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Love One Another—1 John 3:11–24 Open It 1. *Who is someone (in history or alive today) whose life is an example of what it means to love? 2. Who is someone (in history or alive today) whose life is an example of what it means to hate? Explore It 1. What message had the readers of 1 John heard from the beginning? (3:11) 2. Why did Cain murder his brother? (3:12) 3. About what should believers not be surprised? (3:13) 4. How can a person know that he or she has passed from death to life? (3:14) 5. What is the result of hating one’s brother? (3:15) 6. *How do we know what love is? (3:16) 7. What question did the author ask his readers? (3:17) 8. *How should Christians love? (3:18) 9. What is God greater than? (3:20) 10. What is the result of not being condemned by one’s heart? (3:21–22) 11. What is God’s command? (3:23) 12. *What is the result of obeying God’s command? (3:24) 13. How do believers know that God lives in them? (3:24) Get It 1. How does the world hate believers today? 2. When have you experienced the hatred of the world? 3. What does it mean to love one’s brother? 4. *When do you struggle with loving other Christians? 5. *How do you demonstrate your love for fellow believers? 6. Why do we struggle with loving other Christians with our material possessions? 7. Why is it easier to love with words rather than actions? 8. In what way does love result in life, and hate result in death? Apply It 1. *For what fellow Christian whom you have difficulty loving will you do something kind this week? 2. How can you use your material possessions to love another believer this week? 3. What specific step will you take this week to put your love for another Christian into action?

Children of God—1 John 2:28–3:10 Open It 1. *In what way(s) are you like your mother or father? 2. What was one of the benefits of being the child of your parents as you were growing up? 3. How would most people define the term “sin”? Explore It 1. Why did John encourage his readers to continue in Christ? (2:28) 2. *What is true about everyone who does what is right? (2:29) 3. How has the Father lavished love upon believers? (3:1) 4. Why doesn’t the world know Christians? (3:1) 5. What will happen to the children of God when they see Christ? (3:2) 6. What kind of person purifies himself or herself? (3:3) 7. What is sin? (3:4) 8. Why did Christ appear? (3:5) 9. *How is a person who lives in Christ unusual? (3:6) 10. What does it mean to do what is right? (3:7) 11. What did John say about the person who does what is sinful? (3:8) 12. Why did the Son of God appear? (3:8) 13. *Why can’t the person who is born of God continue to sin? (3:9) 14. How are children of God and children of the devil identified? (3:10) Get It 1. What does it mean to continue in Christ? 2. How are you preparing yourself for Christ’s return? 3. What is so great about being a child of God? 4. *When have you felt that your non-Christian friends did not really know or understand you? 5. *How do you reconcile the fact that Christians do sin with the statements that they cannot sin or keep on sinning? 6. How can we know that we are children of God? 7. How do you need to change your daily routine so that you may be confident and unashamed before Christ at His Second Coming? Apply It 1. What step will you take today to purify yourself? 2. *What area of weakness will you ask God to strengthen this week?

Warning Against Antichrists—1 John 2:18–27 Open It 1. Who are the enemies of the Church today? 2. What do you think is the best defense against cults and other false spiritual teaching? 3. *What effect do you think warning labels on cigarettes and alcohol have? Explore It 1. What time did John say it is? (2:18) 2. *Who was coming and who had come at the time John wrote this? (2:18) 3. What did John say about those who had left? (2:19) 4. What did the readers of 1 John have? (2:20) 5. What did the readers of 1 John know? (2:21) 6. How is the antichrist identified? (2:22) 7. *In what way is denying (or acknowledging) the Son related to having the Father? (2:23) 8. *What did John encourage his readers to do? (2:24) 9. What did the Father promise? (2:25) 10. Why did the author write these things? (2:26) 11. What was the relationship between the anointing these believers received and their need to be taught? (2:27) Get It 1. What makes you think that we are living in the last hour today? 2. What antichrists are among us today? 3. What truths do we know about Christ? 4. What have we been taught by the anointing of the Holy Spirit? 5. How can we remain in or have fellowship with Jesus Christ? 6. *What groups of people are trying to lead believers astray today? 7. *How can we protect ourselves against false teachers and antichrists? Apply It 1. What will you do this week to deepen your fellowship with Jesus Christ? 2. *What steps do you need to take to better prepare yourself against antichrists and their false doctrines? 3. Who is someone you can encourage in their relationship with Christ this week?

