Summer Term 2008
The Saviour of the World
(Studies in Luke 4 - 9)

Introduction

This term we’re going to begin a series on Luke’s Gospel which will take us from the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in 4:14 to Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ and Jesus’  call to take up our cross and follow him in 9:27.  

Luke was a doctor and therefore well-educated and a man of culture. He was a careful historian who researched his sources and wrote what had been handed down to him by eye-witnesses (see 1:1-4).  But he was also a Gentile and it’s not surprising, therefore, that he presents Jesus as the Saviour of the world, regardless of race or nationality, rank, sex, need or age.  

Luke’s message is good news of salvation – a salvation which includes both forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit, two themes which will recur in Luke’s Gospel and in his second volume, the Book of Acts.

Indeed, of all the evangelists, Luke shows most interest in the work of the Spirit and portrays Jesus uniquely as the man of the Spirit.  

Luke tells us that salvation is through Jesus Christ. From the story of Jesus’ birth onwards, Luke makes it clear that God’s salvation has come in the person of Jesus. 

But Luke also stresses the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ for the whole world. He depicts Jesus going out of his way to befriend those whom the world despised – the sick and the suffering, women and children, the poor and oppressed, tax collectors and sinners, Samaritans and Gentiles.  

From our studies this term we can learn more of the Lord Jesus who loved the world and came and died to be our Saviour. We can also learn what it means to be the kind of church which shares his nature and serves the world in the power of the Spirit.

PLAN FOR THE TERM        

Week beginning 13th April
1. Freedom for the Oppressed              Luke 4:14-30                    

 Week beginning 27th April
2. The Greatest Catch                            Luke 5:1-11

 Week beginning 11th May
3. And now for something completely different…

 Week beginning 25th May
4. Working on the Sabbath                  Luke 6:1-11

 Week beginning 8th June
5. An Eye for Judgement                    Luke 6:37-49

 Week beginning 22nd June
6. One Way to Grow                            Luke 8:1-18

 Week beginning 29th June
7. Who do you say I am?                      Luke 9:18-27

 Week beginning 13th July
8. Reserved for Socials

 

The Saviour of the World
6. Who do you say I am? – Luke 9:18-27

This section is a turning point in the gospels. Jesus invites the disciples to say who they think he is, tells them what it will mean for him to be the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, and calls them to pay the price of following him. It’s a key passage for us as we consider our discipleship. Have we seen who Jesus really is or do we still see him as the world sees him – for example, as a good moral teacher, as a legend with no reality, as a great religious leader on a par with others? Have we seen that the cross is at the heart of why Jesus came? Have we considered the cost of following Jesus, and are we prepared to suffer with him and deny our self-centredness for him? 

1. If you won £250,000, how would you spend it? 

2. Who did the crowd say Jesus was? Who did Peter say Jesus was? Who do you think Jesus is? Why?  

3. Peter described Jesus as ‘the Christ of God’, the Messiah, the King promised in the Old Testament. But what kind of King is he (v22)? How do you feel about a suffering God? (E.g. Surprised? Offended? Grateful? Some other feeling?) 

4. What does Jesus say it means to be his disciple (v23)? Give practical examples from your own experience of what that has meant for you.  

5. What incentives does Jesus give to pay the price of following him (vv24-26)? Do you agree with the relative value Jesus places on the world and the human soul? Why? Why not? What difference does that make in your life? 

6. What does it mean to be ashamed of Jesus and his teaching? Have you ever been ashamed of him like that? How? How can you avoid that in future? 


5. One Way to Grow – Luke 8:1-18 

The Parable of the Sower – perhaps better, The Parable of the Soils – is one of Jesus’ most famous parables. It challenges the way we hear and respond to the message of the Kingdom. Although we will each resemble one of the four soils in the overall nature of our response to Christ, we can be like all four soils at different times and when it comes to different issues. Some are like the women who travelled with Jesus and supported him out of their own pockets. Some are like the people of Isaiah’s day who, in their unbelief, rejected the message and were unable to see or understand the truth. But ultimately the way we respond to Jesus will be revealed. 

1. What have you grown that has given you the most satisfaction? 

2. What do we learn about Jesus’ ministry from verses 1-3? Who travelled with him? Why do you think they travelled with him and supported him at cost to themselves? What does this tell you about the effect of Jesus’ ministry? 

3. According to verses 11-15, what do the four soils represent? (You might like to think of people in Luke’s gospel who fit each of the four categories.) In what ways are you like, or are you tempted to be like, the first three soils?  

4. What do you think it means to have a ‘noble and good heart’? How can you grow more like that? 

5. It’s often said that Jesus used simple, everyday stories to help people understand his message better. How might we need to modify that view in the light of verse 10? How does Isaiah 6:9-10 help you understand why Jesus used parables? What encouragement do you find in the first half of verse 10?

6. What does the parable tell us we can expect when we run Alpha?

7. What do verses 16-18 tell us about the way we should listen to Jesus’ teaching?


4. An Eye for Judgement – Luke 6:37-49 

These verses contain some of Jesus most vivid teaching about the nature of the kingdom. They are about a God who is generous and merciful and they challenge us to be like him. We’re not to be caught up in the small details and miss the important principles – in the way the Pharisees did. We’re not to look good on the outside and leave the heart untouched and unchanged. We’re not to hear Jesus’ teaching and do nothing about it. 

1. Describe your dream house. 

2. Read verses 37-38. What attitudes does Jesus forbid among his disciples and what does he encourage? Why should we behave like this? Why do you think so few people follow this teaching? 

3. Read verses 39-42. What point is Jesus making in what he says about specks and planks? How are we guilty of making a fuss over minute details in others’ lives or the church’s life and yet ignoring the really important things in our own lives? 

4. Read verses 43-45. How are we to recognise a ‘kingdom person’? How does that relate to verses 37-42? What do you need to do and what do you need Jesus to do in order to produce good fruit in your life? 

5. Read verses 46-49. What is the real difference between the two builders? How does this lesson relate to verses 41-45? What kind of foundation are you building upon?


3. Working on the Sabbath – Luke 6:1-11 

At first glance this passage seems to be about the right way to use the Sabbath – what can we do on the Sabbath and what must we avoid. At a deeper level it seems to be about the tension between obeying religious rules and helping those in need, with the deepening conflict between the Pharisees and Jesus coming to the surface once again. But if we look deeper still, it’s about Jesus – who does he think he is? Tom Wright says: That is, in fact, the main question Luke wants us to ask. Luke is not so interested in asking, ‘Do we or don’t we keep the Sabbath?’ but rather, ‘Who did Jesus think he was?’ 

1. What Sunday restrictions, if any, did you grow up with? Do you still follow them? 

2. What was the Pharisees’ underlying attitude to Jesus? (See, for example, 5:17, 30, 33) How does that affect the way they view everything Jesus says and does? Sometimes we try to find fault with another person because we don’t like what they say, do or stand for. How can we avoid that? 

3. What’s the main issue here for the Pharisees? For Jesus? When have you felt a tension between obeying a religious principle and helping people? What causes that tension? What helps to resolve it? 

