What’s Love Got to Do with It (part 2)
1 Corinthians 13:6-13
- What do you make of the maxim, “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me”? Do you think this is healthy? What does a love that always trusts look like?
- Love never fails (or more literally “falls”). Where have you seen your love fail? Why?
- In the sermon prophecy was defined as “a report in human words of something that God brings to mind.” What do you think of that definition? How is New Testament prophecy different from Old Testament prophecy? As you think about these questions consider how Paul responds to prophecy in Acts 21:4 and consider Agabus’ prophecy in Acts 21:10-11. Also read through 1 Corinthians 14 and note what you learn about the nature of prophecy.
- What would you say to someone who said that the revelatory gifts have ceased because 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 says that they did when the church became mature or when the canon of Scripture was completed?
- Talk about the following observation from D. A. Carson: Two centuries ago, Jonathan Edwards probed the question as to what makes the church like heaven. His answer: it is love.
- Formulate your own question from this text to share with the group.
- Pray for the members of your group to put love in its proper place.
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The Lost Virtue of Happiness
Matthew 16:23-27
- What are some of the popular ways happiness is understood today? How do these views impact one’s perspective on life?
- What is your view of happiness? How does your view fit with the view articulated by Dr. Moreland in his sermon?
- How would your life change if you applied Dr. Moreland’s perspective on happiness to your present circumstances?
- Read Matthew 16:23-27. How have you tended to understand this passage? Do any of the insights from the sermon change your understanding of it?
- How do you think it is possible to take up your cross daily and still enjoy life?
- Nietzsche rightly observed that if “God is dead” then life has no meaning. Explain. How should this idea (meaning comes from God) impact your life?
- Formulate your own question from this text to share with the group.
- Spend some time in prayer asking God to give you a proper perspective on happiness.
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What’s Love Got to Do with It?
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:5
- What does it mean to desire the greater gifts? What are they? How does this fit with the idea that the gifts are sovereignly bestowed by God according to 12:7-10, 18, 24b, and 28?
- Why do the gifts we have and the sacrifices we make sometimes get in the way of us actually honoring God? Have you ever seen this in your own life? Talk about it.
- Which verb mentioned in vs. 4-5 presents the greatest challenge for you to apply in your relationships of love with others? Why is this so? What would it look like for you to practically employ this verb in your relationships? (or maybe think in terms of a specific relationship)
- In his book Showing the Spirit, D. A. Carson writes, “It is well said that you can spot a gentleman not by the way he addresses his king but by the way he addresses his servants.” What does he mean? What do you think of his quote? Do you think you apply the lesson his quote tries to communicate well or not? Why or why not?
- When you are wronged, how should you respond? What do you see modeled biblically by Jesus? Read 2 Corinthians 2:5-11. How does Paul want people in the body to respond to sin against them by others in the church?
- Formulate your own question from this text to share with the group.
- Spend some time in prayer over each other regarding the verb that emerged as a challenge in question 3. Pray for each person to be the kind of person that doesn’t keep a record of evil done against them.
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The Body and Its Gifts
1 Corinthians 12:12-30
- What is “spirit baptism”?
- What does the metaphor of body teach you about the church? In what ways does the church struggle to live out the body metaphor? Do you think that the church has “insiders” and “outsiders”? What can be done in the life of the church to help keep a body from creating such groups?
- Do you feel like you fit in the body? Do you feel like you are doing what God has made you to do in His church? How might you discern if you are doing what He wants you to do?
- In vs. 24b-26 three different moods or attitudes are mentioned that ought to be part of the body of Christ as we do life together. Talk about each one. Think specifically in terms of what needs to be done to cultivate these in personal and corporate life.
a) anti-schismatic attitude
b) concern for others
c) empathy
- Formulate your own question from this text to share with the group.
- Spend some time in prayer asking God to make all parts of our body appreciative of its other parts. Pray that we would have proper care and concern for others in our church.
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The Spirit and His Gifts
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
- What has been your understanding of the nature of spiritual gifts? What is the Cessationist perspective? What do you think of it?
- How have “spiritual gifts” been abused? Why do you think abuse of them happens? What are the dangers of not understanding and employing the gifts properly?
- How do you find your spiritual gift(s)? Do you know what yours are? What difference would it make in your spiritual life if you knew what they were? Can knowing what your spiritual gifts are or are not be used as a copout for Christian service?
- What do you make of John 14:11-12?
- Talk about prayer, faith and healing. As you think about the relationship between these ideas consider these texts: Luke 17:11-19; 18:35-42; James 5:13-18. What would be some wrong ways to interrelate these three concepts?
- Formulate your own question from this text to share with the group.
- Spend some time in prayer asking God to use you and give you the courage to explore how his Spirit’s power wants to move in and through your lives. Pray for “big stuff” (think in terms of something miraculous or magnanimous that you would like to see God do).
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Remembering Jesus in His Supper
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
- What implications does the Gospel have for human relationships?
- What opportunities does diversity in the body provide people for their own personal development and growth in Christ?
