Resolute Podcast

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Douglass Fetters from Port Orchard, WA. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 9:1-6. Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? — 1 Corinthians 9:1-6 Paul opens this chapter without hesitation and without apology. He asks the questions out loud—questions that force the issue of identity before the issue of sacrifice. "Am I not free?" Paul does not ground his freedom in public approval, personal achievement, or cultural status. His freedom is grounded in one decisive reality: he belongs to Christ and has been called by Christ. He has seen the risen Lord. He has been commissioned by him. And the Corinthians themselves are living evidence of that calling. Their faith is the seal of his apostleship. Paul's point is not arrogance. It is clarity. Before Paul ever talks about restraint, he establishes something essential: he is genuinely free, fully authorized, and rightfully entitled. His sacrifices are not the result of weakness, pressure, or insecurity. They flow from identity. That's why he names the rights plainly. The right to financial support. The right to marriage. The right to live without the need to labor. These are not theoretical privileges. They are real, recognized, and biblically affirmed. And Paul has them. Paul is establishing these rights because sacrifice only means something when the rights are realized. You cannot lay down what you never possessed. You cannot surrender what you were never given. Paul is showing the Corinthians—and us—that gospel-shaped sacrifice does not come from a lack of confidence. It comes from confidence rooted in Christ. When freedom isn't anchored in identity, it turns into entitlement. And when identity isn't secure, freedom is often surrendered out of fear. But when identity is secured in Christ, freedom becomes something you can hold loosely. Paul's life is about to illustrate this truth in full. He will willingly lay down rights, limit freedom, and endure hardship—not to prove devotion, but because devotion has already been established. This chapter begins where all true sacrifice must begin: with freedom that knows who it belongs to. DO THIS: Name one right or freedom you possess and reflect on how your identity in Christ changes the way you hold it. ASK THIS: Where do I ground my sense of freedom—identity in Christ or affirmation from others? Which rights do I cling to most tightly, and why? How might a secure identity free me to sacrifice more willingly? PRAY THIS: Lord Jesus, anchor my freedom in you. Free me from insecurity and entitlement, and teach me to live from the confidence that comes from belonging to you. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Christ Is Mine Forevermore"

Every time conflict erupts in the Middle East, Christians ask the same question—but most don't actually understand what the Bible says about Iran, Israel, and prophecy. Short Summary When war breaks out in the Middle East, speculation about prophecy spreads quickly across Christian media and social platforms. This teaching walks carefully through what the Bible actually says about Israel, Persia (modern Iran), and the end times without sensationalism. By examining God's covenant with Abraham, the role of Persia in biblical history, and key prophetic passages like Ezekiel 38, we see how Scripture connects to the modern conversation. Ultimately, the focus of prophecy is not geopolitical speculation but the return of Jesus Christ and the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. Reflection & Small Group Discussion Questions Why do global conflicts—especially involving Israel—often spark conversations about biblical prophecy? What promise did God make to Abraham in Genesis 15:18, and why is it important to biblical theology? Why is it important to distinguish between Israel the people, Israel the land, and Israel the modern nation-state? How does understanding Persia's role in books like Ezra, Daniel, and Esther shape how we think about modern Iran? What does Ezekiel 38 actually emphasize about the future conflict involving Persia and other nations? Why is humility important when interpreting prophecy and connecting it to modern events? What are the main differences between dispensational and covenant approaches to biblical prophecy? How does Romans 11 shape the way many Christians think about the Jewish people today? Why did Jesus warn believers not to speculate about exact prophetic timelines (Matthew 24:36)? How can Christians stay informed about world events without falling into prophecy sensationalism?  

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to John Comstock from San Jose, CA Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 8:13. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. — 1 Corinthians 8:13 We close the chapter without hedging. No footnotes. No exceptions. No expiration date. "I will never." This is not legalism. It is a self-imposed sacrifice. Paul does not argue that eating meat is sinful. He has already made that clear. Food is morally neutral. Freedom is real. Rights are intact. And yet Paul voluntarily draws a line—not because he must, but because he loves sacrificially. This is the final bow of Christian maturity. It is not about discovering how much freedom you have. It is about deciding how much you are willing to give up. Paul refuses to let his liberty become someone else's liability. He would rather surrender a legitimate freedom than risk another believer's faith. That is not weakness. That is strength under control. Notice the posture. Paul does not wait to be corrected. He does not demand agreement. He does not insist that others change first. He chooses restraint. That is what makes this chapter so confronting to "mature" believers. Self-imposed sacrifice always feels unnecessary to those who prize their rights. But Paul understands something deeper: love is not proven by what you are allowed to do, but by what you are willing to lay down. Christian freedom is never the goal. Sacrificial love is. And sometimes love draws permanent boundaries. Paul's "never" is not a rule for everyone—it is a resolve for himself. A conscious decision to prioritize another believer's spiritual health over his own preferences. That is how the chapter ends. Not with permission—but with decisive purpose. DO THIS: Identify one freedom you could voluntarily limit—not because it is sinful, but because it might protect or strengthen another believer. ASK THIS: What freedoms am I most defensive about? Where might self-imposed sacrifice reflect Christ more clearly in my life? Who could be strengthened by my restraint? PRAY THIS: Lord Jesus, you laid down your rights for me. Teach me when to say no—not out of fear, but out of love. Shape my freedom so it serves others and honors you. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Lord I Need You."

You can be theologically correct—and still spiritually destructive. SUMMARY: In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul confronts a subtle but dangerous problem in the church—believers who are theologically right but spiritually reckless. This chapter isn't really about food or idols. It's about maturity, freedom, and sacrificial love—and why true maturity is proven not by what we know, but by what we're willing to give up for the sake of others. REFLECTION & SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Why do you think Paul starts this chapter by warning that knowledge can "puff up"? Where have you seen theological knowledge used without love—either in others or in yourself? How would you define the difference between being right and being mature? Why does Paul place the responsibility on the strong rather than the weak? What modern situations parallel the issue of food sacrificed to idols today? How can Christian freedom become a stumbling block rather than a blessing? Why do you think Paul says careless freedom is actually a sin against Christ? What freedoms might God be asking you to limit for the sake of another believer? How does this chapter challenge the way you think about your "rights" as a Christian? What would change in the church if believers consistently chose love over liberty?  