4. How does the story of David (1 Samuel 21:1-6) apply to Jesus and his disciples? What does it tell us about Jesus? 

5. How does Jesus clarify the Sabbath issue (vv 5, 9)? What relevance does this teaching about the Sabbath have for us? What things matter to us in the way that keeping the Sabbath rules and regulations mattered to the Pharisees?  

6. As you try to follow Jesus, are you becoming more free to love people or more constrained by religious rules?


2. The Greatest Catch – Luke 5:1-11 

Peter and the others have met Jesus before and spent time with him – see, for example, Luke 4:38, 39 – but now Jesus calls them to leave behind their old life and follow him. There’s something about Jesus that makes them do as he asks, even though he seems to be ignorant of the best conditions for fishing. They see his power revealed in the great catch and are humbled before him. They obey his call to catch people, even though at this stage they have little idea of what that will mean. 

As we read this passage, we can see ourselves and our call to discipleship in the way Jesus deals with Peter and his companions. 

1. What was the first job you did for which you got paid? 

2. Close your eyes and imagine yourself doing your normal job. As the leader slowly reads the passage, pausing for a short while after each verse, imagine yourself in Peter’s shoes. How do you feel as Jesus comes to your place of work? How do you feel as he asks you to do something which seems pointless and a waste of time? How do you feel as suddenly everything falls into place, more wonderfully so than ever before? How do you feel as Jesus calls you to leave your job and become a co-worker with him?

[Leaders – it might be helpful to read the questions above after the appropriate part of the story; the intention is that we think about how we would feel, not that we answer the questions aloud.] 

3. Why do you think Jesus told Peter and the others to put out into deep water and let down their nets? How would you feel in Peter’s shoes – Jesus isn’t a fisherman and you’ve just spent all night fishing and caught nothing? Why do you think Peter and the others obeyed? 

4. How did Peter feel when he saw the large catch of fish? What is he beginning to grasp about Jesus? About sin? About himself? 

5. When was the first time, if ever, that your experience of Jesus’ reality and power left you humbled and aware of your sinfulness? 

6. What does Jesus promise Peter and the others? Why do you think they left everything and followed him? What might that mean for you at the moment? What can you do to ‘catch people’?


1. Freedom for the Oppressed – Luke 4:14-30

We begin our study of Luke’s gospel at the start of Jesus’ public ministry. He has been baptised, has received the Spirit, has spent 40 days having his vocation tested in the wilderness and has begun to preach in the synagogues of Galilee. But now he returns to his home town of Nazareth where he is well-known.  

1. What did you like best about the place where you grew up? 

2. Look at 3:22; 4:1, 14, 18. What do all these verses have in common? What does this tell us about the source of Jesus’ power? What does it tell us about our need to live in the fullness of the Spirit today? 

3. Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1,2 and claimed that ‘this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’. What is he saying about himself? 

4. What is Jesus five-fold mission according to verses 18 and 19? How did Jesus do that then?  How have you experienced him doing that in your life today? What would you like him to do in your life now? 

5. What did Jesus say that turned the crowd’s amazement into anger in verses 22-30? Why do you think he talked about the way God helped Gentiles rather than Jews during the time of Elijah and Elisha? What does that tell us about God’s character? What does it tell us about the way we should respond to ‘outsiders’ today? 

6. The people of Nazareth were furious with Jesus. Do you ever find yourself angry with God when he rescues the ‘wrong people’? E.g. How do you feel about the grace of God which accepts ‘extreme sinners’ like rapists or child molesters or which accepts people who become Christians on their death-bed? Why?

 

Spring Term 2008 Study Series is:

Life in the Local Church
Studies in 1 Corinthians


Introduction

Corinth was a bustling port city, a Roman colony and very religious.  We first read of Corinth in Acts 18. Paul stayed there for a year and a half, living with Aquila and Priscilla, who were fellow-Jews and tent-makers.  Through Paul’s ministry to both Jews and Greeks we are told that many Corinthians became believers and were baptised.  

1 Corinthians was written by Paul in response to things he has heard about them and in response to a letter he has received from them. For example, he’s heard that the church is divided within itself and against the apostle Paul. From chapter 7, however, Paul is responding to issues that they have written to him about.  The phrase ‘now about’, which comes first in 7:1 and then again in 7:25, 8:1 and 12:1 suggests a number of issues on which they want apostolic instruction. 

We first studied 1 Corinthians eighteen months ago and now we return to look at chapters 7-11. In these chapters Paul responds to the Corinthians’ questions about marriage and celibacy, whether it’s right to eat food which has been offered to an idol, worship and the Lord’s Supper. In the final chapters, which we shall study in the future, he discusses the right attitude to the possession and use of spiritual gifts and a basic misunderstanding about the resurrection.

Although some of the issues facing them may seem quite remote to us at first, as we travel to Corinth we will discover that they are very similar to the issues we face today. Issues like knowing God’s will, living in harmony with one another and how to handle our ‘rights’ are just as topical now as then. 

It is a good idea to come to each housegroup meeting having read the passage through a couple of times and having tried to answer the preparation questions. The better prepared we are the better the studies tend to be.

 

Life in the Local Church

11. Sharing the Lord’s Supper - 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

In our last study this term – we hope that groups will go together to hear Jeff Lucas in a fortnight’s time – we look at the Communion service. Paul reminds us what happened on Maundy Thursday at the Last Supper – this is probably the earliest record of that meal and the origins of the Communion service, as 1 Corinthians was written before the gospels.  

However, the celebration was being rendered meaningless by the behaviour of some within the Corinthian church. Communion was celebrated in the context of a church meal, but the rich were using it to humiliate the poor. The very service which should speak most clearly of their oneness had become the moment at which their divisions were most obvious. And Paul says that has serious spiritual consequences. 

1. What was the most enjoyable party you have ever given? 

2. What is Paul’s complaint about the Corinthians’ behaviour in verses 17-22? In what ways are we guilty of treating other members of the church as second class citizens? How can we be more inclusive of all the types of people who live in Hoole? 

3. What does Paul tell us about the meaning of Holy Communion in verses 23-26? How do you respond to these words during the Communion service? How are we announcing the Lord’s death when we eat the bread and drink the cup?  

4. In the context of this chapter and the warnings about divisiveness, what do you think Paul means when he talks in verse 29 about failing to recognise the Lord’s body? What are the consequences of doing so according to verses 29-34? Do we recognise the seriousness of division within the body at All Saints’? 

5. What must we do to avoid eating the bread and drinking the cup in an unworthy manner? For example, what does it mean to examine ourselves? How can you do that before you come to Communion next time?

 6. You might want to finish by sharing what new lessons you have learned from this term’s study of 1 Corinthians.

 

10. How to deal with temptation - 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

The background to this passage is the issue of meat sacrificed to idols – is it right for a Christian to eat it? Paul has argued that we should limit our freedom for the sake of others and he has used himself as an example of someone who does that. Now he continues to make his point by referring to the Israelites who came out of Egypt under Moses. He believes the ‘strong’ in Corinth are in danger of making the same mistake that they made. 

