LIFE TOGETHER | OCTOBER 5, 2025
Mike Breaux
Sermon Highlights
Key Passage: 1 Corinthians 10:23-33
In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul taught that love is greater than freedom. In chapter 9, he gave his own example of laying down rights, and in chapter 10, he warned against flirting with temptation and called believers to be all in with Christ. Now, Paul gives practical wisdom for how to navigate the gray areas of life.
He lays out three guiding principles. First, not everything that is permissible is helpful. (v. 23). Second, believers should not seek their own good, but the good of others (v. 24). Third, every decision should aim to glorify God, whether in something as ordinary as eating and drinking or in anything else we do (v. 31).
Paul’s teaching shows that gray areas are not just about what we are allowed to do. They are about whether our choices strengthen our faith, serve others, and honor God.
INTRO
Icebreaker
What’s one “gray area” decision in everyday life, like food, entertainment, or habits, where people often ask, “What’s the harm?”
Transition to Discussion
Paul reminds us that in gray areas, the better question isn’t “What’s the harm?” but “Does this help? Does this serve others? Does this glorify God?” Let’s look at how these principles guide us.
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 as a group.
- Paul says not everything that’s allowed is actually helpful. How do you decide if something in your life is helping you grow or quietly holding you back?
- Can you think of something in your life that isn’t technically wrong, but you know it doesn’t really do you any good?
- Paul says we should put the good of others ahead of our own. When has someone else’s choice made your life easier or harder in your faith?
- What’s an example of a time you chose to give something up out of consideration for someone else? How did it affect you?
- How do you tell the difference between enjoying freedom in a healthy way and using freedom selfishly?
- Paul says even ordinary things like eating and drinking can glorify God. What’s one everyday area of your life where you struggle to connect what you’re doing with honoring God?
- Paul ties our personal choices to how unbelievers see Jesus. Why do you think small choices can make such a big difference in how people view faith?
- Of the three principles Paul gives — doing what is helpful, putting others first, and glorifying God — which one is the hardest for you to live out right now, and why?
NEXT STEP and PRAYER
Paul’s teaching in this passage gives us three guiding principles for gray areas: choose what is helpful, put others first, and glorify God. These are not limits to keep us from enjoying life but principles that guide us toward what matters most.
Take a few quiet moments now. Ask God:
- Where am I holding onto something that isn’t really helpful?
- How can I put someone else first this week in a practical way?
- What is one area of my life where I need to focus more on glorifying You?
Write down whatever He brings to mind. Keep it with you as a reminder that every choice is an opportunity to show who you belong to.