Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

• Read 1 Corinthians 15:35-49. What has Paul’s argument been in 1 Corinthians 15 so far? What is this section about, broadly speaking? Where do you think the question in v. 35 comes from? What was one of the Corinthians main hang-ups regarding the resurrection?
• What are the illustrations Paul uses in this passage? Explain the illustrations and their implications.
• Describe the connection Paul makes between the illustration he used in vv. 36-41 and the instruction he gives in vv. 42-49. 16. List the comparisons Paul makes between the sowing of a pre-resurrection body, and the raising of a post-resurrection body in vv. 42-44. 17. What do these comparisons point to?
• Who is Paul comparing in these verses? What are the comparisons he makes? Who are those of the dust? Who are those of heaven? What does Paul highlight in these verses that applies to the resurrection body?
• The Sermon Study equipping class notes are available online for anyone wanting to dig deeper. Please review this week's notes to help study this passage. Click here for the notes.

Prayerfully Meditate

• What does this passage teach you about the resurrection body?
• How should the Christian’s thought about death be shaped by this passage? What should the Christian look forward to in light of this passage?
• In what ways does the instruction from application and direct teaching cause the believer to have hope? Dwell on the hope this passage is intended to bring.
• What certainty did Paul have about the future image he would bear in v. 49? How does this bring you hope?