Every choice we make with our time, our words, and our spiritual gifts is actively building a spiritual structure that will either burn up or endure the testing fire of Christ’s judgment.
Welcome back to our small group study! John Barnett here. I want you to imagine we are sitting right across the table from each other, maybe at Panera or Starbucks, with our Bibles open, our journals ready, and a fresh cup of coffee.
Today, I am incredibly excited to introduce a class that takes us deep into the heart of one of the most sobering and motivating chapters in the entire New Testament. If you want to stop wasting your days on temporary pursuits and start building a life that earns eternal rewards, you absolutely must join us for this lesson. Let me walk you through three memorable, life-changing truths we will unpack together:
1. The Shoreline Pledge and the Kingdom Farm–1 Corinthians 3:5-9; Acts 18
We kick off the class with a personal story of how I sat on the beach at Caesarea Maritima, reading this very chapter, and pledged to build my life entirely for Christ. We will learn that in the kingdom of God, we are all on the same team. Whether we are planting or watering, we are God’s fellow workers, His field, and His buildingāand it is God alone who produces the spiritual growth.
2. The Lego Creations and the Six Building Materials of Life–1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Next, we will look at how we build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. I will explain that our daily actions, words, and thoughts are like little buildings we present to our Heavenly Father, much like kids proudly showing off their Lego or Lincoln Log creations. We have six building materials to choose from: gold, silver, and precious stones (which represent eternal things), or wood, hay, and stubble (which represent temporary, selfish things). It all comes down to a simple chant I used to teach my youth group: "Only two choices on the shelf, pleasing God or pleasing self". Everything built for self will be consumed in the testing fire of judgment, while our eternal works will receive a lasting reward.
3. The Vanity Fair Trap and the Bema Seat Confrontation
Scripture References: Acts 18; 1 Corinthians 1, 3, and 6.
Summary of What’s Covered: Finally, we will step back into the ancient city of Corinthāa bustling seaport city on a thin isthmus that was known as the "Vanity Fair" of the ancient world. We will look at how these first-century "saints" lacked spiritual discipline and allowed the worldly culture of materialism, competition, and immorality to seep in and erode the church from the inside out. Paul had to sharply confront these fleshly, compromised believersāwho were even suing each other in courtāby pointing them to the ultimate reality of the Bema seat of Christ, where all of our lives will one day be evaluated by Jesus Himself.
If you want to break free from worldly compromise and learn how to construct a fireproof life of eternal value, you need to grab your Bible, open your journal, and let’s master the Scriptures together!
From FTGC-36f – https://youtu.be/C6-Z4SUdR78
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