Passage for this week: 1 Corinthians 8:13
Resource: Pray The Word Podcast by David Platt
How to use this resource: The questions below should be read after you and your family have spent time listening to the resource, and after you have had time to read through the passage carefully and slowly. Following your family time discussion (using the questions below, or your own questions regarding this text), close in prayer and ask your kids how you can be praying for them and let them know how they can be praying for you as parents.
Family Devotional Question For This Week:
1. What stands out to you the most from reading this passage? What did you learn that is new to you from this passage? What did you learn that caused you to remember something you’ve known, or what has been reinforced from reading this passage?
2. What is Paul saying in this verse? With this verse in context to the surrounding verses, what should our lives look like as we live this passage out?
(Potential answers: Just as Pastor Jason covered this passage and its surrounding context this weekend, the focal point of this verse (and surrounding context) is to drive us into thinking NOT of ourselves, but about others and how we can spiritual benefit them and their maturity in Christ. of course, with everything being “ritually” clean for christians (now under the new covenant of Jesus Christ), we now are not bound by the former laws that were meant for Gods people to follow as they sought to live these set-apart lives from what the surrounding idolatrous nations were doing and partaking in. To sum this up then, we shouldn’t seek the enjoyment of what we desire OVER the spiritual benefit of our less mature brothers and sisters in Christ, especially if they may see us partaking in something (that isn’t inherently sinful) that they misconstrue as irreverent or unholy or ungodly. Again, we should seek the benefit of them in their current state and be willing to help them along in growth and understanding, not boisterously charging on without this examination!)
3. How can we get into the mindset of living our lives for the sake of others knowing Jesus Christ and further following Him with the life that we have?
(Potential answers: This should be a personal/reflection question for us to come up with ways individually and collectively that we can seek the benefit and advancement of one another rather than the enjoyment or fulfillment of ourselves. Ask this and think about how your life today, this week, this month can be directed to helping your brother or sister in Christ and in community AND for those who don’t yet know Jesus to bring them closer to a saving relationship with Him. Your life will be the reflection of what you profess to believe about Jesus, and for some people, you are the only Gospel-influence they will see and understand, so be wise and thoughtful about how you interact with others and how you represent Christ as an ambassador!)
Prayer Prompts For This Week:
– Pray that your life would be set apart and different from everyone else that your lost friends may see. Pray for this to be a conversation starter this week and for those who will see us to ask what is different about us.
– Pray that we would forsake comfort, pride, self-establishment and any other things that keep us self-focused – without forsaking truth – and for a missional lifestyle that seeks the betterment of others, including our brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray for this self examination and for God to highlight areas in our lives where we need to be hyper-focused on the representation we have to others who don’t yet know Jesus Christ.
– Continue to pray for one another and write down or remember the requests of each person. Either have one person pray over each request, or delegate those prayer requests so that each person prays for something or someone specific.