Thursday, May 28, 2009

The Knowledge of God

1 Corinthians 13:12 tells us that God knows us fully. We tried today to answer the question: "The fact that God knows me fully now should cause me to....." We all agreed that we ought to humble ourselves before Him knowing He knows all about me. I can't hide my sin; I need to confess my sin right away! It should cause me to love Him more, to serve Him more, to trust Him more.... How would you answer this question?

Friday, May 22, 2009

1 Corinthians 13:11

A summary of verses 8-11: Verse 8 – Gifts are temporary, but love is eternal. Verse 9 and 10 – Gifts are partial, but love is complete. Verse 11- Gifts are elementary, but love is mature. As we look at verse 11 we see that Paul is describing how as a child we are immature in our thoughts and speech. As we grow, we put away those childish things. So it is in our spiritual growth. Ephesians 4:15 says that we are to "grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." As we grow spiritually and we will see that showing love to others is more important than loving ourselves. What are your thoughts on this verse? How do we put away childish ways spiritually as we grow?

Thursday, May 21, 2009

1 Corinthians 13:10

This verse says "...but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away." We know that when Christ returns we will be complete. Until then, what should I do? What should my focus be each day? Am I seeking to live godly each day until the Lord returns? Am I sharing Christ with others? Sometimes we get bogged down with the "here and now." How can I direct my heart and mind to have the right focus?

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Love Never Ends...

As we move on to the final section of 1 Corinthians 13, we see the permanence of love. Verse 8 tells us that love never ends. The gifts in the Corinthian church will pass away and will not last forever, and Paul is telling them that love will last forever! As you seek to practically apply this truth to your life ask yourselves these questions: 1) What if my main goal was to be successful at love above all things? 2) How would that impact my life and others lives?

Monday, May 11, 2009

Review of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Verses 4-7 of 1 Corinthians 13 is jammed packed full of truths. We've tried our best to help you to practically apply these verses to your life. As we reflect on what we've learned, we'd like to ask you - what have you learned? How can you apply these principles of love to difficult relationships in life?

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Love Endures All Things

What does "love endures all things" mean? It is the idea that love is patient, enduring, long-suffering through trials, circumstances that are tough. It is the idea of enduring through hatred, loss, or loneliness. Why should we endure? Hebrews 10:36 gives us an answer: "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised." We endure as we look forward to God's promises. James 1:2-3 says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." As you begin to think about the endurance God wants you to have, we hope you'll mediated on these verses to help you see that you can endure through difficult times through God's strength. We're going to talk about how we can endure in our relationships, so be thinking of some practical ways concerning this. Will you share your thoughts with us? We hope you'll tune in tomorrow!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Love Hopes All Things

David is an example of one who showed His hope - Psalm 42:11. He gives the answer to his discouragement: Hope in God. There are many other verses in Psalms where David shares his heart of hope and trust in God. What great example to us as we ought to trust and hope in God for His promises. Abraham also had hope in God's promise that he should be the father of many nations- Romans 4:18. How can "hoping all things" affect your relationship with your husband? Children? Church family? Extended family and friends? How can "hoping all things" affect you?