March 19 Care Group

We read I Corinthians 14: 1-5.  Here are the themes we discussed:
-God wants to build up His church at all times.  He wants us to prophesy because He wants to speak to His children.
-We can weigh out prophecies by asking if it edifies and agrees with scripture.
-God can give us a sense that a word is for us alone.
-Criticism and condemnation are never from God.
-We are to follow the way of love, it is the greatest commandment.  God wants us to strengthen and encourage each other.
-Prophecy is God's heart speaking out to us through a saint moved by the Holy Spirit.
-God can speak whatever word is necessary to move us toward encouragement, peace, etc.
-God is not limited by our weaknesses.  Sometimes when one person hesitates he will use another person to speak that word.
-Prophecy produces humility in us because we know that He sees our innermost thoughts.
-God uses prophecy to encourage, comfort and exhort.
-God can give illumination from His word to carry us through difficult seasons and cut through trials to reveal His heart and will for our lives.
-God can make certain verses in scripture "life verses" for us.  These are passages that we can always go to and glean comfort and strength from God.

March 5 Care Group

We started by sharing testimonies of how God's Spirit has moved through many people to show His love, His attributes, His grace and mercy, to give gifts of service and to teach.

We read I Corinthians 12 & 13.  We concluded that love is the motivating factor and the necessary foundation for what we do in service to God.  His love cannot be faked.  He moves through us and uses us to help others as He sees fit.  He uses our service sometimes to reveal impure motives in us as He moves us along a path of sanctification.