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Aric Carpenter from Manitou Beach, MI. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 8:12. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. — 1 Corinthians 8:12 Paul strips away the most common excuse we make for sin. "I'm not hurting anyone." With one sentence, Paul exposes the lie. When you wound a fellow believer's conscience—especially when they are still learning to walk in obedience—you are not merely harming them. You are sinning against Christ himself. This is the unavoidable logic of union with Christ. Believers are not spiritually independent individuals. They are members of Christ's body. What touches them touches him. What wounds them wounds him. That means there is no such thing as a private sin when other believers are involved. No such thing as neutral participation. No such thing as harmless freedom. Paul says that careless liberty doesn't just create relational fallout—it also creates spiritual offense. The Corinthians believed their knowledge insulated them. Paul says it indicts them. You can be right and still be wrong. You can know the truth and still sin against Christ by how you treat those who belong to him. This verse prompts us to seriously reconsider how we practice our freedom within the church community. When we accept behaviors that Scripture prohibits, disregard biblical beliefs as irrelevant, or encourage others to join us in ambiguous situations, we aren't merely influencing behavior—we're harming the consciences that Christ Himself redeemed. Christ does not stand at a distance from his people. He identifies with them. So when a believer stumbles because of your example, Christ says, "You did that to me." Sin always has a target. And when believers are involved, that target is Christ. DO THIS: Examine one area of freedom where you've said, "It's not hurting anyone," and ask how Christ might see its impact on others. ASK THIS: Where have I minimized sin by calling it personal or private? How does union with Christ reshape the way I view my influence? What freedoms might Christ be asking me to restrain out of love? PRAY THIS: Jesus, forgive me for the ways I've separated my freedom from my responsibility. Teach me to see your people as you see them—and to walk in love that honors you. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Andries Esterhuizen from St. Albert, Alberta. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 8:10-11. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. — 1 Corinthians 8:10-11 Paul intensifies his warning. Yesterday, the issue was stumbling. Today, the word is destroyed. This is no longer theoretical. Paul describes a chain reaction. A believer watches a "knowledgeable" Christian participate. They follow the example. Their conscience collapses. Their faith is damaged. And Paul places responsibility not on the one who followed—but on the one who led. Read it carefully. The destruction does not come from ignorance. It comes from another believer's assuming confidence. The Corinthians thought knowledge made them stronger. Paul says knowledge can be deadly when it is not governed by love for others. When believers with influence normalize what Scripture forbids—or casually participate in practices that blur obedience—the watching believer sees no nuance. They see permission and some walk right back into sin, actions done from ignorance and misunderstanding. They conclude that a certain spiritual conviction is optional. That boundaries are flexible. That obedience is negotiable. And their faith erodes. Paul adds a declaration meant to stop this reckless liberty: "The brother for whom Christ died." At the center of this proclamation is a word that refocuses freedom and a believer's spiritual arrogance. This is no longer about our freedoms. This is about the value of a soul purchased by the blood of Jesus. If Christ went to the cross for them, then their conscience matters. Their faith journey matters. Their preservation matters. Freedom exercised without love can undo what discipleship is trying to produce. Maturity is not measured by how boldly you assert your rights. It is measured by how carefully you guard another believer's faith. It's not you-focused; it's Christ-focused, and others concerned. The call of Christ is not merely about being right, but being responsible. DO THIS: Consider one area where your example carries weight. Choose one intentional act of restraint this week for the sake of another believer's faith. ASK THIS: Who might be encouraged to follow my example without sharing my maturity? Where could my confidence be weakening someone else's conscience? How does remembering Christ's sacrifice for others reshape my freedom? PRAY THIS: Jesus, you laid down your rights for me. Teach me to lay down mine for others. Guard the faith of those around me, and make me a servant who builds rather than destroys. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Nothing Else"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Greg Burger from Eau Claire, WI. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 8:9. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. — 1 Corinthians 8:9 Paul's warning is short—but it's severe. Freedom, when exercised without love, leaves casualties behind. Paul does not accuse the Corinthians of rebellion. He does not question their theology. He does not deny their rights. Instead, he issues a sober command: "Take care." Why? Because freedom is never isolated. Every action has a witness. Every choice has influence. Every liberty has a trajectory. A stumbling block is not accidental. It is something placed in another person's path. And Paul holds believers responsible not only for what they believe—but for what their actions make possible in others. When believers publicly participate in what Scripture clearly forbids—or casually normalize what God calls sin—they may feel free, informed, or mature. But the watching believer receives a different message. They do not hear nuance. They see permission. A believer fighting sexual temptation watches Christians celebrate sexuality Scripture rejects. A believer struggling toward sobriety watches Christians boast about drinking in excess. A believer learning obedience watches Christians dismiss spiritual conviction as legalism. And their faith stumbles—not because truth failed—but because freedom was flaunted wrongly. Paul's point is blunt: your freedom does not end with you. It either strengthens faith or weakens it in others. It either clears the path or clutters it for others. This is not a call to fear every decision we make in front of others. It is a call to love them wherever they may be in their walk with the Lord. Spiritual maturity is not proven by how much freedom you can exercise, but by how much you are willing to surrender for the sake of another's faith. Christ did not insist on his rights. He laid them down. And those who follow him must ask the harder and introspective question—"Who might fall because of what they hear me say or do?" DO THIS: Identify one freedom you regularly exercise and honestly evaluate whether it could become a stumbling block to someone else. ASK THIS: Who might be watching my choices more closely than I realize? Where could my freedom unintentionally weaken another believer's conscience? What would it look like to limit liberty for love's sake? PRAY THIS: Lord, teach me to see beyond myself. Give me a heart that values another's faith more than my own freedoms. Shape my life to reflect your sacrificial love. Amen. PLAY THIS: "I Surrender"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Rusty Beck from Corinth, TX. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 8:7-8. However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. — 1 Corinthians 8:7-8 Freedom is never private when other people are watching. Paul shifts the conversation in this section from theology to people. He has already affirmed the truth: idols are nothing, and food is morally neutral. But now he introduces a critical reality—not everyone has arrived at that understanding yet. Some believers in Corinth came out of real idol worship. Their past shaped their conscience. So when they saw mature Christians eating idol meat, they didn't see theological freedom—they saw permission to do something that was contrary to their former lives. Thus, participation communicated approval. That's the danger Paul exposes here. The issue isn't that the food suddenly becomes sinful. The issue is that someone else's conscience is still being formed, thus one believer's freedom becomes a template and a temptation. This is where our modern parallels become unavoidable. A believer rescued from sexual confusion watches Christians attend a same-sex marriage and concludes the Bible must have changed. Or that they have understood scripture wrongly A believer fighting addiction sees Christians joke about drunkenness or normalize marijuana use and assumes self-control no longer matters. In each case, the message received is permission. Paul's point is precise: what feels neutral to you can become formative for someone else. That's why he reminds them that food doesn't commend us to God. Freedom doesn't earn favor. Participation doesn't make us stronger. Abstaining doesn't make us weaker. None of it changes our standing with God. What does change is the conscience of the one watching. Spiritual maturity isn't proven by how far you push your freedom, but by how carefully you steward it. Love slows liberty. Wisdom watches the room. Faithfulness considers who might stumble behind you. Paul isn't calling believers to live in fear. He's calling them to love someone else by reducing our freedoms for their benefit. True sacrificial love considers a question better than, "Am I allowed?" It asks of ourselves, "In my freedom, what message could this send to someone else?" DO THIS: Before exercising a freedom, ask who might be watching and how your action could shape their conscience. ASK THIS: Where might my freedom be interpreted as permission by someone else? Who around me is still learning to separate old patterns from new faith? How can I practice freedom in a way that protects others? PRAY THIS: Father, help me to love others more than I love my freedom. Give me wisdom to see beyond myself and courage to limit liberty for the sake of another's faith. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Make Room"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Drew Amey from Roanoke, VA. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 8:4-6. Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "an idol has no real existence," and that "there is no God but one." For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. — 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 We live in a world that tells us we can believe anything, affirm everything, and submit to nothing. Our culture celebrates pluralism—not just diversity of people, but diversity of moral authorities. Competing visions of truth, justice, and identity coexist, each claiming legitimacy and demanding allegiance. Corinth felt the same pressure. It was a city shaped by migration, trade, and constant cultural exchange. Many gods were named. Many lords were honored. Many systems promised meaning and belonging. Paul does not deny this reality. He acknowledges it. "There are many so-called gods and many lords." But then he draws a decisive line. "Yet for us…" That small phrase changes everything. Paul is not arguing that other belief systems do not exist. He is arguing that they do not rule. For followers of Christ, allegiance is not divided. Truth is not negotiated. Authority is not shared. There is one God, the Father—from whom all things come and for whom we exist. