1–2 Peter: Living Hope in a Hard World

Flourish Bible Study

by Lydia Brownback

A 10-Week Study for Women

When the apostle Peter wrote his letters, the young church was facing intensifying persecution, and Peter encouraged them to persevere through hardship. This 10-week study explores the theme of suffering in Peter's letters, displaying how God uses hope, humility, and holiness to prepare believers for their final home in heaven.

The Flourish Bible study series is designed to equip women--from baby believers to seasoned saints--to study God's word. Bible study teacher Lydia Brownback guides women chapter by chapter through multiple books of the Bible, helping them come away with a deeper understanding of God's word, its context in redemptive history, and how it uniquely reveals God and his gospel.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Theology

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Lydia Brownback (MAR, Westminster Theological Seminary) serves as a senior editor at Crossway in Wheaton, Illinois, and an author and speaker at women’s conferences around the world. Lydia previously served as writer in residence for Alistair Begg and as producer of the Bible Study Hour radio program with James Montgomery Boice.

Reviews

[Erin Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great guide for studying 1 and 2 Peter, with lots of references to other Scripture and giving context for themes addressed. Great for provoking deeper thought and understanding.

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of 1&2 Peter with study questions included.

[Shannon Evanko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent Lydia Brownback study read throughout the semester with a sweet student. Lydia makes everything so accessible & we both enjoyed the study immensely.

[Kysa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent Bible study that helps you dive deeper into the Word and develop a clearer understanding of the passages.

[Dana Schnitzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very helpful and applicable study that shows the unity of the whole scripture while looking at specific parts. I found this very encouraging, and a helpful structure to support my own reading of Scripture. I already have her James study on deck!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Next up is this Bible study by Lydia Brownback. @lydiabrownback_author

I picked this up at a Revive Our Hearts conference a few years ago and finally made my way through it.

I wouldn’t call this an inductive Bible study, like a Precepts one, but it wasn’t a completely commentary- or video-based one either. It would be very accessible to someone new to Bible study, although even seasoned Bible study people can learn from it!

The author takes us verse by verse through the letters of 1 and 2 Peter and includes helpful notes such as timelines, maps, and charts. There is some commentary from the author, but the main study is done by reading the Bible and writing down what it says.

There is application weekly, which I appreciated. Because I haven’t found a local group to do a Bible study with yet, I did this on my own. I think this format was nice for that because the author’s comments made me feel like I was in a discussion with others, even though I wasn’t!

Overall, I really enjoyed this study. My personal main takeaway was that I need to take purposeful initiative to rein in my thoughts, especially so that I can pray. This has been so helpful to me as I go through a season of grief. I have used the lessons I learned in this study to help me direct my thoughts instead of letting them run wild. I’m really thankful for this book. ❤️

[Cover Lover Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

1–2 Peter- Living Hope in a Hard World is another 10-week study in the Flourish Bible Study series. I can’t praise this series enough. I love how clear and thoughtful each study is and how it can be done in both a group setting and as a personal exploration. And since I’m a book cover lover, I must mention the unique complimentary artwork on each cover.

This instalment of the series focuses on Peter, and how God is there with us through our distress and trials in life. The theme of God’s redeeming power shines through.

Romans 8:28 came to mind throughout this study:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

If you hope to gain deeper insight into Peter, this study is a great choice. The questions cause you to dig deeper and shows God’s guidance, love, and power so clearly.

First Line: Making sense of suffering, most especially the suffering we experience just because we are Christians, is going to be one of our main takeaways from Peter’s first letter.
Series: Flourish Bible Study
Genre: Christian Bible Study, Non-fiction
Author: Lydia Brownback
Page Count: 128

#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent Bible Study. It is attractive and the typesetting is great, so that does not detract from the content of the study. This study would fit the needs of both young Christians and those seeking to delve deep into the Scripture. The questions are easy to follow and get you to dig into the text. There is a lot of background information that is helpful when studying the scriptures. 1 and 2 Peter are also very rich books that aid in the Christian walk and lead us to Christ. I highly recommend this Bible Study and the Bible Study series.

