Small Group Guide“The Life of the Church”

1 Timothy 1-6

Message Summary

In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, his predominant concern is the outreach of the church at Ephesus, and he addresses issues inside the church because of the way they affect the gospel witness of the church. Specifically, Paul lays out three landmarks throughout his letter to Timothy about the principles of gospel-centered worship, nurture, and mission of the church. In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul expressly notes that his purpose in writing is so the church will know how they are to behave for the sake of the church’s reputation, especially since the church is the herald of God’s truth among the nations.

Discussion & Application Questions

After briefly reviewing the message summary, use these questions to further examine the sermon and to discuss how these truths apply to daily life, so we can “be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (Jas. 1:22). Based on your knowledge of the people in your small group, select the questions that will best help you frame the group’s discussion of this sermon and sermon text.

WORSHIP: LOVING JESUS

1. Read 1 Timothy 1:1-2. How did Paul’s introduction reveal his God-centered attitude?2. Write a description of yourself in relationship to God. What does it reflect about whom

you see as the center of your relationship?3. In 1 Timothy 1:3-11, Paul wastes no time in addressing false teaching. Looking at verse

11, why was sound teaching, or the lack thereof, Paul’s prominent concern in his letter? What does this concern tell us about the importance of sound teaching?

4. Read Romans 10:17. Where does faith come from? How does that inform the importance of the Word of God in our church? In our families? In our lives?

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5. Read 1 Timothy 6:15-16. How would you describe Paul’s view of God? How do we develop a big view of God like we find in Scripture? How is our view of God related to our time in His Word and to prayer?

6. Make a plan this week for your personal time with God, particularly regarding the study of His Word. Make plans for how, when, and what resources you will be using.

7. Looking at 1 Timothy 1:14-17, what did Paul remember that led him to spontaneously worship God?

8. Write down stories of God’s grace and mercy in your life this past year, or divide into smaller groups and share these with them. Take a few moments to praise Him for His work in your life.

9. What do we most want from God? From our church? In our lives? What do our answers reveal about our hearts and our motivation for following God?

NURTURE: GROWING IN JESUS

10. In John 13:35, Jesus stated that people would know His followers by their love for one another. How, then, is our relationship to one another connected to our outreach in the community?

11. Read 1 Timothy 4:8-10. Why did Paul say that training in godliness is beneficial?12. Looking back on this week, how much time did you spend pursuing godliness? How

does this time reflect your desire to become more Christ-like? What steps can you take to pursue a deeper relationship with God?

13. What opportunities exist within the church for you to deepen your relationship with Him?14. In 1 Timothy 5:19-22, Paul connects discipleship to the purity of the church. Why does

he say that the purity of the church matters? 15. Recognizing that the church is made of sinners, what is the difference among being

legalistic, pursuing holiness/godliness, and having a “live and let live” attitude within the church?

16. How do we help each other grow in godliness? Why are we hesitant to find accountability for ourselves and to keep others accountable?

17. Evaluate the various means of accountability in your life. Do you have accountability that includes your faith? What can you do this week to develop accountability for yourself? Plan time this week to discern areas in which you need accountability and to actually take a step in obtaining accountability.

MISSION: MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS

18. Read 1 Timothy 2:1-7. Why was Paul so concerned with what was going on inside the church at Ephesus?

19. How does our relationship with the church reflect on God’s mission for the church?20. Consider how your involvement with and conversations about our local church impacts

the way others around you view God and His church?

SO BROOK HILLS . . .GUARD AGAINST PERFORMANCE-DRIVEN CHRISTIANITY (WORSHIP), BE ALL IN (NURTURE), AND PRAY, GIVE, GO (MISSION).

21. This week, consider if your worship is a loving response to an incredible Savior or an attempt to earn favor with Him. What is your motivation for obedience?

22. How do you determine your motivation for obedience?23. This week, look for ways that you can be involved in the local church. Are you a

committed member of a body of believers? Do you need to attend the membership

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class? Are you serving the Lord through your gifts? Are you avoiding being known or getting involved? Why? What next step can you take?

24. Make first steps toward praying for missionaries and the lost, giving to the Global Mission Offering, and praying about going on a local or international short-term trip. What next step will you take with regard to praying, giving, and going for the sake of the gospel?

25. How can you engage with the missionaries we have sent?

Things to ConsiderIf you have people in your group who did not hear the sermon, read the sermon text (1 Timothy 1-6) together and briefly summarize the main points of the sermon. Recapping the sermon text and sermon outline can also be a helpful way to start the group, even if everyone did hear the sermon.

As believers, there is a delicate balance between pursuing God because we love Him and want to be more like Him and because we want to have His grace and forgiveness as a safety net while we live how we want. How can we hold one another to His standards even knowing that we are going to fail? Since we are all sinners, even we as Christians will fail. However, expecting a heart that desires to pursue the things of God is a matter of discipleship, and God has called us all to nurture and encourage one another to discipleship and purity. How do some Christians abuse accountability? How do some people devalue accountability? What should grace-based accountability look like? What is the difference between nurturing discipleship and a legalistic adherence to rules?

The behavior of the church is a reflection upon Christ. However, the motivation is not to bring glory upon the church but to bring glory to God. Discuss Pastor Matt’s comment, “We don’t aim at being awesome; we aim at being faithful. Jesus gets to be awesome.” What does it mean to be faithful to God’s Word? How will our faithfulness impact the way others view Christ? How can we show Christ to the world, even when we fail? What does this look like in our families, our friendships, our work/school relationships, etc.?

Weekly Prayer FocusPray for Our Church:

Praise God for the gift of His Word. Ask Him to grow us in community and unity with one another. Pray for a continued commitment to live together as a faith family and for God to add to

our family as He saves people through ministry and the sharing of the gospel.

Pray for Our City: Pray for Sav-A-Life Shelby, a pregnancy resource ministry. Pray for First Baptist Church Alabaster and for Pastor Steve Andrews.

Pray for Our World: Pray for the Global Offering, that God will multiply it to help make disciples of all nations

through our faithful and sacrificial giving.

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