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Category Archives: 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:10

21 May

1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

Dear God, our town is known as a tough place to pastor. And that’s not just one denomination. The churches I know the best—Methodist, Catholic, Baptist, and Presbyterian—all have reputations among clergy as being particularly complicated and difficult. I’ve know more than one, spanning back 30 years, who have said that the church in our town was their most difficult one. I wonder why that it.

One possible common denominator is that a lot of the churched people here fall into two categories: 1.) Those that were born here, baptized here, married here, and will be buried here, and 2.) those who were accomplished in their careers and now are retired here.

For the first group, I think there is probably a strong sense of ownership of the church because they were there way before their respective pastor was and they will be there long after. They buck against outside leadership and lose sight of just being part of your body. The church means something else to them.

For the second group, I think they are used to being in control of things from their professional lives and now they are taking that approach in retirement and putting it into their church life.

I think there might be a third problem. I think there might be a lack of leadership training for clergy. Over the years, I’ve seen some pretty poor leaders try to gain “control” of their churches. This is almost always a foolish approach. They end up majoring in the minors and focusing on the wrong things. As I think about a current pastor who has done a really good job in his known-to-be-difficult church, I think one of his keys to success has been to pint everyone to you and then not sweat the small stuff.

Father, help me to know how to be an instrument of your peace. Make every action I take at church be about lifting you high and exalting Jesus. Help me to not join in the bashing (and forgive me for when I have joined in, because I have) and be a source of love (by all the definitions in 1 Corinthians 13) instead.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 21, 2019 in 1 Corinthians

 

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2 Corinthians 5:14b-15

05 Apr

2 Corinthians 5:14b-15
Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

Dear God, I’ve always struggled, ever since I was little, with my lack of ability to die to my old life. Not understanding how hard that can be when I was a child, I just thought that I hadn’t done it correctly the last time I tried to die to myself and accept you as my God and savior, so I would “walk the aisle” and do it again. I got saved a lot as a kid.

I guess there’s an addiction aspect to it. I live with an addiction to my human self. It’s a disease, I suppose. I want to be selfish. I want to see the world from my own point of view. I want to judge others to make me feel better about myself. I want to indulge my own desires. Maybe churches should redesign themselves to look more like 12-Step meetings: “Hi, my name is John and I’m a human.” “Hi, John.” My first step is to admit that my life has become unmanageable, I am powerless against my human flesh, and I need a higher power to restore me to sanity.

I was watching a show last night that had a character lose eight years of sobriety. They showed the shame and despair of that moment. He was devastated by his failure and the idea of starting over. He knew he needed his sobriety to live and it really embarrassed him to have to admit his failure to the ones he loves.

Father, help me to be the new creation you want me to be. Help me to admit I am STILL powerless and that I need you to either restore me to sanity or keep me sane at any given moment. Help me to share this message with others who need it.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 5, 2019 in 1 Corinthians

 

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1 Corinthians 15:50-58

03 Mar

1 Corinthians 15:50-58
50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.
51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,[a] this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Dear God, I prayed a few days ago about friends who are having health issues. Well, I have a couple to add to the list. One guy is about my age (40s) and just got diagnosed with cancer. I don’t know what kind, but he said on social media that is responds well to treatment.

I saw a Facebook post from him today that said all of the things that I would hope I would say in the face of, maybe not death, but certainly a difficult road of treatments ahead. He talked about his faith in you. He talked about his peace. He talked about the greatest commandments of loving you and loving others. It was really perfect. I am also sure that these times of faith will ebb and flow. His faith will probably be challenged and there will be moments where his words on social media will seem to him like someone else wrote them.

As I read this passage, I am thinking about him. I want you to please plant the seeds of those words deep into his heart so that they will truly grow and completely fill him.

I have other friends who are facing the imminent death of a parent. There is one in particular who is on my heart right now. Please be with his mother, his father, his siblings, him, and his entire family. These are all people of faith. Help them to truly embody the stingless-ness of death. Help them to feel your victory. Help them to find the path forward for their surviving parent. Help them, oh Lord.

Father, I give you praise, glory, and honor for all of this. Please be very present. As your eyes move to and fro throughout the earth, strongly support those whose hearts are completely yours (2 Chronicles 16:9).

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 3, 2019 in 1 Corinthians, 2 Chronicles

 

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1 Corinthians 1:10-17

21 May

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas ”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Dear God, there are a lot of things that come to mind as I read these passages. Of course, there’s the whole unity thing. But I guess what I’m thinking about is how people were apparently taking sides based upon who they liked best or baptized them. Apollos. Cephas. Paul. Christ (that group got it right—but it could have been for the wrong reason). There’s a pride that is implied with this that is cancerous.

I was reading a book last night, and the author was talking about the people from whom he has learned the most and the common theme among them was that they had the self assuredness they needed to be humble. They didn’t need to put others down. In fact, they were comfortable lifting others up. I hope I’m that kind of person.

Father, I know you love me and I’m grateful for that love. Help me to be willing to do anything you need me to do, even at my own expense, for the sake of your glory and the drawing of others closer to you. And help me to be united to my fellow Christians. Whether I follow “Baptist,” “Catholic,” “Methodist,” “Presbyterian,” etc., help all of us to work together so that your kingdom will come and your will will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 21, 2018 in 1 Corinthians

 

1 Corinthians 15:54-57

20 Apr

54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,[j] this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.[k]
55 O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?[l]”

56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:

 

Dear God, I am struck by the phrase in verse 56, “the law gives sin its power.” The law is what we all want to gravitate towards. JUSTICE! RIGHT AND WRONG! YOU WRONGED ME! And then the shame of having done wrong comes with that as well. The law is what we use to set our parameters for society, but it’s also what we use to judge others and judge ourselves.

