1 Corinthians

Read 1 Corinthians 5.1-13 incarnatinally. Where do you find yourself in the text?

How have these last two messages on 1 Corinthians 5 encouraged you? Where have you been most challenged?

How are you learning to see your sexuality through the Gospel? What is one way you are seeing your sexuality differently today than you did yesterday?

The Sermon on the Mount was referenced on Sunday. Spend a few moments reading Matthew 5.1-13. On Sunday, we read verses 3-4 and referenced the idea of “mourning” over sin. There are healthy and unhealthy ways to mourn over sin. Give examples of each.

How have you been comforted by mourning over sin?

Read 1 Corinthians 5.2, 5, 9 & 13. What is at the heart of Paul’s commands?

Describe a time in which you’ve lived into these verses? What was/is the outcome?

Paul uses the analogy of yeast that leavens dough (6-8). How have you seen seemingly small expressions of sin poison a whole batch of dough? More personally, how have you experienced small expressions of sin poison your whole being?

Paul is raising the level of the Gospel ethic. Two questions were asked in the message on Sunday. Reflect and respond to each.

Will the church live out the Gospel, with its ethical implications, or will it continue in its present ‘spirituality’ that tolerates such sin and thereby destroys God’s temple in Corinth?

Will we live out the Gospel, with its ethical implications or tolerate sin that will destroy God’s temple called Sanctuary?

What does it look like for you today to live out the ethical implications of the Gospel? What will you not do? How will you allow others to join you in living out the Gospel today?

Read and reflect on the following passages:
2 Thessalonians 3.6
2 Thessalonians 3.14-15
2 Timothy 3.5
Titus 3.10

How does Scripture reinforce Scripture? How does this reinforcement encourage you? If something is referenced more than once in Scripture, does that make it more important than something only referenced once?

How do you discern the importance of Scripture? When do you choose to build your life around a truth and when to dismiss Scripture? When was the last time you dismissed a passage of Scripture?

Read 1 Corinthians 5.11. Paul includes a list of other sins that are not to be tolerated in the church. Note each of those listed here. Is this list meant to be exhaustive or is it specific?

The list includes people who are unrepentant in the following:
Greed.
Idol worshipper.
Slander.
Drunkard.
Swindlers.

How have you been wounded by these sins? Which of these causes you the greatest temptation? How have you found forgiveness and been comforted from these sins?

Slander can be translated as “verbal abuse.” In your own words, define verbal abuse. How prevalent is this sin in and around your life? How do you deal with the effects of verbal abuse, including the sin of gossip?

Whose responsibility is it to “hand one over to Satan?” How are you growing in seeing yourself as responsible? Who is responsible for you? How have you entrusted yourself into the hands of another?

Read and reflect on 1 Corinthians 5.9-13 from the Message. What encourages you most about this text? What one way is God inviting you to receive His truth?

Read 1 Corinthians 5 incarnationally. What is the primary implication for you as you read this text?

How do you currently view your sexuality through the Gospel?

Reflect and respond to the overview from our friends at the Bible Project:
“Remember first of all, Jesus died for your sins, including the ruin of broken relationships that’s caused by sexual misconduct. Sexual integrity is one of the main ways in that we respond to Jesus’ love and grace. Paul also reminds us that, just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so our bodies will be raised from the dead. Which means this: If your body is being redeemed by Jesus, now and in the future, then what you do with your body matters. It matters a lot. And it’s not yours to do whatever you want with. Paul is being super clear. Being a follower of Jesus involves no compromise when it comes to sexual integrity. ” – The Bible Project.

In your own words define the following phrases:
Sexual integrity –
Sexual immorality –
The flesh –

Read Romans 7.14-25. How does this passage resonate with you? Where do you find yourself currently as it relates to the struggle with the flesh? Who in your life is aware of this struggle?

Read 1 Corinthians 5.1-5. What are the two primary problems Paul addresses in these verses?

How would you encourage Sanctuary leaders to respond to sexual immorality in our church?

How would your encouragement to Sanctuary leaders align with the way you engage sexual immorality in your family, or with friends? How is it different?

What does Paul mean when he says, “hand this man over to Satan?” How does verse 4, and the end of verse 5 help make sense of this phrase?

What’s the implication of the following phrase, “Sometimes God has to let things die before there can be resurrection”? How have you seen this truth lived out in your life?

Read John 12.23-26. How have you tried other ways to live rather than living in Jesus’ Truth?

