Sermon Notes:
1. In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul encourages the church to stay united in testimony about Jesus.
What dangers are there in idolizing leaders:
2. Idolizing spiritual leaders/movements creates division in the body of Christ.
3. Idolizing spiritual leaders creates spiritual pride.
4. Idolizing spiritual leaders sets you up for disappointment.
5. In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul says they/we need to be united in following Jesus and not people.
6. Spiritually mature people learn to follow Jesus and not people.
Follow-up Questions from Sunday:
Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?
Icebreaker:
Who was the first Bible teacher in your life that really touched your heart with the love of Jesus?
Digging Deeper:
1. In the first four chapters of the book of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul deals with the importance of unity within the body of Christ. What issues do you think are the main causes of disunity among Christians today?
2. Read 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, what do you think are some of the most important parts of Paul’s greetings to this church?
3. In verse 10, Paul appeals to the church to agree with each other, have no division, and be perfectly united in mind and thought. What do you think he is referring to? What do you think is the main thing that all Christians should agree on?
4. What do you think are the essentials that we should agree on about who Jesus is and what He did for us on the cross?
5. As you read verses 11-13, what was the issue that was causing division in this young church?
6. Why do you think we as humans have a tendency to idolize people/celebrities/spiritual leaders? What do you think is the difference between appreciating people and idolizing them?
7. On Sunday, Pastor Frank listed consequences that we suffer when we idolize spiritual leaders or movements these leaders created. Can you think of any other dangers that you have seen or experienced?
8. When you read 1 Corinthians 3:1-7, what do you think is Paul’s main point?
9. What do you think the journey looks like for young Christians to grow in maturity and stop idolizing and identifying with spiritual leaders/movements and finding their identity only in Jesus. What has your journey been like on this path?
Taking it Home:
Meditate on 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 and reflect on your journey of stirring these truths into your life.
Going deeper:
Get the study guides of 1 Corinthians and really study this book in the next few weeks for your own quiet times with Jesus. Available at Amazon
Simply type:
– Life Lessons from 1 Corinthians by Max Lucado
-1 Corinthians (LifeChange) Paperback
If you want some personal one-on-one mentorship/discipleship from the church leaders contact the front office.