“But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (verse 57) I had someone come up to me this week and say something negative about someone else. What this person didn’t realize is that people have said the same thing to me about them when they are not around. Where is the grace? As a leader at work, that’s probably one of the hardest things with which I have to deal—employees lightening the heck up and extending grace to one another. Maybe it’s because we need to receive that grace first.

Father, help me to completely receive your grace and then extend it to others. Help me to love you richly, receive your love richly, and then give your love richly. Help me to experience this grace so that the law that guides me might not own my soul.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 20, 2018 in 1 Corinthians, Uncategorized

 

1 Corinthians 1:18-21

17 Apr

18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.

1 Corinthians 1:18-21

 

Dear God, I think the problem with the message of the cross is that it requires humility to hear it. It requires humility to say:

  • I am a sinner
  • I cannot face life on my own
  • I need God
  • I need God’s grace in order to have relationship with Him
  • I need to lay down my life, rights, and will to pursue Him

I heard about a man a couple of years ago who claims to be a Christian, but said he had never found a reason to ask you for forgiveness. There was a pastor who responded that he didn’t know how anyone could claim identity as a Christian if they had never repented. The part of the Catholic church’s penitent prayer that says, “I have greatly sinned in what I have done and what I have failed to do. Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault…” If any Christian, protestant or Catholic, sees no reason to say those words then they are part of the foolish world and not part of your redeemed Kingdom.

Of course, the humility doesn’t start or end there. Like I said, there is also the part of the equation that requires us to acknowledge that we need you to guide our lives. Sometimes we need to make the foolish-looking choice in terms of career, family, or church in order to be within your will. Sometimes we need to take what looks like a step back in our human world to take a step forward in your Kingdom coming and your will being done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Father, help me to be foolish for your glory’s sake. Help my wisdom to be unconventional if that’s what you are calling my wisdom to be. Help me to be a source of your light in my community. Help me to cover those who work with me in prayer so that all of us might be bonded together for your glory’s sake and for the sake of your work that needs done here in our town. And help me to be who you need me to be for my wife, my children, and the rest of my family and friends, no matter the cost to me and my own agenda for my life.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 17, 2018 in 1 Corinthians, Uncategorized

 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

12 Feb

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Dear God, I guess there are different ways to experience or live out “love.” One is what Paul is referring to here—how you feel about those around you or the things they do. I can be patient and kind. I can be not easily angered and keep to record of wrongs. All of that stuff. This is like unpacking one of the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 (“And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…). So this is love.

There’s another way of dealing with love, though. There’s seeing someone you love, or a community or organization you love and exhibiting these things do it, but that’s all fairly passive. There’s also seeing these things and responding to your call to impact them on your behalf. Whether it’s a family member in need of practice reaching out on out part or a social issue that needs to be addressed, I think it’s also important that we remember that those things we love can also be pursued, as long as we do it with your leadership, wisdom, and power.

Father, that’s where I get into trouble. I often see the thing and then just jump in and start pursuing it with my own wisdom. Help me to balance you call with the patience and wisdom I need so that what gets done might bring you as much glory as possible.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 12, 2018 in 1 Corinthians

 

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

10 Feb

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Dear God, let me be a listener today. Help me to hear more than words. Help me to love through listening. Be glorified through me.

I look at this list, and I guess what Paul is saying here is that it’s okay to have these gifts and to use these gifts, but if I lead with them instead of leading with love then I am annoying. Today of all days, when I am going to be spending time with someone who is precious to me, I want to lead with love. It’s not about me. It’s not about feeding any insecure corners of my heart with neediness. It’s about loving that person and giving them what you need them to have through me.

Father, help me to be a true reflection of you today. And I would be remiss if I didn’t thank you for the great conversation with good friends and great people last night. Thank you for loving me through them.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 10, 2018 in 1 Corinthians

 

1 Corinthians 1:13-17

01 Feb

Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

1 Corinthians 1:13-17

Dear God, my first thought from this passage is that I must decrease and you must increase. Paul was trying to minimize his glory in the eyes of the Corinthians and maximize your glory. “Don’t brag about me or anyone else. We are just the messengers. Jesus and the Father are to be worshipped, not us.”

I met a guy yesterday who impressed the heck out of me. Frankly, he intimidated me a bit. He knew more than me and, at a younger age, seemed to have a lot more experience than me. The low-lying level of discomfort I had while talking with him made me realize how important how I present myself and how others see me really is to me. My insecurity is something that truly runs deep.

Father, I hadn’t thought about yesterday’s interaction in this way before this moment. Thank you for bringing it to my intention. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for my pride and my insecurity. I don’t want “humility” to be something to which I just pay lip service, but I want it to be something that permeates every part of me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 1, 2018 in 1 Corinthians

 

1 Corinthians 1:4-5

21 Nov

I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge.

1 Corinthians 1:4-5

Dear God, I have some things I need to pray about today. First, I have a hard decision to make at work that could impact others. That’s a problem. Second, we have our biggest fundraising campaign of the year kicking off today, and I need it to reach whom it needs to reach and help provide for our operations next year. Finally, the first of our relatives who are going to visit us for Thanksgiving arrives today and I am hopeful that this can be a place of love and peace for everyone who is here this week.

So this verse reminds me to not only be thankful for each person represented in the concerns above, but to pray out their spiritual gifts. I do thank you for my family that is coming. I thank you for my coworkers. I thank you for every donor and even potential patient that today’s mailing will find. Each person is adored by you.

Father, help me to live out the love you have for them through my own life and the interactions I have with them. Exude through me. Make my path straight and bless the fruit of my work both at home and at the nonprofit where I work. Be merciful through me. I really want to be who you need me to be.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 21, 2017 in 1 Corinthians

 
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