Context of 1 Peter:What did this mean to the original hearers of this?What was their background?Who wrote it? When? Why?Themes of 1 Peter:Tough times - persecution and sufferingLooking back - connects to the history of Israel.Look forward - reminding them of the big picture of God certain futureLook through 1 PeterStart (vs 3-5) Look forward to a great inheritance & salvationMain point (vs 6) Tough Times are a reality “grief for a little while “Ends (vs 7-9) Tough faith = genuine faith refined like gold & ultimate joy1. We need a bigger storyLooking forward and looking back at what God has done and will do salvation2. We need hard times?Because everything gets stripped away and it’s just you and God?We have to contend for our faithHe moves us our relationship out of being transactional = one dimensional3. We need deep resilient tough faithPeter “your faith is proven genuine” & “you will receive honor“What are the top two things in your life that concern you the most?