Summary

What we’re going to see today seems—at the same time— appealing and unrealistic. Sure, all of us would love to be the sort of person described in 1 Cor 13. We would love to live in a “fairy-tale landscape of grace,” but that’s kind of the problem. It feels like a fairy tale … but we live in the real world.

Sermon Questions

1. What is your definition of love? How does your definition compare with the definition that Paul gives in 1 Corinthians 13?
2. What is the problem that Paul is trying to correct in 1 Corinthians 11-12? Get a good Bible Commentary and give the answer to that question?
3. The Corinthians were: impressive religiously on the outside, full of selfish immaturity on the inside. Corinth’s worship services looked fit: They had intense worship. Miraculous signs=Gifted leaders and speakers. But only on the outside. Inside, if you looked past their service and their giftedness and into their hearts, you found hearts clogged with selfishness. How are the Corinthians similar to us? How are we different?
4. Read through the 15-characteristcs of love in 1 Corinthians 13. Which of those characteristics do you do really well? Which of those characteristics do you do really poorly?
5. Only Jesus can heal the hurt part of you. The love of Jesus gives you the acceptance you crave; the significance you crave; his promises gives you the security that you crave. And then it teaches you how to love. How has Jesus taught you to love?