Do Not Love the World—1 John 2:15–17 Open It 1. *What makes TV commercials and advertisements so appealing? 2. What sort of promises do TV commercials and advertisements make? 3. Which of these three most clearly motivates the people you know and live near: (1) the drive to meet their physical needs, (2) the drive to get things, or (3) the drive to succeed? Explore It 1. *What restrictions should we place on our affections? (2:15) 2. What should believers not love? Why? (2:15) 3. What is the result of loving the world? (2:15) 4. Why did John tell us not to love the world? (2:15–17) 5. What are the things of the world? (2:16) 6. How did John categorize the things in the world? (2:16) 7. From where do the things in the world come? (2:16) 8. From where do the things in the world not come? (2:16) 9. *What passes away? (2:17) 10. *Who lives forever? (2:17) Get It 1. *How do we love the world and the things in it? 2. What things in the world are you tempted to love? 3. What would you categorize as “the cravings of sinful man”? 4. What would you categorize as “the lust of the eyes”? 5. What would you categorize as “the boasting of what he has or does”? 6. *Why are the things and values of the world so enticing to us? 7. What worldly things or values do we substitute for God? 8. What does it mean to do the will of God? 9. How can we guard against adopting the values of the world? 10. From what worldly thing or value do you need to turn in order to pursue your relationship with God? Apply It 1. *What specific steps will you take in order to find satisfaction in your relationship with God rather than in the things of the world? 2. How will you do the will of God today?

Walking in the Light—1 John 1:5–2:14 Open It 1. *Why might it be hard for someone to admit that he or she was wrong about something? 2. About what do we tend to deceive ourselves? 3. When and why might someone need an attorney? Explore It 1. What message did the writer hear and declare? (1:5) 2. *What inconsistency did John address? (1:6) 3. What results from “walking in the light”? (1:7) 4. *How were some believers apparently deceiving themselves? (1:8) 5. What is the result of confessing one’s sins? (1:9) 6. In what way can a person make God out to be a liar? (1:10) 7. *Why did John write this letter? (2:1) 8. For whom is Jesus an atoning sacrifice? (2:2) 9. What test did John describe for knowing whether or not a person truly knows God? (2:3–6) 10. What did John say he was giving to his readers? (2:7–8) 11. How are claiming to be a Christian and loving one’s fellow Christians related? (2:9–11) 12. Why did John write to “the dear children”? (2:12–13) 13. Why did John write to “the fathers”? (2:13–14) 14. Why did John write to “the young men”? (2:13–14) Get It 1. What do you think the terms “light” and “darkness” represent? 2. In what way is God similar to light? 3. *In what way do we “walk in darkness”? 4. *How can we “walk in the light”? 5. How does the promise of being purified from all sin make you feel? 6. Why would someone claim that he or she was without sin? 7. What role does the confession of sins play in your daily life? 8. How important is fellowship with other believers to you? 9. In what way is Jesus like our attorney? 10. How can we get to know God better? 11. What does the way in which we treat other believers reveal about us? 12. What confidence does Jesus’ atoning death give to us? 13. What confidence should our relationship with the Father give us? 14. What area of your life do you need to examine in order to see your sins more clearly? 15. How do you need to change the way you relate to fellow believers in order to develop a deeper relationship with God? Apply It 1. *What steps will you take this week to walk in the light? 2. What will you do to incorporate the confession of sins into your daily routine?

