25 min
EXTRA! Ideas for Adults – Interdependent Independence – Special Focus Session Bible Studies for Life | Adults Leader Training
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- Christianity
Date: July 3, 2022
Interdependent Independence
The Point: Let your responsibility to others drive how you exercise your rights.
Get Into the Study
Use the following to introduce today’s session.
Several communities around the country are opting for drone light shows instead of the traditional fireworks show for the 4th of July. Primarily citing concerns about wildfire risks and debris, some communities are hiring drone companies to put on elaborate light shows this year to celebrate America’s Independence.
On Independence Day, we celebrate the wonderful freedom and independence we have as Americans. And in a lot of places, this includes the freedom to light stuff on fire and send explosions into the air. But just because something is allowed, doesn’t mean it is always the best choice. In many places, properly handled fireworks pose little to no risk. But in other areas that are prone to wildfires, fireworks may not be the best choice.
Even better than the freedoms and rights we have as Americans, are the freedoms and rights we have as Christians. The Apostle Paul exhorted the Christians in Corinth to help others come to know these freedoms. Sometimes, setting aside your own freedoms or rights for the sake of others, can help them come to know Christ.
As we study a specific example that Paul presented to the Christians at Corinth, we will consider how this might apply to our freedoms and rights today.
Nikki Wilbanks grew up in Tennessee before heading to California to study literature at Pepperdine University. She enjoyed a decade-long career as a commercial real estate appraiser and investor in Southern California. Back in Tennessee now, she loves being a mom and writer.
Get Into the Study [from Adult Leader Guide, p. 63 and KJV Adult Leader Guide, p. 62]
In advance, play a video clip illustrating how smart phones can help us. Then ask Question #1.
Live It Out
Use the following story to conclude this session.
According to AP News, inflation is currently at a 40-year high. Consumer goods cost 8.6% more than they did at this time last year, and the cost for everything from cars to houses to hotels to flights have increased dramatically. The question is—what caused the inflation? In truth, there are a lot of factors. With an influx of extra income from stimulus payments, people have been making big purchases at a rapid rate. Covid lockdowns have caused factory shutdowns across the world, creating an imbalance of supply and demand. The war in Ukraine has caused oil prices to spike. There are hundreds of different factors, some small, some large, that create an environment ripe for inflation, and as a result, individuals all over the world are suddenly paying more for their food, clothing, and rent. The economic ecosystem we live in has been disrupted—demonstrating just how fragile and interdependent our finances are to begin with.
As we tighten our budgets (and try not to fill up our gas tanks), let us remember that our lives are more closely linked with others than we’ll ever fully grasp—and that this goes far beyond financial implications. This actually has deep implications for our spiritual lives. Each day, we are faced with choices that may seem insignificant, but how we choose in those moments may have an impact on the spiritual health of others—in sometimes small, but sometimes,
Date: July 3, 2022
Interdependent Independence
The Point: Let your responsibility to others drive how you exercise your rights.
Get Into the Study
Use the following to introduce today’s session.
Several communities around the country are opting for drone light shows instead of the traditional fireworks show for the 4th of July. Primarily citing concerns about wildfire risks and debris, some communities are hiring drone companies to put on elaborate light shows this year to celebrate America’s Independence.
On Independence Day, we celebrate the wonderful freedom and independence we have as Americans. And in a lot of places, this includes the freedom to light stuff on fire and send explosions into the air. But just because something is allowed, doesn’t mean it is always the best choice. In many places, properly handled fireworks pose little to no risk. But in other areas that are prone to wildfires, fireworks may not be the best choice.
Even better than the freedoms and rights we have as Americans, are the freedoms and rights we have as Christians. The Apostle Paul exhorted the Christians in Corinth to help others come to know these freedoms. Sometimes, setting aside your own freedoms or rights for the sake of others, can help them come to know Christ.
As we study a specific example that Paul presented to the Christians at Corinth, we will consider how this might apply to our freedoms and rights today.
Nikki Wilbanks grew up in Tennessee before heading to California to study literature at Pepperdine University. She enjoyed a decade-long career as a commercial real estate appraiser and investor in Southern California. Back in Tennessee now, she loves being a mom and writer.
Get Into the Study [from Adult Leader Guide, p. 63 and KJV Adult Leader Guide, p. 62]
In advance, play a video clip illustrating how smart phones can help us. Then ask Question #1.
Live It Out
Use the following story to conclude this session.
According to AP News, inflation is currently at a 40-year high. Consumer goods cost 8.6% more than they did at this time last year, and the cost for everything from cars to houses to hotels to flights have increased dramatically. The question is—what caused the inflation? In truth, there are a lot of factors. With an influx of extra income from stimulus payments, people have been making big purchases at a rapid rate. Covid lockdowns have caused factory shutdowns across the world, creating an imbalance of supply and demand. The war in Ukraine has caused oil prices to spike. There are hundreds of different factors, some small, some large, that create an environment ripe for inflation, and as a result, individuals all over the world are suddenly paying more for their food, clothing, and rent. The economic ecosystem we live in has been disrupted—demonstrating just how fragile and interdependent our finances are to begin with.
As we tighten our budgets (and try not to fill up our gas tanks), let us remember that our lives are more closely linked with others than we’ll ever fully grasp—and that this goes far beyond financial implications. This actually has deep implications for our spiritual lives. Each day, we are faced with choices that may seem insignificant, but how we choose in those moments may have an impact on the spiritual health of others—in sometimes small, but sometimes,
25 min