Check here each week for information to prepare your heart for the upcoming sermon and follow-up questions you can use after the sermon to dig deeper and disciple your family!
Love Doesn’t Do That
Love Doesn’t Do That – 1 Corinthians 13:4b-6
Preparing your heart for the sermon:
- How have the Corinthians acted in the unloving ways described in vv4b-6?
- What do these unloving actions do to the health of a church and its ability to glorify God?
- How do these unloving actions manifest themselves in congregations today? How can a church put off these actions?
Other passages to consider: Mark 10:45; John 3:30; Rom 12:21; 1 Cor 1:26-31; 3:1-4; 4:6-7; 5:6-8; 6:6-8; 10:23-24; 11:21-22; 12:14-27; 2 Cor 5:19; Gal 2:20; 1 Tim 2:5-6
Digging Deeper:
- How would you summarize these negative actions?
- How could love help prevent you from sinning in these areas?
- Are you acting in any of these unloving ways? If so, what do you need to do?
- What would be the effect of a church that didn’t treat each other this way, but instead truly served one another in love?
Love Exercises Patience and Kindness
Love Exercises Patience and Kindness – 1 Corinthians 13:4
Preparing your heart for the sermon:
- What is love? How does the world’s definition of love differ from the Bible’s?
- How does Paul portray love in vv4-7? What do you observe about his description?
- Has/is God patient and kind with you? In what ways?
Other passages to consider: Ex 34:5-8; Ps 103; Matt 18:21-35; Luke 10:25-27; Rom 2:4; 8:31-39; Eph 4:31-5:2; Titus 3:3-7; 1 Pet 2:20-25; 2 Pet 3:8-10
Digging Deeper:
- How do we see Jesus model patience and kindness?
- What opportunities have you had today to exercise patience and kindness?
- How are we able to show patience and kindness? What can I do to help me grow in this area?
- Think of people around you who exercise patience and kindness. How does their behavior bring glory to God?
An Essential Element of our Church
An Essential Element of our Church – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Preparing your heart for the sermon:
- What are the essential elements of a church?
- How does Chapter 13 relate to Chapters 12 and 14?
- What examples have we seen so far of the Corinthians being unloving toward each other?
Other passages to consider: Matt 22:34-40; John 13:31-35; 15:1-17; Rom 5:1-8; 8:31-39; 1 Cor 13; Gal 2:20; Eph 3:14-21; 4:11-17; 4:30-5:2; Col 3:12-14; 2 Thess 1:3; 1 Tim 1:5; 1 Jn 4:7-21
Digging Deeper:
- Can service be given without love?
- Which is more important: giftedness or love? Why?
- What are signs of a lack of love in a church?
- Where does love come from? How can I grow in love?
Godly Ambition
Godly Ambition – 1 Corinthians 12:27-31
Preparing your heart for the sermon:
- What truths does Paul review in these verses?
- Why do you think Paul numbers the gifts first, second, third, etc in v28?
- What answer is Paul expecting in vv29-30? Why is he asking these questions?
Other passages to consider: Isa 49:16-17; Micah 4:2; Matt 25:14-30; Rom 12:3-8; 1 Cor 3:5-17; 4:6-13; 12-14; 2 Cor 12:12; Eph 2:19-22; 4:1-16; 1 Thess 5:19; Heb 2:3b-4; 1 Pet 4:7-11
Digging Deeper:
- What are the higher gifts Paul exhorts them to desire?
- If God decides our spiritual gifts, why does Paul tell us to desire higher gifts?
- What things in life do people strive for? What would God have us pursue?
- What should be your focus in using your spiritual gift(s)?