Small Group 5/27/21

Introduction

Questions often asked to young single people:

•Is there someone special yet?

•When are you going to settle down and get married?

•Who is this with you? [I really want to know your relationship status]

Reasons to get married:

•You don’t want to be lonely.

•I want you to be happy.

•I don’t want you to die alone.

•Don’t you want kids?

•You can’t possibly understand what you are missing.

Types of Single People:

•Young but not yet married

•Widows/widowers

•People who want to get married but haven’t been able to.

•LGBT

•Divorcees

•People who choose to be single.

We need to see single people as complete rather than a deficient

Ephesians 5:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Jesus was single

Someone asked Jesus, “Won’t you be lonely if you aren’t married?” Jesus asked, “Why do I need a wife and family!?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my family. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my spouse and brother and sister and mother!”

Matthew 12:47-50 (very paraphrased)

12The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body?

1 Corinthians 12:14-16

17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

1 Corinthians 12:17-20

21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” … 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

1 Corinthians 12:21, 25-26

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles,

second are prophets,

third are teachers,

then those who do miracles,

1 Corinthians 12:27-28a

those who have the gift of healing,

those who can help others,

those who have the gift of leadership,

those who speak in unknown languages.

29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles?

1 Corinthians 12:28b-29

30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-2

3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

1 Corinthians 13:3-5

6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!

1 Corinthians 13:6-8

13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

Single people have greater capacity to invest in community.