Hope is funny–it is both received and an act. Hope is a gift, and hope is a verb. In this series, we want to emphasize the Living Hope (Jesus) so that our church family – and their one more persons – might live out hope in a life-transforming way.

Peter writes against the backdrop of suffering: Christians being persecuted, mocked, and maybe even killed for their faith. The challenges and hardships we face in life do not have to push us away from God; in fact, they can help us cultivate an even greater hope (Romans 5:3- 4). Peter faced hardships, as did his original audience. Jesus also suffered and was exiled from his true home. We have much to learn about how challenges may be the beginning of a vibrant relationship with God.

The point of this series is not suffering – it is merely the backdrop. The point is hope, Jesus- centered hope, as preached through the words of Peter. While the series’ primary “know and do” is to know the Living Hope and thus live out hope, each preacher will pull out one or more “know and do” from their selected passage. (In other words, what do we know about God from this passage, and what do we do about it.) In doing so, we will collectively set our hope on the One who gives lasting hope, and we will have a chance to enact these lessons through the Tree of Hope.