Bottom Line: United We Stand, Divided We Fall

1. We are called to something better - unity.

2. Relational unity and vision unity are the priorities.

3. Unity requires intentional work.

START TALKING:

When have you been part of a team that might not have been the most talented but because it was united, it overcame the talent gap?

Similarly, when have you been part of a talented team but division prevented you from accomplishing all that could have been accomplished?

START THINKING:

Read Mark 3:20-29. Ironically, who is Jesus talking about when he makes this now famous quote? How do you think Jesus was using this to teach a bigger principle about life among his own followers and in the way Jesus expects us to interact with His Spirit?

Read 1 Corinthians 1:10-17. What are the divisions among the Corinthian church? What is Paul's response? How do you see similar divisions among churches and Christians today?

START SHARING:

In 1 Corinthians 1:10, the word "appeal" or "exhort" means more than a simple request. It carries the tone of urging, pleading, or coming alongside to call someone toward something better. It is both affectionate and authoritative. Paul is not scolding; he is shepherding. When have you had someone in your life do this for you? When have you done this for someone else? What was that experience like?

The phrase "that you all agree" or in some translations "live in harmony" means making a united public declaration. Paul is saying: Let unity be your shared testimony to the world. When he says let there be no divisions among you, he uses a word "schismata," which originally referred to fabric torn apart. Paul is saying: Do not let the body of Christ be ripped into pieces.

When have you been part of a family or group that had unity in their shared testimony to the world? What was it marked by? What did it look like?

When have you been part of a family or group that was ripped to pieces? How did the division start? How could it have been avoided if there had been "unity in mind" with Jesus being the center of what mattered most?

START DOING:

When the verse says "united in thought and purpose" some translations say "perfectly united." This original Greek word described setting a broken bone or mending torn nets. This takes effort, awareness, and action. In other words, this verse is teaching us that unity is not accidental - it requires healing, repair, and intentional work.

What intentional steps must each of us take to have this kind of unity? What must you, personally, do to fight for and protect this kind of unity?

START PRAYING:

Consider the steps each person shared in the previous question, and pray that God will lead each of us to be intentional about unity in the body of Christ. Pray for protection over your microchurch, our church, and our families that the enemy would not be able to divide. Pray that the world around us would see supernatural unity like never before when it sees the church.