Our Resurrection Weekend services begin with our Good Friday Evening Gathering, March 29 at 7:00 pm, and conclude with our regular Sunday activities on Resurrection Sunday Morning, March 31!

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Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

  • Read 1 Cor 11:17-22. Notice the transition at the beginning of this section. To what topic does Paul shift his attention to here? How does Paul’s approval of the Corinthians differ in this section compared with the last? (Compare v. 2 with v.17 & 22)
  • What is Paul’s reason for not commending the Corinthians in v. 17? What is Paul specifically referring to that would be “for the worse”? (See vv. 18-22) Has Paul addressed the issue of divisions among the Corinthians in this letter already? (See 1:10-17 and 3:1-23) How are the divisions he is addressing here different from the earlier divisions he addressed?
  • What is the reason in v. 19 that Paul gives for believing that there are divisions among them? Does it seem like Paul would really need to justify why he believes that there are divisions among the church in Corinth given their obvious propensity for divisiveness? How does this help you understand v. 19? 
  • What does Paul accuse them of in vv. 20-22? What would cause the church to abandon partaking of the Lord’s Supper for the scene described in vv. 21-22? What is the problem Paul points out with their eating and drinking in these verses? How does he respond to this?
  • The Sermon Study equipping class notes are available online for anyone wanting to dig deeper. Please review this week's notes to help study this passage. Click here for the notes.

Prayerfully Meditate

  • In what ways can you be proactive in keeping Summit Woods from coming under an indictment like the one in these verses? How can you seek the spiritual benefit of those in the body of Christ when we come together? In what ways can you be proactive in destroying divisiveness among the flock?
  • Is it possible that some divisions can be a good thing? (v. 19) Do you think that is what Paul is saying? Why or why not? Our experience is not a reliable or infallible guide. Either way this verse is to be understood, seek to humble your heart to what God’s Word teaches here.
  • In what ways have you sought your own desires at the expense of others within the gathered body of Christ? In what ways have you been humiliated by those seeking their own desire within the gathered body of Christ? Can you pursue reconciliation in either of these situations? How does the seriousness of Paul’s warning that if you’re seeking your own desire above others as “despising the church of God” stir you to repentance?