Breaking Ground
What community, friend group, or social organization makes you feel the most at home in this present season of your life? Why?
The Dig
This Sunday, we continued our series on the New Testament Book of Galatians.
Read Galatians 5:13-26. Having pleaded with the Galatians to embrace their freedom in Christ, Paul now turns to how they should tangibly live as a community that follows God’s Spirit.
What stands out to you about this famous passage? How has it been taught to you in the past? How do you think about terms like the flesh or fruit of the Spirit now?
Critically, Paul contrasts two fundamental modes of being human in this section. On one hand, there’s living according to the Flesh, or in Greek sarx; which is Paul’s term for what we’d call the ego today: the sinful, self-centered, narcissistic, man-made, external identities that are defined by our own efforts, status, strength, achievements, superiority, power, & comparisons to others. This is, in turn, contrasted with living by the Spirit. Both, according to Paul, produce different forms of fruit; which, despite what’s often taught, is not a list of positive attributes formed within individuals. Instead, the fruit is the specific kind of community that each creates in the world.
How do you respond to the concept of sarx or the flesh? What kind of community & communal attributes does Paul claim that trusting in it naturally produces? Why?
How do you respond to Paul’s description of the Spirit’s fruit? What kind of community & communal attributes does trusting the Spirit produce? Why?
What role do we play in the formation of both kinds of community as individuals?
Where have you taken part in shaping your community according to the flesh? How has this negatively impacted you & our world? NOTE: think specifically about spaces where you’ve fostered unhealthy conflict, division, or strife.
Where are you currently a part of a community that’s defined by the fruit of the Spirit? How is it positively impacting you & our world? How could you further help this community thrive in this next season of your life?
Getting Out of the Hole
Take time each week to reflect upon the Sunday sermon.
- Read Galatians 5:13-26. Highlight & make of any language, images, or ideas that stand out to you from the passage.
- What differences does Paul focus on when contrasting a community defined by the flesh vs. the Spirit? Why do you think he focuses specifically on these attributes?
- Where have you contributed to the attributes produced by the flesh within the E3 community? Where have you contributed to the attributes prodcued by the Spirit within the E3 community?
- Where can you help take part in E3 existing as the fruit of the Spirit in this next season? What would you need to change within yourself to help make this happen?
Journal, reflect, & pray on how God might be speaking to you through each week’s teaching. Share your experience with your growth group next week!
Additional Resources*
Centered Set Church by Mark D. Baker
Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer
TheBibleProject.com
Coming Up This Week:*
March 22nd: Join us as we continue working through the New Testament Book of Galatians!* Please see mye3.org for details.