Continued Education

1. The Hook

Purpose: My goal through this lesson is to encourage folks to continue their education in Scriptures and to move on from the “Milk” and get to some more meaty matters.

Elements:

I want to propose to you some questions. This is not to demean but i want to use this exercise to help us understand where we are at individually in our current knowledge of God’s Word.

QUESTIONS

How many books are in the Bible?

Could you name all 66 books?

If I was to mention the era of the Divided Kingdom in the Old Testament, what does that mean?

Could you explain to me what the “Great Commission” is?

Why don’t we use instruments in our New Testament worship today?

Why is it that only the men are to lead in worship and be elders and deacons?

What are the purpose of the Gospel Accounts in the New Testament?

Who is Paul? How did he become an Apostle?

What is God’s plan of Salvation in the New Testament?

What is the Lord’s Supper all about? Why do we take it every Sunday? Why does it have to be unleavened bread and grape juice? Why does it have to be done on Sunday not any other day?

SURVEY MATERIAL

According to a 2025 survey summarizing Americans’ Bible reading: about 13% say they’ve read the entire Bible at least once; 12% say they’ve read “almost all” of it; 18% say they’ve read at least half.

Among regular church- attending Protestants (per a 2019 survey by Lifeway Research), only 32% read the Bible daily, and 27% read it a few times a week; that leaves roughly 41% who read it weekly, monthly, rarely, or never.

A 2025 report by Barna Group (in partnership with Gloo) found that about 50% of self-identified Christians report reading the Bible weekly — reportedly the highest level of weekly Bible reading among Christians in over a decade.

1 Corinthians 3:1–3 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?”

Spiritual men are able to learn spiritual things. Fleshly minded men are not able to mature in Christ.

Acts 18 — Paul first visited Corinth in AD 49, staying for about 18 months, and founded the church before leaving for Ephesus in AD 511. He wrote 1 Corinthians around AD 55 while in Ephesus (The Lexham Bible Dictionary)

4 years after he had left this church plant they were still struggling with fleshly matters and that was causing them to struggle with their maturity.

Paul then wrote this letter to help this church fix their milk problems and move away from fleshly thinking and move on to Spiritual maturity?

TRANSITION:

— Because the real question becomes this:

Where are you in your spiritual education right now?

How long have you been in Christ—and what are you still living on? Are you still being carried, or are you learning how to walk? Are you still needing everything broken down into the basics, or are you growing into the deeper things of God’s Word?

Time alone doesn’t guarantee maturity. Sitting in a church building doesn’t automatically make us spiritual. Growth only happens when we move beyond milk and intentionally pursue what stretches us. So the Corinthians force us to ask an uncomfortable but necessary question:

Am I growing—or just aging in the faith?

2. The Context

Elements:

Not only did the Corinthians struggle with this but so did the audience of the Hebrews sermon. Notice what the Hebrews writer said

Hebrews 5:11–6:8 “Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.”

3. The Text

Purpose: Help people understand what the text says, means, and reveals.

Elements:

Hebrews 5:11–6:8 “Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.” LEt

Definition of those who are Mature - Their practices in life have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Elementary Principles according to the Hebrews writer:

Repentance from dead works

Faith toward God

Instruction about washings / laying on of hands

The resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement

Paul intends to help them understand these things again but would rather not have to. But he would rather have them be solid on the foundational things rather than waiver and fall away after having tasted the great gift of Salvation.

4. The Application

Purpose: Move from understanding to transformation.

Elements:

Show what this truth means for our lives today [Describe practical, real-life application]

Use stories or examples that make obedience concrete [Add modern illustration or testimony]

Appeal to both head and heart—conviction and hope [Write your emotional appeal or challenge]

5. The Invitation

Purpose: Unite the congregation around the shared call of God.

Elements:

Summarize the key truth in one simple, memorable sentence [Rephrase your main point or truth here]

End with a vision of what life looks like if we all live this truth together [Picture of kingdom life]

Invite response—repentance, baptism, prayer, encouragement [Describe call to action or invitation moment]