Christ
Offerings as Sacrifice:

Identify one activity of discretionary expense that you will sacrifice as an offering to God. Discuss with your household or group the following?

  • How can this be an activity that we can encourage one another to do together?
  • What cause (a general offering or a specific mission gift) will we participate in together as a group?
  • How can we collect the “offering” in a way that will remind us of our working together as living stones and in the Church?
  • When will we offer the gift?

 

Prayer Journal Activity:

In the weekly Bible study, there is a prayer activity for each week. This prayer journal is included in the home activity page because emboldens us to act as a holy priesthood in prayer. The priesthood of the Old Testament did not merely offer sacrifices and forgive sins. The priesthood offered prayers of intercession for the people of God and for the world.

 

Before you pray, complete the following exercise to flex your muscles as intercessory priests. The prayer questions below are shaped in a way that ask us to intercede for people beginning from a distance and gradually moving to those closer to home. With the pandemic in front of us 24/7, try to look at each area of concern with more specific needs than simply requesting prayers for “the virus” or “the crisis.” If you need to, search for news stories to get specific. Write down your sacrificial prayer commitment and offer these prayers daily for one week.

  • What issue for the Christian Church on earth will you be a priest for every day this week?
  • What global issue will you be a priest for every day this week?
  • What national issue will you be a priest for every day this week?
  • What issue for the Lutheran Church in our District or Synod will you be a priest for every day this week?
  • What community issue will you be a priest for every day this week?
  • What issue in your congregation will you be a priest for every day this week?