1 Corinthians 11 - 1.28.26
Scripture
I Corinthians 11:1 - Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Observation
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. What a bold statement from Paul! But this is the definition of discipleship. As we are running hard after God, we should be bringing others with us and training them up.
The Great Commission - Matthew 16:20:
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Application
To me, “follow my example” is a scary statement. I am not worthy to have others follow my example. But we can’t extract the first part of the statement from the second part – as I follow the example of Christ. I am not good enough, or strong enough, or spiritual enough to have people follow my example. And that is the whole point. We need Jesus. We need Jesus to save us. We need Jesus to guide us. We need Jesus to go with us and grow us and mold us in his image. And as we go, we are called to take others with us. As we learn to live and love like Jesus, we are called to help others do the same.
Prayer
God, please help me to live in a way that shows others how to follow You. Help me to be so connected to You, that your light shines out of me. Fill me with your power so I can imitate Jesus daily and use me to help others along the way.
- Debbie Dunn
Proverbs 7 - 1.27.26
Scripture: Proverbs 7:1-5
1 My son, keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and you will live;
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and to insight, “You are my relative.”
5 They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
from the wayward woman with her seductive words.
Observation
The wisest man in the world, King Solomon wrote Proverbs 7 as a warning against the dangers of temptation and immorality, stressing the importance of wisdom and following God’s commandments. In these verses he is encouraging his son to read the word of God, write it on the tablets of his heart (memorize scripture), obey God’s commands and guard, protect and cherish God’s words. We need to have a living, breathing relationship to the word of God. We need to truly regard the power of wisdom as a sister or a family member. The wisdom and power of God’s word helps to keep us from the immoral woman (or man). From God’s word we learn the deception and strategy of sin and temptation. We learn the end result of sin and the wonderful benefits of obedience. God’s word imparts the spiritual light and strength we need to obey God in this difficult area.
Application
My first husband, Ron was a Christian man who went to church, lead Bible studies, coached little league, read his Bible but did not cherish and protect the wisdom that was taught by King Solomon. He worked for Disney and they sent him to Hong Kong to help build Hong Kong Disneyland. The women out there loved American men, and being away from home for months at a time, he fell in the trap of seduction, immorality, adultery and sin. He ended up losing his marriage, his family, his children and through years of hopelessness and despair, living a life of regret and addiction which eventually took his life.
Solomon, the wisest man in the world, warns us about the adulterous woman and tells us how we can keep from the trap and the snare of sin.
Read your Bible daily, let it penetrate your heart. Memorize scripture so you can pull it up anytime you need it. Spend time in the presence of God. Cherish and protect the Word of God and OBEY His Commands, so you will live a long and fruitful life. It’s Truth, it’s Real…Live it!
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, Thank You for giving us your word as a Lamp unto our feet and Light unto our path. We ask that you help us to be People of Wisdom and cherish your word. Help us to be obedient to your word and live a life that is Blessed and Fruitful. Let us be people who are hearers of your word and walk in your commands. You are such an Awesome God! Amen
- Michelle Craig
1 Corinthians 9 - 1.26.26
Scripture
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
Observation
Paul talks about self-discipline in this passage. Not only does he preach the Gospel, but he keeps watch over his own life, so that he himself would finish the race. I like how he says that he makes his body his slave so that he would not be disqualified from the prize.
Why does Paul go into such extreme imagery about making his body his slave?
The older I’m getting, the more desperate I’m getting for Jesus to help me to finish the race. It’s not about how well we started, but more about how well we finish.
For some reason, the longer we’ve been in the race, the more endurance it takes to finish well. Grief, illness, disillusionment, discouragement, unfavorable circumstances and just plain old feeling tired (weariness) can tempt us to quit, but Paul is encouraging us to continue fighting the good fight and endure until the end. Paul even gave that charge to Timothy (his apprentice) when he said, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” -1 Timothy 6:12 NIV
Application
Keep practicing and keep running to win the prize!
Every skill takes practice. Whether it’s a sport, a musical instrument, driving a car or even cooking and baking, we need to practice in order to improve upon that skill. Eventually, pattern recognition and muscle memory kicks in and we start getting better and better at it.
Spiritually, we need to continue to train and discipline our bodies (not just physically, but mentally as well), to run to win the crown. Practicing our faith never ends, no matter how long we have been in this game.
Our time of prayer and fasting is always a great way to have our bodies submit. When it tells us to eat when we want to spend time with God, we choose to spend time with God. When it tells us to scroll on socials instead of reading our Bibles, we read our Bibles. When our feelings tell us to go against God’s Word, we let God’s Word override those feelings. When our feelings tell us it’s too hard to forgive someone, we do what God tells us to do and take the action to forgive. The more we practice doing the things that God desires, the more our bodies will naturally gravitate towards those desires. The more we read God’s Word, the more His Truth and His Character will fill our minds, instead of the devil’s lies.
Let us not just run this race of faith for fun, but actually run to win!
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who continues to give me the will and self-discipline to do what You want me to do. There are many times in life when I start to get tired and weary. Thank You for reminding me to keep going and not to quit. Help me to finish the race and this journey of faith well. Discipline my mind and body to run to win. I want to be like Paul at the end when he said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7 NIV) Amen.
-Michelle Gaddi