LIFE GROUP OR PERSONAL STUDY | WEEK OF APRIL 20
Monday, April 21, 2025
Context:
The Corinthians had trouble grasping the resurrection of the body. Some doubted how the dead could rise, while others saw the physical body as something weak and temporary, not worth redeeming (an ancient Christian heresy). Paul makes it clear: the resurrection is real, and God will transform us into something new, glorious, and incorruptible. Our hope is not just in a spiritual afterlife but in a fully redeemed, eternal existence with Christ. Paul uses triumphant language, pointing to the moment when the last trumpet will sound, signaling the final victory over death. This is not something we earn; it is an inheritance, a gift from God. The key takeaway: Because of Christ’s resurrection, death has lost its sting. We live not in fear but in victory.
Icebreaker:
What is something you used to be afraid of as a child, but no longer fear?
Read 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 aloud.
What stands out to you in this passage? What stood out to you from this week’s homily? (Previous homilies can be watched at christlamesa.org/media)
What are some fears or doubts you have about death or the life that is to come?
Why do you think Paul calls this a “mystery” (v. 51)? What makes resurrection hard to understand or believe? Paul says we will be changed “in the twinkling of an eye” (v. 52). What does that tell us about God’s power over death?
What does it mean that “death has been swallowed up in victory” (v. 54)? How does that change how we view death? How can you use this to give comfort to those who are dying and know Jesus, and how might you use this to help people see their need for Jesus?
Many people live in fear of death or the unknown. How can the truth of this passage help us face our mortality with faith instead of fear? What does it mean to live victoriously now, knowing that Christ has defeated death? What does that look like in our daily lives?
Paul concludes by saying that because of the resurrection, we should be "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (v. 58). What does that look like practically in your daily life?
Close with prayer, thanking God for the victory He has given us through our Lord Jesus Christ.