CONNECT: How could you show humility and demonstrate grace on your Frontline this week

WARM-UP

1. Why do you think the church can be hesitant to discuss sex? Why is ignoring it not helpful?
2. Is sexual promiscuity just a modern day problem? What was it like in Paul’s Corinth?

Read 1 Corinthians 5:1-6:11

1. What were the cases of sin that Paul has reported to him amongst the Corinthians? How shameful was it even in the pagan culture?
2. What does the original word for ‘sexual immorality’ mean? What is the God-given context for sex?
3. What was really at the heart of the problem in the Corinthian Church? Is that a problem for us?
4. What does Paul mean in 5:8 by sincerity and truth? What does it look like to test our desires against God’s Word with sincerity and truth? How might this be costly?
5. Are we ever in danger of trivialising sexual immorality? In what way?
6. What is the danger of sin that goes ‘unchecked’? What image does Paul use to describe this danger?
7. What is meant by 1 Corinthians 5:5? What did Paul hope to achieve for the man and the community?
8. Why would expelling someone from a community only be used as a last resort? What steps would a community reasonably engage in before someone was expelled?
9. If we fall into sexual immorality, are we condemned? How is 6:11 of encouragement to us?

Read  1 Corinthians 6:12-20

1. How does Jesus’ resurrection confirm the reality that are bodies (and what we do with them) matter?
2. How is marriage a sign of our union with Christ? How does this affect who we are ‘united’ with?
3. In what ways are believers a temple of the Holy Spirit? How can we glorify God with our bodies?
4. Can you think of a time in which you had to flee something? What does it mean to flee sexual sin?
5. If a close friend shared that they were struggling with sexual sin, what would you advise them to do?

APPLY:  Is there an area of sexual immorality that you need to address and flee from?

‍

On Your Frontline This Week: How can you practically care for someone on your frontline this week?

Listen, Watch, and Read:          

• AUDIO: Revolutionary Sex and the Gospel by William Taylor
• ARTICLE: Purity after Impurity by Huisman and Johnston
• ARTICLE: The Problem of Porn and the Gospel of Grace by Simone Camilleri
• ARTICLE: Can we live without sex? by Dani Treweek
• BOOK: Seven Myths of Singleness by Sam Allberry
• BOOK: Chapter 9 “Isn’t Christianity Homophobic” from Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin
  

Series Resources:

Some helpful resources for our Series:

• Series Overview Published by St Bart’s
• Website: “First Corinthians” by the Bible Project
• Course: “1 Corinthians” as part of the Ridley Certificate (6-week online course)

‍