Matt Zainea Rockford Campus February 12, 2023
GET IT TOGETHER – Incorruptible Wisdom
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE
REMINDERS
- Group Leaders Spring Refresh – March 12 at 10:50am at Northview and March 26 at 10:50am at Rockford
- Check out our new Life Group Newsletter for February on the Group Discussion Guide Page
TOGETHER IN LIFE
Note: This week, get to know one another by answering a simple question – if more come up as you discuss, follow that bunny trail for a minute or two, then circle it back in. Try to take no more than 10-15 minutes in this section.
** Who is the wisest person you know and why?
TOGETHER IN THE WORD
THIS WEEK’S KEY PASSAGE: 1 Corinthians 2
Note: We encourage you to read the entire text together as a group, out loud.
** In part 3 of our series Get It Together, Matt continues to build upon the disposition of Christ that his followers are to apply to their daily life of Grace and Peace. This Grace and Peace is built upon the foundation of the Gospel, which to the world is foolishness. The Apostle Paul will use language of the “Natural Person” and “Spiritual Person” to describe the differences…
BIG IDEA: Are you a “Spiritual Person” or a “Natural Person”?
“The Natural Person”
- Rejects things of the Spirit (v14a)
- Lacks understanding (v14b)
QUESTION: What are some other words you would use to describe “The Natural Person” as Paul refers to them in 1 Corinthians?
QUESTION: What do you think is the difference between “The Natural Person” and “The Flesh” that Paul often refers to?
“The Spiritual Person”
- Judges all things (discernment) (v15a)
- Judged by no one (for salvation) (v15b)
- Has the mind of Christ (v15c)
QUESTION: How does 1 Cor. 2 describe the Spirit? What other texts refer to the Holy Spirit?
QUESTION: Where does the “Spiritual Person” go to receive the Spirit of God?
QUESTION: What does the Spirit enable people to do?
NATURAL vs. SPIRITUAL VIEWS OF…
| Natural Man | Spiritual Man | |
| CREATION | – Cosmos came to be on its own
– Evolution-based – Attempts to redeem world often work against it |
– Creator God who is Infinite and Personal
– Attempts to redeem world are based on principles of stewardship and co-creativity with God (Gen. 2) – Sees sins effects on the world and addresses it |
| PEOPLE | – “Create yourself”, “You do you”
– “Be true to yourself” |
– We’re all connected
– We must submit to God to help us define and find our ‘true self’ |
| TRUTH | – Relative to each person
– Reason, Logic, Feeling, Gut-feeling, “Common Sense”-driven |
– Is beyond and above each person
– Knows we often work against it – May be beyond what we can touch, see and feel (not always in line with our own Reason, Logic, etc.) |
| SALVATION | – In our accomplishments and performance as humans
– In government or other organizations – In money, control, power |
– By grace, through faith in Jesus Christ alone |
| ETERNITY | – Avoids it and doesn’t want to deal with it
– Left to make up own concepts of reality |
– Finds its most significant personal fulfillment in the future New Creation
– Longs for this with hopeful expectation |
QUESTION: Any other definitions you would add?
QUESTION: How might this play out in a hypothetical daily scenario (i.e. at work, home, etc.)?
** We are all being pressed by our flesh to believe, think, and behave like The Natural Person. Matt uses an analogy to a Play-Doh™ press to describe how we are formed and shaped by something – we are the Play-Doh™ and our source of truth is the press.
QUESTION: What sources of “truth” (information about the events and ideas in the world) do you use on a weekly basis?
QUESTION: How do you think these are shaping you?
QUESTION: Are there any sources you currently use that you feel like might be shaping you to think like “The Natural Person”? If so, talk as a group about next steps you may need to take in your life.
“I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom…” (1 Cor. 2:1b)
** Paul does not rely on his personal intellect and strengths or popular cultural methods of rhetoric and communication to defend the Gospel (1 Cor. 2:1-5).
QUESTION: What reason does Paul give for why he did this? What do you think this means?
QUESTION: How do people sometimes blur the Gospel message with our own “brilliance of speech or wisdom”? How do you see this in your own life?
BIG IDEA: The power of the Good News message is found in the intersection of our waking up to how broken we are and seeing the grace of Jesus as the only means by which we will be made whole again. This creates a sense of urgency, clarity and direction in our lives.
QUESTION: Have you personally experienced this?
- If not… Talk about this with your group and pursue further discussion on what it would look like for you to better understand Christ’s impact on your life, so that you find hope, healing and freedom in him like never before!
- If so… How do you share your story of God’s glory?
*Note: small groups are one of – if not THE – best place for us to process our testimony with each other and practice what it looks like to share our story of God’s goodness with others who may not know him. If you want ideas on how to do this in your group, reach out to us: [email protected] for more info!
**Matt says: “To truly know someone, we must move toward them in love…”
QUESTION: What does it look like to move toward someone in love?
QUESTION: What reasons do you find it challenging to move toward others in love?
QUESTION: How can knowing God’s grace for you better help you overcome these challenges?
REMEMBER: The Spirit illumines, guides, and reveals all truth to us through Christ. Through the Spirit, we receive ‘the mind of Christ’ and become a renewed, “Spiritual Person”. This is not through our own efforts, but rather totally depends on God’s goodness and grace to us. It isn’t “Jesus, plus…” – it is “only Jesus”. This is done through repentance, allowing full access of your heart and life to God and responding in obedience.
TOGETHER IN PRAYER
Take time to assess whether you believe, think, and behave more like a “Natural Person” or “Spiritual Person”. Pray for each other and ask the Lord to prune your hearts in what needs to be removed and ask him to give you what you need. Be specific, don’t speak too much in “general terms” that allow you to “hide” from one another in your group.
TOGETHER IN ACTION
Circle back to at least one person in the group this week to see how they are doing with what you’ve prayed for. Pray for and with them again.