1. What would you do with 24 hours free from any responsibilities if money and health were not an issue? 

2. Read vv1-5. What spiritual experiences and blessings did all the Israelites enjoy at the time of the exodus from Egypt? To what similar blessings and experiences which all Christians enjoy today can you point? What happened to most of the Israelites then? Why do you think Paul reminds the Corinthians (and us) of that? 

3. Read vv6-10. What were the Israelites guilty of? How might we be tempted to become ‘evil-cravers’ who long for things which don’t honour God and do us no good? Why do misdirected desires often lead to us seeking idolatrous substitutes for God rather than God himself? If restraint is discarded, where does it end up? 

4. Read v11. How do we regard the Old Testament? What dangers do we fall into if we fail to read it in the way that Paul encourages? 

5. Read vv12, 13. What should we beware of according to these verses? For example, how can we avoid both presumption and despair, which considers some temptations too hard to fight? What promise does God give us? 

6. Think of one or two areas where you are currently experiencing temptation. In which one of these are you least likely to believe that there is a way of escape? In what way has God in fact provided a way of escape in the midst of your temptation? (You may need the rest of the group to help you find this.)

9. Love that liberates - 1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1 

Most meat that was sold in the market and most meat that was eaten at a friend’s house had first been offered to an idol in a pagan temple. Could Christians eat meat in such circumstances or not? The Corinthians thought they knew the answer but in fact it was much more complex than they realised. As well as misunderstanding the specific issue, they had misunderstood the whole point of Christian rights and freedoms. It’s not just about what we think we know, it’s about loving my fellow Christians, seeking their good and bringing glory to God. Even if we don’t have a problem today with meat sacrificed to idols, the principle of putting others’ good before the exercise of my freedom is as relevant now as it was in Paul’s day. 

1. What is your favourite meal? 

2. Read 8:1-3. ‘We know that we all possess knowledge’ was probably the Corinthians’ slogan. What’s wrong with that attitude according to Paul? Is knowledge enough? What should characterize a Christian? 

3. Read 8:4-6. What is it that both Paul and the Corinthians know? In view of that, what attitude should we have to the “gods” and “lords” that other people worship today? 

4. In 8:7-13, what does Paul say about those Christians who don’t ‘know’ what Paul and the Corinthians know? What is the danger for them in eating meat sacrificed to an idol? How should the rest of us behave towards them? Can you think of examples where you limit (or might need to limit) your freedom for the sake of another believer? 

[5. Chapter 9. How does Paul use himself as an example of what it means to forego our rights for the good of others?  What is his goal in doing so? What lessons can we learn for the way we do evangelism from Paul’s example in verses 19-23?] 

6. In 10:23-11:1, what questions should we ask about our behaviour and the way we exercise our ‘rights’? How can we help one another to do that? In what areas especially might we need to do that?

8. Marriage and Singleness - 1 Corinthians 7:1-40 

Paul begins a new section of his letter here as he begins to answer some of the questions the Corinthians had obviously written to him about (see v1).  The first issue he deals with is in v1b (the NIV footnote contains a more literal translation) - that of abstaining from sexual relationships.  Paul thinks celibacy is a good thing, but he gives several instances of when it is not in v2-16.   

1. What was your favourite film or programme over Christmas and the New Year? or What is your favourite love story? 

2. It's likely that some Corinthian Christians thought sex was somehow unspiritual and should be avoided if Paul is quoting their view in v1b, but (v2-7) why is celibacy inappropriate for married couples according to Paul?  What is Paul’s view of sexual intimacy?  How does this compare to views of sex in our society? (Note: ‘should have’ in v2 is a polite way of saying ‘should have sexual relations with’.)

3. Read verses 8-9. What does Paul say here about singleness? What would you say are the benefits of singleness for a Christian?  How do you think we view singleness at All Saints’?  What behaviour means that marriage would be better? 

4. In verses 10-16, what does Paul say to those who are considering divorce (either because they think it’s more spiritual to be single, vv10-11, or because they are married to an unbeliever, vv12-16)?  Are there any exceptions to the rule according to the passage?

 5. Verses 17-24. What is Paul's big principle in v17, 20 and 24?  How does this mean we should view the circumstances we find ourselves in?  What are the two examples he uses to illustrate this?  People often say 'I could be an effective Christian if only.... '  What are the common 'if onlys'?  Are they right?

6. In the rest of the passage, what advantages does Paul see to singleness (or, at least, delaying marriage)? Paul’s instructions are based on the ‘present crisis’ although we can’t be sure what that is. Are there situations today which would make it inappropriate to live a normal kind of life? Does the fact that Christ will come again affect the way we live and the choices we make?

Autumn 2007 Study Series is:

Tested by Fire
Studies in the Book of DanielIntroduction

Disaster had struck. The Babylonians had captured Jerusalem, carried off the articles from the temple and taken many of the nation’s leaders into captivity. Among them were Daniel and a small group of his friends. The book describes what happened to them in exile. 

          Daniel is about living in exile.  A world where God isn’t honoured and his commands aren’t obeyed. A world where other gods are worshipped. A world where all the props are taken away. Someone has described it as a ‘second choice world’.  

          That’s the kind of world we live in every day. Christians are described as ‘exiles’ from their true home in heaven. We live in a society where God is largely forgotten by the majority of people. We work with people who have very different values and who serve profit and pleasure rather than God. Some of us are married to men or women who don’t know or love the Lord.  

          How do we live as Christians in that post-Christian world? How do we keep our faith and retain our distinctiveness? That’s the theme of Daniel, and this book has much that will help us in our world. Daniel and his friends can be a model to us as we face the threat of assimilation into the surrounding culture. 

          Faced with a culture that is hostile to our faith, it’s tempting to retreat into a ghetto. But Daniel teaches us that exile can bring opportunities that we wouldn’t otherwise have.  It can teach us to engage with and understand our society in order that we may influence it and bear witness to our God.  And it reminds us that, whatever appearances may tell us, the Sovereign Lord is still on the throne and at work to accomplish his purposes through it all.  

          Daniel is a book of great encouragement to a struggling people. Our earthly dreams may have been shattered but God offers us a better dream of a world made new.
 

PLAN FOR THE TERM        

Week beginning 9th September   

          1. Compromise or Confrontation?            Daniel 1 

Week beginning 23rd September 

          2. Head of gold or feet of clay?                Daniel 2 

Week beginning 30th September 

          Hot Topic 

Week beginning 14th October

          3. Bow or burn                                       Daniel 3 

Week beginning 28th October

          4. Heaven rules…on earth                       Daniel 4 and 5 

Week beginning 11th November

          5. Into the lions’ den                              Daniel 6 

Week beginning 25th November            

          6. The beasts and the son of man            Daniel 7 

Week beginning 9th December

          Reserved for Socials

 

Discussion Notes
Tested by Fire
6. The beasts and the son of man – Daniel 7

In Daniel 7 the book changes radically. We have gone back to the first year of Belshazzar’s reign when the clouds were beginning to gather for Daniel and the exiles. More significantly, the style of the book has also changed. Most of the remaining chapters belong to a literary style described as ‘apocalyptic’, from the Greek word ‘apocalypse’ meaning ‘revelation’. This kind of literature uses strange imagery (e.g. beasts), constant jumping from earth to heaven, repetitive use of numbers, dreams and visions, and references to colours. The most obvious book in this style in the New Testament is Revelation. 

