Read
Acts 18:1-4 – 1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
1 Corinthians 1:1-9 – 1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 6:9-20 – 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
PONDER
Consider how you have spent your time over the last week.
- What has dominated your time? Your thoughts? Your desires?
- Have you given your time to things which are helping you follow and be more like Jesus?
- Have you given more time to earthly things or eternal things?
Do you believe that you are not your own?
- Where are you most tempted to hold onto your autonomy or freedom?
- Is your default to make decisions through the lens of your preference and the preferences of those closest to you, or through a biblical worldview?
Meditate on this gospel reality: We were unrighteous, unholy, dead in our sin, deserving of only death and destruction. “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” Let this reality lead you to worship!
PRAY
- Father, thank you for the gospel that gives life to sinners. We have been bought with a price.
- Father, I am not my own. I belong to you.
- Father, help me to flee sin and temptation, and bring glory to you.
- Father, by your Spirit, help us to see, know, and love you more through your Word.
- Father, prepare me to gather with my church and worship you. You are worthy! To you be the glory!
Sing: Listen to this week’s songs on Spotify
PRactice
Gather! 9:30am or 11:00am.
This Sunday we will take the Lord’s Supper to remember and rejoice in Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. Take a moment before the gathering to prepare your heart to partake of the bread and the cup by confessing sin in your life. If you have children, have a conversation with them about the elements they will see in the gathering. Read 1 Corinthians 11:17-29 together. If your children are not believers, explain why they should not yet partake in the Lord’s Supper. If your children are believers, use this as an opportunity to praise God for his work in their lives.
Talk About It:
- Tell someone one thing that you learned from your Bible reading this week.
- Practice telling someone the story of God’s Word, from the beginning to what you have read so far.
5 Practices to Gathering Well:
- Be Present – The first step to gathering well: Gather!
- Be Early – Prioritize the gathering with your time. Don’t be late. The practical discipleship of this priority can be profound for you and your family.
- Be Prepared – Ponder, pray, sing, fast, and praise are all good ways to prepare.
- Be Uncomfortable – Sit with different people. Sing loud. Challenge routines. Gather on mission.
- Be Responsive – Don’t just be hearers of the Word, be doers. Pray. Ponder. Practice. Too often we gather to affirm what we already hold, rather than be taught, rebuked, corrected, or trained in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Gather to be transformed.
- Get help and accountability in Prepare Sundays at either 9:30 or 11:00 am across from the Give2Go Cafe. Prepare is a Go Study Group aimed to help us grow as doers of the Word by working through the next steps required to faithfully apply the biblical text we’re reading and preaching through at TCBC.