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
- The passage for this Sunday will continue 1 Corinthians 7 and deal with issues of marriage. Read 1 Corinthians 7:1-16, re-read 7:12-16 to prepare for this Sunday's sermon.
- Who are the rest Paul is referring to in verse 12? Review the categories in verses 7-11 to identify who the "rest" are.
- Summarize the scenarios given in verses 12 and 13. Why does Paul emphasize it is his words and not the Lord's? What does this do to the authority of Paul's commands as compared to Jesus?
- Paul gives the reason with the "for" in verse 14, for verses 12 and 13 scenarios. The "for" offers the explanation of why a believing spouse should stay with an unbelieving spouse. What does Paul mean by the terms: sanctification, unclean, and holy?
- In verse 15, if the unbelieving spouse leaves, what is the believing spouse allowed? What does Paul mean the brother or sister is called to peace instead of being under bondage? Bondage to what? Peace with whom?
- How can one save an unbelieving spouse as Paul indicates in verse 16?
- 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
- Thinking through this passage, prayerfully consider the implications of a believer marrying a believer as compared to an unbeliever.
- How does this passage allow for a marriage to be dissolved? What does this say about the necessity of marriage to reflect the gospel to unbelievers?
- What benefits are there in a gospel-centered marriage that are extended to unbelieving spouses and children?
- What hope is there for an unbelieving spouse in marriage to a believer? What does that imply for children in a gospel-centered family?