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 15:1-11, focusing on 3-11 to prepare for the upcoming sermon. From the context, what did this group of people receive? What are the details of the message they received?
• What part of the gospel message does the writer connect with previous Scripture? Why do you think this was included, considering what you know about his original audience?
• From the author’s perspective in this passage, how important is the resurrection to the message the audience received? (The remainder of this chapter speaks to this topic.) What evidence is cited in this passage regarding the historicity of Christ’s resurrection?
• What does the writer state about himself? What is the driving force in his life now? What has this led to?
• 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 are the essential components of the gospel, from this passage? What necessary component of the gospel message is not directly worded here, but implied with what is stated about sin in vs. 3?
• Why do you think Paul refers to the eyewitnesses of the resurrection?  
• Keeping vs. 2 and 11 in mind, why do you think Paul wrote this passage to his original audience? What significance does this passage have for you and your beliefs?
• Why does Paul highlight the grace of God in vs. 10? How could the last few verses in the passage be perceived if not for that statement he makes at the end of verse 10? How important is this for you to understand about yourself?