But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 NLT

 

It has been six short months since the very first love of my life, my father, passed away. He was a man of integrity and known for his immense wisdom. He loved the Lord with all his heart, and he loved others generously. God blessed him with a brilliant mind for business, and he was somewhat successful by worldly standards. However, his greatest success was as a husband and a father.

As the priest of our home, he set the example of genuine Godly love in front of us, and he imparted a wealth of wisdom into his children. I remember numerous times sitting on the couch next to him, or chatting away on the phone with him whenever I needed his fatherly advice, and he never failed me. I am so grateful for this wonderful gift of God that he was to me!

While we all have very different stories of growing up, most of us can point to someone who had great influence on us as a type of mentor, whether it was a big sister, a spiritual father, a teacher, or a friend. As we grow in our spiritual lives, it is God’s plan for us to learn from others as well as to be the one from whom others learn and grow.

As we have studied the book of 1 Corinthians these past few weeks, we have seen much wise, fatherly advice from Paul, who was an apostle, yet also a spiritual father to the church at Corinth. Each week, we have discussed the practical guidelines he provided for the believers in order to grow in their faith and to live lives of love.

We have covered such topics as:

• Our foundation in Christ
• Accepting others and their differences
• Common causes of division in the church
• Balancing our admiration of Christians leaders without becoming idol worshipers or sheeple
• Judging others
• The futility of human wisdom
• Being united because of the cross of Christ
• Our holiness in Christ
• The joy and hope of heaven
• Having the mind of Christ
• Addressing immorality in the church and church discipline
• The difference between loving correction and judging
• Building our lives with valuable materials that will be tested with fire
• Restoring others
• Standing against injustice for those who cannot stand up for themselves
• Lawsuits and the church
• Sexual immorality
• The difference between absolutes and issues of conscience
• Being considerate of and avoiding being a stumbling block to others
• God’s prescriptive will and His permissive will
• Laying down our rights for others
• Cultural context and its impact on interpreting Scripture
• Women in the church
• Gender interdependence
• Common pitfalls of sin
• Finding common ground with others in order to share the Gospel
• The importance of Communion
• Spiritual gifts
• Love
• Order in the church
• The resurrection of the dead

 

Can you believe how much we have learned and discussed in just six short weeks? I find it interesting that all of these issues begin and end with absolutes of theology, and that is the cross of Christ, and the resurrection of Christ. Paul begins and ends this book with these two truths. While everything else has a potential for division, and it is easy to fixate on our differences, we can all find common ground in the cross of Christ and in the hope of resurrection.

However, as a good father or mentor would do, Paul adds in some final nuggets for the church to follow:

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NLT

 

As we close our study of 1 Corinthians, let us summarize this extremely full, rich, and wonderful letter to the church at Corinth by contemplating the verse that puts everything else into perfect perspective:

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT

 

It’s all about living love!

Discussion Questions

Here is a sneak peek of the questions we will be discussing this week in our small groups.

ICE BREAKER: If your favorite Bible character sat next to you on the bus, who would it be, and what would you talk about?

 

Paul began his argument for resurrection with the Corinthians’ own experience of life transformation. He reminded them that:

• Salvation is not earned; it is a gift that is received.
• Salvation provides stability in an unstable world, keeping us from falling.
• The verb Paul used is present tense – we have been saved from the penalty of sin AND are being saved from the power of sin through our faith in Christ.

Reflecting on the transforming work the Lord has done in our lives strengthens our faith and helps us hold tightly to truth through the storms of life.

QUESTION 1: What is one of your earliest memories of believing in or hearing about Jesus? How has your faith in Christ brought stability in your life? (p. 177)

In 1 Corinthians 15: 3-4, Paul mentioned more than once as his basis for the teaching of resurrection, “Just as the Scriptures said.” God’s Word is our foundation for all truth.

QUESTION 2: How has God used His Word in your life recently to confirm truth or direct your thinking? (p. 178)

And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. 1 Corinthians 15:19

QUESTION 3: If someone asked you why the Resurrection is vital to the Christian faith, how would you answer? (p. 181) (See 1 Cor. 15:12-19)

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. Romans 8:18

QUESTION 4: How does hope in Christ for the next life give you encouragement in your daily struggles in this life? What are some things believers have to look forward to after death? (pp. 181-2) (Romans 8:18-25)

 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 1 Corinthians 15:58

QUESTION 5: Everything we do in this life matters when we do it for the glory of the Lord, even laundry! What are some things you may do that feel like a waste of time yet are necessary nonetheless? How can you do it for the glory of the Lord?

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NLT

QUESTION 6: In chapter 16, Paul gives his final words of advice in his letter to the church at Corinth. If you are a spiritual mentor to someone, what is some practical advice you would give that person to encourage them in their faith?

This concludes our study of 1 Corinthians, and what a blessing it has been! If you are not finished, you have time before our next study begins to take your time and complete the final lessons. Be sure to get all that you can out of this!

See here for Reading Schedule, Practical Applications, and additional information to complete this study.  You might want to consider implementing these practical application ideas on a weekly basis from here on out!

Mark your calendar and plan to join us for our Easter study that begins March 20^th, The Women of Easter, by Liz Curtis Higgs! See here for information and to register.

God bless!