What are some of the non-negotiable, essential rules in your home?
- Respect others?
- Always make your bed?
- Beeeeeeeeeeee humble?
(This last one was important in my house growing up… though we always pronounced the long “e” sound with lots of bumble bee buzz)
What about the key, culture-shaping phrases at your work or school?
- Be on time?
- Never leave a messy desk at the end of the day?
- The customer always comes first?
Anyone familiar with the Apostle Paul’s letters knows he has no problems giving clear, straightforward commands or rules about the way we should live as we follow Jesus. But in all of his letters, one thing is always deeper and more central than any other. In fact, this thing gives life to all the others, and without it none of the others matter.
On Sunday, we will read one of the Bible’s most beloved passages–1 Corinthians 13–and talk about how this most excellent way can shape every culture in which we find ourselves, whether at home, work, or otherwise.
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(Weekly Community Group Discussion Guide)
Date: October 25, 2015 // Title: A Still More Excellent Way
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes
ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes
Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out.
SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes
In all of Paul’s letters, one concept is always deeper and more central than any other. Without it, Paul says we are nothing. Without it, Paul says we gain nothing. We are called to flavor all of our lives and all of our gifts with it. We are called to LOVE. Yet the love we are called to demands that we be empowered by God because it is impossible for us to achieve on our own.
THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion.
Love is life.
SEE IT Questions :: 10-15 minutes
Picture: Looking back to I Corinthians 12, what does it mean to be the body of Christ? What is the goal of the various gifts (vs.7)? According to chapter 13, what’s love got to do with it? One by one, name off the characteristics of this love.
Mirror: We tend to believe that the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12 & 14) are empowered by God but then we try to LOVE (chapter 13) in our own strength. Why is it important to rely on God’s power? As you replace your name with “Love,” what makes you cringe? What traits do you need God to empower you to live out?
Window: How does “love believes all things” change the way you interact with others? What does “love keeps no record of wrongs” mean and how does that meaning impact your relationships?
BE IT – Practice
Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes
Look at the descriptions of love. Spend time as a group specifically thanking God for ways He’s been kind to you, patient with you, not irritable, etc.
Change IN // Group Activity 5 minutes
Divide into two teams to play a game. Using the love song genre, one person starts singing a love song, stops on a word, and the next person has to start singing another song using the next word of the song. (Everything I do, I do it for…..You are the sunshine of my life….) See which team can sing the most songs with no more than a 5 second delay between songs. If this game stumps you, see which team can come up with the most cheesy love song titles in one minute.
Change OUT // Life Application Assignment5 minutes
Halloween is this coming Saturday. Plan an activity that your group can do to interact with your community—chili in the cul-de-sac, bonfire with smores, handing out candy together, etc. Be LOVE in action this week.
CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes
Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week.