Grow Guide | August 7, 2022
August 7, 2022
Grow In Faith, Fellowship
1 Corinthians 12:12-20, 26-27
Connecting Questions
Think about your five senses--sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch--rank them as to which one is most important to you on top of the list and work down. Why?
Make a list of things that wouldn’t function if just one part was missing.
Context
This week we continue our worship series called “Grow In Faith” by looking at the spiritual practice of fellowship. We need each other to encourage and support our individual and collective spiritual growth. The text comes from one of Paul’s letters to his friends in the church at Corinth. This church was full of people who struggled with getting along. It seems that the church was filled with a very diverse group of people: rich and poor, Jew and Gentile, men and women. Their various cultural systems clashed as they tried to come together as one group united in Jesus. Paul uses the metaphor of the human body to explain how their diversity was a gift that made them whole.
Look at the Book
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27.
What unifies the members of the body of Christ into one body?
Paul is using a playful metaphor to imagine the individual parts of the human body comparing themselves to one another. In the same playful spirit, name types of roles in our society that might be associated with various human body parts. Why do you think we assign the parts in this way?
Read verses 24-26 again. How does Paul’s idea of value and honor match our society’s practice?
How would you summarize Paul’s point in your own words?
Taking it Home
Do you find the metaphor of the human body, and that you are one of its parts, helpful to imagine your own value and purpose? Why or why not? What might be other metaphors that communicate the same message?
What are some of the barriers that make it difficult to find good, Christ-centered fellowship? How could we work through those barriers?
Do you have a story about how being part of a Christ-centered fellowship was helpful for you in time of need?
If you are not connected to a safe group of Jesus-followers and would like to be, please reach out to the church office and ask for help. If you are in a safe fellowship, look around. Who needs to be there with you?