Week 3 - The Dearest Place on Earth
Big Idea
Church Membership matters for the good of believers to edify and strengthen them in their walk with Jesus and for unbelievers who will know they follow Jesus by the way they love one another.
Scripture Reading
1 Corinthians 12:12-20 12
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
Discussion Questions
- What is the problem being involved in several churches instead of one church?
- At CrossPointe, like many other churches, the worship services and teaching can be found online. Is this a helpful resource to you? Why? What is the danger of not gathering with the body but watching online?
- Have you seen or been involved with church discipline in your lifetime? What is the purpose of calling believers out when they are living in sin?
- Do you know your spiritual gift? What areas would you like to serve in the church? As a small group, you should help one another serve in the church.
Examples of some of the spiritual gifts that we see today
- Administration
- Discernment
- Evangelism
- Exhortation
- Faith
- Giving
- Leadership
- Mercy
- Pastor/Shepherd
- Teaching
- Service
- Wisdom
- CrossPointe church believes in meaningful church membership. Do you consider your membership at the church meaningful?
Next Steps:
Over the week, see how you can encourage the leadership of the church and members. Make a priority to meet someone new in the church. If you are not a member, seek the Lord in pursuing membership.
Prayer Focus:
Pray for your leaders. Pray for your church. Pray for the ministries of the church. Pray for yourself and others week after week to hear the preaching of God’s Word and apply it to your life.