Bible Reading
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
[23:04]Romans 5:8 “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
[32:41]1 John 4:7-12 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”
[39:05]Observation questions
- In 1 Corinthians 13:1–3, what impressive gifts and costly sacrifices does Paul name? What does he say is missing when these things amount to nothing? [28:38]
- How did the friend who helped with moving and the woman who donated a kidney differ in their expectations of repayment or recognition? How do these examples connect with Paul’s description of love? [31:18]
- In Romans 5:8 and 1 John 4:7–12, who takes the first step in loving, and how is that love demonstrated? [39:05]
- In 1 Corinthians 13:8–13, what contrasts does Paul draw between present understanding and future understanding, and between spiritual gifts and love? [40:29]
Interpretation questions
- Why does Paul distinguish between making a great sacrifice and acting with love? How might a helpful act become a burden when the giver expects repayment? [27:44]
- How does Christ’s death for people who were still sinners challenge the idea that someone must first become worthy of love? What difference does this make when a believer faces a difficult relationship? [32:41]
- Paul connects love with both truth and endurance in 1 Corinthians 13:6–7. How can loving correction and a willingness to forgive belong together, rather than contradict each other? [37:17]
- Why does love remain important when believers’ hope is fulfilled in God’s presence? What does this suggest about the lasting value of caring for people compared with accumulating possessions? [41:24]
Application questions
- Have you ever helped someone and then quietly kept track of what they owed you? What might help you seek that person’s good without turning your kindness into a debt? [27:44]
- When you fail or feel unworthy, do you find yourself trying to earn God’s love? How could remembering that Christ died for you while you were still a sinner help you turn toward him in faith this week? [32:41]
- Think of a recent conversation in which you became impatient, irritable, or determined to have your own way. What might patience and kindness look like the next time that situation comes up? [33:16]
- Who in your life is facing sickness, financial strain, loneliness, or disappointment? What is one realistic way you could offer steady care, especially if the difficulty does not pass quickly? [35:11]
- Is there a relationship in which resentment has made you less willing to forgive? Without sharing private details, what might a wise next step toward forgiveness or reconciliation look like? [38:56]
- As you look at your calendar and spending, where are possessions or personal comforts crowding out time to love people? What small change could you make this week in light of love’s lasting value? [41:42]
