Foolish Confounds the Wise
What if the very thing you trust most is the thing keeping you from seeing God clearly?
For centuries, people have struggled with Jesus for the same reason. The Jews wanted power. The Greeks wanted wisdom. The Romans wanted strength. Yet God sent a crucified Savior. What looked foolish to the world became the very wisdom and power of God.
In this message, we’ll explore Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1 and uncover why the gospel still challenges our assumptions today. Why do some people embrace the cross while others reject it? Why do we so often trust our own logic, intelligence, expectations, and abilities instead of God’s ways? And what wisdom have we embraced that might be making Jesus harder to recognize?
The gospel is not advice about how to become a better version of yourself. It is the announcement of what God has already done through Christ. Because every culture has a kind of wisdom that makes Jesus harder to recognize, but God’s wisdom is still greater than our own.
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Discussion topics
- HEAD – What did Jesus say to you through the Word?
- What do you think Paul means when he says, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise”?
- Which of the five points from this week’s message stood out to you the most, and why?
- The gospel doesn’t fit our logic.
- The gospel cannot be discovered through intelligence alone.
- The gospel offends our expectations.
- God uses the wrong people.
- God’s method doesn’t impress the world.
- Pastor David said, “The gospel is not advice. It is news.” What is the difference between those two ideas?
- HEART – How did it make you feel?
- The message challenged us with this question: “What wisdom have we embraced that might be keeping us from seeing Jesus clearly?” How would you answer that personally?
- Examples of things that some people trust:
- Your own logic?
- Your own experience?
- Your own abilities?
- Other people’s opinions?
- Have you ever found yourself disappointed with God because He didn’t work the way you expected Him to work?
- Which statement hits closest to home right now?
- “The cross starts where self-help ends.”
- “Information can inform the mind, but only revelation transforms the heart.”
- “God often chooses people human wisdom wouldn’t even interview.”
- “The power was never in the packaging. The power was always in the message.”
- HANDS – What are you going to do with it?
- Is there a situation you’re currently trying to solve through effort, strategy, or control that may require surrender and prayer instead?
- Who is one person in your life that needs to hear the hope of the gospel? What is one practical step you can take to engage them this week?
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