36. Tongues, Prophesy, and Love

Cornerstone West Los Angeles

36. Tongues, Prophesy, and Love

Spiritual gifts are about building up, not showing off

July 23, 2023 • Brian Colmery • 1 Corinthians 14:1–33

Paul gives the Corinthians a better way for church: one not focused on flashy spiritual experience but on genuine spiritual substance. Spiritual gifts are not meant for showing off but for building up, which puts a culture of love at the heart of the church community.

Application Questions:

1. Do you have any experience with prophecy or tongues? Is it positive, negative, or both?

2. Do you treat spiritual gifts more as tools or trophies?

3. How can the gospel free you to pursue building up the church community? What would that look like practically for you?

More from A Better Way: the book of 1 Corinthians

45. Greetings And Grace

October 1, 2023 • Reggie Austin • 1 Corinthians 16:19–24

It's easy to see the greetings at the end of the letter as superficial. But in them we see an affectionate grace that we are to receive ourselves and extend to others as God has to us in Christ. Application Questions: 1. In what ways are you tempted to gloss over greeting? 2. How can you extend an appropriately affectionate greeting to your brother or sister in Christ? 3. How can accepting and embracing the grace of Jesus Christ help you this week?

44. Practicing The Gospel

September 24, 2023 • Brian Colmery • 1 Corinthians 16:1–18

Paul closes the book of 1 Corinthians with several short discussions on practical matters. But under these practical matters we find a deep theology. On three topics—money, plans, and church—we learn how to apply the gospel and find a better way to live in the practical issues of life. Application Questions: 1. How does the gospel give you a new way to think about money? 2. How does the gospel give you a new way to think about your plans? 3. How does the gospel give you a new perspective on life as a Christian in Los Angeles?

43. The Victory of Resurrection

September 10, 2023 • Matt Kleinhans • 1 Corinthians 15:50–58

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is victory over sin and death. We may still feel the sting of death in this life, but the victory of Christ allows us to say, "O death where is your sting!?" Application Questions: 1. How does the future Kingdom of God speak to your present life now? 2. What are ways you distract yourself or cope with the reality of death in this world? 3. What fear(s) do you have about death? 4. How does the victory of the resurrection speak to your fears?