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ—through whom all things were made and through whom we live. This is not religious narrowness. It is moral clarity based on the truth of God's Word and revelation. A pluralistic world suggests that multiple systems can define good and evil simultaneously. That identity is self-determined. That justice is endlessly adjustable. That truth evolves with culture. These systems—political, ideological, and moral—do not merely offer opinions. They demand allegiance and thus worship. Paul's point is simple and unavoidable: you can live among many belief systems, but you cannot live under many lords. That is why participation in them is never neutral. What you permit, endorse, normalize, or excuse motions allegiance—whether you intend it or not. Food sacrificed to idols was never just about food. It was about communicating or indicating loyalty or misunderstood loyalty. Jesus does not offer coexistence with rival authorities. He offers coherence. In him, creation, truth, love, justice, and freedom hold together. He does not compete for lordship—he defines Lord and Lordship. In a morally fragmented world, the answer is not retreat or rage. It is allegiance. One God. One Lord. One allegiance. DO THIS: Identify one belief, habit, or cultural pressure that subtly competes for your allegiance and intentionally place it under the authority of Christ. ASK THIS: 1. Where am I tempted to divide my allegiance between Jesus and cultural values? 2. What systems most shape my sense of justice, identity, or truth? 3. How does Jesus' lordship clarify the choices I make? PRAY THIS: Father, I confess how easily my allegiance drifts. Anchor my heart in You alone. Teach me to live under one Lord, one truth, and one authority—Jesus Christ. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Be Thou My Vision"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to George Zeck from Venice, FL. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 8:1-3. Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. — 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 You can be theologically correct—and spiritually careless. Paul opens this section with a warning that cuts against a familiar instinct in believers: the belief that being right automatically makes us faithful. The real danger in a secular culture is not ignorance, but arrogance—truth held without consideration for others. The Corinthians understood that wooden and stone idols were nothing. They knew meat was just meat. Paul doesn't dispute that. He affirms it. But he exposes the problem. Knowledge alone inflates. It creates distance. It feeds superiority. It subtly shifts the question from "What honors God?" to "What am I allowed to do?" Do you see the shift? It is a shift from "He" to "me". But thoughtful "love" for God and others, combined with good theology, does stretch the believer to do some things they would not usually do. Stay humble in moments where pride could be misunderstood. Restrain actions where freedom is allowed. Consider how our accurate theological freedom might adversely affect others. That's why this section of chapter 8 still presses on us today. We may not debate food sacrificed to idols, but many believers still rationalize the so-called "gray areas" of life—places where Scripture allows freedom, yet pride tempts us to lean toward self rather than love. The Corinthians weren't arguing whether idols were real; they were arguing whether their knowledge gave them permission to participate, signal approval, or remain indifferent anyway. In the same way today, the issue is often not personal involvement but endorsement, celebration, or normalization. What God calls sin is reframed as virtue. Sexual immorality is affirmed as love. Abortion is defended as compassion. Same-sex marriage is praised as progress. Drunkenness, pornography, marijuana use, and indulgence are excused as harmless freedoms. Believers may not practice these things themselves, but participation, silence, or celebration can quietly communicate approval. And the defense often sounds spiritual: "I know better." "I'm free in Christ." "This doesn't affect my faith." "I'm not hurting anyone." Paul dismantles that logic. Being right is not the same as being faithful. If knowledge does not lead to love, it has already begun to lead us wrong. Truth without humility hardens hearts. Freedom without love compromises witness. Paul ends with a quiet but profound shift. Maturity is not defined by how much you know about God, but by whether you are known by God. Faithfulness in a pagan world is not measured by how much freedom you can defend, but by how carefully you steward it for the good of others and the glory of God. DO THIS: Before exercising a freedom you believe you have, pause and ask whether it builds others up or subtly elevates yourself. ASK THIS: Where am I more focused on being right than being loving? How might my freedoms affect the conscience or faith of others? Am I using knowledge to serve—or to justify myself? PRAY THIS: Father, guard my heart from pride disguised as conviction. Teach me to hold truth with humility and freedom with love. Shape my life so that it reflects Your heart, not just correct beliefs. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Make Room"

In this reaction video, Vince Miller examines a viral sermon clip from Texas politician James Talarico that is circulating online. In the clip, Talarico argues that the debate over abortion is not about life but about personhood. While the argument may sound thoughtful and compassionate at first, it raises serious theological and biblical questions. In this breakdown, Vince slows the clip down and compares the teaching directly with Scripture. What does the Bible actually say about human life, personhood, and the unborn? Does Christian theology support the arguments being made in this sermon? Using passages like Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139, Jeremiah 1:5, and 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, this video explores the biblical view of human dignity, the image of God, and the authority of Scripture over cultural ideology. The goal of this reaction is not outrage, but discernment. Christians are called to test every teaching against the Word of God. If you want to learn how to think biblically and evaluate sermons carefully, this video will help you do exactly that. Test what you hear. Open the Word.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to John Deedrick from Andover, MN. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 7:39-40. A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God. — 1 Corinthians 7:39-40 Paul closes this long and careful chapter with calm clarity. After addressing desire, marriage, singleness, freedom, and faithfulness, he brings everything to rest on one steady truth: covenant still matters. He begins where Scripture consistently begins—with commitment. Marriage is not a temporary arrangement or a casual agreement. It is a covenant meant to endure for life, and Paul states this plainly, without apology or embellishment. At the same time, Paul is not careless with those who have suffered loss. When death ends a marriage, freedom is real. A widow is not bound forever; she is free to marry again, and Paul affirms that freedom without hesitation. But freedom is never detached from devotion. Paul adds a clarifying expression that shapes everything that follows: "only in the Lord." Choice is permitted, but allegiance remains. Desire may move, but it must move under the Lordship of Christ. Paul then offers his pastoral judgment—not as a command or pressure. He suggests that remaining single may bring greater happiness, not because marriage is lesser, but because undistracted devotion often produces more profound peace. His concern throughout the chapter has never been status, but spiritual steadiness. When Paul closes by saying that he speaks with the Spirit of God, he is not claiming superiority. He expresses confidence that wisdom shaped by the Spirit leads to a freedom that does not fracture faith. This final word is the heart of the chapter. Marriage is good. Singleness is good. Freedom is good. But none of them are ultimate. Freedom flourishes best where God's covenant is honored. When boundaries disappear into a field of choices, freedom does not expand—it collapses. But when freedom is shaped by devotion to the Lord, it becomes a gift rather than a threat to your soul. So we are all left with an invitation: live freely, choose wisely, honor the covenant, and remain anchored in the Lord. DO THIS: If you are facing a relational decision, write down what freedom looks like "in the Lord." Ask not only what you want, but what honors Christ. ASK THIS: Where do I confuse freedom with the absence of boundaries? How does covenant protect rather than restrict true freedom? What decision am I being called to make in the Lord right now? PRAY THIS: Father, thank You for the freedom You give and the wisdom You provide. Teach me to choose within Your design, to honor covenant, and to trust that true freedom is found in devotion to You. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Even If"

We're living in an age of sexual confusion—and the church hasn't escaped it. God's design has been blurred. Conviction has been softened. And clarity has been replaced with chaos. SUMMARY First Corinthians 7 speaks directly into sexual confusion, relational pressure, and delayed obedience. Paul addresses sex without embarrassment, marriage without idealism, singleness without shame, and faithfulness without apology. This chapter draws a clear line between cultural confusion and biblical conviction—and asks every believer where their true allegiance lies. REFLECTION & SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS Where do you see cultural confusion most influencing views of sex and marriage today? Why do you think believers are tempted to stay silent on these issues? How does Paul correct both sexual permissiveness and false holiness in this chapter? In what ways does culture load marriage with expectations it was never meant to carry? How does Paul redefine singleness as a gift rather than a deficiency? What does this chapter teach about obedience that doesn't wait for better circumstances? How should a believer live faithfully in a mixed-faith marriage? Why is faithfulness harder when obedience feels costly? Where might you be postponing obedience until life feels more settled? What would it look like for you to live fully devoted to Christ right where you are?

