1 Corinthians

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07 | Strong Church Review

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1 Corinthians Review

This past Sunday, we looked back on all of 1 Corinthians and our theme of Strong Church. We've covered a lot of ground this year, and revisited Paul's opening words in 1 Corinthians 1.4-9, in order to summarize all we've learned through this series.

Questions for Review:

1. What does Paul emphasize in the first 9 verses of his letter to the Corinthians? How does that compare or contrast to the rest of the letter?

2. Why do you think Paul starts his letter with so much emphasis on Jesus and all that the Corinthians have in Him? Is he just softening them for the blows they get in the rest of the letter?

3. Throughout the letter, at every point in which Paul gives correction, he does so with a clear connection back to Jesus and the themes of 1 Corinthians 1.1-9. What does this imply that he's trying to do in this letter?

4. Take some time to refresh yourself on the 5 sections of 1 Corinthians. What section was most striking to you this year? Where have you been most challenged or encouraged? How have you grown through this year-long series?

August 25, 2019 - Steve Hart

 
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06 | Resurrection=Our Defining Reality

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1 Corinthians 16:12-24

On Sunday, I gave the image of a person trying to stand on two different boats while going down a stream. One of the boats represents seeing Jesus as our Savior, His death and resurrection as our defining reality, and His returning as our hope. Paul’s focus through the book of Corinthians has been for them to redefine all of life through the work of Jesus, His death and resurrection; particularly, their thoughts, actions and hopes. The other boat that we try to stand on at the same time represents all the other things we quickly move to, to put our hope in and find our value in, that don’t last. These things are real and tangible but fleeting and shallow.

What are the seductive false boats that frequently tempt you to put your time and belief into?

Lastly, Paul leaves us with these directives: to fight with all the fight in us, to hold onto the boat that represents belief in the work of Jesus, to actively work out the love of Jesus, and to find a tribe to accomplish this fight and work with.

Questions for discussion:

1. How can you intentionally hold onto, remember, and tell others the story of Jesus' work on the cross?

2. What are places you can step into to act on this love; particularly, in your family and in humanity where you see injustice?

3. Who is your tribe, your close-knit group that is going to fight and work alongside you until the day that Jesus returns?

In the words of Paul, “the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.”

August 18, 2019 - Scott Cooley

 
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05 | Sacred Resurrection Life

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1 Corinthians 16:1-11

This passage, anchored in the rest of the letter, gets into the nitty-gritty about how the Gospel gets worked out in our everyday lives. The way we spend our money, the way we interact with those around us, what we do with our time, how we plan for the future; these are all very real parts of this life and are all very scared and significant. It is not just the programmed and religious things that are spiritual. It's because of what Jesus has accomplished, that all of life is a liturgy - everything is worship.

FOR REFLECTION:

1. What are the mundane and ordinary things in your life that feel like they suck the life out of you?

2.In what ways does it feel like you live a duel existence, with your spiritual life one reality and your earthly life another?

3.What prevents you from viewing the mundane, the painful suffering, the challenges, and the beauty of this life as meaningful and sacred?

4.What would change if, in the places you find yourself this week, you were compelled by the Spirit to view them as meaningful and sacred?

Let the Gospel work its way into the nooks and crannies of your life; expounding justice, allowing God to use you to bring shalom and flourishing in your life as well as others.

August 11, 2019 | Gabe Shippam

 
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04 | Resurrection Victory

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1 Corinthians 15:50-58

I clearly see we are living in a time when it is apparent that our lives either declare the resurrection victory or we declare a false victory. As our country pursues the natural outcome of living outside of the presence of a necessary savior, God & king, we have the opportunity to be a unique people who are compassionate, serving, loving, and unswervingly convinced that Jesus did indeed need to die to pay for our sins, did rise from the dead, and will return to bring about our resurrection. 

Paul leads us to conclude that if we want to feel the victory that is ours we absolutely must be persistent about the truth of the resurrection until we pass out.  We can't be seduced by the false victories that our flesh, the world, and Satan pose. We must work out Jesus’ truth with our actions. Only then will our lives not be filled with empty ("kenos") thoughts and activities.

Questions for working this out:

1.  What are the channels of seducing ideas you need to eliminate?  Where do you get false messages about what is good and worth living for?  How can we eliminate and reduce the power of false victories in our lives?

2.  What are the ways you can actively have your mind and body work out the truth?  Where can you serve?  Who can you serve? Refugees, children, homeless, neighbors, widows, etc. How can you have your time, money, energy, and resources declare that the resurrection happened and Jesus will come again to clothe us in imperishability and give us eternity?  

When the truth we hold onto in our mind and the actions of our life align our heart begins to feel the victory.

