Know Your Cuts of Meat

At one time, our American dietary vocabulary was pretty simple. Food was “good” or it was “fast” or it was sometimes “organic.”

These days, however, our words for what we eat sound like another language. Paleo. Vegan. Free Range. Non-GMO. Gluten Free. I am still not entirely sure what a “gluten” is, but I am glad that at least in some instances it is now free. And thank goodness Chipotle got its carnitas back, at least in most places.

In 1 Corinthians 8-11, Paul addresses a quite different dietary dilemma: how to eat “idol-free.” And even though his arguments may seem very distant from our current enlightened tastes, Paul’s words about food lead us into a much deeper discussion of how we can live freely in the midst of a culture that constantly finds itself enslaved to the pursuit of pleasure, power, and protection from danger.

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SEE IT // BE IT

(Weekly Community Group Discussion Guide)

Date: October 4, 2015 // Title: Freedom & Culture: Know Your Cuts of Meat

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10-11

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 1 Corinthians 8-11, Paul addresses a dietary dilemma: how to eat “idol-free.” And even though his arguments may seem very distant from our current enlightened tastes, Paul’s words about food lead us into a much deeper discussion of how we can live freely in the midst of a culture that constantly finds itself enslaved to the pursuit of pleasure, power, and protection from danger. What aspects of our culture can we freely enjoy? There are black & white issues around us, but many issues are gray. The way we glorify God in the gray areas is to seek authentic relationship with Christ and to love our neighbors.

THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion.
It matters how we live in the gray issues.

SEE IT Questions :: 10-15 minutes

Picture: What is freedom? What is it NOT? (Chapter 8) What is winning? (Chapter 9) What were some of the challenges the Corinthians faced when trying to live in freedom, in the culture around them? What are some aspects of the spiritual power of Christ?

Mirror: Have my spiritual experiences led to allegiance to Christ? How? Where are there areas of my life that I’m pursuing pleasure, protection & power on my own? When God provides the way out of temptation, do I take it? Where are areas that I have rejected the way out that He offers?

Window: What are some ways that I can seek authentic relationship with my neighbor? When I bump up against a gray area, how can I choose to favor the other person instead of myself? (8:9-13)

BE IT – Practice

Change UP // Exercise 15 minutes
Listen to Great I Am. (Great I Am) Call out the names of God. Declare that He is the I AM in each of those. Invite Him to move freely in all the areas of your lives.

Change IN // Group Activity 5 minutes
Jon referred to a list of Corinthians gods that basically fell into three areas: allure of pleasure, need for protection & desire for power. Talk through those three areas together, confessing how you see them manifesting in your life, home & network. Spend some time asking God what the “way out” is in each of those areas. Commit to helping each other choose to take the way out. (I Cor. 10:13)

Change OUT // Life Application Assignment5 minutes
Invite a neighbor over for a meal. Invite them to tell you their own story about God. As you listen to their story, ask God to show you how you can love them well, helping them walk into authentic relationship with Him.

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.