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Cory Doden from Red Wing, MN. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 7:36-38. If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better. — 1 Corinthians 7:36-38 Paul is doing something important here. He is teaching believers how to make faithful decisions when Scripture allows freedom. This passage has sparked debate for centuries—about fathers and daughters, fiancés and engagements—but Paul's pastoral point remains clear regardless of the scenario: Godly decisions are not driven by pressure. Paul describes two faithful paths. In the first situation, marriage is the wise and obedient choice. Desire is strong, self-control is strained, and covenant is the proper place for that desire. Paul says plainly: "Let them marry—it is no sin." In the second situation, restraint is the wiser choice—not because marriage is wrong, but because conviction is settled, self-control is present, and no external pressure is forcing the decision. Paul says this person "will do well." What matters most is not the outcome, but the posture. Paul highlights three marks of a wise decision: No coercion — being under no necessity. Self-control — desire is governed, not denied. Conviction — a settled heart, not spiritual panic. This is freedom with conviction. Paul refuses to turn marriage or restraint into a spiritual competition. One is not sinful. The other is not superior in every circumstance. Both can be faithful when chosen wisely. This is important to know situationally, because some believers equate restriction with holiness. We assume that the harder path must be the godlier one. And Paul gently corrects that thinking. Holiness is not measured by severity. It is measured by obedience flowing from conviction, where there is freedom. But where God gives freedom, He also expects wisdom. And wisdom requires clarity, patience, and honest self-assessment. Paul's guidance reminds us that faithfulness is not found in rushing decisions—or avoiding them—but in making them with a heart settled before God. DO THIS: Think about a decision you're currently facing. Before acting, ask whether it's being driven by pressure, fear, or comparison—or by prayerful conviction before God. ASK THIS: Where do I feel pressure to choose quickly rather than wisely? How do I distinguish conviction from guilt or fear? What would it look like to wait until my heart is settled before deciding? PRAY THIS: Father, thank You for the freedom You give within Your wisdom. Help me resist pressure and fear, and lead me into decisions shaped by conviction, self-control, and trust in You. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Trust in You"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Jay T. Stilkey from Post Falls, ID. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 7:32-35. I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. — 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 Paul slows down here. He doesn't issue commands. He offers care. He doesn't shame. He clarifies. His opening line reveals his heart: "I want you to be free from anxieties." Paul isn't ranking marriage and singleness. He's naming reality. Life adds weight. Responsibilities multiply concerns. Love creates legitimate obligations that divide attention—not because something is wrong, but because something is real. Marriage is not sinful. Singleness is not superior. Both are gifts. Both come with costs. Paul's point is simple but searching: devotion is shaped by attention. The unmarried believer has fewer competing demands and more flexibility to focus on pleasing the Lord. The married believer carries additional responsibilities—to a spouse, to a household, to shared decisions—and that naturally divides attention. Paul does not condemn that division. He acknowledges it. And then he tells us why he's saying any of this: "I say this for your own benefit… to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord." That's the key phrase in this section. Paul is not trying to restrict your life. He is trying to protect your focus. He knows that devotion doesn't usually disappear overnight—it gets crowded out slowly. Good things pile up. Legitimate concerns take center stage. And before long, what matters most gets pushed to the margins. Paul wants better for us. He wants a life ordered around what lasts. A heart that knows why it exists. A devotion that is clear, intentional, and unconflicted. This is not a call to escape responsibility. It's a call to clarity. Whether married or single, the question is the same: What has my attention—and what is quietly competing with my devotion to the Lord? Paul's vision is not a stripped-down life, but a focused one. Not fewer loves, but rightly ordered loves. Because true freedom is not the absence of responsibility. It is the ability to live with clear, undivided devotion to the Lord. DO THIS: Take five quiet minutes today and list the top five things that currently demand your attention. Ask God to show you which ones are crowding out your devotion to Him. ASK THIS: What responsibilities most divide my attention right now? Where have good things begun to crowd out devotion to the Lord? What would undivided devotion look like in my current season of life? PRAY THIS: Lord, You know the weight I carry and the concerns that fill my mind. Help me order my loves rightly. Free me from anxiety and lead me into clear, undivided devotion to You. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Clear the Stage"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Elijah Kovar from Independence, MN. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 7:25-31. Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. — 1 Corinthians 7:25-31 Paul does not tell believers to abandon life or withdraw from the world. Instead, he urges them not to build their lives as if this world were permanent. This scripture is not meant to create panic or anxiety, but to cultivate preparedness—a steady, eternal perspective that reshapes how we hold everything we have. As Paul considers a list of items—marriage, grief, joy, possessions, and daily responsibilities—he offers a word that still unsettles us because it runs against our instincts. He calls believers to hold everything with open hands. The reason is simple and sobering: "Your time is very short." Paul is not predicting a date or stirring fear; he is shaping a posture. Time is limited, eternity is near, and that reality should change how tightly we cling to the things of this world. Marriage is good, but it is not ultimate. Grief is real, but it is not final. Joy is sweet, but it does not last forever. Possessions are useful, but they are not secure. None of these things are wrong; they are temporary and changing. Paul's call, then, is not withdrawal from life but readiness within it. Believers are invited to stay engaged without becoming entangled, to care deeply without clutching desperately, and to enjoy God's gifts without confusing them with God himself. This is what it means to live ready: to obey when God redirects, to suffer without losing hope, to rejoice without forgetting eternity, and to let go when the world begins to fade. Then Paul closes with authority: "For the present form of this world is passing away." Everything we see is temporary. Everything we hold will one day be released. Only what is rooted in Christ will remain. So do not anchor your identity in what is fading. Anchor it in the kingdom that cannot be shaken, and live today with eternity clearly in view. DO THIS: Identify one thing you're holding too tightly—status, comfort, possessions, plans—and intentionally loosen your grip by surrendering it to God today. ASK THIS: Where am I living as if this world is permanent? What earthly attachment most distracts me from eternal priorities? How would my daily choices change if I truly believed time is short? PRAY THIS: Father, help me live ready. Teach me to enjoy Your gifts without worshiping them, to grieve without despair, and to rejoice without forgetting eternity. Fix my heart on what lasts. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Build My Life"  

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Kevin Kinney from Mahtomedi, MN. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God. — 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 We often assume that spiritual growth requires a new setting. A new job. A new relationship. A new city. A new season. But Paul confronts that assumption head-on. He writes to believers who thought they needed to change their circumstances to live more faithfully. Paul says the opposite: God meets you where you are—not where you wish you were. Paul's command is repeated so often in this short section that it's impossible to miss: "Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called." Paul is not trapping people. He's freeing them. He points to examples that mattered deeply in the first-century world—circumcision and social status. Jews wanted to erase their Jewishness. Gentiles wanted to adopt it. Slaves wanted out. Free people wanted upward mobility. Paul's response cuts through all of it. Circumcision doesn't save you. Uncircumcision doesn't sanctify you. Status doesn't define you. Obedience is what you need. This is Paul's core conviction: "Neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God." In other words, stop confusing change with calling. God is not waiting for you to upgrade your life before he works. He works in ordinary obedience—right where you are. That doesn't mean opportunities for change are wrong. Paul even says if freedom is possible, take it. But don't believe the lie that faithfulness is postponed until circumstances improve. Paul reframes identity entirely. A slave in Christ is free. A free person in Christ is owned. Everyone stands on equal ground at the foot of the cross. And then Paul reminds them—and us—why: "You were bought with a price." Your life isn't owned by culture. Your worth isn't assigned by status. Your calling isn't delayed by circumstances. God meets you where you are—and walks with you as you obey. So be obedient today, in the place where you are standing right now.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Justin Gulbrandson from Olathe, KS. