Discussion Questions

Christina emphasized 1 Corinthians 3:16–17, especially the warning, “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him.” How does that threat reshape the way you think about “security,” “grace,” and the seriousness of sin in a believer’s life? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How does the warning in 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 (“God will destroy him”) change how you think about being safe in grace and how serious sin is for a believer?

The teaching traced “temple” from Eden (God walking with Adam and Eve), to tabernacle/temple, to Pentecost where God’s presence is no longer stationary but in each believer. What does this storyline reveal about God’s desire to dwell with mankind, and what kind of people He insists on dwelling with? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does the Bible’s story—from Eden to the temple to Pentecost—show about God’s desire to live with people, and what kind of people He wants to live with?

Christina argued, “If the temple could be defiled in the Old Testament, then it can be defiled now too,” even though we are no longer under the old law. Where do modern Christians tend to resist that logic, and what would have to change in our theology or daily practice if we accepted it? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where do Christians today push back on the idea that God’s temple (us) can still be defiled, and what would you need to change in your beliefs or daily life if you accepted it?

In Mark 7, Jesus said defilement comes from within, and Christina pressed the group to see “evil thoughts” as “bad/wrong/ill feelings,” including jealousy and assuming the worst. What “respectable” heart-sins do you excuse because they don’t look scandalous, and how might they be defiling God’s dwelling place in you? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What “nice-looking” sins in your heart (like jealousy or assuming the worst) do you excuse, and how might they be making God’s home in you unclean?

Christina gave concrete examples of covetousness: comparing home décor, cooking, baking, children’s performance, and seeking wealth. What comparisons most quietly drive your decisions, and how do those comparisons compete with the idea that your life is meant to “bring heaven to earth” in your everyday setting? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What kinds of comparisons quietly guide your choices, and how do they fight against the idea that your everyday life should bring heaven to earth?

When she addressed deceit, Christina asked whether we “slight things in our favor” in stories or online. What kinds of small exaggerations or selective omissions have you normalized, and how would taking “temple holiness” seriously change the way you speak about yourself? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What small exaggerations or left-out details have you gotten used to, and how would taking “temple holiness” seriously change how you talk about yourself?

Christina’s definition of pride included feeling superior to “the homeless drug addict… a gay couple… a divorced or remarried neighbor,” and also “self-reliance.” Which form of pride is more present in your life—moral superiority or self-reliant control—and how do you see it grieving the Spirit? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Which pride shows up more in you—feeling morally better than others or trying to control life on your own—and how does it grieve the Spirit?

The talk pushed hard on self-control with the tongue, including the question: “Would I say this if the person I’m talking about is standing next to me?” What does your speech in “safe circles” reveal about what you believe God hears, and how might Satan be using your words to “take power away from the church”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does the way you talk in “safe circles” show about what you think God hears, and how could Satan be using your words to weaken the church?

Christina called overeating sin, linked gluttony with drunkenness, questioned the expectation of desserts, and presented fasting as both spiritual power and bodily stewardship—then noted early Christians fasting twice weekly. What parts of that feel extreme or offensive to you, and what does your reaction reveal about who is really “Lord” over your appetites? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What part of calling overeating sin and promoting fasting feels too extreme to you, and what does that reaction show about who is really in charge of your cravings?

In the Q&A, grieving the Spirit was described as a felt “aloneness,” “flat” prayer, and diminished interest in Scripture, but also the caution that feelings can mislead—so Scripture, community feedback, and asking God for clarity matter. How do you discern conviction without sliding into condemnation or perfectionism, and what specific “get back up” practices will you adopt when fellowship feels hindered? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How do you tell the difference between the Spirit’s conviction and unhealthy guilt, and what simple steps will you take to get back up when you feel distant from God?