Read:  1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Open

What is the best Christmas or birthday gift you have received?

Dig

In v. 9 Paul describes the apostles as captives in a Roman triumph parade.  In that parade the king or conquering general would lead the procession, followed by the triumphant army, then the booty of their conquest, followed finally by the vanquished who would be led to the arena to die in gladiator games or some similar kind of spectacle.  Paul says the Corinthians see themselves as “kings” at the head of this procession [v. 8] while Paul sees himself and the other apostles as those at the end of the procession who are condemned to die [v. 9].  How do you think Paul sees himself and the apostles as those who are like the condemned ones at the end of the parade? [note especially vs. 10-13]

Can you imagine a theological argument for why we should see ourselves as the victorious king or general in this parade?

How do you think Paul would refute this “victorious Christian” view and argue that we should see ourselves more as the condemned and vanquished ones at the end of the parade?

The key to the sermon was v. 7b: “What do you have that you did not receive?”  How does this verse help us to understand Paul’s warning [v. 14] in this chapter?

In the sermon, we were told that if we forget v. 7b then it is all too easy for us to become critics.  “The heart of the Christian life is not criticism but gratitude.”  How are we prone to forget this?  How were the Corinthians prone to forget this?

Reflect

As you think about your own experience of the Christian life, which part of the triumph parade do you think would best describe your life?

What is the impact of these two different views of our place in the parade on our Christian life?  What was the problem with the “victorious Christian” viewpoint for the Corinthians?  Are we susceptible to the same problem?  Is there a corresponding danger to seeing ourselves as “men condemned to die”?

In worship after the sermon we received communion.  How is communion a gift for us in the “fragile nature” of our life together at Blacknall?  How does communion (also called “the eucharist” which comes from the Greek word for “thanksgiving”) help us to hold together as God’s people in this place?

Read:  1 Cor. 1:10-17

Open

Do you think anyone ever called Jesus, “nice”?  Why or why not?

Dig

In verse 10 Paul appeals to the Corinthians to all agree so that there would be no divisions and so that they would “be perfectly united in mind and thought.” [NIV]  Do you think that is even possible for a congregation, much less for all the congregations in a community?  Was Paul naïve?

In v. 11 Paul mentions that apparently members of the Church in Corinth were arguing over who their favorite leader was.  Theologically, Paul, Apollos, and Cephas were all in agreement.  The preference of one over another was not for theological reasons, therefore, but must have been about style.  What issues of style or personal preference are prone to causing divides in congregations today?

In the sermon, we heard that the Greek word translated “perfectly united” [NIV] is a verb that means to “restore to order that which is in disarray.”  It is also the verb used in the gospels for fishermen “mending” their nets.  How does the connotation of mending nets help us to understand better what Paul is appealing for?

Reflect

How would you apply these verses to your congregation?  To the Church of Jesus Christ in your community?

How can we keep the cross of Christ [v. 17] at the center of our life together so that it is the source of our unity?

23 August  2009

Read:  James 5:13-20

Open

What is the hardest you have ever prayed for something?  How do you think God has responded to that request?

As we have listened to the letter of James this summer is there something that has particularly grabbed you?

Dig

In vs. 13-14, James asks three questions: Is anyone in trouble?  Is anyone happy?  Is anyone sick?  How would your group answer these questions?  Can your group do what James prescribes in response to these questions?

Have you ever experienced confessing your sins to another [v. 16]?  What was that experience like?  How do you think God wants us to do that in this group?  In our church?

In the sermon, prayer was defined as the intersection between the world we know (and our desires, wants, etc in that world) and the invisible world of God that we don’t know.  Why is it important to remember this when we ask the question, “Why aren’t my prayers answered?”

When we ask the question, “Why aren’t my prayers answered?” we can conclude from James 5 that the answer may be my lack of faith [v. 15] or that I am not righteous enough [v.16].  We were encouraged to expand our horizons, to see this intersection between our two worlds, through the testimony of Buddy Nunnamaker who came to know Christ through his suffering and eventual death from asbestosis.  Buddy said, “Whether I am sick or I am well, I am healed and belong to Jesus Christ.”  How does this help us to live all of life in light of our relationship with Jesus Christ?

Reflect

How would your life change if you lived every moment “before the face of God,” with God as an “audience of one”?

What is it that you want to cry out to God to just tell him what you want?

26 July  2009

Read:  James 3:1-12

Open

Can you remember words that were spoken to you in your past that were a great encouragement and blessing to you?  Can you share them with the group?

Can you remember words that were spoken to you in your past that have scarred you deeply?

Dig

In the sermon, we were told that our speech is an accurate barometer of our hearts.  Jesus tells us, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” [Matt. 12:34]  The words that we speak are powerful in their impact.  Can you think of biblical or personal examples of the power of words?

Words also affect the speaker.  Can you think of examples of how the one speaking has been impacted by the words they spoke?