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 7:8-16. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? — 1 Corinthians 7:8-16 Some passages of Scripture are clean and crisp. This one isn't. Paul is dealing with real people in real situations—singles struggling with desire, marriages under strain, believers married to unbelievers, and relationships where obedience isn't simple or symmetrical. And Paul doesn't flatten the complexity. Instead, he shows us something vital: Our faithfulness is practiced in complicated places. Paul speaks first to singles and widows. Singleness can be a gift—but not everyone is given that assignment. Desire for a relationship isn't spiritual failure. But ignoring the boundaries and parameters is dangerous. For some, faithfulness means remaining single. For others, faithfulness means entering covenant marriage. Then Paul turns to married believers. His counsel is clear and rooted in Jesus' teaching: don't treat divorce as your spiritual escape hatch. Holiness doesn't come from abandoning the covenant when things get hard. But then the situation gets even more complicated. What if you're married to someone who doesn't share your faith? Or what if you made a faith commitment in an existing marriage where your spouse is not a believer? In this instance, Paul doesn't jump to separation. He doesn't demand instant withdrawal. He doesn't spiritualize abandonment, like some do and will. If the unbelieving spouse is willing to stay, Paul says: stay. Your presence matters. Your faith shapes the spiritual environment of the home. God works through covenant faithfulness more often than dramatic exits. But Paul also refuses to turn marriage into a prison cell. If the unbelieving spouse chooses to leave, the believer is not enslaved. God does not call His people to endless relational warfare. God has called you to peace. That line matters. You are responsible for your obedience to God's Word—not outcomes you don't control. You cannot convert your spouse by force, pressure, or guilt. Faithfulness is not the same as control. Then Paul ends with holy expectation: "How do you know… whether you will save your spouse?" In other words, trust God with what only God can do. This section teaches us something important that some believers forget—obedience isn't always dramatic. Sometimes it looks like staying. Sometimes it looks like releasing. But it always looks like faithfulness, obedience, and trust in God's work beyond our control. Faithfulness is practiced in complicated places. DO THIS: Name your current relational reality honestly before God—without minimizing it or dramatizing it. Ask Him what faithfulness looks like here, not somewhere else. ASK THIS: Where am I tempted to escape rather than obey? How can I pursue peace without compromising holiness? What outcome am I trying to control that I need to entrust to God? PRAY THIS: Father, You see the complexity of my relationships. Give me wisdom to know when to stay faithful, when to pursue peace, and when to trust You with outcomes beyond my control. Teach me obedience that honors You in hard places. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Trust in God"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 7:1-7. Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. — 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 Corinth celebrated sexual indulgence as entertainment, expression, escape, and even religion. Sex was merely a convenience—not commitment. But Paul doesn't invent a new sexual ethic here. He reaffirms the historic, biblical blueprint of marriage. The sexual ethic the Corinthians had forgotten: Sex belongs in monogamy. Sex outside marriage violates the covenant. Sex inside marriage is a shared responsibility—not one-sided. Here is how he starts: "But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband." — Cor. 7:2 Our sexual desires aren't the problem. Dislocation of sexual desires from the covenant is the core problem. God created us with sexual desires. He is very much pro-sex, but he is also pro-covenant and designed our sexual desires and sexual acts for inside the covenant, not outside it. Sex in the wrong place fractures the plan and design of God and impacts you and others. But sex in the right place fortifies. And then Paul goes where no Greco-Roman man expected him to go: "The husband should give to his wife… and likewise the wife to her husband." — Cor. 7:3 This isn't Paul trying his hand at sex therapy like Dr. Ruth Westheimer—it was ancient biblical wisdom: Her needs matter. His needs matter. Her authority matters. His authority matters. Paul's words shatter the cultural norm: "The wife does not have authority over her own body… likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body." — Cor. 7:4 He is not suggesting domination—sexual devotion. He is not suggesting ownership—sexual surrender. He is not suggesting power—sexual partnership. He is dispelling the myth that sex was designed to be a bargaining chip, a tool of control, or a means of manipulation. It was designed to be a covenant bond. That's why Paul warns: "Do not deprive one another… so that Satan may not tempt you." — Cor. 7:5 Withholding doesn't heal—it harms. Distance doesn't purify—it exposes. Neglect doesn't strengthen—it weakens. Paul is not condemning couples in sexless seasons that they did not choose. He is confronting sexless marriages created by indifference, resentment, avoidance, or false holiness. When intimacy disappears by choice rather than circumstance, the marriage weakens—and temptation looks for an opening. Marital intimacy is spiritual protection. A safeguard. A shared shield against temptation. Then, finally in verse 7, he says: "Each has his own gift from God…" — Cor. 7:7 Marriage is a gift. Singleness is a gift. The assignment differs—the grace is the same. So Paul pulls it all together: Desire matters. Marriage matters. Holiness matters. And God designed them to work together. Sex outside marriage fractures. Sex inside marriage fortifies. Because God made desire holy—and He placed it inside the covenant for our good. DO THIS: Invest intentionally in your marriage today: initiate a needed conversation, express affection, schedule time together, or remove a distraction that's weakening your connection. ASK THIS: Where have I treated desire as convenience rather than covenant? How can I serve my spouse (or future spouse) with greater mutuality and intentionality? What part of my understanding of sex or marriage needs to realign with God's design? PRAY THIS: Father, thank You for designing desire with purpose and placing it inside the covenant for our good. Teach me to honor You—whether married or single—with purity, mutuality, and devotion. Strengthen marriages, protect hearts, and anchor us in Your design. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Goodness of God"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. We don't flirt with fire. We don't negotiate with danger. And when it comes to sexual sin, Paul gives only one command: Run. Sprint. Get out fast. Not because you're weak—but because you know what's at stake. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. — 1 Corinthians 6:18–20 Paul doesn't tell you to manage sexual sin. He doesn't tell you to reason with it. He doesn't even tell you to pray near it. He tells you to flee. Why? Because sexual sin cuts deeper. It reshapes your desires. It wounds your soul. It touches the very place where God dwells. And then Paul gives the identity anchor that makes the command make sense: You. Are. Bought. Bought with blood. Bought at full price. Bought out of slavery. Bought into freedom. Jesus didn't shed discount blood to redeem you into discount living. That's why Paul's logic is so sharp: If Christ paid full price, stop selling yourself at bargain rates. You don't belong to sin anymore. You don't belong to your impulses. You don't belong to your past desires. You belong to Christ. And belonging determines behavior. This is why fleeing isn't cowardice—it's courage. It's saying: "I know my worth. I know my calling. I know my Redeemer. I know who paid for me." Every step away from sin is a step toward the Savior who bought you. Every act of fleeing is an act of worship. So glorify God in your body. Run like someone who knows what they're worth. Run like someone who has been bought with priceless blood, not discount blood. DO THIS: Choose one practical step to "flee": delete an app, cut off a pathway to sin, confess to a trusted believer, or move physically away from a tempting environment. ASK THIS: Where have I tried to manage sin instead of fleeing from it? What "bargain-rate" lies have convinced me my body is mine to use however I want? How does remembering the price Jesus paid reshape how I treat my body? PRAY THIS: Father, thank You for buying me at the highest cost. Help me flee what destroys my soul and run toward the One who redeemed me. Strengthen my mind, guard my desires, and make my body a place that honors You. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Jesus Paid It All"

We live in a moment where feelings rule, rights are weaponized, and identity is endlessly redefined. And the church isn't immune. SUMMARY 1 Corinthians 6 confronts the modern obsession with rights, autonomy, and self-defined identity. Paul makes it clear: believers don't belong to themselves—body, identity, and freedom all belong to Christ. Maturity means surrendering self-ownership and living for God's glory. REFLECTION & SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS Why do personal rights feel so important in our culture—and how can they compete with Christian witness? What does Paul mean when he asks, "Why not rather be wronged?" How do lawsuits among believers damage the gospel's credibility? Where do you see the lie of false ownership showing up in the church today? Why does Paul treat fraud as a theological issue, not just a moral one? What stands out to you about the phrase, "And such were some of you"? How does identity received from God differ from identity constructed by the self? What's the difference between freedom from sin and freedom to sin? Why does "my body, my choice" collapse under biblical scrutiny? What would it look like this week to genuinely glorify God with your body?  

