MEETING AGENDA
- OPENING PRAYER – Ask one person to open the meeting in prayer.
- GROWTH QUESTIONS – Ask everyone the Growth Questions.
- ATTENDANCE – Take attendance through the DG Attendance System.
- TODAY’S LESSON – Go over this week’s DG lesson.
- GIVING – Encourage everyone to give on the App.
- CLOSING PRAYER – Ask for prayer requests and pray.
GROWING UP SPIRITUALLY
TODAY’S PASSAGE:
1 Corinthians 2:1-9 (NLT) – 1 When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. 6 Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
- Paul chose to preach the message of Jesus Christ with simplicity. He didn’t rely on fancy speech or try to impress people with how he could communicate.
- His focus was plain and simple – He just talked about Jesus!
- Paul knew that we need to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to bring the message home to people.
- It’s not about how well we can communicate, it’s about God’s desire to save people! The Holy Spirit is the real power behind salvation, not a clever story or speech from us!
- This wisdom of God is beyond human comprehension. In fact, Paul speaks of God’s wisdom as a hidden mystery.
- DEFINITION – mystery (mystērion): a hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding; a hidden purpose, counsel or plan
- God’s plan for the salvation of all mankind was hidden, but now has now been put on display through Jesus Christ!
- God’s mysterious plan was always to provide salvation from sin for everyone through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
- In our last verse today, Paul references Isaiah 64:4, emphasizing that the blessings and plans God has prepared for those who love Him are too great for us to imagine.
- The mystery of salvation is beyond human understanding and requires faith to receive, and the blessings God are just like that! They are way beyond our ability to grasp mentally and require faith in our hearts to receive them!
- The depth and richness of what awaits believers in this life and the next are massive!
- No matter what you may be facing today, if you are trusting God for your future, it’s going to get better!