Dillon Community Church

Intro Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come to you today as a group of people who want to hear from you. We ask that you quiet the noise in our minds and soften our hearts so that we can be truly open to what you want to teach us. Just as Paul reminded the Corinthians to remember the cross and to trust the Spirit, remind us today that your wisdom is greater than anything we could figure out on our own. We do not want to simply consume information; we want to encounter you. So speak to us, Holy Spirit. Reveal what you want each of us to take away from this time together, and may we leave changed in some small but meaningful way. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ice Breaker

What is one hobby, subject, or skill that you were completely captivated by when you first discovered it, and what made it so exciting at the beginning?

Key Verses

• 1 Corinthians 1:18
• 1 Corinthians 1:25-31
• 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
• 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Questions

• Pastor Ryan shared a personal story about how his growing biblical knowledge slowly led to a posture of pride and criticism rather than humility and love. Can you relate to a time when knowing more about something made you more critical rather than more gracious? What did that reveal about your heart?
• Paul says the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but the power of God to those being saved. Why do you think the cross, a symbol of humiliation and defeat, is so central to the Christian message? What does it say about how God operates?
• The sermon described how the Corinthians brought their cultural values of status, eloquence, and social recognition into the church. In what ways do you see our culture's values of self optimization, platform building, and influence creeping into how we think about the Christian lifetoday?
• Paul reminds the Corinthians that not many of them were wise, influential, or of noble birth when God called them. Why do you think God chooses the weak and lowly to accomplish His purposes? How does that challenge or encourage you personally?
• The sermon made the point that status and influence are a limited good, meaning they can only be gained at the expense of someone else. How does the gospel offer a completely different kind of identity and security that does not depend on comparison or competition?
• Pastor Ryan said that humans do not find God's wisdom through clever ingenuity; rather, it finds them through the Spirit's revelation. What does it look like practically to create space for the Spirit to speak in your daily life, rather than always trying to figure things out on your own?
• The sermon challenged the group to remember what it felt like when they first came to Jesus, describing it as a time of wonder, freedom, and peace. How would you describe your faith journey since then? Has it grown more alive or more rigid, and what do you think contributed to that?
• Francis Schaeffer was quoted as saying that the world has a right to question whether Christians are genuine if they do not show love for one another. How does genuine unity and love within a church community serve as evidence for the truth of the gospel? What is one practical way your group could demonstrate that kind of love?

Life Application

This week, set aside at least ten minutes each day for quiet reflection after your regular prayer or Bible reading. Instead of filling every moment with words or requests, practice simply saying, "Lord, speak. Your servant is listening," and then wait in silence. Pay attention to what the Spirit brings to your mind,whether it is a conviction, an encouragement, a memory of how God has worked in your life, or a nudge toward someone you need to reach out to. At the end of the week, write down anything that stood out to you during those quiet moments and bring it back to share with your group next time.

Key Takeaways

• The cross directly challenges the world's definition of wisdom, power, and greatness. When we measure the Christian life by cultural standards of status, eloquence, or influence, we risk missing the very thing that gives the gospel its power.
• God deliberately chooses what the world considers foolish and weak to accomplish His purposes, so that no one can boast in themselves but only in the Lord. This levels the playing field and creates the kind of unity that the church is called to embody.
• True wisdom is not something we discover through human ingenuity or clever arguments. It is revealed by the Holy Spirit, which means we must create space for the Spirit to move rather than relying solely on our own strategies and formulas.
• The love and unity that believers show toward one another is one of the most powerful evidences for the truth of the gospel. Division and rivalry within the church undermine the very message the church is called to proclaim.
• Recapturing a sense of wonder in our faith requires us to remember the cross and what it felt like to first encounter Jesus, and to resist the drift toward a rigid, formulaic faith that crowds out the Spirit's transforming work.

Ending Prayer

Lord, thank you for this time together and for the reminder that your wisdom looks nothing like what the world celebrates. We confess that we are easily pulled back into old patterns of comparison, competition, and self-promotion, and we need your grace to keep returning to the cross as the foundation of who we are. Help us to find our identity not in what we achieve or how others see us, but in the fact that you chose us, called us, and made us your own. As we leave today, may we carry with us a renewed sense of wonderat what you have done through Christ. Teach us to make room for your Spirit in the quiet moments of ourweek, and may the love we show for one another be a testimony to the world that the gospel is true andthat you are worth trusting. In Jesus name, Amen.