04 | Honor the Body

 

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

We are the body of Christ, unique and different, called to His mission, HIs purpose, and His presence and then irrigated by His Spirit.  We have been called and saved into this great body and we get to serve God’s great rescue mission and we get to be fueled by the powerful Holy Spirit.  Boy, that sounds like great news.

June 9, 2019 | Scott Cooley


 

03 | Gifts of Grace

 

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Over the next 5 weeks, we're digging into what exactly it means to be the body of Jesus, particularly in how the Spirit gifts and empowers us in ministry to one another and mission in the world. The primary evidence of the Spirit's work in our lives is a heart and life that declares 'Jesus is Lord,' and every true Christian is a Spirit-filled Christian. The Spirit equips each member of the body with gifts, as He determines is best, for the building up of the body in mission and ministry. Practically, this means the first step in the journey of understanding the Spirit and how he has gifted you is to begin engaging him directly, asking him to fill your heart and mind with the truth about Jesus and to equip you how he wills for the sake of the common good.

FOR REFLECTION:

1. Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. When you gather with the church on Sundays or in your community, what sort of expectations or hopes do you have? What are you anticipating may happen?

2. What does Paul say is the key mark of a Spirit-filled and Spiritually-gifted person (v.1-3)? Why might he be saying this? What is he correcting at Corinth?

3. Paul says the Spirit gives various gifts, the Lord calls us to various ministries, and God gives us various levels of strength and impact (v.4-6). In what ways is such a God-centered view of spiritual gifts helpful for us? 

4. As you read the list of gifts, which ones resonate with you (check the end of 1 Corinthians 12 or Romans 12 for other helpful lists). Take some time in your community to highlight one another and the gifts you see in each other.

5. In light of all Paul is saying here, what ought to be our expectation when we gather together? In what ways can you take responsibility for your own gifts and ministry to that end?

June 2, 2019 | Steve Hart


 

01 | Men, Women, & Ministry

 

1 Corinthians 11:12-16

Unfortunately, last Sunday’s sermon recording failed, so if you missed it… sorry!

But, a summary can be found here.

We looked at a difficult but important section (1 Corinthians 11:2-16) on the freedom and structure amongst men and women in the gathered church setting, arguing that the New Testament church is to be a Spirit-led community in which men and women both lead out according to their Spirit-given gifts and yet joyfully honor the unique roles given to men and women in marriage, family, and church.

May 19, 2019 | Steve Hart


 

02 | The Table

 

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Central to the gathering of the early church was the Love Feast or Lord's Supper, a time to eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of the work of Jesus in his life, death, and resurrection. The meal signifies the new covenant - God's new way of dealing with humanity through his Son - and it was meant to sustain a radically inclusive and just community, where all the world's ways of measuring worth and value were undermined and rejected by the scandal of grace. When we eat the bread and drink the wine, we proclaim Jesus as our one Savior and shape a culture of justice and mercy.

FOR REFLECTION:

1. Read 1 Corinthians 11.17-34, Paul’s challenging rebuke of the church’s practice of the Lord’s Supper. Notice he says, “It is not the Lord’s supper you eat,” highlighting just how far their practice is from Jesus’ intent. What are they doing wrong, according to v.17-22?

2. What does Paul highlight about the meal Jesus shared with his disciples on the night he was betrayed (v.23-26)? What are the intentions of this shared meal of bread and wine? What does it proclaim?

3. What instructions does Paul give regarding how we’re to personally engage the Lord’s Supper (v.27-32)? 

4. What instructions does Paul give regarding how we’re to engage the Lord’s Supper as a community (v.33-34)?

5. Partake of the Lord’s Supper when your community gathers this week, taking time to discuss either what Jesus has done or what we’re still longing for him to do. Allow time for confession, prayer, and/or words of encouragement to be spoken to one another.

May 26, 2019 | Steve Hart


 

The Gospel and Motherhood

 

For Mother’s Day, we had a panel of women speaking about motherhood in light of the gospel. The stories you’ll get to hear from these women are powerful pictures of why Jesus really is sufficient for all of life. Listen for both the joys and sorrows of these women’s stories, and hear how Jesus has been doing his redemption work in their lives in the context of desiring, losing, raising, and releasing children.

May 12, 2019


 

05 | For the City

 

1 Corinthians 10:31- 11:1

We're studying 1 Corinthians this year, exploring the theme of 'Strong Church' and looking at what it takes for Soma to become a long-term disciple-making presence in our region and beyond. A Strong Church is clear on the gospel message, lives as a counter-cultural community together, and is oriented toward serving the city and making disciples who can make disciples. On this unique Sunday, we look back at these themes and look forward to our Bloomsday Scattering on May 5th, a great opportunity to put into practice all we've been learning. 

FOR REFLECTION:

1. You are the Church. As we gather or scatter. How will you use our Bloomsday Scattering to be the church with people in our city?

2. Gospel Saturation. In what ways have you/are you experiencing the goodness of God? How can you put that on display for those in our region? Who needs to experience God's glory?

3. The Good of the City. How are you praying for the good of Spokane? What are you doing to seek the flourishing of Spokane?

4. The mission of the Gospel. Who are you in relationship with? Who has God given you favor with? What aspect of the Gospel would be really good news for them?

April 28, 2019 | Steve Hart


 

04 | For the Glory of God

 

1 Corinthians 10:23- 11:1

As we end Strong Church Part 3, Paul sums up his directions on navigating the world as witnesses. Jesus has given us a clear mission - to make disciples who make disciples - and we're called to make that mission the organizing principle of our lives. Make your motive God's glory, your aim the good of your neighbor, and your heart tender toward those who do not know the grace of God in Jesus, and then live the life God has given you.

FOR REFLECTION:

1. Read 1 Corinthians 10.23-11.1. Paul summarizes his directions for navigating in the world as witnesses: Aim to glorify God, seek to build up your neighbor, and look for opportunities to extend the message of grace.

2. God’s glory is about 3 things - his reality, his personal presence, and his beauty. Unpack what each aspect of his glory means. To what degree have you experienced God’s glory personally? Where are the “glory battlegrounds” in your life currently? 

3. Seeking to build up your neighbor means having compassion that leads to action. What are some of the places where compassionate action is most needed in your context? Are there ways you and/or your community are or might begin to meet those needs?

4. Paul’s hope is that many people would know the joy of salvation by grace in Jesus. To what degree does this hope motivate you? What opportunities has God given you for the gospel lately?

April 14, 2019 | Steve Hart