Tonight was a great night where we did Hero Academy Prep in a couple of ways. We started off by talking about what it means to be one serve team and then worked on some posters for the event! Below are some pictures from tonight and our notes.
Notes:
In 1 Corinthians 12 we see a list of Spiritual gifts given to the church as a whole. We are told in verse 11 that these are empowered by “one and the same Spirit,” meaning the same Holy Spirit who gifts one person does so to another and with a purpose!
The context of this conversation is a very broken church where many people were simply more concerned about themselves than what God wanted to have happen for the whole. There was a lot of nasty things taking place that was causing disunity. After laying out the gifts, Paul bridges over to a conversation about unity.
Read: 1 Corinthians 12:12
Paul is relating the church to a body. A hand, while a singular item, is part of the whole singular body. Unless it’s Thing from the Addams Family, but even in the singular object of a hand, it’s made up of multiple things, fingers, nails, tendons, muscles. All of these come together to be the hand. The hand, with other parts, comes together to be the body.
Read: 1 Corinthians 12:13
ASK: Some translations say this group has all “been baptized into one body by one spirit.” What is Paul trying to say when he points out Jews and Greeks (Gentiles), Slaves and Free are made to drink of one spirit?
What he points out is that we are all on equal ground as far as importance. The same Jesus that’s in me, is in you.
Read: 1 Corinthians 12:14-19
ASK: Let’s think through this, what good would it really be if the entire body had the singular task of smelling like the nose does?
The reality is that nothing would get done. Sure, smelling is essential, but what good is smelling smoke if you can’t escape it with your feet? We all have various tasks to do. Some of us have been called to do things differently than others because there’s a great purpose taking place outside of our singular jobs.
Read: 1 Corinthians 12:21-22
Paul is telling us that each part is essential. Even the “weaker” or “lesser” parts are necessary. In fact, if something is weak, it is the job of the stronger to take care of it in some fashion. The question becomes why.
Read: 1 Corinthians 12:26
ASK: What happens if you stub your toe?
ASK: What happens if someone breaks your heart?
No matter what part of your body, physically or metaphorically, gets hurt, the whole body feels it. At the same time, if one part is honored and celebrated, then the whole body benefits too.
As we move forward into the summer, we need to keep this I mind. We are each part of one body. We are “One serve team” in the events we serve in. We own each other’s mistakes, and celebrate each other’s achievements. If one of us is struggling, it’s up to us to surround them and help them to do well.
Adventures in Student Ministry 