Dying While Living, Living While Dying

ALL – Psalm 44:8-26
ALL – Proverbs 22:13
OT – Job 37:1-39:30
NT – 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:11

Interesting passage for the day: These sufferings of ours are for your benefit. And the more of you who are won to Christ, the more there are to thank him for his great kindness, and the more the Lord is glorified. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day. – 2 Corinthians 4:15-16, The Living Bible

Thought: Is ministry draining or empowering? Is it death or life? I’m not just talking about professional, paid ministry. I’m talking about how you and I relate to our neighbors, our relatives, our co-workers. When we serve them, when we hear about their struggles and temptations, when we debate with them over where our faith is worthwhile or not—what happens to us? Are we renewed? Or do we fade away?

Honestly, sometimes being there for other people is draining. Sometimes the struggle is more than sometimes. It might be normal or usual. Sometimes it feels like we’re dying so that everyone else can have life.

But what a joy to see more people joining us in thanking the great God we serve! What a thrill to see Jesus’ name lifted high!

And there is something tremendous happening—no, not just happening—GROWING, inside us. We are gaining strength, even when our bodies feel like they’re falling apart. The physical strength we sometimes like is being replaced with a deeper, permanent, eternal life that keeps us going and reminds us that any pain we might go through is only for now. It won’t last forever.

Question: Do you remember when you’re going through really tough periods that Jesus is giving you a life that is growing stronger day by day? Or do you forget? Or do you have a hard time caring? How can we learn to find strength through Jesus more frequently and joyfully?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

No Airbrushed Jesus

ALL – Psalm 44:1-7
ALL – Proverbs 22:10-12
OT – Job 34:1-36:33
NT – 2 Corinthians 4:1-12

Interesting passage for the day: We do not try to trick people into believing—we are not interested in fooling anyone. We never try to get anyone to believe that the Bible teaches what it doesn’t. All such shameful methods we forego. We stand in the presence of God as we speak and so we tell the truth, as all who know us will agree. – 2 Corinthians 4:2, The Living Bible

Thought: What would be the goal of tricking people into believing? What would be the benefit of fooling people into doing what we say? I can’t think of any positive reason to deceive people into agreeing with me.

I’m not saying that I can’t see any reason why tricking people could be fun, exciting, and even fulfilling. When people agree with me, it helps me feel better about my own perspectives. When people trust me so much that they don’t even question my thoughts, there could be a bit of a rush at the realization that I have the ability to lead them just about anywhere—at least for a while. And the more people who believe me and follow my lead, the more I would be able to pat myself on the back for being such a magnetic and charismatic leader. The experience of this kind of success might be like an ongoing shot of adrenaline. So there are reasons that tricking people into believing us could be an amazing experience.

But none of those reasons is positive. Especially not when we’re talking about Jesus Christ. Getting tons of people to follow me, thinking that I had led them to Jesus even though I had really just giving them pep talks with Jesus’ name liberally sprinkled throughout my inspiring speeches (perhaps a case of using Jesus’ name in vain?), would be useless for everyone involved. The people would not have actually come to know Jesus. I would have “gained the whole world and lost my soul.” And Jesus would look at me from His throne and ask, “How did you possibly think this would end well—stealing My glory for yourself?”

No, when we talk about Jesus, we want to be as straightforward and honest as possible. Sometimes—perhaps even often—we’ll draw smaller crowds. But our goal is to draw together worshipers for our great King Jesus, men and women who worship in spirit and truth. This kind of worship only happens when people really know who Jesus is. Let’s introduce Him honestly.

Question: What do you not like to tell people about Jesus and His Word? Let’s encourage one another to lovingly and honestly introduce people to Jesus Christ as He is.

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

God’s Spirit, God’s Glory

ALL – Psalm 43:1-5
ALL – Proverbs 22:8-9
OT – Job 31:1-33:33
NT – 2 Corinthians 3:1-18

Interesting passage for the day: Shall we not expect far greater glory in these days when the Holy Spirit is giving life? – 2 Corinthians 3:8, The Living Bible

Thought: In this verse, Paul is drawing a contrast between the glory that came with the Law that God gave to the Israelites and the glory that lives in all believers because of God’s Holy Spirit. The Law could not give life; it could only condemn people to death. But we no longer live under the Law, so we no longer live under a fear of condemnation. We have received God’s Holy Spirit—God’s life-giving Spirit! If we have the Spirit of our Creator living within us, how can God’s glory help but be displayed in our lives?

Question: What keeps you from expecting to see God’s glory in your life?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Loving, Painful Words

ALL – Psalm 41:1-13
ALL – Proverbs 22:5-6
OT – Job 23:1-27:23
NT – 2 Cor 1:12-2:8

Interesting passage for the day: Oh, how I hated to write that letter! It almost broke my heart and I tell you honestly that I cried over it. I didn’t want to hurt you, but I had to show you how very much I loved you and cared about what was happening to you. – 2 Corinthians 2:4, The Living Bible

Thought: It takes a lot of courage to tell friends the truth sometimes. It takes courage, not because you think the relationship won’t survive the confrontation, not because you think your friend won’t survive the critique, but because it hurts to hurt friends.

