Did you ever imagine yourself on center stage?
What is the difference between you and your hero?
Chapter 3:18-23: Don’t think of yourself higher than you ought. BUT know that because you are children of God, you already have inherited all things. Why is it we desire the things of this world when we have already inherited everything we need from God?
Verse 1-2: What is your reputation (good and bad)? What do you want your reputation to be?
Verse 3-4: Have you ever had critical feedback from someone you really respect? How does that differ from someone you don’t respect? How should we regard feedback from others?
Verse 5: Do you have an example of a time when someone held themself in high esteem, only to be laid low by their own words or deeds? Paul is warning against putting people on a pedestal. We ought to humble ourselves. We don’t get bragging rights.
Verse 6: Is your life an example of humility? Have you ever tried to make yourself sound smarter than you really are? Are there examples of how Christians care more about talking about God than loving God and others? Do we spend more time analyzing the intricacies of God than carrying out his commands?
Verse 7: How often do you play the comparison game? Have you ever said, “at least I’m not as bad as that guy” or “I may have done this but at least I haven’t done that!” Do you determine your worth by looking at how much more you’re worth than other people?
Verse 8: People who want all of the attention get attention. Paul is mocking them. But getting attention for attention’s sake is foolish.
Verse 9-13: As an apostle, his reward is poverty and hardship, and they take it like a champ. He’s saying if you want to be someone in Christ’s name, you have to be a servant. The badge of honor for being an apostle isn’t the loving adoration from men, for the world will look to us as fools, as unwise. If we are living our lives out loud for the Lord, people of influence will mock us. And we must love them back. We should expect nothing, but give everything. Can we love others like that?
Verse 14: What is Paul warning us about?
Verse 15: What are the expectations of a father? Why does he say they do not have many fathers?
Verse 16: As fathers are we setting good examples for our children?
Verse 17: Have you ever been called to something greater by a father figure? Are you calling others around you to a higher purpose? There is power in the calling of a father.
Verse 18: Have you ever seen your kids have bad behavior because they thought no one was watching?
Verse 19-20: Paul is coming to say they had to put up or shut up, to put their money where their mouth is. Do we talk a big game only to come up short? Where have we talked ourselves up more than we ought?
Verse 21: Paul is going to give a smackdown. How can we protect ourselves from our own pride to avoid the dope slap?