Apocalyptic is not just a literary style. It’s a way of viewing history which sees recurring patterns or waves of events, spiralling towards the point where God finally bursts in to wind up history, judge those in opposition, and vindicate those who are faithful to him. It’s not about trying to add up numbers or identify the symbols with particular empires. It shows how God is always at work in the world and how he will ultimately triumph over the anti-god forces which set themselves against God and his people. 

1. If you feel adventurous, you could try drawing one or more of the beasts in the dream. Or, what animal scares you to bits?  

2. Read verses 1-8. How would you feel if you were Daniel when you dreamt about the 4 beasts? Read verse 17. What do the beasts symbolize? In what ways can you see the state behaving like a demonic beast? Do you think the state in Britain could ever descend to the level of the beasts? 

3. Read verses 9-12. What do you learn about God’s nature and power from these verses? What do you learn about his ultimate victory over evil? (See also verse 26.) How does that encourage you when you feel overwhelmed by the way the world is going? 

4. Read verses 13-14. What do we learn about the son of man from these verses? Why do you think Jesus used this term so often to refer to himself? How does his rule differ from that of the beasts? 

5. Read verses 15-28. What can God’s people expect to experience at the hands of a godless state? What future hope does Daniel see for the ‘saints of the Most High’? How do you feel about that?

6. Is there anything else from the sermon on this chapter that you’d like to discuss? 


5. Into the lions’ den – Daniel 6

We expect to see the good people being blessed and the bad being punished, but it doesn’t always work out like that. Sometimes, like Daniel, we try and live consistently for God in our places of work or in the family or in the local community and yet we arouse hostile reactions from those who don’t believe. At times like that we sometimes wonder whether we are doing the right thing in taking a stand for God. In this chapter we see how Daniel responded to persecution and the way God stood by him. We see the effect it had on a pagan king. And we see more of the kingdom and salvation of our God. 

1. Which animal do you most enjoy watching at the zoo? Why?  

2. Read verses 1-4. What impresses you most about Daniel’s ability and integrity? 

3. Read verses 5-9. Why were the administrators and satraps so determined to get rid of Daniel? What means did they use with the king to get their way? Share any examples from your own life of times when you faced hostility from unbelievers because of your faith. Should we be surprised by that (see 2 Timothy 3:12)?  

4. Read verse 10. Why do you think Daniel responded in the way that he did? If you were in Daniel’s shoes, how do you think you would react? When might you be called on to take a similar stand for your faith in Christ? 

5. Read verses 11-23. What do we learn of God from the way that Daniel is spared? Have you ever experienced deliverance like that? Does God always spare his children like that when they take a stand for him – compare Acts 12:1-2 and Acts 12:3-10? 

6. Read verses 1-28. Trace the way King Darius’s attitude to Daniel and his God develop through the passage. For what does he praise God in verses 26 and 27? What can we learn from this about the way God works to bring people to faith today?


4. Heaven rules…on earth – Daniel 4 and 5

One of the key themes in the book of Daniel is that of kingship. We meet several human kings and we hear about their kingdom and power. But we are constantly reminded of the bigger question – who is the real king who rules the affairs of individuals and nations? Chapters 4 and 5 make that quite clear. As Daniel saw when he interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter 2, the God of heaven will establish an eternal kingdom. It’s before that kingdom that all earthly rulers must ultimately bow.  

We shall look this week at Daniel 5, but it would be good if you could find time to read Daniel 4 before the group meets. 

1. What kind of parties do you most enjoy attending?  

2. Read Daniel 5:1-4. What actions and attitudes on the part of Belshazzar and his guests would have provoked the Lord’s anger? What contemporary examples of people mocking God by demeaning sacred things can you think of? 

3. Read verses 5-17. How would you have reacted if you had been at the banquet and saw a hand appear and write on the wall? Three times Daniel records the failure of the ‘wise men’ of Babylon to interpret the message of God – what point do you think the book is making? What lesson do you learn from that? 

4. Read verses 18-21. Why do you think Daniel reminds Belshazzar of the way in which God dealt with Nebuchadnezzar? What does the incident – recorded in chapter 4 – tell us about the true source of all power? What sin was Nebuchadnezzar guilty of? What happened to him as a result? When was his power restored? In what areas might we be tempted to pride and arrogance? 

5. Read verses 22-24. What lesson should Belshazzar have learned from his father? What insight into Belshazzar’s sin can we find in these verses? 

6. Read verses 25-31. What happens ultimately to those who ‘set themselves up against the Lord of heaven’? What impact would this story have had upon the exiled people of God in Babylon? What encouragement does it give us today? 

3. Bow or burn – Daniel 3 

The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace is one of the best known and most exciting stories in the Bible. However, this is not just a children’s story. It raises some complex issues for Christian faith. Questions about the difficulties of living for God in a secular society like ours. Questions about a God who allows his people to face overwhelming and awful situations. Questions about maintaining faith in the face of severe testing. These are the kind of questions we’re faced with and this chapter can help us. 

1. Who do you admire for standing up for what they believe? 

2. Why do you think Nebuchadnezzar set up the golden idol and called everyone to worship it (vv1-7)? Where does our society put pressure on you to worship something other than the living God? 

3. Why do you think the astrologers denounced the Jews for their failure to bow down and worship the idol (vv8-14)? What can we expect if we try and live God’s way in this world? What form does that take for you? 

4. What impresses you most about the way Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego responded to the king (vv15-18)? How could you follow their example if you were in a desperate situation? For example, how would their example help if you faced the possibility of losing your job or a much-valued friendship because of your refusal to compromise God’s Word? 

5. What specific actions did God take to reassure the three men and to demonstrate his power to Nebuchadnezzar (vv19-30)? How does that reassure you when you face suffering of any kind? 

6. What lessons from this chapter about the risks and rewards of obedience are most significant for you personally? What commitments can you make today that will prepare you to face the pressures of a hostile world?

2. Head of gold or feet of clay? – Daniel 2 

Daniel 2 is about God and Daniel’s courageous witness to him. God is seen to be the one who reveals mysteries and who rules the nations. There is a clear contrast between the Babylonian wise men and their gods who can’t interpret the king’s dream, and the God of heaven who shows the king what he is doing within human history.  Ultimately, the kingdom of God will triumph over all the kingdoms of the world. Like Daniel, we are called to bear witness to that great truth. 

1. Have you ever had a dream that was so real that it almost seemed true? How did you feel when you woke up? 

2. Why was Nebuchadnezzar so troubled by his dream? Why couldn’t the wise men of Babylon interpret it? Do you think the same can be said of the media pundits and politicians who seek to interpret the events of our day? What do they lack? 

3. What did Daniel do when he heard about the threat to the wise men? How can we offer prayer and support to Christians in positions of power and influence in the nation? How can we do that for members of our group at work? 

4. What does Daniel’s psalm in vv20-23 tell us about God? How is v22 shown to be true in this chapter? How can we know what God has revealed? 

