The Counterintuitive Beauty of Real Wisdom

1Corinthians 1:17 – 2:16

What is the best piece of common sense advice you have ever received?
Who is the wisest person you have ever known? What makes a person wise?

What is the kind of power that is contained in the death of the man named Jesus?
Why in the world is this execution so incredibly powerful?
How can we go about seeing more of that power in our lives today?

Based on this passage, describe how Paul goes about communicating the good news.
Why is Paul so intentionally simplistic in his communication technique?
How should this impact the way we talk about Jesus with our friends and colleagues?

Based on what Paul says, how would you describe the people in the Corinth church?
Why would these ragamuffins be the ones who are able to receive God’s message?
In what way could those who are wise, influential, noble, and strong come to God?
How does a person go about becoming truly more humble?

Contrast the wisdom that the world values with the wisdom that God offers.
Why did God select such a disturbingly different kind of wisdom to contain his secret?
Why is Christian wisdom reserved only for those who are well advanced in their faith?
What are the benefits in life of learning to resonate with God’s real wisdom?
What sources of worldly wisdom are most appealing to you in your life?
How can we learn to be more open to the wisdom that God offers?

What does God long to transform in the way that you view the world? Will you let him?