CONNECT: How can you seek the Holy Spirit’s wisdom this week on one of your frontlines?

WARM-UP

1. Do people in our culture have a longing to belong? How do you think people satisfy this longing?
2. Can you remember a time when you didn’t feel like you belonged? How does belonging to Christ bring comfort (even) in times such as these?

Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

1. Why could Paul only give ‘milk’ to the Corinthians rather than ‘solid food’? What does he mean?
2. What does Paul mean by them being ‘babies in the faith’? Is he questioning their salvation?
3. How is the Corinthian’s worldliness evident in their community? Is this a challenge for us today?
4. Why does maturity in Christ matter? How are we active as a church in our intention to both make and mature disciples of Jesus?
5. Why is it important for the Corinthians to recognise that their leaders are only servants? Who ultimately is the master and is also the one who causes the growth? How can we remember this?
6. In what sense are we co-workers with God? How does this look on one of your frontlines?

Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-23

1. What was the foundation that Paul laid? How do we dedicate our lives to building on Jesus?
2. How are leaders in God’s church important? How are leaders in God’s church only ultimately building on and for Jesus? What does this mean for St Bart’s as we think about the next 30-50 years?
3. What will happen to the things which are not sincerely built upon Jesus? What does this say about the longevity of the mission in which we participate?
4. What is our role in judgment? Whose judgment should we be ultimately mindful of?
5. What was the temple? In what way (now) are God’s people his temple?
6. If we are God’s temple, how should this transform the way we treat one another? What is the consequence (especially being mindful of leaders) of mistreating God’s temple?
7. What belongs to us? To whom do we ultimately belong? How does this change your life?

APPLY:  How is your life building on the foundation of Jesus?

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On Your Frontline This Week: How can you trust and depend on the Holy Spirit in all your plans and conversations this week?

Listen, Watch, and Read:          

• Blessed Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller
• Christian Workers - Heroes or Servants by Vaughn Roberts
• You make things grow by Dick Lucas
• Church Growth that Stands the Test by Hugh Palmer
• What our search for belonging reveals by Jeremy Linneman (Article)
  

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)

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