Question: Do you love anyone enough that it would be painful for you to confront something wrong with their lives? How do you work up the courage to confront when necessary?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

No Burden Too Heavy

ALL – Psalm 40:11-17
ALL – Proverbs 22:2-4
OT – Job 20:1-22:30
NT – 2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Interesting passage for the day: We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for he can even raise the dead. – 2 Corinthians 1:9, The Living Bible

Thought: When Christy, Emma and I headed to Louisville so that I could attend the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in June of 2006, we felt ready and self-sufficient. We had saved about $15,000 as a cushion for the first few months’ expenses, Christy’s web design business was clearly capable of generating income, and we had everything planned out for me to watch Emma enough each week for Christy to be able to run her business smoothly. Survival would not be an issue in seminary. We were going to thrive!

That’s not how I felt in September or October when I was sitting in the corner of the dining room, sobbing uncontrollably because we were already less than a month away from being completely out of funds, and feeling like a total failure as a husband and father. What had I led my family into?

I felt kind of like Paul: “doomed to die and [seeing] how powerless we were to help ourselves.” Okay, maybe the dying thing is a little dramatic, but seriously, I was totally aware of my own weakness, powerlessness, inability, failure.

But God turned things around. He provided business for Christy. He gave me the strength to add a part-time job (actually two jobs, for a while) to my schedule. We weren’t wealthy, but we were living. God had saved us from going totally broke.

God is always providing for us. He does it for the entire world. But He especially delights to provide for His children. Sometimes God calls us into situations that we cannot handle, circumstances that threaten to overwhelm us—even to wipe us off the face of the planet! But our God is able to raise the dead! He owns all of creation! There is not a challenge we can face that is “too big” for Him!

Question: What has overwhelmed you—in the past, or perhaps even now? How can we support one another as we call on Jesus, our God who saves us from every trouble?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Planned Generosity

ALL – Psalm 40:1-10
ALL – Proverbs 22:1
OT – Job 16:1-19:29
NT – 1 Corinthians 16:1-24

Interesting passage for the day: On every Lord’s Day each of you should put aside something from what you have earned during the week, and use it for this offering. The amount depends on how much the Lord has helped you earn. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. – 1 Corinthians 16:2, The Living Bible

Thought: Have you ever noticed that the New Testament seems to be much more interested in the heart of a giver than in the act of giving?

Don’t get me wrong. Jesus and the apostles definitely talk about giving. But they want us to give because we are givers. They want our actions to flow from our nature.

With that said, someone whose nature is generous will want to give, and someone who wants to give will want to consider making plans to give. The Corinthians had said that they would collect money to give to Christians in Jerusalem. So Paul talked with them about their plans. If they wanted to give substantially and helpfully, they would have to make plans and follow them. Paul urged them not to plan on a last-minute scramble to give. Instead, he encouraged them to give what they could each and every week until the gift was ready to be sent.

Too many of us are not generous. We want to hold on to as much of our money as possible. So we find other ways to justify ourselves as givers (when we can never justify ourselves—only Christ makes it so that we can get out of God’s courtroom safely). We spend our money quickly, so that “we just don’t have anything left to give this week.” Or we give a couple bucks each week or month, not giving generously because “the church doesn’t need my money.” Some of us claim, “I’m tithing my time instead”—which is ironic. Assuming that we’re awake 112 hours a week, you would expect to see us giving at least 11 hours each week to specifically kingdom-building activities, which rarely happens. It’s also ironic because none of the time we’re tithing ever seems to be money-earning time; that’s our time, not God’s.

Lord, may we recognize all that You’ve given us, repent of our selfishness, give ourselves entirely to You, and be transformed into generous people who scheme up ways to give even more.

Question: I’m convinced that I need to grow in generosity. Do you? What are some creative ways that we could extend our generosity?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Apparent Believers, But Maybe Not

ALL – Psalm 39:1-13
ALL – Proverbs 21:30-31
OT – Job 12:1-15:35
NT – 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

Interesting passage for the day: Get some sense and quit your sinning. For to your shame I say it, some of you are not even Christians at all and have never really known God. – 1 Corinthians 15:34, The Living Bible

Thought: First, let’s summarize yesterday’s thoughts. Some heretics are still saved, and even as we approach them to correct their false beliefs we should look at them as brothers for as long as possible.

But there is a limit at some point. Paul may or may not have known which specific people he was talking about (he doesn’t call anyone out by name the way he does in his letters to Timothy). But he says, to translate more literally than the Living Bible, that, “some have no knowledge of God.” The Living Bible, as you can see, interprets this to mean that “some of you are not even Christians at all”.

Do you remember Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the tares? That’s what could be going on here. Paul could be saying that he actually believes some of the people he is addressing are not believers, even if he’s not sure yet which ones. If so, he has not yet come to the point where he’s recommending expelling any of them from the church, like he did with the immoral brother of 1 Cor. 5. Sometimes when people in the church display a lack of knowledge, we could be dealing with a wheat and tares situation—some of them are believers and some of them are not, and our goal is not to try to sort it all out, but to provide for the believers to keep growing.

If so, part of that provision includes warning people who believe false ideas that they may not know God.

Question: Have you ever urged someone you considered to be a Christian brother or sister to examine whether they actually knew God or not? What made you concerned about the reality of their relationship?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.