The Word of Life—1 John 1:1–4 Open It 1. *What do you associate with the term “fellowship”? 2. How do we know that the events we read about in history books really happened? Explore It 1. What was from the beginning? (1:1) 2. What contact did the writer and this community of believers have with the Word of life? (1:1) 3. *How did God reveal Himself to us? (1:2) 4. What was being proclaimed by this community of believers? (1:2) 5. Where had the eternal life been, and to whom had it appeared? (1:2) 6. Why were the author and his fellow believers telling others about Christ? (1:3) 7. *With whom did this community of believers have fellowship? (1:3) 8. *Why was this letter written? (1:4) Get It 1. Why do you think John stressed his and this community of believers’ personal, physical, historical encounter with Jesus? 2. How important are firsthand eyewitness testimonies, such as this writer’s, to your belief in Jesus? 3. What fellowship do you have with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ? 4. What fellowship do you have with other believers? 5. How is our fellowship with God related to our fellowship with other believers? 6. *What blocks our fellowship with God and others? 7. *In what ways can we enhance our fellowship? 8. In what way is your joy complete? Apply It 1. What can you do to gain a better appreciation of the historical foundation of your faith in Christ? 2. *What specific steps will you take this week in order to deepen your fellowship with other believers?

The Day of the Lord—2 Peter 3:1–18 Open It 1. When was the last time someone wrote you an encouraging letter? 2. *With what sort of people do you find it hard to be patient? Explore It 1. Why did Peter write this letter as well as his first letter? (3:1) 2. What did Peter want these believers (his audience) to recall? (3:2) 3. What did Peter say would occur in the last days? (3:3) 4. What will the “scoffers” say in the last days? (3:4) 5. What will the “scoffers” deliberately forget? (3:5) 6. How was the world once destroyed and how will it be destroyed in the future? (3:6–7) 7. *What did Peter tell his readers not to forget? (3:8) 8. *Why is the Lord patient? (3:9) 9. How will the day of the Lord appear? (3:10) 10. What reason did Peter give his readers for living holy and godly lives? (3:11–12) 11. What will the day of God bring? (3:12) 12. What reason did Peter give his readers to hope for the future? (3:13) 13. What did Peter urge his readers to make every effort to do? Why? (3:14) 14. *What does the Lord’s patience mean? (3:15) 15. What did Peter say about the apostle Paul’s writings? (3:16) 16. Why did Peter instruct his readers to be on their guard? (3:17) 17. What final instruction did Peter leave with his readers? (3:18) Get It 1. What stimulates you to wholesome thinking? 2. What discourages you from engaging in wholesome thinking? 3. About what biblical truths have you heard people scoff, and why were they scoffing? 4. How does the fact that the earth will one day be destroyed affect your daily life? 5. How should the reality that the earth will one day be destroyed affect the way we live our lives from day to day? 6. *How have you personally benefited from God’s patience? 7. When have you thought that God was either not patient enough or too patient with you or someone else? 8. Why is it easy to spend little time looking forward to the new heaven and new earth? 9. How can we guard against falling into error in what we believe? 10. How can we grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ? 11. *How do you need to alter your life-style in light of the certain future destruction of the earth? Apply It 1. What specific step will you take this week to grow in Christ? 2. *How can you change your routine to reflect your hope for Christ’s return? 3. What will you do this week to stimulate wholesome thinking? 4. To whom can you write a letter of encouragement this week?

False Teachers and Their Destruction—2 Peter 2:1–22 Open It 1. What is your favorite proverb or wise saying (for example, “Haste makes waste”)? 2. *What activities or pursuits are popular today? 3. In what ways do people today abuse their freedom? Explore It 1. What did Peter warn his readers that false prophets would attempt to do? (2:1) 2. What did Peter say would happen when people followed false prophets? (2:2) 3. What did God do to the angels who had sinned? (2:4) 4. Whom did Peter say God protected? (2:5) 5. What did God use as an example of what will happen to the ungodly? (2:6) 6. *What effect did living among immoral people have upon Lot? (2:7–8) 7. How did Peter say the Lord would deal with the godly and the unrighteous? (2:9) 8. What kind of people are unafraid to slander celestial beings? (2:10–15) 9. How did God rebuke Balaam? (2:16) 10. What did Peter say was reserved for people who rebel against God? (2:17) 11. *How did the evil people of whom Peter wrote affect others? (2:18) 12. What did such sinful men promise? (2:19) 13. To what were sinful people slaves? (2:19) 14. *How did Peter say a person could escape the corruption of the world? (2:20) 15. In what way would it have been better for ungodly people to have never heard of God? Why? (2:21) 16. What proverbs did Peter apply to the blatantly ungodly? (2:22) Get It 1. *What effect does living and working among sinful people have upon you? 2. *How do you deal with the influence of immoral or rebellious people around you? 3. What false prophets attempt to influence the church today? 4. Why is it important to know how God has dealt with unrighteous people in the past, including angels? 5. When and why have you felt like Lot—distressed by the filthy lives of lawless people? 6. Why and how could someone who has known Christ return to the unrighteousness from which he or she had been rescued? 7. When are you tempted to return to some sinful activity or attitude? Why? 8. What lustful desires entice people today? 9. When and how does slavery sometimes appear to be a promise of freedom? 10. To what sorts of desires can we become unknowingly enslaved? 11. Why might it be important for us to know what Peter wrote about angels? 12. What false teachings do you need to expose as untrue? Apply It 1. Beginning today, from what sinful desire will you ask God to help you escape? 2. What steps will you take today to ensure that you don’t allow your exercise of freedom to result in your enslavement to sin? 3. *How will you deal with the effect of living in a sinful world today?