August 4, 2019 | Scott Cooley

 
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03 | Resurrection Body

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1 Corinthians 15:35-49

The heart of the gospel is the death & resurrection of Jesus - His work in history to accomplish salvation by taking the penalty of sin and destroying that slave-master, death. If Jesus has been raised, Paul argues, so shall we. But what will that be like? What is "resurrection," and what does it mean for me? While much of that remains a mystery beyond our comprehension, we know 3 things for sure: we will have real flesh and bone bodies, those bodies will be recognizable but gloriously transformed, and all will be in and through Jesus.

FOR REFLECTION:

1. Do you spend much time considering death and what it means? Would you say you lean more toward "fear" or "befriend" when you think of it? What does the resurrection of Jesus mean for how a Christian can view death?

2. Paul argues that in the resurrection there will be both continuity (we will have bodies) and discontinuity (they will be transformed). How does that shape our way of life today?

3. Consider Paul's list of contrasts between our current bodies and our future bodies in v.42-44. What sounds most like good news to you? And why?

July 28, 2019 | Steve Hart

 
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02 | Resurrection = Endless Hope

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1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Our passage this past Sunday made several powerful statements. If there is no resurrection then our faith is empty. Jesus’ bodily resurrection is the substance of our faith, it is the hope that extends to our resurrection, and it is the invading of the new into the present evil age. What a beautiful picture! Jesus working tirelessly to destroy every evil dominion and ending with conquering all of death and at the end of time handing over the restored world to His Father.

Living with, and believing in, the resurrection of Jesus leaves us with the possibility to say “Now how can we live?” If the resurrection happened and Jesus came up out of the ground, we get eternity and to live in the now with different confidence and hope. So what are you going to try? Walkthrough your days with the past, present, and future of the gospel in the forefront of your minds and see what you notice and hear. Remember what Jesus did and promised regularly and then watch and listen as you encounter life’s challenges. “Inflate your tires” with the hope of eternal life and then see what path you get to ride.

July 21, 2019 | Scott Cooley

 
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01 | Reframed by Resurrection

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1 Corinthians 15:1-11

The death & resurrection of Jesus has always been the plan of God. It was witnessed by many and is the power to a resurrected life for us. Make room in your day to replace some of the stories that occupy your thoughts and focus on the story of what Jesus has accomplished, is doing, and will yet one day do. This is called the gospel. This practice of remembering our full faith, laying aside the distracting stories and asking Jesus to teach us is epically life-altering.

Find time this week to create a liturgy of remembering the gospel that fits your character. God made you well. You are beautiful and unique and He has accomplished everything so you get to draw near to the creator of the universe and hear His voice. Search out each day this week how you can:

Fix your Filter: Ask God to show you all of the past, present, and future of the good news and what He has done, doing and will do. Do it in your Bible reading. Talk to God about it every time you are in a car. Take a walk and talk with him through as much of the good news as you can. Let him turn your attention to places of the gospel that I have said nothing about: emotions, sounds, images, promises, etc. Daily refocus yourself somehow to what God wants you to cling to. Learn to stop meditating on small things, rather meditate on the great and eternal story of God.

Use your Filter: Use what you are learning to process your day with. Pray for others with the truth of this story. Reframe how you engage your really hard moments or your dull moments with this story. Reframe your day by praying to God through the gospel.

Teach your Filter: Let yourself hear the gospel come out of your mouth. Let others hear the gospel come out of your mouth. “So we preach and so you believed” (1 Cor. 15:11). We would be much better off if we hear more people reminding us of the story we are actually living in. Our friends would be much better off if they hear the true story of what we are living in.

So, reframe your days with a liturgy of replacing time with small stories to refocus on the resurrection story. We will take time on Sunday to hear what God spoke through your available ears.

July 14, 2019 | Scott Cooley

 
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07 | Be the Body

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1 Corinthians 14:26-40

When the church comes together for worship, something really unique transpires. While we're called to be the church in the everyday, making gospel-centered disciples in community, we're also commanded to gather regularly to worship God and build up one another. Paul gives needed clarity to this gathered worship setting, urging us to come ready to be used by the Spirit in order to strengthen and encourage one another. A Strong Church is empowered by the Spirit to use gifts in service of one another, eagerly pursuing the Spirit's leading while maintaining order and peace so that everyone flourishes.

FOR REFLECTION:

1. Read 1 Corinthians 14:26-40. Paul is ending the section (chapters 11-14) on how the body of Christ gathers in ministry and worship. What themes have you seen in these chapters? What seems to be Paul’s overarching point?

2. What is the dual emphasis of v.26, and how ought it shape our gatherings? What is Paul hoping happens when we gather?

3. In what ways have you grown in clarity around who you are and how God has wired/gifted you for mission and ministry? How has that helped you?

4. What does obeying v.39 look like? Are we? How could we obey it together?

5. In v.36-38, Paul gives a word of warning designed to move the Corinthians toward greater humility. What does he say there, and why does it matter?

June 30, 2019 | Steve Hart

 

 

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