5. What do we learn from the dream and its interpretation? What does it tell us about God? About history? About the future? How can we believe that when the opposite seems to be true?

(Note – don’t spend too long trying to identify the empires represented by the different metals in the statue. It’s more important to understand the instability of all human empires and the permanence of God’s kingdom.) 

6. What can we learn for our witness from the way Daniel bore witness to a pagan king?


1. Compromise or Confrontation? – Daniel 1 

Like Daniel, we live in a society which makes it increasingly difficult to follow God. Sometimes there’s direct opposition to our faith, but more often there’s a quiet pressure to assimilate our faith to the culture and not be different. Daniel and his friends were given wonderful opportunities by God, but they had to decide where to stand firm and how to do it. Like them, we can trust God to honour our stand for him but, like them again, we need wisdom to know what the issues are on which we must take a stand and how to do it in a way that still leaves the door open for us to influence secular society. 

1. Think back to the first time you moved away from home. What new adjustments did you have to make? 

2. Daniel and his friends were in exile. How is ‘exile’ a helpful image to describe your experience as an alien and stranger in our society? What challenges to your faith and identity as a Christian do you face because of that? 

3. What opportunities were Daniel and his friends given in Babylon? How have you seen God give opportunities to serve him and influence others as a result of something which seemed a disaster at the time? 

4. Daniel accepted a Babylonian education and a change of name. Why do you think he drew the line at eating the food and drink which came from the king’s table? Where have you drawn the line – or where might you need to draw the line – in order to avoid compromising and losing your identity as a Christian today? 

5. What can we learn from the manner in which Daniel refused to eat the king’s food? Does he seek confrontation or a constructive alternative? How can you do that when there is a conflict between your faith and contemporary culture? 

6. How did God honour the faith and commitment of Daniel and his friends?

Housegroup

Current Theme and Discussion Notes

 

Last Term's Study Series was:

Prayer without Pretending
Prayers of the New Testament


Introduction
 

Prayer is one of those things that we all know we should do as Christians, and yet for one reason or another we all find difficult. We put it off, our minds wander, we’re not sure what we should be praying for, and we’re left with a sense of guilt that we don’t pray like the Christians we’ve read about. How can we pray without pretending?

This term we’re going to think about prayer in our morning sermons and in the housegroup series. We’ve talked a lot recently about knowing God, and one of the best ways of getting to know God better is by spending time in his presence. That includes being still before him and learning to focus our minds on God in silence. It includes reflecting on his goodness so that we can thank him for all he’s done for us. It includes remembering and being honest about the times we’ve let him down and saying sorry. It also includes recognising that he invites us to ask him for things – things that will help the world to see how great he really is. And it can include lots of other things like singing, using the whole of our body or, for some, speaking in tongues. But most of all, it means being real with God. Praying without pretending.

In our studies we shall look at a series of prayers from the New Testament to help us. As we do so, we shall discover more about the God to whom we pray and become thrilled again with him. We shall also find out what kind of things he wants us to pray for. Listening to the prayers of Jesus, Peter and Paul may seem to set the bar too high for us, but they will encourage us to raise our eyes and lift our voices in concert with theirs.
 

PLAN FOR THE TERM        

Week beginning 15th April

          1. When you pray                              Matthew 6:5-15 

Week beginning 29th April

          2. When Jesus prayed                                   John 17

Week beginning 13th May

          The Big Issue

Week beginning 27th May

          Reserved for Socials

Week beginning 10th June

          3. When believers pray                              Acts 4:24-30

Week beginning 24th June

          4. Praying for wisdom and revelation   Ephesians 1:15-23

Week beginning 8th July

          5. Praying to please God                       Colossians 1:9-14

 

Discussion Notes
Prayer without pretending
5. Praying to Please God – Colossians 1:9-14

In our final study this term we look at another of Paul’s prayers for the church – this time for a church he’s never actually met. However, he’s heard about their faith and love and he knows about the threats which face them, and so he prays persistently for them. In his prayer he links his thanksgiving to his petitions. There is one main request, followed by a statement of it’s purpose and a description of the way God’s answer to the petition works out in daily life.

1. Which person or people do you most want to please? What is it about them that makes you feel like that?

2. Verse 9a. What praying do you do for believers you have never met? How can you improve in this area?

3. Verse 9b. What one main thing does Paul pray for? What does it mean to ‘know God’s will’? How can you gain that knowledge?

4. Verse 10a. What long-term goal does Paul have in mind? If you are to be entirely pleasing to the Lord Jesus, what things in your own life should you be praying about?

5. Verses 10b-12a. How does Paul define a life that is pleasing to God? In what ways is your life growing like that?

6. Verses 12b-14. Because of God’s actions, the Colossians now have a certain qualification.  What is it? How has God done that? How can you encourage one another to give thanks for this more and more?


4. Praying for wisdom and revelation – Ephesians 1:15-23 

As you think about your prayer life, what kind of things do you pray for – for yourself and for others and for the church? How does that compare with the way that Paul prays for the church in Ephesus? That’s the challenge of the passage we’re looking at this week. He teaches us how to give thanks for each other and he tells us the things that should dominate our prayers for others. At the heart of his prayer is the desire that God will open our spiritual eyes by his Holy Spirit so that we may know him better – not just intellectually but in our experience.

1. Ho do you prefer to learn new things – by reading? By hearing? By watching? By doing? 

2. Read verses 15 and 16. ‘For this reason’ – from verses 3-14, what reason would Paul have for giving thanks for the Ephesians and for us? According to verse 16, what evidence is there that the Ephesians had experienced God’s work in their lives? You might go round in prayer and thank God for one another, thanking him for specific things you see in each other which are evidence of his work. 

3. Read verse 17. What is the heart of Paul’s prayer? If we want to grow in our knowledge of God, what do we need? 

4. Read verses 18-19a. What else does Paul pray for? Why is it important that we know these three things? What difference will it make to your Christian life for God to answer this prayer? 

5. Read verses 19b-23. Paul tells us that God’s incomparably great power is at work for us who believe. What examples does Paul give of that power? Where do you need that power to be at work in you during the coming week?


3. When believers pray – Acts 4:23-31 

Having looked last time at Jesus’ prayer for his disciples, we look this week at the disciples themselves in prayer. They are faced by threats of persecution if they continue to speak about the Lord Jesus and their response is to turn to God in prayer. But their prayer isn’t remotely self-centred. They begin by reminding themselves of the great truths about God and his purposes and they pray for the power to go on speaking faithfully about Christ. And the Lord answers them in a remarkable way by his Holy Spirit. 

1. When has your faith in Jesus been challenged by others? 

2. Read verses 23-24a. What is the background to this prayer? (See Acts 4:1-22) How do you think they felt? How do you respond to situations when you feel threatened? How did they respond? 

3. What truths about God did they recall in verses 24b-28? Why do you think they spent time celebrating those truths? How could it benefit your prayer life to do that as well? 

4. How did they see God at work in the crucifixion of Jesus? How does that help them as they face suffering for Christ? How might it help you when you suffer for your faith? 