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 6:15-17. We live in a world that treats sexual sin like it's harmless, private, and victimless. People defend themselves with one sentence that sounds so innocent: "I'm not hurting anyone." Paul destroys that myth in three verses. Because if you are in Christ… your body belongs to Christ. And if your body belongs to Christ… your choices involve Christ. Paul doesn't ease into the point. He detonates it. "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!" — 1 Corinthians 6:15 He's saying: When you use your body for sexual sin, you drag Jesus into it. Not metaphorically. Not symbolically. Literally. Because your body is a member of Christ. A limb of Christ. A temple of Christ. Your sin isn't private. Your choices aren't isolated. Your actions don't happen in a vacuum. Sex isn't casual — it's union. "For, as it is written, 'The two will become one flesh.'" — 1 Corinthians 6:16 When you join your body to someone in a sinful way — whether that's porn, adultery, hookups, sexting, cohabitation, or any form of sexual immorality — you're not just touching sin. You're uniting with it. Sex fuses. Sex bonds. Sex creates spiritual attachments. And if you belong to Christ, every competing union wounds you, warps you, and pulls you away from the One you're meant to be joined to. "But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him." — 1 Corinthians 6:17 That's why the myth of "I'm not hurting anyone" is so toxic. You're hurting your own soul. You're hurting your fellowship with Christ. You're hurting your spiritual integrity. Sin never stays in one place. Sin always spreads. Sin always hurts. Christ doesn't expose this to shame you. He exposes it to heal you. To restore you. To call you back to the union your soul was made for. Because when you're joined to Christ… you don't join yourself to anything that tears you away from Him. DO THIS: Identify one area where you've believed the lie "I'm not hurting anyone," and bring it into the light before God. ASK THIS: Where have I convinced myself my private choices don't affect my relationship with Christ? What union—physical, digital, emotional, or mental—do I need to break? How is the Spirit calling me back to deeper oneness with Christ? PRAY THIS: Father, expose every lie I've believed about sin being harmless. Remind me that my body belongs to Christ and my choices matter. Give me the courage to break false unions and cling to the One who redeemed me. Amen. PLAY THIS: "You are Holy"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 6:12-14. We live in a world that treats the body like a playground—something to indulge, use, bend, and satisfy at any cost. Corinth wasn't any different. They had a saying they loved to quote: "All things are lawful for me." Translation: "I can do whatever I want with my body." But Paul takes that slogan and makes a theological adjustment, as any good Bible teacher would. "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. — 1 Corinthians 6:12–14 The Corinthian church had built an entire theology to justify its sexual habits. And honestly? Churches and believers still do this today—reshaping doctrine, bending Scripture, and redefining holiness to accommodate whatever desires they refuse to surrender. For example: Some justify porn and masturbation: "It's natural." "No one gets hurt." Some justify same-sex attraction acted upon: "This is who I am." "God wouldn't deny love." Some justify multiple sexual partners: "It's just physical." "Everyone does it." Others justify emotional affairs, hookups, cohabitation, sexting, or "sleeping together because we love each other." Paul looks at all of this and declares, "Your logic is broken because your theology is broken." The Corinthians even had a clever argument for their desires: "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food…" In other words: "If my body craves it, then my body must be made for it." That logic is wild. It's like saying: "My anger flares easily, so God gave me the spiritual gift of rage." "I crave donuts at midnight, so clearly this is holy hunger." "I like Taylor Swift songs, so I must be a liberal." It sounds ridiculous because it is ridiculous. Desire never defines design. Craving never clarifies calling. Your body isn't disposable. It isn't personal property that you can use however you want. Your body has a calling. It belongs to the Lord. And the Lord is for your body. Created for holiness. Redeemed by Christ. Destined for resurrection. So don't surrender your body to impulse. Steward it and its worth. Your body isn't a playground for desire—it's a temple for the Lord. And when you understand the calling on your body, you stop using it for things that destroy it. DO THIS: Identify one desire that tries to dominate your body—lust, impulse, laziness, or escape—and surrender it to Christ today. ASK THIS: What desire most often tries to tell me my body belongs to me? How does remembering my body's calling reshape my choices today? Which impulse have I allowed to master me that Christ is calling me to resist? PRAY THIS: Father, thank You for claiming my body as Yours. Help me honor You with what I desire, what I pursue, and what I allow to shape my habits. Strengthen me to resist impulses that don't reflect who I am in Christ. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Lord, I Need You"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. When believers forget who they are, they start acting like who they were. That's exactly what was happening in Corinth. The lawsuits, the fighting, the mistreatment, the "me-first" mindset—none of it fit who they had become in Christ. So Paul brings them back to the foundation: Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. — 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 Paul's list is not gentle. He names sins the Corinthians once embraced—sins they preferred not to talk about—sins that defined how they lived, what they desired, and who they believed they were. Then he hits them with four words that change everything: "Such were some of you." Past tense. Former identity. Old life. Dead self. Not who you are anymore. The Corinthians were living as if their old identity still held power over them. Paul reminds them of the supernatural reality that reshaped their entire existence: First | You were washed. Your filth is gone, not managed. Christ didn't rinse you—He cleansed you. Second | You were sanctified. Set apart. Made holy. Placed into a new category of belonging. Third | You were justified. Declared righteous. Given a new standing before God. Not because you earned it, but because Christ secured it. This was Paul's entire point: Believers acting unrighteously had forgotten they had been made righteous. Their behavior didn't match their identity. Paul is not saying, "Try harder." He's saying, "Remember who you are." Identity fuels obedience. Identity kills sin. Identity restores relationships. Identity corrects foolishness like lawsuits, bitterness, pride, and division. And identity always begins with what Christ has done—not what we achieve. Paul drags the Corinthians out of their petty battles and back into their eternal status: Washed from who you were Sanctified for who you are Justified for who you're becoming The gospel didn't just change your destination. It changed your definition. And when you remember who you are, you start living like who you truly are. DO THIS: Slow down today and say these three truths out loud: Washed. Sanctified. Justified. Let your identity shape your obedience. ASK THIS: Which part of my old identity tries to pull me back the most? Which truth—washed, sanctified, or justified—do I struggle to believe today? How does remembering my identity change how I treat others? PRAY THIS: Father, thank You for washing me, sanctifying me, and justifying me in Christ. Help me live from this identity, not from my past. Let my life show who You've made me to be. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Who You Say I Am"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 6:7-8. Most people believe strength looks like fighting back, striking first, or refusing to let anyone take advantage of them. Paul flips that entire worldview in two sentences. To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! — 1 Corinthians 6:7–8 Paul doesn't merely say lawsuits are messy or unfortunate. He says they reveal defeat—a spiritual collapse long before a judge renders a verdict. Why? Because believers were willing to destroy each other to protect their pride, their possessions, their image, or their "rights." So Paul asks the question no one wants to ask: "Why not rather suffer wrong?" This cuts against everything the world teaches—yet it matches everything Jesus modeled. Strength in the Kingdom is not the ability to crush someone. It's the ability to be mistreated without becoming bitter. It's the willingness to take the hit without hitting back. It's the courage to absorb injustice—when necessary—for the sake of love, unity, and witness. This isn't weakness. It's Christlike power. It's the strength that made Jesus stay silent before His accusers. It's the strength that kept Him from calling legions of angels. It's the strength that absorbed the cross instead of avoiding it. The Corinthians thought they were strong by standing up for themselves. But in doing so, they didn't just protect themselves—they wronged and defrauded their own brothers. Paul is asking them—and us—to consider a harder path: Sometimes the strongest thing a Christian can do is suffer well. Because suffering wrong for the sake of righteousness is never defeat. In the Kingdom, it's victory. And sometimes choosing to lose makes room for Christ to win through you. Suffer well. Trust Christ with the outcome. DO THIS: Choose one place where you're tempted to fight for your "rights." Ask God if surrender—not retaliation—is the better witness. ASK THIS: Why does suffering wrong feel so impossible in the moment? Where am I choosing pride over peace? How might Christ be calling me to a harder, stronger path? PRAY THIS: Father, give me the strength to suffer well. Keep my heart soft when I'm wronged, and make me more like Jesus—strong, humble, and willing to trust You with every outcome. