Matt Zainea Rockford Campus May 14, 2023
Unity is the Greatest Gift
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE
REMINDERS
June Newsletter – if you haven’t had a chance to check it out, take a look at the June Newsletter here. This is our chance to continue to encourage you and share thoughts for your leadership in your groups.
TOGETHER IN LIFE
“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, a dry and parched land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1b
This past month has been one of the driest on record. In what ways has the dry weather impacted you and your family – for good or bad?
TOGETHER IN THE WORD
THIS WEEK’S KEY PASSAGE: 1 Corinthians 12
Note: We encourage you to read the entire text together as a group out loud.
Supernatural Leading
Paul’s discussion of the use of gifts is in the context of helping the Corinthian church have order…
Order in Worship
Order in Roles
Order in Communion
Order in Gifts
QUESTION: What calls to order does Paul speak to about the above in previous chapters?
The priority of Paul’s message in this chapter is not whether or not the gifts remain or whether we should use them.
His main concern is that we are looking out for one another in care to move toward unity through Christ’s love.
QUESTION: What are some of the dangers of taking the focus and use of our gifts off of unity and love?
QUESTION: What was happening in the Corinthian church that were symptoms of disunity and discord?
“The things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart…” Matthew 15:18
If we undermine Jesus our Lord and the Father in any way, there is something off and resistant to the Holy Spirit. If the Spirit is functioning well, we will resist any ideas or words or deeds against him. When we stumble, we will be quicker and quicker to confess, repent, and forgive.
QUESTION: What kinds of speech, behavior or belief is resistant to the Spirit? What Scripture passages can you think of to refer to about this?
QUESTION: In what ways can you work toward improving in this area of your life? What needs to be surrendered to God? What needs to be pruned or weeded out?
Big Idea:
The church is Creation of God by the Spirit to reach the world with his message of the Kingdom of God in his love. We are all invited to be a part of this Supernatural Leading!
Different / Same
|
Different |
Same |
|
Gifts |
Spirit (of God) |
| Service |
Lord (the Son, Jesus Christ) |
| Activities |
God (the Father) |
When we claim Jesus as Lord and Savior, we make ourselves available to God.
We have no control over the gifts given to us.
We are accountable to the use and obedience of using those gifts.
As we put the gifts to work in obedience to God it will look different.
It is mysterious and only God understands how it works and how it’s all connected.
Key Passage: “to each is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
Big Idea:
Our gifts are not for us. They are for the good of others for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in submission to his authority.
QUESTION: What gifts did you recognize in this text? How would you describe these gifts to someone who has never heard of them before? What biblical references would you use to support your thoughts?
QUESTION: What is the connection between the gifting God has given us and our life together in unity?
The Body (a metaphor)
QUESTION: How would you summarize Paul’s message about the body (v12-26)?
All parts are…
- Different: God’s various gifts work together to build each other up in ways that we could not if we were all the same.
- Inseparable: God’s gifts are interconnected as a human body parts are – they need one another to work best, according to God’s design.
- Valuable: God’s gifts to us, whether “ordinary” or “spiritual” or “eccentric” are all important to the unity of the church.
QUESTION: What happens in a church when only people who are the same come together? What is lost when this happens?
What various gifts are there in your group?
QUESTION: What happens when we divide and sort ourselves into groups of believers rather than a unified body?
How can this group remain inseparable to the body of Christ?
QUESTION: In what ways do we value some parts of the body more than others? What ones do you tend to lift up and which do you tend to ignore, forget or minimize?
End Points:
- The Church is a Spiritual endeavor.
- Self-ambition is poison.
- We all do our part no matter our gift.
- Unity is our greatest gift.
Read the above and discuss their significance.
BIG IDEA QUESTION: How do you bring your gifts to the church? Humbly? Eagerly? Unselfishly? Something else?
TOGETHER IN PRAYER
As a group, take time to discuss your gifts. What do you have that God has given you?
Pray over each person and the use of their gift – that they would be used for the good of others, in the service of Christ for unity in his love.