5. What do they ask for in verses 29-30? What is their primary desire in their prayer? (Is it protection from danger or is it something else?) How are your prayers like or unlike their prayer in times of crisis? 

6. How does God answer in verse 31? Where do you need to experience the filling of the Spirit in your life at the moment?


2. When Jesus prayed – John 17

We normally refer to Matthew 6 as the Lord’s Prayer, but that is a framework for our praying. In John 17 we are presented with the true Lord’s Prayer. Jesus turns to his Father on the night before he died and, as he stares death in the face, reveals the things that are most important to him. His concerns now reveal the true purpose of his life.  

He prays for himself, for his disciples and for all believers (us!). As we are privileged to listen in to Jesus’ prayer, we can learn much about what really matters to him and what should therefore be at the centre of our praying. 

1. What specific people would you want around you in a crisis? 

2. Read verses 1-5. What is Jesus’ main concern as he faces the cross? What will it mean for the Father to be glorified? To what extent is Jesus’ glory uppermost in your prayers and in your life day by day? 

3. Read verses 6-19. What does Jesus tell us about his disciples? What does he pray for them in these verses? For example, what is his concern in verses 11 and 15? What does he mean by his request in verse 17? How can we allow God’s word to have that effect on our lives? 

4. Read verses 20-26. Who is Jesus praying for in these verses? What is his desire for us? For example, how should our unity reflect the unity which exists between the Father and the Son? What does Jesus’ ultimate desire in verse 24 reveal about his love for us? How important are Jesus’ priorities to you? 

5. How are your prayers like and unlike Jesus’ prayer in John 17?


1. When you pray - Matthew 6:5-15 

We begin our series on prayer by thinking about the most famous prayer of all. In fact it’s more like a series of headings which we can expand, and you might want to spend time after the study using the passage as a framework for a time of prayer. As we do so, it helps us to get our priorities right – we remember who we are talking to, we put God’s concerns first, we bring our own needs to him.  

1. What is your biggest challenge when it comes to praying? 

2. In verses 5-8 Jesus examines our motives in prayer. What two contrasts does he draw? In what ways are you tempted to be like the hypocrites or the pagans or both? 

3. In verse 9 Jesus tells us to call God ‘Our Father in heaven’. What does it mean to you that God is your heavenly Father? In what ways does he differ from our earthly parents? What is Jesus saying about the importance of remembering who we are talking to when we come to pray? 

4. What does Jesus tell us about God’s concerns in verses 9-10? What would it mean for God’s kingdom to come in your life and in society? How much do you think this is a prayer for now and how much is it a prayer for the end of time? Are you able to pray ‘your will be done’? What did that mean for Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:35-37)? 

5. What concerns of ours does Jesus tell us to bring to God in prayer in verses 11-13?

 

Spring 2007 Study Series was: Love to the loveless, studies in Hosea

4. The way home – Hosea 14:1-9 

Our final study returns to the theme of repentance and the promise of a different future. Unlike their response to the call to repent in 6:1-3, which melted away by coffee time, this describes a genuine turning to God. It includes a willingness to admit that they have sinned and that God alone can save them. It also tells of God’s purpose to restore them and renew their fruitfulness.  

As we seek to know God, we hear Hosea tell us how that can be possible and what God will do for us as we walk humbly with him. 

1. What do you enjoy most about trees? Climbing them? Sitting in their shade? Eating their fruit? Watching the birds in them? What’s your favourite tree? 

2. Read verses 1-3. What are the marks of true repentance in these verses? For example, what does it do? What does it acknowledge? What do verses like 1 John 1:9 and Luke 15:11-24 tell us about repentance as well? In what ways do you need to do that as part of getting to know God better? 

3. Read verses 4-8. What does God promise to do for Israel? For example, what will her future be like? Does it mean that they will escape from exile (see Leviticus 26:40-45 for example)? Can we always escape the consequences of our sin? What can we look forward to if we walk faithfully with the Lord? 

4. Read verse 9. What does the wise person know and understand? What influence will it have on the way they live? How have you become wiser from your study of Hosea?


3. ‘How can I give you up?’ – Hosea 11:1-11 

Skipping over several chapters which speak in more detail of Israel’s sin and the judgement which is about to come upon the nation, we turn to one of the great chapters on the love of God. Hosea gives us profound insights into the heart of God – a heart which is full of compassion and mercy. But that love is seen most clearly against the dark background of the nation’s unfaithfulness and refusal to repent and return to God.  

Although Hosea speaks of God’s mercy triumphing over wrath, he can’t tell us how that is possible. For that, we need to turn to the New Testament to learn how God satisfied his justice by taking the punishment upon himself on the cross, in order that we might be forgiven. He is both just and the one who justifies those who trust in Christ (Romans 3:25, 26). 

1. What memories do you have of the way your parents and/or grandparents tried to instil their values in you? 

2. Read verses 1-4. What images does Hosea use to describe God’s love for his people? How had he shown that parental love to Israel? How has God shown a parent’s love to you? 

3. How did Israel respond to God’s love? In what ways have you spurned God’s love? 

4. Read verses 5-7. What will happen to Israel because of her unfaithfulness? Why won’t God deliver them even if they call upon him? What does that tell you about the seriousness of refusing to listen to God’s voice and repent?  

5. Read verses 8-9. What is God’s dilemma in these verses? (For the story of Admah and Zeboiim, see Deuteronomy 29:23.) What in God’s character and covenant will prevent him destroying Israel? How has God reconciled his justice and his mercy towards us? 

6. Read verses 10-11. How will God restore Israel? What hope does that give to the faithful? How will you share that enduring love with those prodigals who have not yet come home to God?


2. ‘Love as the Lord loves’ – Hosea 2:14 – 3:5 

We have seen how Hosea’s relationship with his prostitute wife mirrors the Lord’s relationship with adulterous Israel. But, despite her adultery, the Lord still loves his wife and plans to woo her back. He may use hardship to bring his people to their senses, but his goal is a renewed relationship which is characterised by enduring love.  

As you study these verses, try to hear the Lord addressing you with words of tenderest love, drawing you closer to himself. 

1. What is your favourite love story? 

2. Begin by spending a few moments reminding yourself why the Lord was grieved by his people – you might want to read through 2:1-13 again. What will the Lord do according to verses 14 and 15? What ‘desert’ experience is Hosea referring to? What effect will this have on Israel and why? What ‘desert’ experience has the Lord used in your life to win back your love? 

3. What changes will occur ‘in that day’ (vv16-19)? How will Israel respond to God’s marriage proposal in vv19-20? Spend a moment thinking about each of the betrothal gifts the Lord promises to give to his people in these verses and try to think what each one means for you. How will the Lord then respond (vv21-23)?  

4. What do these verses reveal about the Lords character?  How well do you know that in your own experience and how can you seek to know it more? 

5. Read 3:1-5. How does Hosea’s experience with Gomer mirror the Lord’s relationship with Israel? Again, what does it say to you about the Lord’s everlasting love? 

