04 Oct
2026

Bear With Each Other

Passage: 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

REFLECTION QUOTE

“Because God has already laid the only foundation of our fellowship. . .  because God has bound us together in one body with other Christians in Jesus Christ . . . . We enter that common life not as demanders but as thankful recipients. . . . We thank God for giving us brothers and sisters who live by his call, by his forgiveness, and his promise.”

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

When you consider the cross being planted in every sphere of your life, what changes of behavior has God led you to make because you belong to Christ? Why are your new patterns of behavior a better reflection of the life of Christ?

What practices or people have helped you to intentionally think through the implications of the cross in particular areas of your life?

Read 1 Corinthians 6:1-11. What does this passage show you about God’s character and about being his follower? What challenges, encourages, or sparks questions for you in this passage?

In verses 1-8, what is Paul’s reasoning for forbidding Christians to take each other to court?
According to this passage, what is at stake in Christians handling (non-criminal) disputes with wisdom among God’s people?
In verse 11, Paul powerfully describes the distinction between those who are following Jesus and those who are not. Christians have been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord and by the Spirit of our God. Discuss the implications of each of these descriptions. Paul included all of them intentionally! How might this description of our identity in Christ impact the way we relate with others in the midst of a dispute?
Paul calls Christians to an active ministry of discernment. What is our source and process of gaining understanding in order to discern what is right? How do we practice the kind of discernment Paul expects in our church family? What hurdles do we face in practicing discernment?
What from this passage and this discussion is something you want to put into practice or be more aware of this week or praise God for?

 

PRAYER

Share with your group how they can be praying for you: what is weighing on you from this past week? What are you praising God for from this past week?

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:15-17