Of What Will I Boast?
1 Corinthians 1:26-2:5
- Start your time by doing exactly what Paul exhorts the Corinthians to do at the beginning of this text: consider your calling, specifically what you were when you were called. What does this tell you about God’s character and what should that elicit in you?
- What are some things that we ought not boast in but often do? What are some things we ought to boast in?
- What is the doctrine of election? What is the biblical evidence for it? How is it misperceived? Why do so many have such a hard time with this thought? (Some help in understanding might be gained by reading both the previous posts entitled “Total Depravity” and “Unconditional Election” by Pastor Bryan at blog.lifelinecommunity.com)
- Discuss the three terms in vs. 30 that seem to be explaining Christ as the wisdom from God.
- Righteousness
- Holiness
- Redemption
- What do you make of Paul’s proclamation (2:1a), proposition (2:1b-2) and posture (2:3)? Discuss each. Read Acts 18:5-11, why do you think he describes himself as coming to them in weakness, fear and trembling?
- Pray for each other to be humble and make the Lord their boast. Thank God for His mercy and sovereignty in salvation.
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The Foolishness of God
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
- Why is the cross scandalous to the Jews and foolish to the Gentiles (specifically the Greeks)? What culturally or historically contributes to this being so?
- What are some contemporary forms of the “wisdom of the world?” In what ways are they made foolish by the wisdom of God?
- What is the power in the cross? Think this through thoroughly and deeply. Try to have your answers evidenced by Scripture. Consider the four points relating to this that were mentioned in the sermon.
- Look at vs. 21. Why did God plan it this way?
- The cross is powerful. With this truth from 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 in mind read Ephesians 3:7-21. Relate what this says about power to the cross as the source and beginning of a Christian’s power. How might this passage show that “the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength?”
- Pray for people who you know are lost to have a clear understanding of the Gospel and pray that they might be enlightened by the power of the cross. Pray that each of you would be obedient to share the foolishness of God with others.
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Is Christ Divided? Keeping the Cross of Christ as the Crux of the Church
1 Corinthians 1:10-17
- Have you ever been part of a church situation where quarrels and divisions ran rampant? What happened? How was it handled? What were the results?
- Think about the four names mentioned in vs. 12. There is much debate over whether these represent four groups of people that aligned themselves with leaders or whether Paul is utilizing these name/identifications as a means of exposing their lack of concern for the body and their primary concern for self-interest. If hypothetically they were aligning themselves with individuals why do you think these four names are mentioned and what do you think may have been unique about each group?
- Paul
- Apollos (you might want to read Acts 18:24-28)
- Peter
- Christ
- Recall how vs. 10 was explained in the sermon. What does it mean and what does it look like practically to be a body of people who are saying the same thing and are refurbished or reset in mind and thought with one another?
- Discuss the cross and its role in corporate unity. How do the two relate? (A text that has some relation to this, albeit focused on the Jew Gentile distinction, is Eph. 2:14-18 [note the “cross” in vs. 16]).
- What do you make of vs. 17? Talk about the phrase “words with human wisdom.” What is Paul trying to steer clear of here? How would it “empty the cross of its power?”
- Pray for the unity of Lifeline. Pray for our church to keep the cross of Christ at the center of its ministry.
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The Church in the Kingdom: Set Apart and Strengthened
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
- What did you learn about the setting in Corinth? How does the context of Corinth shed light onto the content of Paul’s letter?
- Read Acts 18:1-17. What do you learn about Paul, Corinth and his relationship to the culture and community there?
- Read through 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 and note every time that Christ is referenced. What is attributed to or associated with Christ in this section? Why do you think Christ so dominates the beginning portion of this particular letter?
- What should be your response when you recognize sin in your own life? What would be inappropriate ways to react after you have realized the presence of sin? Why would these ways be counterproductive?
- Grace certainly deals with sin and the guilt that stems from it but how does grace deal with more than guilt? Respond to this idea, “if you had never sinned, you would still need grace.” What are the practical implications of this idea?
- What is the biblical doctrine known as the “perseverance of the saints”? How does the doctrine of eternal security relate to the perseverance of the saints? What is the personal and practical impact of this doctrine? What other scriptures teach this doctrine?
- Ask the God to have His Holy Spirit direct your prayer time. Pray for things like:
- the growth in holiness of our church and its attendees
- the continued equipping of our body with the tools and gifts necessary to be the kind of church that moves the kingdom forward
- hearts that rest and work with knowledge that God is faithful to preserve us and make our lives perseverant
- restraint to keep our church from being swept up in our culture like Corinth was theirs
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The Under-Appreciation of God in Our Giving (Part 4)
Malachi 3:6-12
- Look at Malachi 3:6 and James 1:17. What consolation or encouragement do you get from God’s immutability? What are the theological alternatives to an immutable God? What are the problems with them?
- Why is giving so important? Should giving be characterized as a spiritual discipline?
- Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-11. What do you learn from this passage about giving?
- What is a proper definition of “grace?” What do you understand “grace giving” to mean? What difference does a proper understanding of “grace giving” mean for an individual’s life? How about for the life of our church?
- Why do you think people either do not give or give sparingly to the church? What do you think would help people step into a more biblical framework of giving?
- Pray for one another to give to the Lord in an honoring and sacrificial fashion. Pray for Lifeline to grow in its financial depth and capability.
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The Under-Appreciation of God’s Justice (Part 3)
Malachi 2:17-3:5
- In your view what are the biggest injustices in our society today? Why have you chosen these in particular?