6. What do you think vv4-5 mean? When does Israel return to seek God? Has this occurred?


1. ‘Go, marry a prostitute’ – Hosea 1:1 – 2:13 

The Old Testament prophets were sometimes asked to express their message by means of prophetic acts, but none of them was asked to do anything quite like Hosea. The Lord tells him to marry someone who either was a prostitute already or who would become one early in their marriage. Although the first child may have been Hosea’s, it’s very likely that the other two were fathered by other men.   

In our opening study we watch the pain of Hosea as he views his wife’s adultery and realise something of God’s pain when we are unfaithful to him. Although the prophet tells us of Israel’s promiscuous behaviour and the Lord’s judgement of it, he also reveals the depth of God’s love and purposes for his wayward people. 

1. What nickname were you known by when you were younger? How did you get it? How do you feel about that name now? 

2. Read verses 1-9. Why does God tell Hosea to marry an adulterous wife? What do the names of Hosea’s children mean? Why did the Lord tell Hosea to give his children those names? In what ways can you see similarities between Hosea’s relationship with Gomer and your relationship with the Lord?  

3. Read verses 1:10-2:1. What hope does the Lord give Israel in these verses? What hope do you derive from these verses if you feel far from God at the moment? What does it tell you about his love for those outside his kingdom? (See, for example, the way Paul uses this passage in Romans 9:23-26) 

4. Read verses 2:2-13. What are the sins which Israel has committed which have earned God’s rebuke? For example, what kind of adultery is she guilty of and who are the lovers? What will the Lord do because of Israel’s unfaithfulness? What do you think is the Lord’s ultimate aim in treating Israel like this? In what ways do you think we experience this treatment as individuals or as a church today? 

5. Do you think that the Lord judges and punishes nations as well as individuals today? In what ways?


 


 

 

LIFE IN THE LOCAL CHURCH
Studies in 1 Corinthians

            1. Division or Unity?                             1 Corinthians 1:1-17                 

            2. Wisdom and Folly?                          1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5

            3. God’s Secret Wisdom                      1 Corinthians 2:6-16

            4. What makes a church grow?            1 Corinthians 3:1-23

            5. Apostles, kings or fools?                 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

            6. Judgement begins at home             1 Corinthians 5:1-13

            7. Free Sex?                                      1 Corinthians 6:1-20


Introduction

Corinth was a bustling port city, a Roman colony and very religious.  We first read of Corinth in Acts 18. Paul stayed there for a year and a half, living with Aquila and Priscilla, who were fellow-Jews and tent-makers.  Through Paul’s ministry to both Jews and Greeks we are told that many Corinthians became believers and were baptised.  

1 Corinthians was written by Paul in response to things he has heard about them, and in response to a letter he has received from them. For example, he’s heard that the church is divided within itself and against the apostle Paul. It raises questions about factions within the church and the authority of Christian leaders.  

The Corinthians were affected by the culture in which they lived. Paul accuses them of thinking like unbelievers, rather than like the believers they really were. Their attitude to matters of sexual conduct was far from pleasing to God. They weren’t concerned about one of their members who was committing incest and they were confused about what was acceptable behaviour.

In later chapters, which we shall study in the future, Paul responds to their questions about marriage and celibacy, whether it’s right to eat food which has been offered to an idol, worship and the Lord’s Supper, the right attitude to the possession and use of spiritual gifts, and a basic misunderstanding about the resurrection.

As we travel to Corinth we will discover that the issues the church faced then as it lived in a secular world are very similar to the issues we face today.

It is a good idea to come to each housegroup meeting having read the passage through a couple of times and having tried to answer the preparation questions. The better prepared we are the better the studies tend to be.

Discussion Notes
7. Free Sex? - 1 Corinthians 6:1-20

Paul has already addressed the problem that one of the church members was sleeping with his stepmother, but there are other ways in which the Corinthians were living like unbelievers rather than as the people of God. One concerns the way they took their disputes against one another to a civil, secular court and the other concerns the way that some of them were engaging in ‘casual sex’ with prostitutes. Paul responds to both of these issues by reminding them who they are in Christ. Those who persist in sin deny their claim to be Christians at all and run the risk of being excluded from the Kingdom of God.  

1. Have you ever been on jury service? What was it like? 

2. Read verses 1-8. When you are wronged, are you more likely to stand up and fight for your rights, just let it go, or look to get even? Why is Paul so shocked that members of the Corinthian church are going to court with one another? According to these verses, how should conflicts between believers be settled?  

3. How should Christians handle being wronged or cheated? How does this conflict with what the world tells us to do?  

4. Read verses 9-11. What does Paul say some of the Corinthians were? What has God done for them? How are you in danger of being deceived by sin? How can remembering what God has done for you help you in your fight against sin? 

5. Read verses 12-20. What arguments did the Corinthians use to justify their sinful behaviour? In what ways do you hear people use similar arguments today? From this passage, what are Paul’s arguments against sexual immorality? How helpful do you find them? 

6. How, practically, can you ‘flee from sexual immorality’ and ‘honour God with your body’?  


6. Judgement begins at home - 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 

Paul’s concern in 1 Corinthians is that God’s people should live as such and be seen to be different. The problem in Corinth was that they were all too like their non-Christian neighbours. In fact, in some ways, their behaviour was even worse than that of their unbelieving neighbours. They failed to acknowledge an open and notorious sin in their midst which could only bring disgrace on the church in the eyes of the world, and they failed to deal with it. Paul writes to urge them to act and to give us a way of handling serious sin for the good of both the church and the individual concerned. His ultimate desire is that we should leave inappropriate behaviour behind and be the new community of Christ that we are. 

1. What is the best thing you’ve done for your health? 

2. Read verses 1 and 2. Why does Paul react so strongly to the immoral brother in the Corinthian church? What wrong attitude to the problem did the Corinthians have? How good are we at acknowledging and dealing with sin in the church at All Saints’? Why do you think that is? 

3. Read verses 3-5. What action does Paul tell them they should have taken and must now take? See Matthew 18:15-17. How does Paul’s teaching echo that of the Lord Jesus? How could we put this into practice at All Saints’ if the need arose? How could this action be for the good of the immoral person? 

4. Read verses 6-8. From the yeast imagery, what is Paul’s concern if this situation is allowed to go on without discipline? In his sermon, Bill described the heart of these verses as ‘be what you are’. Do you agree with this summary? What are we as believers? How should we live as believers? Suggest some things that will mean for you in practice this coming week. 

5. Read verses 9-13. Is Paul telling the church to withdraw into a ghetto? What is he telling them (and us)? Is he talking about genuine believers who fall into temptation or is it more serious than that? 

6. Are you more lenient and tolerant of Christians or non-Christians and why? How does your attitude need to be adjusted in the light of this chapter?


5. Apostles, kings or fools? - 1 Corinthians 4:1 - 21 

Paul is still addressing the way the Corinthian have imbibed the wisdom of the world in the way they view church leaders. Now, however, we get hints that they weren’t only divided among themselves because of the personality cults, but that they looked down on Paul because he didn’t fit their idea of what a leader should be. They were arrogant and self-satisfied, believing that they already enjoyed heaven now, whereas Paul has a much more realistic attitude to the Christian life. His experience is much closer to the model of Christ, the suffering servant, which is why he can call them to copy him. It’s not enough to be full of talk; God’s power is seen in weak people like Paul. 

