Relationships worth Fighting For: Single-Minded Singleness
1 Corinthians 7
Connect:
Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.
Prayer:
Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.
Review:
We are moving into a series called “Relationships worth fighting for”. Last week, we looked at the challenge of fatherhood, and this week the focus is on serving the Lord and living out His life as an unmarried person (like Paul the Apostle and many others)!
The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…
o What did you learn about God?
o What did you learn about people?
o What did you learn about yourself?
o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?
Reflect:
Experience:
Try to think of people in the Bible who served God as singles (Elijah, Elisha, Jesus, Paul…)
Talk about the advantages of being unmarried in terms of availability, focus etc. when it comes to engaging in Kingdom focused work (1 Cor 7:32,33). What are some of the disadvantages?
Read 1 Corinthians 7:7-8
In Genesis, God said it is “not good for man to be alone”, and now Paul is saying, “it is good for them to remain unmarried, as I do”. What is the context here? (See 1 Cor 7:25-39)
The “present crisis” of persecution that believers were facing was very real. If you lived in that time, how would you have responded to Paul’s recommendations here (7:25-39)?
In verse 8, Paul makes it clear that it is “better to marry than to burn with passion”! In other words, temple prostitutes are not an option here: get married! Look at the following Scriptures and discuss the way these support this teaching (Prov 5:3-5, 1 Cor 6:15-20, Matt 5:27-28).
NOTE: We ALL sin in God’s eyes, and we ALL need Jesus as much as any sex worker and the new life He brings (Matt 21:31-32, 2 Cor 5:17), so this is simply admonishing us to avoid temptation.
Read 1 Corinthians 7:17,25-28
Paul is talking here as if singleness is part of the assignment they have in the Lord at this present chapter they are in! Can you think of people who have learned to thrive in that situation? Describe it— what do you see in their character, service, etc that reflects a sense of calling?
What are some of the choices that a person would need to make in order to thrive in this situation?
Respond:
Scott ended the message this week by challenging us that a single person leverages their margins for Kingdom causes. Margins are things we all have and seek to create; spend some time in prayer together that God would lead and support those who are currently unmarried, and that the Holy Spirit would help each of us to leverage our margins for the cause of God’s Kingdom!
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