GRACE_AND_GLORY_3_Restoration_and_Strength.docx

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In this final message of the "Grace and Glory" series, we explored the promise of restoration and strength that God offers after seasons of suffering. Building on the previous weeks—where we learned to set our hope on future grace and to see suffering as a refining fire—we now see that God’s response to our weakness is not disappointment, but restoration. Through humility, obedience, and faith, we are invited to cast our anxieties on God, resist the enemy’s lies, and trust that God Himself will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. Our security is not in our own grip, but in the unbreakable hold of God’s grace.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Humility as the Pathway to Lifting True humility before God is not self-deprecation, but a conscious lowering of ourselves under His mighty hand. It is the posture that allows God to lift us up in His timing, not ours. When we humble ourselves, we acknowledge our need and open ourselves to His care, rather than striving to manage life’s burdens alone. This humility is the soil in which restoration grows.
• 2. Obedience That Endures Beyond Comfort Christ’s obedience was not partial or convenient—it was obedience “to the point of death.” Our own journey of following Jesus calls for a willingness to obey even when it leads through suffering or uncertainty. This kind of obedience is forged in the fire of difficulty, and it is there that we are shaped most deeply into Christ’s likeness. The call is not to temporary compliance, but to a lifelong surrender that trusts God’s wisdom over our own.
• 3. Resisting the Enemy with a Sober Mind The enemy’s strategy is to overwhelm us with lies that isolate and discourage: that God has forgotten us, that we are too broken, or that our suffering is endless. Scripture calls us to resist these attacks by standing firm in faith, not by denying the struggle but by anchoring ourselves in the truth of God’s promises. Resistance is not passive; it is an active, faith-filled stand against the voices that seek to devour our hope.
• 4. Restoration Is God’s Work, Not Ours After suffering, it is God Himself who restores, confirms, strengthens, and establishes us. This is not a self-improvement project, but a divine act of grace. God heals what is broken, steadies what is shaky, and plants us on ground that cannot be shaken. Our role is to trust and receive, not to manufacture our own healing.
• 5. Strength for Others Flows from Our Own Restoration Jesus told Peter that after he had turned back from his trial, he was to strengthen his brothers. Our experiences of restoration are not just for us—they become a source of encouragement and strength for others who are suffering. As we are restored, we are called to be agents of restoration, offering the same grace and hope we have received to those around us.

**Bible Study Discussion Guide: Grace and Glory – Restoration and Strength**

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### Bible Reading

- **1 Peter 5:6-11**
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

- **Philippians 2:5-11**
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

- **Luke 22:31-32**
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

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### Observation Questions

1. According to 1 Peter 5:6-7, what are we told to do with our anxieties, and why?
2. In 1 Peter 5:8-9, how does Peter describe the enemy, and what are believers instructed to do in response?
3. What four things does God promise to do for us after we have suffered, according to 1 Peter 5:10?
4. In Philippians 2:8, what kind of obedience did Jesus show, and what was the result?

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### Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Peter connect humility with God’s ability to lift us up? What does it mean to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand in real life?
2. The enemy is described as a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. What are some ways the enemy tries to “devour” believers, based on the sermon and the passage?
3. The sermon says restoration is God’s work, not ours. How does this challenge the idea that we have to “fix ourselves” before coming to God?
4. Jesus told Peter that after he was restored, he should strengthen his brothers. What does this suggest about the purpose of our own restoration and healing?

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### Application Questions

1. Humility is described as lowering ourselves under God’s mighty hand, not just thinking less of ourselves. What is one area of your life where you tend to take control instead of humbling yourself before God? What would it look like to let go in that area this week?
2. The sermon talked about casting our anxieties on God. What is one specific worry or burden you are carrying right now? How can you practice giving it to God, practically, this week?
3. Obedience that endures beyond comfort was highlighted as a key part of following Jesus. Is there a step of obedience you’ve been avoiding because it feels uncomfortable or risky? What would it look like to trust God and take that step?
4. The enemy often attacks with lies that isolate and discourage us. What is one lie you have struggled to believe about yourself or about God during a hard season? How can you remind yourself of God’s truth instead?
5. Restoration is described as something God does for us, not something we achieve. When you think about your own brokenness or weakness, do you tend to try to “fix” yourself, or do you invite God to restore you? What would it look like to trust God’s process of restoration this month?
6. Jesus told Peter to strengthen others after he was restored. Who in your life right now might need encouragement or support from you? How can you share the hope and grace you’ve received with them this week?
7. The sermon said our security is not in our own grip, but in God’s unbreakable hold. When you feel shaky or uncertain, what helps you remember that God is holding on to you? Is there a verse, song, or practice that helps you stay anchored in His grace?

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