1. The sermon opened with sourdough starters that have been alive for hundreds—even thousands—of years, all because someone kept feeding them. What’s something in your own life (a habit, a friendship, a faith practice, a hobby) that has stayed alive because you kept feeding it? What dies when you stop?
2. READ 1 Cor 5:1-2 Paul seems more upset with the Corinthians’ response to the sin than with the sin itself. Why do you think that surprised him so much? When have you seen a Christian community celebrate (or shrug off) something that should have grieved them?
3. Paul tells the church to “mourn”—to weep and grieve as if a death had occurred. When was the last time someone else’s sin actually broke your heart instead of fueling your gossip, anger, or sense of moral superiority? What’s the difference?
4. READ 1 Cor 5:3-5 Paul’s stated goal in removing the man is “so that he himself will be saved.” How does that reframe what church discipline is for? How is that different from how the church is often perceived—or how it actually behaves?
5. READ 1 Cor 5:6-8 Paul says who we really are in Christ is “a fresh batch of dough”—a community standing blameless before God. Do you tend to live more out of who you really are in Jesus, or out of who you used to be? What would change this week if you really believed Paul’s description of you?
6. Paul describes a community marked by “sincerity and truth”—not perfection, but open, honest, free of hidden agendas. On a scale of 1–10, how close is our group to that? What’s one specific thing that would have to change for us to move closer?
7. The sermon distinguished between being judgmental (which Jesus condemns) and judging in the biblical sense (discerning right from wrong with humility, tears, and the goal of restoration). Where do you most often slip from one into the other? What tips you over the line?
8. Paul says it’s not our job to judge outsiders—that’s God’s work. Yet the church is famously known for judging outsiders and excusing insiders. Why do you think we so consistently get this exactly backwards? What would it look like to flip it?
9. Paul warns against close fellowship with someone who claims to follow Jesus but persistently and visibly does not. How do you tell the difference between someone who is struggling (which is all of us) and someone who is “indulging” in sin? Why does that distinction matter?
10. The sermon identified three next steps. Pick the one God is putting His finger on right now and share it with the group:
11. Where am I being judgmental, and toward whom? (Repent, then pray a blessing over them this week.)
12. What sin am I secretly holding onto—what yeast is quietly growing in me? (Bring it into the light tonight.)