- Have you ever wrestled with the justice of God? What were the circumstances? Read the following texts: Job 21:7-13; Psalm 73:1-13; Jeremiah 12:1-4. Can you identify with the perspective in them?
- Look up the following passages. What do you learn from them about the justice of the Father and Son:
- Matthew 12:15-21
- John 5:22-23, 30
- Luke 18:7-8
- 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10
- How is Jesus like a refiner’s fire or like lye?
- Do you find any solace in the fact that God will put all things to rights? How does His ultimate justice comfort you?
- Pray for each other to be comforted by our God of justice in a world filled with injustice. Pray for the marginalized in our world and for others who are the brunt of injustice.
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The Under-Appreciation of God in Our Marriage (Part 2)
- Describe in your own words what marital oneness is. What are the biggest barriers to marital oneness? What barriers have you seen manifest themselves in your own marriage?
- What makes for a healthy, God glorifying sexual oneness? How does this differ with what our culture teaches? What is the danger of hyper-reacting to our culture and swinging the pendulum all the way to the other side in this area of healthy sexuality?
- Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 and jot down some thoughts regarding the relationship that exists within the matrix of your body, your spirit, the Holy Spirit and sex and be ready to share them with the group.
- Respond to this statement: “It is more important that your children know that you love your spouse than it is that they know you love them.” Do you agree or disagree? What are the effects of living out this statement? What are the effects of not living it out?
- The sermon mentioned three key ideas that collectively set the table for multigenerational faithfulness. Sketch a brief plan below each one that you will execute on to make the idea or principle come alive in your family (you may want to do this with your spouse if you have one)
- We must model Jesus-like love for our spouse. How will you do this?
- We must model for our spouse and our children a high view of God and a passionate pursuit of His kingdom. How will you do this?
- We must strategize and execute on sweeping our children and grandchildren up in the kingdom story. How will you do this?
- The sermon addressed four important ways to guard your spirit as it relates to your marital commitment and the health of your marital relationship. Identify which of the four is the most difficult for you to live out. What is your plan to grow in this area? In addition assess the danger for your marriage if you do not grow in this area. The four are:
- Get grounded by spiritually feeding yourself with your own hands.
- Find fulfillment by rooting your joy in the joy of your spouse.
- Secure satisfaction by slaking your thirst and your spouse’s sexual thirst on one another.
- Avoid atrocity by acknowledging your weakness and embracing personal accountability.
- Ask for a specific prayer request from each in the group for their marriage relationship. If they are not married ask for a specific request concerning another important relationship in their life.
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The Under-Appreciation of God in Our Marriage (Part 1)
Malachi 2:10-14
- In what ways are we prone to separate our vertical relationship with God from our horizontal human relationships? Do you find it easier to slip into this error with relationships that are more or less intimate? Why?
- Read Ezra 9 and Nehemiah 13:23-27. What do you think of these reactions to intermarriage? What is Ezra and Nehemiah’s primary concern?
- What are the dangers of marrying an unbeliever? How would you counsel a Christian person dating an unbeliever? Look at 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 as you think through this question.
- Respond to this statement by Katherine Anne Porter: “Marriage is the merciless revealer, the great white searchlight turned on the darkest places of human nature.”
- What characterizes an ideal partnership? In what ways would you like to see your marriage demonstrate a more healthy partnership? What needs to be your particular contribution? As you think through these questions read Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 and jot down your thoughts.
- Pray for anyone you know dating or tempted to date an unbeliever. Pray for anyone you know who is currently in a marriage with an unbeliever. Pray for the wellbeing of marriage represented in the group.
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The Under-Appreciation of God in Our Worship
Malachi 1:6-2:9
- How would a high view of God re-order the various aspects of your life that need re-ordering?
- Give your assessment of worship in the American church. What are its strengths and weaknesses?
- Looking at Malachi 1:11-14, what is the primary concern. Do you think that we share this concern today? Respond to John Piper’s famous dictum: “Evangelism exists because worship doesn’t.” What do you think he means by that?
- Read Jeremiah 7:1-15 and Amos 5:21-24. How are the texts similar to this one in Malachi? What is the problem in each? Can you detect what it is that is making worship unacceptable in these texts? What do you learn from them about the nature of worship?
- Read Malachi 1:9. How are we presumptuous in our worship?
- What are some practical ways that we can prepare ourselves to be better worshippers? Are there some things that might even be some practical help in preparing for Sunday morning worship?
- Take some time together and search your heart and weed out any stumbling blocks that might be there regarding your own worship of God. Pray for one another to gain a higher view of God.
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The Under-Appreciation of God’s Love
Malachi 1:1-5
- How does a proper view of God’s love for you play out in the rest of your life? What issues that you or others struggle with do you think have a direct connection to a lack of appreciating and appropriating His love for you?
- Consider the following texts about God’s love for his people. Jot down what you glean from them regarding this theme.
- Romans 8:37-39
- Ephesians 2:4-5
- Ephesians 3:14-19
- 1 John 3:1
- Read Ezekiel 35 and the short book of Obadiah. Why did God judge Edom?
- How can understanding and appreciating God’s wrath help you be more appreciative of His love?
- Read the blog entry on regarding unconditional election. Pay close attention to the Scripture that is used. Summarize your understanding of this doctrine. How does it relate to this text?
- What in your life has to change to appreciate God’s love to a greater degree?
- Pray for one another to grow in your acceptance and appreciation of the how much God loves you.
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