Bible ReadingRomans 12:3-83 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”
[28:54]4 “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,”
[25:22]5 “so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
[39:15]6 “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;”
[47:19]7 “if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;”
[25:48]8 “if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
[25:53]1 Corinthians 12:12-27“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
[40:17]Acts 17:10-1110 “As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.”
[51:58]11 “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
[51:50]Hebrews 10:24-2524 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,”
[43:03]25 “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
[43:24]Observation questions- In Romans 12:3, what two ways of thinking about oneself does Paul place side by side? What does he say should shape a believer’s sober judgment? [29:03]
- According to Romans 12:4-5, what is true of the church’s members even though they do not all have the same function? [39:46]
- What gifts and attitudes does Paul name in Romans 12:6-8? Which ones are especially easy to overlook because they may happen behind the scenes?
- In Acts 17:11, what did the Bereans do after they eagerly received Paul’s message? Why is it important that they examined Scripture even when Paul was the one speaking? [52:21]
Interpretation questions- Paul says that believers should not think too highly of themselves, but should use sober judgment. How does remembering that gifts, faith, opportunities, and positions come by grace protect a believer from both pride and feeling useless? [37:38]
- Paul describes many members as one body, and 1 Corinthians says that no part can say, “I don’t need you.” What kinds of trouble can come when believers compete for attention, refuse their role, or assume another person’s role does not matter? [41:51]
- Romans 12 commands believers to use their gifts rather than merely identify them. What does it mean for serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, and mercy to be acts of worship instead of ways to gain recognition? [53:33]
- The Bereans tested Paul’s words against Scripture. How can believers test teaching carefully without becoming cynical, quarrelsome, or quick to accuse others of being wrong? [52:44]
Application questions- The turtle on the fence post is a reminder that nobody gets where they are by their own power. Where have you recently been tempted to take credit for something that was really made possible by God’s grace and the help of others? [36:46]
- Are you more tempted to think too highly of yourself, or to think your contribution does not matter? What would sober judgment look like in your relationships, work, or church life this week? [42:27]
- Think about the people whose gifts are visible and the people whose gifts are mostly behind the scenes. Who could you specifically encourage this week because their service strengthens the body of Christ? [42:49]
- Is there a gift, ability, resource, or experience God may be asking you to use instead of keeping it “in storage”? What is one small and realistic step you could take to serve? [59:12]
- When you hear a Bible lesson, a social-media clip, or a Christian leader make a claim, what habit could help you become more like a Berean who checks things against God’s Word? [51:50]
- Hebrews calls believers to meet together and spur one another on toward love and good deeds. How can this group become more intentional about praying with one another, encouraging one another, and helping one another follow through in service? [27:14]
- Serving can feel intimidating at first, especially when you are unsure what you can offer. What fear, excuse, or past experience tends to hold you back, and how might God use your willingness in ways you do not yet see? [57:34]