[Bailee Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this study was excellent! I went through this study with a group of friends, and we appreciated the author's commentary, references to other bible passages, and writing prompts. Some prompts felt a little repetitive (or perhaps I was thinking too deeply), but I'm sure the thoroughness was helpful to others! Also, the "leader guide" from the author's website was helpful in directing some of our conversations on the more difficult passages, and I was delighted to read some updates the author has made on a few things within the study.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this bible study with my women's bible group back in January, and then things got busy at work and I missed a few sessions (and I was not disciplined enough to stay on top of it by myself). But I really wanted to finish it, bible study or no! This is my first Flourish (and my first introduction to Peter), and I really enjoyed it. She had thoughtful questions, some interesting biblical context, and included other sections of the bible for more context and additional study. It wasn't overwhelming from week to week. I'd definitely do another one. Glad I finally finished!

[Julie Biles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This resource is a deep dive into Peter’s epistles written to encourage a young church facing intensifying persecution. Our group had rich conversations about God’s faithfulness in suffering. We were challenged to prepare by prayerfully growing in our love and knowledge of the Bible.

Lydia Brownback’s Flourish Bible Study series equips women to study the overarching storyline of the Bible book by book.

[Jamie Hatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written Bible study on 1-2 Peter, with minimal (only what’s necessary) commentary from the author. Instead, she includes lots of cross references for you to look up so that in essence, as the saying goes, “Scripture interprets Scripture.” I really enjoyed it and look forward to doing more of her studies. I’ve already purchased the one on Ephesians, my favorite book of the Bible!

[LB O'Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Bible study that meets needs of those new to the Bible and those who have studied for many years. This study goes deep without overwhelming. For those who cannot devote an hour or more to daily work, this would be a great study for you! I found the content to be both challenging and encouraging.

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent study on 1 and 2 Peter. Lydia Brownback posed deep questions that made you think about how you should be living your life as a model to Jesus. She also ties in a lot of the Old Testament into these two letters. I learned a lot through this study.

[Melissa Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Bible Study book! Walks you through scripture and cross references so many pertinent scriptures. Good for any denomination because of her ability to stick to scripture and limit opinion. Minimal commentary, maximum scripture.

[Whitney Frasier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Bible Study was a good one! It doesn’t go so deep that you are struggling to keep up, but it goes deep enough so that you are learning new things or new ways of seeing things. I had never done a study of 1/2 Peter and I really enjoyed this one. Recommend!

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Women’s Bible Study used this book for our Spring Bible Study. It was a very good study.

[alwayss.rejoice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written. Learned so much.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful study to go through on my own. Really helped me to dive deeper into the texts during a spiritual dryness I was going through.

[Shanika Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could have used a more in depth Book Guide to help when you get stuck on questions.

[Cheryl Buhre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love 1 and 2 Peter but this Bible study seemed to be more busy work, fill in the blanks than teaching.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this study.

[Maggie ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great study on 1 & 2 Peter. The questions were a little obvious at times, but there were also great explanations, as well as some thought provoking questions at times.

[maddie murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

twenties small group spring 2024!

[Rylee Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great devotional! Helped me to think deeper about the text but what I really loved the most was the context it gave to 1 & 2 Peter!!

[Cindy Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good study. I joined a group of ladies to do this one. It was very informative but I would not start with this one if I was a new Christian.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good study on first and second Peter. The author , Brownback, gives good reviews of the historical context of the times, author and letters. The study questions helped me see what the scriptures said for myself, and weren't difficult to answer.

There's a definite outline to the material that keeps things focused. The author keeps the text short so your mind stays on the subject, and she handles controversial material well by giving short answers or focusing on what we can know.

I really liked this study. It helped me see what the books' themes are, rather than just coming away with her opinions instead of God's. I would definitely do another Bible study by this author. I tried her book on loneliness, but didn't like it. I did like her devotional on Trust and would recommend that as well.