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Lead Me to the Cross"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 6:4-6. We all know what it feels like when a conflict gets ugly. But what Paul describes here is something deeper—something darker. When believers drag each other before unbelievers, it's not just a problem. It's a symptom of a spiritual disease. So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? — 1 Corinthians 6:4–6 Paul says it plainly: "I say this to your shame." He is calling out their foolishness—their lack of wisdom—with almost painful bluntness. Paul isn't shocked that believers disagree. He's shocked that a church claiming to have the Spirit, gifts, teachers, apostles, and the mind of Christ somehow has no one wise enough to help two Christians settle a grievance. That's not just sad. That's spiritually foolish. And that foolishness reveals something deeper than the conflict itself: The issue isn't the lawsuit. The issue is the heart that would rather win than reconcile. Dragging our spiritual family into court before unbelievers exposes a hidden sickness: Pride that won't yield Bitterness that wants public victory Immaturity that refuses correction Selfishness that doesn't care about the witness of the church A craving for personal justice instead of God's justice The lawsuit is only the surface-level problem. The deeper problem is a church unwilling—or unable—to address spiritual rot in its own members. Paul is essentially saying, "If you can't solve small disputes, what does that say about your spiritual condition?" Because when believers run to unbelievers to fix their relationships, it reveals: A failure of discipleship A failure of community A failure of wisdom A failure of courage A failure of love And the world watches all of it. Paul's sting is intentional. He wants them to feel the weight of their compromise—not to shame them into despair, but to wake them into maturity. Because a church that can't handle conflict will never be a church that transforms culture. The deeper message? Until the heart is healed, the conflict won't be. And no secular court on earth can fix what only the Spirit can restore. DO THIS: Bring one unresolved conflict before God today. Ask Him to expose anything in your heart—pride, stubbornness, or fear—that may be preventing reconciliation. ASK THIS: What does my response to conflict reveal about my spiritual maturity? Who in my church family can help me work through a difficult grievance biblically? What heart issue—not just the dispute—needs God's correction? PRAY THIS: Father, reveal the deeper issues in my heart that fuel conflict. Give me humility, courage, and wisdom to pursue reconciliation in a way that honors You. Heal what I cannot see and restore what is broken. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Give Us Clean Hands"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 6:1-3. We crave justice—deeply. When someone wrongs us, cheats us, mistreats us, or lies about us, something in our soul cries out, "Make this right." But too often we run to systems that don't share our worldview, don't understand our values, and don't operate under the Lordship of Christ. It's no wonder Paul is stunned: believers are running to secular courts to solve spiritual family matters. Before Paul rebukes them, he raises their identity: When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! — 1 Corinthians 6:1–3 This is Paul at his sharpest—and most surprising. "You will judge angels." He's not talking about cute heavenly messengers. He's talking about evil angels—fallen beings—those who rebelled against God. That's cosmic responsibility. That's eternal authority. That's weight reserved for the redeemed. Paul's point is simple: If God trusts you with cosmic judgment, why can't you handle everyday conflict? The Corinthians were acting spiritually powerless, begging unbelievers to settle disputes that believers—with the mind of Christ—were more equipped to handle. Their shame was magnified because they were behaving like spiritual infants while being destined for heavenly authority. Paul isn't telling Christians to reject the legal system entirely. He's telling them to stop outsourcing what God equipped the church to handle spiritually and relationally. You're going to judge angels. You're going to judge the world. You're entrusted with eternal authority. So act like it now. Paul's rebuke invites us to recover something the modern church has nearly lost: Spirit-filled, Scripture-shaped, wise believers resolving disputes in the household of faith. We're not powerless. We're not dependent on the world for wisdom. We're not helpless victims needing secular referees. God has given His people everything they need—truth, Spirit, counsel, unity, courage—to handle conflict within the family of God. Paul's message is this: You carry future authority, so live with present responsibility. Don't act like someone who needs the world to fix what the Spirit can resolve. DO THIS: Ask God to help you handle conflict with spiritual maturity. If there's a grievance you've been tempted to take outward, bring it inward—to wise believers who can help you resolve it with grace and truth. ASK THIS: Where have I run to worldly systems for justice instead of pursuing reconciliation within the body of Christ? Who in my church family could help mediate a conflict biblically and wisely? How does my future role in God's kingdom shape how I handle conflict today? PRAY THIS: Father, give me wisdom and courage to handle conflict in a way that honors You. Remind me of the authority You've given Your people, and help me pursue reconciliation with humility and strength. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Justice"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 5:13. Some threats don't walk through the front door shouting. They slip in quietly, sit in the pew, smile during worship, and destroy slowly. Paul ends this chapter by ripping the mask off one of the greatest dangers to a church's health: unrepentant sin that everyone sees but no one confronts. God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you." — 1 Corinthians 5:13 Paul doesn't whisper this. He doesn't soften the command. He ends the chapter with a call so sharp we can feel the edge of it: remove what is destroying the body of Christ before it destroys you. He's not talking about someone who's struggling or fighting sin. He's talking about the person who refuses correction, rejects repentance, and insists on living in open rebellion while claiming the name of Christ. This kind of sin doesn't stay contained. It spreads. It shapes culture. It numbs conviction. It confuses new believers. And eventually it corrupts the whole church. First | Unrepentant sin isn't just harmful—it's contagious. This command echoes Jesus' words about cutting off a hand or tearing out an eye. Some things must be removed decisively because they can't be managed gently. If we don't cut out what kills us, it will cut out what's holy in us. And Paul draws a hard line that every believer must take seriously... Second | God judges the outside world. The church must judge what's inside. Our job is not to police unbelievers—God handles that. Our job is to protect the church. Not to condemn the world, but to guard the family of God. Not to rage at culture, but to confront the compromise within our own community. This means addressing sin when we see it—not ignoring it, excusing it, or hoping it disappears. When a believer we love is drifting into rebellion, we step in. We speak clearly. We call them back. We risk the awkward conversation. That's what love does. It also means raising concerns when leaders overlook sin. Paul's command applies to pastors, elders, small group leaders, and every believer in the house. If something poisonous is spreading, silence is not faithfulness. Silence is surrender. And sometimes—this part is hard—the right response is to leave. If your church normalizes what God condemns, if leaders minimize sin or celebrate what Scripture calls destructive, if purity is treated as optional and holiness is mocked as legalism, then the command of Paul lands on your doorstep... Third | Flee. Don't let corruption disciple you. Don't stay where sin is protected. Don't remain where truth is optional. Leaving isn't betrayal. Leaving is protection. Leaving is obedience. Leaving is spiritual survival. Paul ends the chapter with a decision-point: Will we be a church that trims sin—or a church that tolerates it? Purge what pollutes. Remove what corrodes. Cut what kills. Protect what's holy. Guard what Christ died to make clean. The world doesn't shape us. Sin doesn't define us. And compromise doesn't get a seat at the table. Christ leads us. Holiness marks us. Courage protects us. This is how chapter 5 ends—with fire and clarity. And now it's our turn to act. DO THIS: Ask God to reveal one area of compromise—personal or within your church—that needs decisive action. Speak up, confront it, or walk away if needed. Protect what's holy. ASK THIS: What sin have I tolerated that God wants removed? Where do I need to speak up instead of staying silent? Is my church confronting sin—or quietly accepting it? PRAY THIS: Father, give me courage to remove whatever harms my walk with You. Help me protect the purity of Your church and confront sin with boldness, humility, and conviction. Keep me faithful and fearless as I follow Your Word. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Clean Heart"

Tolerance feels kind. Until it destroys a soul—and a church. SUMMARY Our culture celebrates tolerance—but Paul draws a hard line in 1 Corinthians 5. When a church confuses love with silence, grace with affirmation, and maturity with tolerance, sin spreads and souls are damaged. This chapter reminds us that real love doesn't ignore sin—it confronts it for the sake of repentance, restoration, and the integrity of the church. REFLECTION & SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Where have you seen tolerance confused with love—personally or in the church? Why do you think silence often feels easier than truth? What stood out most to you about Paul's response in 1 Corinthians 5? How does false grace differ from biblical grace? Why does tolerated sin eventually affect more than just one person? How does church discipline actually protect both the sinner and the church? Where do you need to confront sin in your own life rather than excuse it? What fears keep believers from having hard but loving conversations? How should churches balance compassion and conviction today? What does it look like to restore someone without affirming their sin?  

