How does being in Christ make a difference in the way we think?

Why is submitting to an authority which persecutes believers a concern for Peter (vv12-14)?  What does it mean to “submit” in this context?

If you were to build a spiritual house from the living stones in your small group, where would each member be positioned (as walls, roof, telephone line, etc.) to realise his or her gifts?  How does this fit who you are in Christ?                

How does it make you feel to be chosen, to be royal, and God’s possession?(v9) When is it most difficult to remember what God has made you? 

How does Peter’s readers’ new status of with God influence the way they live (vv11-12)?

How would you re-word in practical terms what Peter meant by his pictures in vv5 and 9?  In what ways would it be difficult for Peter’s readers to think of themselves in these terms?

How is Christ a living Stone?  Why would people stumble over the Stone rather than build their lives on it?   

How would you use this passage with someone who thinks that keeping the Golden Rule or the Ten Commandments is enough to get by with God?

Paul’s logic may seem obscure or irreverent today. How would you clarify Paul’s argument for someone who could care less about such fine distinctions?       

How does Christ change all this legalism?  Why then would anyone go back to the law?