1 Corinthians: Part 5

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Read reverently the passage together and pray. 

Main Passage:  1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Big Idea: A maturing church will be gradually growing and purposely uniting in Christ. 

Quotable Quotes:

  • To warm up, ask your Growth Group what they think Jason meant by the following quotes. 

    • “No more Baby Huey in the church.”  Jason Wing

    •  “I didn’t start this church. God started this church. I only happened to be there when he did it.”  A friend of Jason’s 

    • “We are made to be stones in the Temple, not bricks by ourselves.”  Jason Wing

Work through the chapter. 

  • Vv. 1-4

    • In 50 AD, when Paul founded the church, he fed the church with “milk and not solid food”. What does this mean? 

    • In 53-54 AD (3 to 4 years later), Paul still could not feed them with “solid food”.  What makes this situation so distressing for Paul? How does your observation of vv. 1-4 relate to the Big Idea of the message? 

    • Look up Hebrews 5:12 & Colossians 1:28. Discuss briefly how these passages relate to 1 Corinthians 3:1-4. 

  • Vv. 5- 9

    • What are some ways these verses show Paul as a model of maturity?  Who’s the main focus in vv. 5-9, and what leads you to that conclusion? How can remembering HIM in all we do help us in serving the church?

  • Vv. 10-15

    • Paul uses a building metaphor to talk about church leadership and ministries. How does this metaphor help us to see what contributes to the growth and maturity of our church? In what ways can we participate in these activities? 

  • Vv. 16-23

    • We now come to clear talk on God’s Temple. Who is God’s temple, and how does he feel about her? What does God say to those who participate in church division? What are some warnings we hear in this passage? What are some promises we hear in this passage? How can these warnings and promises motivate us by faith to be “humble servants in the Master’s service”?

Apply the chapter

  1. Do you belong to God? Have you turned from sin and trusted in Christ for salvation? Have someone in your group briefly share their testimony. 

    1. Do all in your group have assurance of salvation? Have all believers in your group been baptised?  

  2. Are you gradually growing as a follower of Jesus Christ? What help do you need in your walk of faith? 

  3. Are you personally uniting in the “Y’all” of UBC? In what ways does this unity and partnership express itself? In what ways can leadership assist you in uniting and participating in our church?

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