Prophecy of Scripture—2 Peter 1:12–21 Open It 1. *If you knew you were about to die and had time to make only one phone call or write one letter, whom would you contact? Why? 2. To what interesting event have you been an eyewitness? Explore It 1. In what did Peter say his readers were established? (1:12) 2. What did Peter think it was right for him to do? (1:13) 3. What did Peter know that he would soon do? (1:14) 4. What did Peter want his audience to be able to do after he had died? (1:15) 5. What did Peter say he and others had not followed? (1:16) 6. *What gave Peter credibility? (1:16) 7. What did God say about Jesus? (1:17) 8. Who heard the voice of God? Where? (1:18) 9. *What did Peter tell his readers that they should do? (1:19) 10. What did Peter want his readers to understand? (1:20) 11. *What makes prophecy special? (1:21) Get It 1. About what do you need to be constantly reminded? 2. *Why do we need to have our memory refreshed about biblical truths? 3. Why is it easy for us to forget truths that are important to us? 4. In what way are our bodies like tents? 5. How important to your faith is it that Peter (and other New Testament writers) were eyewitnesses of the life of Christ? 6. Why is it important to know that our faith is grounded in history? 7. *How do you need to change your Bible study habits in light of Scripture’s importance? 8. How do you think the Bible was written? 9. How should Peter’s statements about the origin of Scripture impact our faith as well as our study of the Bible? 10. Why is it important to know about the origin of the Bible? 11. What is unique about Scripture? 12. How can we be confident that the Bible is the Word of God? Apply It 1. *What portion of Scripture that you have neglected lately will you take the time to study this week? 2. How can you read the Bible differently this week in light of its importance?

Making One’s Calling and Election Sure—2 Peter 1:1–11 Open It 1. *What character qualities do you find most attractive in other people? 2. What do people often do to “grow” intellectually, culturally, or in some similar way? 3. If you could be better at one thing, what would you want to improve? Explore It 1. Who wrote 2 Peter? (1:1) 2. To whom was 2 Peter written? (1:1) 3. What did Peter say had been given to his audience? (1:3) 4. How do God’s people benefit from the promises God has given them? (1:4) 5. *What did Peter urge his readers to add to their faith? (1:5–7) 6. How did Peter encourage his audience? (1:5–7) 7. What would be the result of possessing godly character in increasing measure? (1:8) 8. What happens to the person who does not possess godly qualities? (1:9) 9. *What did Peter want his audience to be eager to do? Why? (1:10–11) 10. *What happens when we pursue the qualities Peter described? (1:11) Get It 1. How equipped do you feel for life and godliness? 2. What is the relationship between knowledge of God and Christ and spiritual growth? 3. Which of the character qualities that Peter listed do you find the most difficult to practice? 4. *Which of the qualities listed by Peter do you consider to be the most important to add to your faith? Why? 5. What does it mean to be ineffective and unproductive? 6. *How can the qualities Peter mentioned keep us from being ineffective and unproductive? 7. Why is it easy to forget what God has done for us? 8. How can someone make his or her calling and election sure? 9. Which of the qualities listed do you want most to add to your faith? Apply It 1. *How will you add a godly quality to your faith today? 2. What steps will you take in order to make your calling and election sure? 3. What steps will you take this week to make your faith more effective and productive?