Welcome to our winter Bible study at Heart to Heart, 1 Corinthians: Living Love When We Disagree, by Melissa Spoelstra! Here are the instructions, schedule, links, and assignments you will need all in one place
This is going to be quite a journey of learning and growing over the next few weeks! I am so excited to dive right in!
How This Works
- Purchase the book and follow the reading schedule below.
- Subscribe to this site, if you haven’t already, to receive future updates by email. Enter your email address to the right and click the subscribe button.
- Join our Facebook group, Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study, for daily interaction, activities, videos, and small group sessions. This is a closed group, and no one will be able to see our posts unless they are members of the group. This is for your safety and privacy.
- Small Groups: We will have photos posted in our Facebook group to mark the location of each small group meeting. You are welcome to attend any group you wish. There is no registration.
- Small Group Schedule:
- Follow my ministry page on Facebook, Shari Lewis Ministries, to stay up-to-date on ministry events and for daily prayers, nuggets of wisdom and encouragement for your life, photos that you are welcome to share, and faith building blog posts to strengthen your walk with Christ.
Reading Schedule for 1 Corinthians
- January 23-29: Read Week 1, “In Christ Alone” and chapters 1 and 2 of 1 Corinthians
- Small groups: Introduction. No need to ready anything ahead of time.
- January 30-February 5: Read Week 2, “Growing Up” and chapters 3-5 of 1 Corinthians
- Small groups: Discuss Week 1
- February 6-12: Read Week 3, “Everybody’s Doing It” and chapters 6-8 of 1 Corinthians
- Small groups: Discuss Week 2
- February 13-19: Read Week 4, “Beyond Ourselves” and chapters 9-11 of 1 Corinthians
- Small groups: Discuss Week 3
- February 20-26: Read Week 5, “Living Love” and chapters 12-14 of 1 Corinthians
- Small groups: Discuss Week 4
- February 27-March 5: Read Week 6, “Real Life” and chapters 15-16 of 1 Corinthians
- Small groups: Discuss Week 5
- March 6-12: Discuss Week 6 in small groups
Practical Application
These are some ideas to put what we learn into practice. These are optional.
- Think of someone you have a difficult time getting along with. Pray for this person and do or say something kind to him/her this week.
- Find someone with whom you disagree on a particular topic. Truly listen to them and find out why they believe what they do. Learn something about that person you didn’t know before.
- Do a random act of kindness for someone this week, such as paying for someone’s meal, filling their car with gas, raking someone’s leaves, taking an elderly person out to lunch, helping someone carry their bags, etc.
- Volunteer for a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter.
- Clean the bathrooms or take out the garbage in your church without anyone knowing it was you.
- Write a letter of encouragement to a service person, a pastor, a policeman, a city official, etc.
- Visit someone in the hospital or nursing home.
- Journal or blog about what you have learned this week. Share with someone.
- Call someone you don’t talk to much, such as a person from a very different walk of life, as see how much you really do have in common.
- Pray first, and then initiate contact with someone you have had a broken relationship. Break the ice and move toward reconciliation.
- Write or speak blessings about or to a person who usually gets under your skin. Find genuine ways to compliment this person.
- If you are Democrat, choose a Republican, and if you are Republican, choose a Democrat, and have lunch together. Practice agreeing to disagree and learn which topics should probably be avoided. Learn what you DO have in common instead of focusing on differences. Avoid insults or arguments. Truly enjoy that person’s company.
- Have a Bible study with someone in a completely different denomination than you.
- If you go to a traditional church, visit a contemporary service. If you attend a church with contemporary worship, visit a liturgical church. Notice that you have more in common than you have differences. Choose to worship with all your heart, even with a different style.
- Look for people who need affirmation and speak words of encouragement to them. Look for someone who needs a hug, and give them a tight, two-armed hug.
I am praying that you have an awesome experience with Bible study! I hope to see you in one of our small groups!
God bless!