- Consider the importance that the Bible places on relating properly to the poor and ministering to them. As you do so, look up the following verses: Pr. 19:17; 22:9 28:27; Gal. 2:10; Jms. 1:27. In addition, read through James 2:1-13 which seems to address a similar problem of marginalizing the poor and discuss the text.
- Discuss the Eucharist. What is the purpose of church ordinances (baptism and Eucharist)? Do you think that the present American evangelical church values the Eucharist as it ought to? Why or why not?
- How has this text been misunderstood?
- Formulate your own question from this text to share with the group
- Spend some time in prayer asking God to keep our church from falling into any traps of marginalizing people the way the Corinthians did. Also spend some time in praise to God for His Gospel.
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The Pitfalls of Grace
Romans 5:1-6:2
“It is clear that where such a basic and essential word as grace is misunderstood, the great realities of which it speaks will also be misunderstood. There will be a gap between our understanding and the true reality. In some areas of life or even in some areas of doctrine this kind of gap may not matter a great deal, but in this particular instance it is absolutely crucial. A mistaken view of grace will inevitably lead to a distorted view of salvation and we will be in real danger of ‘turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all’ (Gal. I. 6,7).” – J. Douglas MacMillan (1933-1991)
- How many ways can you describe how “professed Christians” have misunderstood, and/or misrepresented God’s grace?
- How does misunderstanding the doctrine of grace hurt the effectiveness of the Church?
The believer’s justification before God is described in past tense (See Romans 5:1, 5:9, 5:11)
- How does this truth affect your relationship to God?
As we read in Romans 6:1-2 and Romans 6:15, the Apostle Paul anticipated that fallen man, even though believers, could easily abuse the gift of God’s grace.
- Discuss some of the pitfalls of grace mentioned on Sunday. Can you think of other pitfalls that can lead to abusing God’s grace that were not mentioned on Sunday?
- How do you personally succeed at avoiding these pitfalls?
Both 2 Corinthians 13:5 and 1 Timothy 4:16 encourages believers to take a personal “spiritual inventory.”
- How can you best implement this admonition?
Ephesians 2:10 states, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
- As a church, how well is Lifeline Community living this out in our community?
- How can we improve?
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Longing for the Presence of God
Psalm 84:1-12
- What can you learn about the man who is blessed from verses 4, 5, and 12? How do these blessings relate to the psalmist’s longing for the presence, protection and provision of God?
- Examine the different names for God in Psalm 84. What can you learn about the psalmist’s view of God from these titles?
- Why does the psalmist believe that God’s courts are the best place to be? Do you struggle to have his attitude? What can you do to grow in your appreciation of God’s presence?
- What are some practical ways God can be a source of strength in difficult times?
- Read 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. What should our attitude be towards the body of Christ (in light of Psalm 84)? In what ways does your perspective need to change (towards the body of Christ)?
- Read 1 Corinthians 5:4. Is there something special about corporate worship? What should our attitude be towards corporate worship?
- Pray that God would help Lifeline have the proper attitude towards his body and a deeper longing for Him.
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Equal but Different
1 Corinthians 11:2-16
- Why is a text like this so sensitive to deal with in today’s culture? What has brought us to this place? What would you say to someone if they claimed that Paul was a sexist?
- Is there a distinction to be made between things in the Bible that were cultural forms and things that were not? What would be some examples of each? What would mixing these up result in?
- Is there a hierarchy within the trinity? Explain. What is the difference between essence and function? How does this relate to man/husband and woman/wife? What is the wisdom in retaining an ecclesiastical (church) structure that corresponds to the Bible’s outline for our domestic (home/family) structure?
- (For fun) Can you make sense of the reference to the angels in vs. 10? You might think about passages like Heb. 1:14 and 1 Peter 1:10-12. (Also note some references to angels in the Psalms: Ps. 91:9-13; 103:20-22; 148:2)
- What would be some wrong applications from this text? What would be some right applications?
- Formulate your own question from this text to share with the group.
- Pray for our families and our church to embrace God’s design and flourish within the functional roles he has laid out for us. As this section begins a larger focus on worship, pray that God would make us the kind of body that worships Him truly and passionately.
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Don’t Arouse the Lord’s Jealousy
1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1
- How does this section relate to the whole unit of 8:1-11:1?
- Read through this section of Scripture and through 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. What parallels do you see between the two texts? Do you have any thoughts as to why the texts have these parallels?
- Think about the use of terms like “participation”, “participate”, “partake” and “have a part” in vs. 16-21. What is meant by these terms? Specifically, what is meant by them as applied to the Lord’s Supper, OT sacrifices and demons?
- Why is it alright for God to be a “jealous” God? In what way is He jealous? Can you think of any human parallels where jealousy is appropriate? What distinguishes them from an inappropriate jealousy? (cf. Ex. 34:14; Dt. 4:24)
- What are some “sticky situations” you can think of in our setting and culture where this text might find helpful application? Be sure to think in terms of the “guiding principles” mentioned at the end of the sermon.
- Formulate your own question from this text to share with the group:
- Pray discernment in applying this text in our present setting. Pray that God would have our full allegiance.
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