The study launched the new “Built Different” series by opening Paul’s first letter to the troubled church in Corinth, where he begins not with rebuke but with a sweeping reminder of who the believers already are in Christ.
Every struggle in Corinth–then and now–traces back to a foggy sense of identity: until we remember we are called, forgiven, enriched, secure, and kept by God, efforts to “do better” stay shallow.
We normally lead with jobs, family, or hobbies, but Paul starts with “called, sanctified, enriched.” Identity, not shame, is the engine of transformation.
The study closed the “Completely” series in Malachi by merging the final two lessons into one question: “Is following God even worth it when life doesn’t seem to pay off?”
Malachi 3:13-4:6 exposes Israel’s cynical complaints, contrasts them with a small faithful remnant, and then lifts the group’s eyes to the coming “day when I act,” when God will separate the righteous from the wicked and bring healing.
The night pressed us to examine our own temptations to treat God transactionally and to remember that His apparent silence never equals His absence.
The group explored Malachi 3, where God accuses His people of “robbing” Him by withholding the tithe.
Through lively stories about grandparents who lived through the Great Depression and modern habits of excess, the conversation pressed one core issue: our willingness to trust God with the first tenth of everything reveals whether we actually believe He is our Provider.
Malachi promises either a curse or an overflow of blessing, and the men wrestled honestly with whether such consequences still apply under Christ.
The study opened with light banter about volunteering at the church’s upcoming “At the Movies” outreach, then shifted to a question: “If your grandparents walked into your house today, what would they say you waste the most?” Answers–time on phones, eating out, bottled water, oversized houses–set the stage for a deeper look at stewardship.
Malachi confronts God’s people for bringing blemished, second-rate sacrifices and then wondering why heaven seems silent.
Tonight’s lesson presses the class to see that God is not after our “leftover sushi” but our first and finest – and that the quality of our worship is inseparable from the way we treat one another.
Half-hearted offerings, broken promises, and self-centered living desecrate the “sanctuary” of our bodies, homes, and relationships.
Faithfulness to God shows up as faithfulness to people.
Malachi opens with a startling exchange: God declares His love; Israel fires back, “How have You loved us?”
Tonight’s study launches a seven-week series called “Completely,” showing how God’s covenant love for His people is total even when life feels empty.
By tracing Israel’s history, their dashed expectations, and God’s covenant response about Jacob and Esau, we learn that grace – not fairness – anchors the relationship.
Week 2 focus: Col 1:15-20 – “Jesus Is Enough to Sustain Us.”
Purpose of Paul’s letter: counter “Jesus + something” teaching creeping into the Colossian church (matter is evil, Jesus can’t be fully human, legalism vs. license).
Big idea: If Jesus is not pre-eminent in your life, something else is pretending to sustain you.