1. What is the most menial job you’ve ever done? What did you like or dislike about it? 

2. Read verses 1-7. In contrast to the hero worship in Corinth, how do Paul and his co-workers wish to be regarded? What standards do we often use to evaluate church leaders today? Why does Paul care so little about such judgements? What difference does it make to you that God ‘will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motive’s of people’s hearts’? 

3. Read verses 8-13. What was the Corinthians’ view of themselves? Why doesn’t Paul agree with that self-assessment? How do you think Paul would respond to the phrase today that ‘God wants you to be happy, healthy and wealthy now’? In what ways are you tempted to be complacent and think you’ve ‘arrived’ spiritually? 

4. How does the Corinthians’ ‘glorious’ description of themselves contrast with the experience of Paul and the other apostles? Why would the Corinthians and the world look down on the apostles at the ‘end of the procession’ rather than viewing them as great? Which view of the Christian life is closer to reality and to your experience? 

5. Read verses 14-17. What is Paul’s motive in writing as he does? For whom do you have Paul’s love and concern? Could you invite people to imitate your life? 

6. Read verses 18-21. Reflecting honestly on verse 20, is your life more a matter of talk or of power? What can you do to live out the power of the Kingdom this coming week?


4. What makes a church grow? - 1 Corinthians 3:1-23 

The problem which Paul has been addressing ever since chapter 1 is that of the divisions in the church in Corinth. The Corinthians had a wrong view of church leaders which resulted in quarrelling and boasting, to the point that they were behaving like unbelievers rather than like God’s people. Paul writes this chapter to correct their understanding of church leaders and to remind those in leadership of the solemn responsibility they have to build the church using materials which will stand God’s test.

1. Upon your death, what contribution in life would you most like to be remembered for?

2. Read verses 1-4. Why does Paul accuse the Corinthian Christians of being ‘worldly’? What evidence does he give for that assessment? In what ways do you think we at All Saints’ are more like unbelievers than believers in our attitudes and behaviour?

3. Read verses 5-9. What illustration does Paul use to describe himself and Apollos? What picture does he use of the church? In what ways is the church like a field being planted? Why is it foolish to exalt those who work in that field? What task have you been assigned in the field of God’s church? 

4. Read verses 10-15. What further illustration does Paul use to describe his ministry and the ministry of those who followed him in Corinth? And what picture does he use to describe the church? In what ways is the church like a building under construction? What does it mean to be careful how we build? How do you feel about the quality of your ministry being revealed on the day of judgement? 

5. Read verses 16-17. What kind of destruction of the temple is Paul thinking of in verse 17? How do you see Christian churches being destroyed in this way today? 

6. Read verses 18-23. In what sense do Paul, Apollos and everything else belong to the Corinthians – and to us? Why should this put an end to boasting and quarrelling about human leaders? How does this chapter affect the way you view your own ministry and that of church leaders at All Saints’?


 3. God’s Secret Wisdom - 1 Corinthians 2:6 - 16 

In the previous passage Paul has contrasted human wisdom with the (apparent) foolishness of God as seen in the ‘weak’ message of the cross. For those with eyes to see, however, God’s plan is infinitely wise. It’s a plan that has been revealed by the Spirit, through the apostles, to the believer. One of the clear differences between believers and unbelievers is the way they view what God has done and what God has prepared for us. That difference is a result of the Spirit’s work within them.

 1. Who do you turn to when you need some wisdom?

2. What do you think Paul means by ‘God’s secret wisdom’ in verses 7, 9 and 10a? How do you feel about verses 9 and 10a? How is your outlook on life affected by the promises in these verses?  

3. What part does the Holy Spirit play in making known the wise plan of God?  E.g. what does he do in relation to God, vv10 and 11? What does he do in relation to the apostles, vv 12 and 13? And what does he do in relation to all believers, vv 14-16? Share with the group how that has been your experience since you became a Christian.

 4. According to verse 14, who can’t understand the things of God and why? How was that true of you before you became a Christian and how do you see it as true in others’ lives today? How does that affect the way you share your faith with non-believers and how might it affect what we do at Alpha? 

5. What do you think Paul means when he says that ‘we have the mind of Christ’? What does that enable us to do, verse 15? When did the mind of Christ begin to make a difference in your values, choices and decisions?


2. Wisdom and Folly - 1 Corinthians 1:18 – 2:5 

In 1:17 Paul said that he had been sent ‘to preach the gospel - not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.’ In saying that, he goes to the heart of the Corinthians’ divisions and problems. Corinth was a city where human wisdom was greatly valued and people went to hear clever speakers in the way that we go to football matches. The Corinthian believers were unduly influenced by this way of thinking. They boasted about cleverness and great oratory. 

God’s wisdom turns that way of thinking on its head. God uses a seemingly weak message, chooses weak people to belong to his church, and works through apparently weak messengers. The result is that we boast in God not in ourselves. But the Corinthian church needed to learn that truth afresh. 

1. What was your favourite subject at school? 

2. Read through the whole passage. What does Paul say about the world’s so-called wisdom which leaves God out of the picture? E.g. How does the world today seek to solve its problems? What are the limitations in that and where does it lead, according to this passage? Can you give examples of the kind of worldly thinking and values that Paul has in mind here? Why has God set himself against human wisdom of this kind? 

3. Looking at verses 18-25, what does Paul say about the message of the cross? E.g. What is the impact of preaching the message of the cross and how do we see that same division today? Why does it seem foolish to some? What does it mean that it is the power and wisdom of God to others? What impact has the cross had in your life? 

4. Looking at verses 26-31, what was the make up of the Corinthian congregation? How do you think they were viewed by smart Corinthian society? Why do you think God chose people like them (and us!)? How does that encourage you and yet challenge your pride?

 5. From verses 1-5, what does Paul tell us about his own feelings when he went to Corinth? What did Paul reject when he preached there? What did he put his trust in for effective evangelism in Corinth? Why is it so important that our faith is based on the message of the cross? What does that say to us as we run Alpha and speak to others about the message of the cross?


1. Division or Unity? - 1 Corinthians 1:1-17 

One of the biggest hindrances to God’s work is division within the local church and between local churches. In the opening section of 1 Corinthians Paul addresses disunity brought about by personality cults in the church. Although he begins by reminding them who they are in Christ and then gives thanks for the clear signs that they believed the gospel, he makes a strong appeal to them to agree with one another.    

1. When you were 10, who was your hero? 

2. Read verses 1-3. What does Paul tell us about himself? Why do you think he stresses the fact he was an apostle? What does that mean for the way we should regard his teaching today? 

3. What is surprising about the way Paul describes the Corinthians in verse 2? What are the implications of that as we study this letter? 

4. Read verses 4-9. Before he addresses the problems in Corinth, Paul affirms his readers. What evidence does he see of God’s grace at work among them? What does it mean that All Saints’ has been ‘enriched in every way’ and that we ‘do not lack any spiritual gift’? What does it mean that God ‘will keep you strong to the end’? Do you feel these verses describe you? Why or why not?