9/21 Road Blocks- Immorality, 1 Corinthians 5-6

Read 1 Corinthians 5:1-5

• Seems kind of harsh to me. What right does Paul have to judge this person?
• Shouldn’t a church help those who fall out of the way?
• In Christianity today, have we become unable to tell the difference between Christian freedom and scandalous behavior?

Read 1 Corinthians 5:6-13

• Verses 6-8: “The whole Christian life, from this point of view, becomes one long Passover-celebration!” – Tom Wright.
• Verses 9-13:  Paul says that we should associate with non-believers and those who are not following the same practices as us. Why? Because we would have to form a space colony to make sure that we were free from their influence. However, what does he say about the immoral believer?

Read 1 Corinthians 6:1-8

•  Verses 1-6: Think about if you had a car and took it to a mechanic shop. You like that mechanic shop and you think they do a good job. But one day you are on the other side of town and happen to peer into another mechanic shop. There you see your mechanic getting his car fixed in someone else’s business. Would you trust your mechanic shop if the workers themselves go somewhere else to get their cars fixed? Paul’s point here is that we should settle Christian disputes within the Christian community.  Why go to someone who does not have the same morals and convictions and allow them to judge based upon man’s law? How would this mindset help the church today?
• Verses 7-8: In a Christian community there should be civilized ways to settle disputes and Christian love should win over selfish gain.

Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

• Does this mean that we simply give up on people who are living this lifestyle? No,  it actually should motivate us to work on them and bring them into the body of Christ.

Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

•  How does this stand in opposition to the mindset of many Christians today: I’m saved, so it doesn’t matter what I do, I’m forgiven?
• You can take some of this and almost make the statement that if we are having sex outside of marriage, if we are participating in sexual immorality, then we in fact are committing adultery against not only our future mate, but our present God.
•  Paul notes that sexual sins hurt yourself. Murder hurts someone else, and their families, stealing hurts the one being stole from, but sexual impurity actually hurts the one participating in the actions.

Road Block

• While the first two road blocks we talked about; loyalty and intellect, seem not to be a big deal and rather manageable, this road block is a big one. It has deterred many steady Christians. People who were on top of the world and were living righteously fall in a matter of seconds.  Sexual immorality is far and wide. It comes in many forms: homosexual behavior, sex outside the bonds of marriage, looking at pornography, lusting after girls or boys at school or in movies.
•  Anyone can find their ways around filters, anyone can get their hands on porn. You can find ways to be alone with him or her.  We are sexual beings. The fact that you feel that way towards the opposite sex is natural and is a gift from God. However, it is to be used only with your future wife or husband and to bring glory to God.

9/13 Road Blocks- Intellect, 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16

Intro:

• What are some intellectual arguments against the existence of God?
• What are some intellectual arguments against Jesus as Savior?
• I want you to sit here and think about God. Do you think you could possibly think your way out of faith?

Lesson

• Read 1 Corinthians 1:18. Paul is contrasting worldly wisdom with the message of the cross.
• Read 1 Corinthians 1:19. God has a great sense of humor here. Let’s think about all the scholars and people on television who say there is no God. These brainy people believe that they are so smart and they believe that there is no way a God could exist. God is saying if you try to find laws of motion, or physics or anything else that proves that I am here, you won’t find it. I made those laws, and am above those laws!
• Read 1 Corinthians 1:20-24. Why is the cross a stumbling block to Jews? It causes them to say their whole faith was fulfilled by the death of a carpenter. Why is the cross foolishness to Gentiles? Their attitude goes along the lines of: live like you want, earn the most you can, get rich and popular. That sounds a whole lot different than the life of Jesus, and the life that He calls His followers to live.
• Read 1 Corinthians 1:25-31. What aspects of the Christian life does not make sense to people?
• Read 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. Paul knew his audience when he came to Corinth to preach the Gospel. Do you know your audience when you are evangelizing?
• Read 1 Corinthians 2:6-16. Does this make sense why people cannot understand or fathom God? I don’t know what Oprah is thinking right now because I’m not a mind reader and my spirit/thoughts are not her thoughts. This is why people do not understand God. They rely on their intellect and try to see things, but they cannot understand God because God’s thoughts, His Spirit is not in them.

Road Blocks:

• What questions do you have about God? What answers do you need to know? What is in your mind that prevents you from truly trusting in God or accepting Him as real and true? Today, write your questions down, and earnestly seek God’s spirit, the one that lives in you, and have the Spirit fill your mind with knowledge. Will it make sense to your mind? Probably not, but it is the answer.

9/6 Road Blocks: Loyalty, 1 Corinthians 1:1-17, 3-4

Introduction:

• Each student got with other students who shared their same favorite this, or favorite that: favorite musician, favorite color, favorite movie, favorite TV show, favorite NFL team, favorite school subject
• We have favorite this, favorite that. Most of the time it’s not a big deal. But in some cases it could get very dangerous.
• Before we get into Corinthians, we must take a few notes about them. What do you know about them? Very well to do area, aristocratic, very Roman, Much like American society.

Lesson:

Read 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Read 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

• There was a problem with loyalty with the Corinthians. Some followed Paul because he was the first to bring the good news to them. Some Apollos, a newer, flashier evangelist, who brought the same message. Some followed Cephas, who is Cephas? (Peter). Some followed Peter because he was the first, the main leader of the church. Others did not follow any man, but Christ. Which ones were right?
• Paul notes that it doesn’t matter who brings the message, but rather the source of the message- Jesus.

Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-4

• Paul revisits the issue in chapter 3. Paul contrasts himself with Apollos.

Read 1 Corinthians 3:5-9

• Paul once again states that they were nothing more than messengers,

Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-22

• Foundations built on Christ cannot stay up unless the building on top of it remains Christ.

Read 1 Corinthians 4

• Paul warns them about being loyal to each other and looking out for themselves. He notes that they have plenty of brothers, but not many fathers. They don’t have the guidance they need within their own people. They have everything they could need, except for guidance. That is why he sent Timothy to them. Though he was young, he was mature enough to give them advice and walk them through their questions and quarrels

Road Blocks

• We are loyal to many things. There are some things that we do not want to give up. They may be our idols. But we are called to give them up. We cannot be loyal to a person. I’ve heard many people quit going to church because a pastor left, or a youth minister left. God is still the same, and is still there, we are not loyal to men, but to God. Let us come and write those things that are preventing us from being who God calls us to be.
• The students wrote on pieces of paper those things that they are loyal to that are keeping their relationship with God from moving, or preventing them from being the person they are called to be. They will be taped onto an actual 'road block' sign and displayed.