James reminds us repeatedly of the folly of being double-minded.  In the sermon we saw how one of the results of that double-mindedness is that our tongues bring blessing and curses [3:9-12].  Do you agree that the source of the problem with our tongue is our double-mindedness?

James does hold out hope for our speech in v. 8 because he says, “No man can tame the tongue.”  James does not say, “No one can tame the tongue.”  There is one who can tame our tongues.  God can.  Do you agree with that?  What does that mean?  How does God tame our tongues?

Reflect

The tongue is powerful.  What are practices we can develop that will help us to use the tongue for blessing?  Are there personal and communal disciplines we could practice that would enable us to use our tongues for powerful good?

We were encouraged to ask a friend to reflect back on our speech, to ask the question, “Is my speech honoring to God?”  Can we ask that question of each other?  How can we pray for one another in regards to the use of our tongue?

5 July  2009

Read:  James 2:1-13

Open

Have you ever been a victim of favoritism?  Have you ever put yourself at risk to take a stand against favoritism?  What happened?

Dig

Verse 1 starts out, “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.”  James wants to make sure that our belief (faith) is in agreement with our behavior (works).  Why does favoritism not fit with belief in “our Lord Jesus Christ”?

One of the themes of James is the poor and the relationship between the rich and poor.  Can you think of an example in the world of how those who are rich are treated with greater respect than those who are poor?

The sermon pointed out that for James the poor were not those who had less money than others (how we commonly define them) but they were those who had no assurance each day that they would be able to eat.  Why is this distinction important?

For James there were four groups of those who were poor: widows, orphans, resident aliens (foreigners), and day laborers.  Each of these groups were those who had no standing in society at all.  What groups are there in our community that have no standing at all?

In the sermon, we were told how the poor were our teachers because they expose our illusions, especially our illusions of self-sufficiency and security.  Do you agree with this?  Why or why not?

Reflect

In the sermon, Allan said that the poor are all of us, as all of us should be living “in dependent gratitude.  All of us are objects of mercy.”  As we come to the communion table “all of us share a desperate need for God.”  In light of this, is there any favoritism in our body life together that we need to confess and repent of?

Are there ways that we can more clearly confess and share together our common desperate need for God?

28 June 2009

Read:  James 1:19-27

Open

What is the best piece of advice you have received lately?  What is the best piece of advice that you have given lately?

Which of the three commands of James 1:19 is most difficult for you to follow: be quick to listen?  Slow to speak? Or Slow to become angry?

Dig

Verse 20 tells us “man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”  Anger is effective and productive in many ways.  How do you see anger being effective and productive for you?  Where are you being tempted to try and use anger to bring about “the righteous life”?

Verse 21 tells us that we should “put off” moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent all around us.  We expect that the verse would go on to say that we should “put on” good behavior or obedience or the fruit of the Spirit or something.  Instead it says that we should “humbly accept the word planted within you.”  Douglas Moo says that this is because “he wants to focus attention on a more basic issue than the adopting of a new code of behavior: the influence of God’s word in producing that new kind of behavior.”  Do you agree with that?  How do we humbly accept the word planted within us?

How does humbly accepting the word planted within you help you to be able to put on the practices and behavior that are good and produce God’s righteousness?

James describes “true religion” in vs. 26-27.  Why do you think he chooses these three practices (controlling the tongue, helping widows and orphans, and keeping oneself from the pollution of the world) as the indicators of “true religion”?  What evidence can you give from Jesus’ life and teaching to support this statement by James?

Reflect

Are you challenged, convicted or comforted by this passage of scripture?  Why?

How can we encourage one another to allow God’s Word (Jesus and scripture) to transform us so that we can live the great advice that James gives us here?

Read:  Acts 26:1-23

Open

“Friendship is a gift.”  Can you share with the group a friendship in your life that you have particularly experienced as a gift given at just the right time?

Dig

In Acts 26 we find Paul describing his life of following Christ.  The sermon’s main premise is that Paul’s life is an example to us of how to follow Christ.  Paul’s life is a template for us that contains four elements.  Let’s examine our own lives to see if they, too, contain these four elements.

1. His conscience was sparked—Paul was convicted by Christ on the Damascus Road (vs. 12-15).  Have you had an experience in your life when you have been powerfully convicted of the fact that all that you were doing that you thought was good and right was really wrong?  How did you come to that realization?  What “sparked” your conscience?

2. His understanding was enlightened—The appearance of the Risen Christ to Paul on the Damascus Road entirely changed Paul’s understanding of God and His purposes.  He went from thinking that he was chasing down “Jews gone bad” to realizing that he was persecuting the Messiah.  How has your experience with Jesus changed your understanding of who God is and who you are?  How has your understanding of Jesus changed in the course of your life?

“Jesus is Lord of everything leads to the adventure of a lifetime.”  Can you testify to the truth of that statement?