How tempted are you to be an enabler? What is at the core of your choice to enable?

On Sunday the question was asked, “Are you trying to please God, or play God, or do you simply trust God?” If your closest friend was asked to answer this question for you, how would they answer? How are you growing in your trust of God?

Zach Eswine wrote:
“Mark this down, won’t you? One of the first signs that we are approaching the borders of attempting omnipotence is this: We believe that another is choosing a course of action because he or she simply isn’t clear on what is right. Therefore, we believe that if we just work hard enough to explain what is right, then he or she will obviously and immediately do the right thing. No one was more plain, true, reasonable, and clear than Jesus, and they crucified him. Clarity matters a great deal. But clarity can’t always solve or fix the broken things.”

“You were never meant to repent because you can’t fix everything. You are meant to repent because you’ve tried. Even if we could be god for people and fix it all, the fact remains that Jesus often does not have the kind of fixing in mind that you and I want.” – Zach Eswine, The Imperfect Pastor

What part of these paragraphs resonate most deeply with you? What kind of “fixing” does Jesus have in mind for you, your family, and our Faith Family?

On Christmas Eve, we celebrated the Truth, “H.W.L.F.” He would love first. If God loves first, He would also love last. “H.W.L.L” How does knowing God’s love change the way you approach sexual immorality in your own life and in the lives of those you love the most?

Spend a few moments praying, inviting God to speak deeper truths to you regarding your sexuality integrity. Give Him praise for His prevailing love.

Read 1 Corinthians 4.6-13, and Psalm 136. Where do you find yourself in the text? What speaks most deeply to you?

The first four chapters of Paul’s letter to Corinth talks so much about unity. How have you grown in unity with your brothers and sisters during these last months? Where and when do you still experience disunity?

When reading Scripture, how do you discern the writing? How do you know if it’s “black and white”, metaphor, poetry, or rhetoric and irony like here in 1 Corinthians 4?

What’s the biggest challenge in defending Scripture with the argument, “it says it right here in black and white?”

Have you ever aligned yourself with someone you thought had it all together and then realized that person didn’t? How are you growing in your ability to follow even broken people? How do you sense others beginning to follow you?

Paul is accusing the Corinthians of being prideful? Where do you see that kind of accusation in the text?

Where else in Scripture do you find warnings against pride?

How do you define entitlement? Where do you experience entitlement? What’s the root cause of entitlement?

Reflect and respond to this statement: “It’s impossible to be grateful for something to which you feel entitled.”

In your own words, define “humility.” In your own words, define “false humility.”

How does humility cultivate faithfulness?

How does the truth, “His love endures forever” encourage you? How does it give you rest?

The following three questions were asked in the message on Sunday. What were your responses then, and what are your responses today? Note the difference and similarities in your responses. Note why there has been a change in your responses.

1. Where and when do you feel like you deserve something – from God, and others? (Good or bad)
2. When was the last time you surrendered your entitlement or privilege?
3. What might these two weeks look like, if you looked at each person, at each memory, at each hope through the cross?

Read and reflect on Psalm 136. Give Him praise!

Read 1 Corinthians 3.18-23 incarnationally. Where do you find yourself in this text?

What is something that the world deems “foolish” about your everyday ordinary walk with God?

Have you ever wondered if living out His will and His way is actually foolish? If so, how do you embrace that tension?

Paul spends a good bit of time talking about disunity in the church at Corinth. Why is this such a big deal to him?

In the text, Paul quotes two Old Testament passages. How does inclusion add authority to his teaching? Many Christians in our day give little time and attention to the Old Testament. How does being grounded and rooted in the Old Testament help the New Testament come to greater life?

How do you deal with your own personal preferences in the church?

Reflect on the insight of Warren Weirsbe:
“Perhaps we cannot help but have our personal preferences when it comes to the way different men minister the Word. But we must not permit our personal preferences to become divisive prejudices. In fact, the preacher I may enjoy the least may be the one I need the most!”

How often do you personalize Scripture? How regularly do you see yourself text? What difference does it make for you when you see the Bible as God’s Love Letter written directly to your heart? We read Ephesians 1.3-10 on Sunday. Reread the text. Personalize the text and allow it to speak directly to you.

How do you view your adoption? Scripture teaches that you are adopted into the Family of God. What does this adoption mean to you?

Read James 1.27. Why does God spend so much time communicating His desire for His church to care for widows and orphans? Is God being specific or is this representative?

How might you take one step in caring for others? How might you take one step in allowing others to care for you?