LIFE TOGETHER | SEPTEMBER 7, 2025

Giving Up Your Freedom in Love for Others – Chip Henderson

Sermon Highlights

Key Passage: 1 Corinthians 8

The church in Corinth was filled with people from very different backgrounds. Some had grown up around idol worship, where eating meat sacrificed to idols was normal. Others came from strict Jewish homes where anything connected to idols was completely rejected. Their question to Paul was simple: What should we do in this gray area?

Paul’s answer began with a principle: knowledge alone can make you arrogant, but love builds up. True maturity isn’t about being right but about choosing love. He reminded them of the truth: idols are nothing, there is only one true God, and food doesn’t change our relationship with Him.

The problem was that not everyone had this knowledge. Some believers had weak consciences shaped by their past, and the careless use of freedom by stronger believers caused them to stumble. When you wound another’s conscience, Paul says, you don’t just sin against them, you sin against Christ.

The solution is love over rights. Loving others is more important than enjoying your rights. Paul declared that if eating meat caused another to stumble, he would never eat meat again. This isn’t legalism, it’s love. Following Jesus means laying down our rights for the sake of others, just as He laid down His life for us. Real community is built when we choose the good of others over ourselves.

INTRO

Icebreaker

What’s one trivial thing you would never want to give up, like sweet tea, Chick-fil-A sauce, or Saturday naps?

Transition to Discussion

The Corinthians also had things they didn’t want to give up, like their freedom to eat whatever they wanted. But Paul reminded them that while freedom is good, love is greater. Sometimes the most Christlike thing we can do is willingly give up a right for the sake of another believer. Let’s see how that truth plays out in 1 Corinthians 8.

GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Read 1 Corinthians 8 out loud as a group.

  • Read Philippians 2:3-4. How does Paul’s call to consider others more important than ourselves deepen the challenge of 1 Corinthians 8, and what kind of community is created when believers actually live this way?
  • After reading 1 Corinthians 8, do you find yourself relating more to the pull toward freedom or the call to consider others?
  • In verses 1-3, Paul says knowledge makes us arrogant, but love builds others up. Where do you see the tension between being “right” and being loving in everyday life?
  • In verses 4–6, Paul contrasts false gods with the one true God. What’s the difference between knowing about God and actually living as if your life belongs to Him? How have you seen that difference play out in your own life or in someone you know?
  • In verse 7, Paul says not everyone has the same knowledge. How have your past experiences shaped what feels right or wrong to you?
  • In verses 9-10, Paul warns that freedom can become a stumbling block. What are some ways you’ve seen someone’s freedom affect another person’s faith, for better or worse?
  • Read Romans 14:14-15. How does this passage challenge the way we usually think about personal rights and freedoms?
  • In verses 11-12, Paul connects how we treat other believers directly to Christ. How does that raise the stakes for the way we handle disagreements or gray areas?

NEXT STEP AND PRAYER

Before we wrap up tonight, we’re going to slow down and give God space to speak to each of us personally. In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul reminded us that love is greater than knowledge and greater than freedom. Sometimes God calls us to set aside what we could do in order to show love to someone else. I want you to take a moment to invite Him to show you where this might apply in your own life.

Sample Leader Prayer: Father, thank You for the love You have shown us through Jesus, a love that gives, sacrifices, and builds others up. Teach us to love like that. Show us the places where we might need to set aside our rights or freedoms in order to care for the people around us. Fill us with Your Spirit so that our choices reflect love first. Amen.

Now, in the quiet, take a few minutes to capture what God brings to mind. It may be a relationship, a decision, or a situation where freedom collides with someone else’s faith. Write it down and carry it with you this week as a reminder to choose love first.