Preparing for Sunday - 1 Corinthians

September 8, 2016 by Sam Walker Preparing for Sunday

Prepare your heart for Sunday by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and tangibly putting scripture to action in your personal life, and in our corporate body.

Carefully Think

We start a new series in 1 Corinthians after completing the Gospel of Matthew last spring. Read the entire book of 1 Corinthians. It contains 16 chapters and is readable in approximately one hour at a moderate pace. You can listen to it as well online by clicking here.
As you read through the book, skim it first looking for the type of writing (i.e. narrative, letter, historical, poetic, etc.), author, recipients, and common words used over and over. Also, look for contextual clues to location, timing, cultural indicators, issues being addressed, purpose, etc. Notice section headings to identify themes and other topics.
As you read through the text, try to identify presuppositions (pre-conceived ideas and understanding) about the book and how you came to those notions.
The Sermon Study equipping class notes are available online for anyone wanting to dig deeper. Please review this week's notes in studying the text to get a general overview of 1 Corinthians. Click here for the notes.

Prayerfully Meditate

The book of 1 Corinthians deals with many issues found within the church at Corinth. Pray that as these issues are preached, our church body would be reflecting on similarities in our body to those issues addressed by Paul to the church at Corinth and how we should Biblically walk through them as a body together.
Pray for God to show you clearly areas in your heart that you have already formed ideas regarding 1 Corinthians that you might cause you trouble being open to the teaching of God's word.
Pray for a framework to be developed that will help build a solid understanding of Paul's intending meaning for his audience, the Corinthians, and how this helps us grow in our understanding as the Scripture is exposited.

Intentionally Act

Identify passages that are not clear right now and continue to re-read them and meditate on them, in prayer asking for God to give clarity.
Pray for a heart this is prepared by God to receive the teaching in this book and apply it in our own lives, both individually and corporately.
Pray for your heart to become receptive to all circumstances God brings to you daily. Pray that in those circumstances He would bring opportunities for you to strengthen the church in unity and to evangelize the lost.
Pray that the Lord would use the preaching of his Word to restore and build His people.
Rehearse the music and review the lyrics to see how we are reflecting on truths that have been preserved over thousands of years to encourage us as we praise our God and sing to one another to admonish and encourage one another.
Pray for those leading our corporate gathering this week and for the Holy Spirit’s work as the Word of God is further explained and applied: Dawson Bryant, music; Adam Naler, Elders' prayer and Scripture reading; Bret Capranica, teaching.

Songs for Sunday

Lyrics

Lyrics Morning Gathering - September 11, 2016