3. He surrendered his will—Paul’s response to the Risen Christ is, “What shall I do?”  Christ tells Paul what to do in vs. 16-18 and Paul dedicates the rest of his life to fulfilling that calling.  Can you share an experience where you felt like you were able to surrender your will in order to do God’s will (even if only temporarily)?  What was the result?  Does the thought of surrendering your will to Christ feel like an attractive thing or a terrifying thing to you?  Why?

4. He lived a changed lifestyle—Paul’s life went through a dramatic change after his encounter with Christ.  His lifestyle was radically different.  The form of our encounter is not important.  What matters is the Lord we encounter.  Jonathan Edwards said that the true evidence of a real encounter with Christ is faithful reliance upon Christ and obedience to Him.  How has your lifestyle changed because of Christ’s presence in your life?

Reflect

Can you see these four elements in your life?  Can you see these four elements in each other’s lives?

10 May 2009

Read:  Acts 22:1-22

Open

What was the best graduation speech you ever heard?  What do you remember from any graduation ceremonies you have been a part of?

Dig

Notice the context of Paul’s speech by reading Acts 21:27-40.  His audience has just tried to kill him for defiling the temple (a charge he was not guilty of) by bringing a Gentile into the temple.  He then proceeds to share his testimony of how God has called him to bring the good news of God’s Kingdom to the Gentiles (a message that nearly gets him killed a second time).

How would you summarize the “good news” of Ananias’ message to Paul in vs. 14-16?  Would you receive such a message as good news?  Why or why not?

Do you believe that God has a particular calling for you?  What have you discovered about God’s calling on your life?  What do you know about His calling on your life?  What are you still trying to figure out about this calling?

How have you seen “the Righteous One” in your life?  Specifically, how have you seen Jesus through other people?  Can you share with us an example of how another person revealed the Risen Christ to you?

Reflect

In the sermon, we noticed that the testimony of Paul was more about his vocation than his salvation.  The Good News of the gospel is not merely that we get our sins forgiven and we get to go to heaven (as great as that is!).  The Good News is that Jesus has work for us to do for His Kingdom here, today.  What work is Jesus calling you to do that lights a passion in you comparable to Paul’s?

If our lives lack that passion to live out that calling then why is that?  What keeps us from being energized to do an important work for Christ and His Kingdom?

Read:  Acts 21:17-26

Open

What were some of the “rules” in your household growing up?  Were there rules that exasperated you as a child or teenager?  Were there rules that you look back on and are now thankful for?

Dig

Look again at vs. 20-25.  What is the concern of James and the Jewish elders?  Are they concerned about what people perceive Paul is saying to Jews or to Gentiles (v. 21)?  How is this different from the issue the Church dealt with at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15?

Paul agrees to fulfill the Nazirite vow of Deuteronomy 6 to satisfy the request of the Jewish elders.  Why is he willing to satisfy that request but he absolutely refuses to compromise on requiring Gentiles to be circumcised or keep kosher laws?

In the sermon we were told that Paul was following the “Weaker Brother Principle” [WBP] of Romans 14—love compels us to go along with the one who has the greater scruples.  The WBP is one that gives us freedom to give in when it involves non-essentials.  Can you think of an example of when you have seen the WBP used in real life?

The sermon mentioned several threats to the unity of the Body, e.g. jealousy, appreciation of only people like us, presumption that I am not needed, choosing to complain rather than to commit, and especially an unwillingness to forgive.  What do you see as primary threats to the unity of the Body of Christ?

Reflect

We were reminded that the key to our unity is found at the Communion table—none of us are worthy and all of us are welcome.  Is there someone in your life that you need to forgive or from whom you need to seek forgiveness?  Can we as a group support you as you seek to give or receive forgiveness?

Read:  Acts 20:17-38

Open

Have you ever participated in a “tearful farewell”?  Were you leaving or being left?  Why was it so hard?

If you were a parent, what three character traits would you most want your children to possess?

Dig

In the sermon, we were told that Paul exemplifies for this young church three keys for their survival: Character, Courage, and Conviction.  What marks of Christian character do you see in Paul’s example here in vs. 18-19?

Read Romans 5:3-5.  It talks about what produces character and what character produces.  Certainly Paul lived the example of suffering and perseverance producing character.  How have you experienced this in your own life, of suffering producing perseverance producing character?  Have you seen this to be true in our life together—as a congregation or a small group or another group that you have been a part of?

How did Paul demonstrate courage in the way he lived with the Ephesians (vs. 21-23)?  How might we engage our world with courage?  How do we love those who disagree with us?

Verse 24 demonstrates the conviction with which Paul lived his life.  Can you express in one sentence the conviction that drives your life?

Reflect

Read v. 24 again.  Do we have a sense of what God has called us to?  Is there a shared conviction that can give us a passion to live similar to Paul’s?  Is there a shared conviction that can center us in a truly shared life of community that is given to God’s calling?  What is it?  What do you think it could be or should be?