Dillon Community Church

Intro Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come together today grateful for the gift of community and the gift of your Word. As we open our hearts and minds to discuss what it means to live as your people, we ask that you would quiet the noise of our own assumptions and preferences. Help us to be truly open to what you want to speak into each of our lives today. Where there is division in our hearts, bring unity. Where there is a Spirit of competition, bring generosity. May this time together draw us closer to you and to one another. In Jesus name, amen.

Ice Breaker

What is one group, team, or community you have been a part of that you felt genuinely proud to belong to, and what made it feel special?

Key Verses

• 1 Corinthians 1:1-17
• Hebrews 2:1
• Matthew 5:13-14
• Ephesians 4:7

Questions

• Paul opens his letter by reminding the Corinthians of their identity as people who have been sanctified and enriched in Christ. Why do you think he starts there before addressing their problems? How does reminding someone of who they are change the tone of a difficult conversation?
• The sermon described the Roman patronage system, where people gained honor and status by associating with powerful individuals. In what ways do you see a similar dynamic playing out in modern culture, or even in church culture today?
• Pastor Ryan pointed out that Christ appears 14 times in the first 17 verses of 1 Corinthians 1. What does that repetition tell us about where Paul believed the Corinthians had lost their focus? Where do you find your own focus drifting away from Christ?
• The sermon described a "mindset of scarcity" as the root cause of division, and a "mindset of abundance" as the foundation for unity. What does it practically look like to live as though God has already given you everything you need?
• Paul asks the rhetorical question, "Is Christ divided?" The sermon connected this to the image of soldiers gambling for Jesus's clothes at the cross. What does it mean to you personally that the church is the body of Christ, and how does that change the way you think about church conflict or competition?
• The sermon mentioned that we often attach our identity to a political party, a company, a school, or a church rather than to Christ. Can you think of a time when you found your sense of worth or belonging in something other than your identity in Christ? What was the result?
• Pastor Ryan referenced Hebrews 2:1 and the image of drifting in a lazy river or being pulled by a rip current. What are some of the subtle cultural currents in your life right now that could slowly pull you away from a Christ-centered focus without you even noticing?
• Unity, the sermon said, does not mean uniformity. We can disagree on many things while still having the mind of Christ. Where do you think the line is between healthy theological diversity and the kind of divisiveness Paul was warning against?

Life Application

This week, pay attention to the moments when you feel the urge to compete, compare, or attach your sense of worth to something other than Christ. When you notice that feeling, pause and ask yourself: Am I operating from a mindset of scarcity or a mindset of abundance? Choose one specific relationship, whether in your church, your family, or your workplace, where you can intentionally lay down your preferences or need for recognition for the sake of building that person up. Come back next week ready to share what you noticed.

Key Takeaways

• The church in Corinth was divided because believers had allowed the surrounding culture's values of honor, status, and patronage to shape how they related to one another, attaching their identity to human leaders rather than to Christ.
• Paul begins his correction not with rebuke but with gratitude, reminding the Corinthians of what God has already done for them. Recognizing God's generosity is the starting point for addressing any problem in the church.
• A mindset of scarcity, the belief that significance must be earned and honor must be competed for, is the root of division. A mindset of abundance, trusting that God has already given us everything we need in Christ, is the foundation of unity.
• When the church makes itself about personalities, preferences, or tribal loyalties, it presents a divided Christ to the world. The witness of the church depends on its unity.
• Unity in the church is not the same as uniformity. It means having the mind of Christ, laying down personal preferences for the sake of others, and keeping the focus consistently on Jesus rather than on ourselves.

Ending Prayer

Lord, thank you for this time together and for the truth of your Word. We confess that it is easy to drift, easy to attach our worth to the wrong things, and easy to let a Spirit of competition creep into our relationships and our communities. Forgive us for the ways we have contributed to division rather than unity. Remind us daily that our identity is secure in you, that you have already given us everything we need, and that we belong to Christ alone. May that truth move from our heads into our hearts and change the way we treat one another this week. Let us be salt and light in a world that desperately needs both. In Jesus name, amen.