Grow in Grace and Knowledge

In one paragraph

This was the final message in the series through 2 Peter. Pastor Ray walked through the last five verses of the letter, tracing Peter's closing call to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus, and ending with communion as a fitting close to the study. Peter opens this last section again with "dear friends" - "agape toy" in the Greek, meaning beloved ones. Pastor Ray noted that this term of affection...

Read together

1. Psalm 139:1-6 read aloud before prayer, on God knowing us and never escaping His presence
2. Psalm 34:8 quoted briefly: 'taste and see that the Lord is good'
3. Psalm 34:6 sung or read: 'this poor man cried and the Lord heard me'
4. 2 Peter 3:14-18 the passage preached through to close the series
5. Psalm 119:1-2 closing benediction: 'blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord'

Talk about it

1. Pastor Ray talked about Peter calling his readers 'dear friends' or 'beloved ones' even while delivering serious warnings about judgment. What does it tell us about Peter that he keeps returning to that language of affection throughout the letter?
2. Peter urges his readers to 'make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him,' while also saying that being found that way is the work of the Holy Spirit. How do you think about your own effort and God's work fitting together in your everyday life?
3. Pastor Ray drew a connection between salvation and salvage, saying God is not just rescuing us from hell but actively restoring a life that was headed for the junk heap. How has that kind of ongoing restoration shown up in your own experience?
4. Peter says that ignorant and unstable people distort Paul's letters, and that Paul's letters carry the same authority as 'the other scriptures.' What practices or habits help you stay grounded in what Scripture actually says rather than a distorted version of it?
5. The sermon ended with Peter's closing words, 'Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.' Pastor Ray said that growing in the knowledge of God leads you to understand His grace more and more. Where are you finding that growth happening for you right now, and where do you feel like it has stalled?