1. A lesson in “hermeneutics”  —    

 1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-7, “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant…. ⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. ⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

3. What was happening in Corinth?

See 1 Corinthians 14:18-19, 22-25                    

4. Four Takeaways —                                                                              

See 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

1. You should abstain from _________________________. 
2. We are sexual creature so sexual expression can be pursued and fulfilled in and through ____________________. 

Read 1 Corinthians 7:6-9 

3. In the Bible, you have marriage celebrated, honored, revered and blessed, but never _____________________. And never            ___________________ above being single. 

Read 1Corinthians 7:32-38  

1 Corinthians 7:10-11, ”To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. ¹¹ But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.” 

Read Matthew 5:31-32 

4. Divorce is _________________. What are the exceptions:

1 Corinthians 7:12-13, 15, 24, “To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. ¹³ And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him… But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances…. Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.”  

1 Corinthians 7:39-40, ”A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. ⁴⁰ In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.” 

5. In God’s eyes, the most important area of compatibility is: do they share your ____________________.

1. ________________ was among the most prized and protected values in the early church. 

John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 

John 17:23, ”I in them and you in Me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.” 

2. Jesus knew there is only one thing that would validate in the world’s mind who He was… It would be the ___________, the  __________, of those that would call themselves His followers. 

1 Corinthians 1:11-13, ”My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹² What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’ ¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

1 Corinthians 3:1-4, “Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? ⁴ For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere human beings?”

3. You’re acting like ________________________.

1. It’s all about _______________. It’s all about becoming a son or daughter of God.

John 1:12, ”Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”

Galatians 3:26, ”So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.”

Luke 3:22, ”And the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased.’”

1 John 3:1, ”See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.”

Ephesians 3:17b-19, ”…And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

2. God wants us to _____________ as sons and daughters, and to let that new identity form the deepest understanding of who we are and how we relate to Him.

1. We need to make it crystal clear to men: _____________        is the ultimate reward. It far outweighs money or success. 

Psalm 10:14, 17-18, ”But You, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; You consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to You; You are the helper of the fatherless… ¹⁷ You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry,¹⁸ defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals  will never again strike terror.” 

Psalm 68:5, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.” 

2. Being a father is not just about provision or protection. It’s about _____________. intimacy, love or ___________. 
3. In other words “father figures” are meant to be fathers who ______________, who factor in and who play a role. 
4. Until a man knows he’s a man, he will forever be trying _______________ he is one, and often in destructive ways. 

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12, ^“For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,¹² encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into His kingdom and glory.” 

5. “Fathers are the ones who tell their little girls that they are ______________________________________.”

1. John’s baptism was not about appearing _____________ but            being made ____________— from the inside out— and baptism represented that transformation.

Matthew 3:11, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes One who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Matthew 3:13-15, ”Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to deter Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?’ ¹⁵ Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented.”

Matthew 28:19-20, ”Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

2. Why does baptism matter?                    

Matthew 10:32-33, “Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns Me before others, I will disown before My Father in heaven.”

1. Worry accomplishes absolutely _______________.

Matthew 6:27, ”Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

2. God _______________.

Matthew 6:30-32, ”If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

3. God is completely ____________________.

Matthew 6:33, ”But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

4. It’s worth noting…

1. As a teenager, Jesus was respectful and ________________  to His parents.

John 2:1-5, “On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, ² and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to Him, ‘They have no more wine.’  ⁴ ’Woman, why do you involve Me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My hour has not yet come.’ ⁵ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’”

2. There may be sometimes in your adult life when you feel like your mom is _________________ in your life.

Proverbs 15:20, “A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.”

Mark 3:20-21, ”Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples were not even able to eat. ²¹ When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of Him, for they said, ‘He is out of His mind.’”

See Matthew 13:54-57

Mark 3:31-35, ”Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call Him. ³² A crowd was sitting around Him, and they told Him, ‘Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.’ ³³ ’Who are My mother and My brothers?’ He asked. ³⁴ Then He looked at those seated in a circle around Him and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! ³⁵ Whoever does God’s will is My brother and sister and mother.’”

3. Honor your mom by __________________________.

 John 19:25-27, ”Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ ²⁷ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”

4. Honoring your parents means making __________________ __ for them.

1. The ____________ are so high.

Matthew 19:29, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for My sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”

2. Five reasons why we need to avoid Hell.                                                  

Luke 12:4-5, “I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him.”

3. Another reason the race really matters is because the spectators are so __________________ and inspirational.
4. Another reason the race is so important is because the               ____________________ is so demanding.

2 Peter 2:20, “If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.”