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 5:12. It's easy to get worked up about everything happening "out there." We shake our heads at culture, critique the headlines, and grow frustrated with people who don't follow Jesus—as if their choices should shock us. But before Paul gives direction, he gives clarity: you can't expect the world to live by a standard it never agreed to. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? — 1 Corinthians 5:12 Paul tells the Corinthians to stop policing people who don't claim Christ. Unbelievers behaving like unbelievers is not a crisis. It's expected. What is a crisis is when believers behave like unbelievers and no one says a word. When Christians focus more energy on condemning the outside world than shepherding their own community, everything gets upside down. Jesus didn't police the world—He moved toward it. Paul didn't police the world—he preached to it. The early church didn't police the world—they loved it and reached it. But inside the church? They confronted sin, practiced discipline, and protected one another with humility and truth. They judged behavior not to shame but to restore. That's the difference. Many believers today get trapped in endless cycles of judging outsiders. We complain about politics, cultural decay, Hollywood, the news, and the morality of people who don't even claim to follow Christ. Meanwhile, friends we love are drifting, compromising, and slipping into patterns that are far more dangerous—and we stay silent. We end up policing the wrong people and ignoring the ones God called us to shepherd. The real problem isn't worldly people acting worldly. The real problem is God's people acting worldly and no one having the courage to intervene. Policing outside breeds resentment. Policing inside breeds restoration. So what does it look like to lovingly "police" believers in a biblical way? Ask honest questions instead of assuming everything is fine: "Hey, you seem distant lately. How are you doing spiritually?" Address what you see, not what you hear: "This is something I've noticed myself, and I care too much not to bring it up." Correct gently and clearly: "I'm saying this because it's dangerous for your walk, and I want to help." Refuse to normalize what God condemns: "I can't pretend this is okay. I care about you too much." Aim for restoration, not embarrassment: "I'm with you in this, and I'm not giving up on you." This is policing with a shepherd's heart—firm, honest, and aimed at rescue rather than ridicule. It's the kind of accountability that leads believers back to health and strengthens the whole church. DO THIS: Choose one believer in your life who may be drifting. Pray, reach out, and take a loving step toward honest conversation or gentle correction. ASK THIS: Where have I spent more time judging the world than shepherding believers? Who in my life needs loving accountability right now? What step could lead someone I love toward restoration instead of ruin? PRAY THIS: Father, help me stop policing the world and start loving, correcting, and restoring the believers You've placed around me. Give me wisdom and courage to speak truth with humility and protect the purity of Your church. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Take My Life and Let It Be"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 5:11. Before Paul gives one of the sharpest relational boundaries in the New Testament, he reminds us of something we often forget: love doesn't just embrace—it protects. And protection sometimes requires distance. With that in mind, Paul writes: But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. — 1 Corinthians 5:11 Paul draws a line most believers today avoid. He doesn't tell Christians to distance themselves from the world but from those inside the church who claim the name of Christ while openly rejecting His authority. He says not to associate with them—not even to share a meal. The reason isn't superiority or harshness. It's because the table represents fellowship, unity, and spiritual agreement, and Paul refuses to let the symbol of unity become a place where rebellion is quietly affirmed. This is where many Christians struggle. We soften. We overlook. We make excuses for people we care about. We keep sitting at the table, laughing, talking, and living as if nothing is wrong. And without meaning to, we enable them. Enabling is not compassion—it is participation in their destruction. Many believers have watched loved ones drift deeper into sin because the people closest to them confused silence with kindness. They avoided hard conversations. They feared losing the relationship. They didn't want to be labeled judgmental. And all the while, the person they loved took another step toward ruin. But Paul's instruction turns that thinking upside down. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is create distance—not abandonment, not humiliation, but a clear and honest boundary that says, "I love you too much to pretend this is okay." This kind of boundary isn't rejection. It's rescue. It's the same heart behind the last passages: the goal is never shame but repentance, never punishment but restoration. Enabling, however, numbs the sinner to their condition, cushions the very fall God may be using to wake them up, and convinces them everything is fine when it isn't. Love doesn't enable destruction. Love intervenes. Love speaks truth. Love risks misunderstanding for the sake of someone's soul. The call of Christ isn't to protect comfort—it's to protect people from the destruction sin brings. That sometimes requires courage, clarity, and boundaries. DO THIS: Identify one relationship where your silence or closeness may be enabling destructive choices. Pray for courage, and take one loving step toward honest clarity or a healthy boundary. ASK THIS: Where have I confused enabling with compassion? Who is drifting toward destruction while I remain silent? What boundary might awaken repentance instead of reinforcing rebellion? PRAY THIS: Father, give me the courage to love others enough to stop enabling what destroys them. Help me speak truth with grace, create boundaries that honor You, and seek restoration over comfort. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Together"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 5:9-10. I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people — not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. — 1 Corinthians 5:9–10 Paul clears up a massive misunderstanding. The Corinthians assumed he meant, "Cut off contact with sinful people entirely." But that was never God's strategy. We don't reach the world by abandoning it, avoiding it, or hiding from it. Paul's point is far sharper: Christians are not commanded to avoid the world. Christians are commanded to discern the church. Jesus Himself ate with sinners, welcomed sinners, and loved sinners. But Paul warns believers to be cautious around professing Christians who live openly in sin without repentance—those who claim Christ while rejecting His authority. That's where the real threat lies. Unbelievers acting like unbelievers doesn't corrupt the church. Believers acting like unbelievers without shame does. When the church begins to affirm what God condemns, the confusion spreads. The witness weakens. The church slowly becomes the very culture it's called to rescue. That's why Paul says you'd "have to leave the world" to avoid sinners outside the faith. The danger isn't out there. The danger is when what's out there walks into the church, refuses to repent, and finds applause instead of correction. Your mission is in the world—your discernment is in the church. So be wise about who shapes your spiritual life. Move toward unbelievers with compassion and conviction. But be cautious with believers who live in open rebellion while claiming the name of Christ. Discernment isn't harsh—it's holy. It protects your heart. It protects your relationships. And it protects the church you love. DO THIS: Evaluate your closest Christian relationships. Deepen connections with believers who strengthen your walk with Christ, and set boundaries with those who pull you away. ASK THIS: Who influences my spiritual life the most right now? Are they pushing me toward Christ or pulling me toward compromise? Where do I need to practice healthier discernment? PRAY THIS: Father, give me wisdom to love the world like Jesus did while discerning the church like Paul taught. Guard my heart, shape my relationships, and keep me faithful to You. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Build My Life"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 5:6-8. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. — 1 Corinthians 5:6–8 Paul moves from confronting one man's sin to confronting the entire church's tolerance of it, and he does it with a picture everyone in Corinth understood: leaven. Leaven is quiet. Leaven is small. Leaven works invisibly. Yet once it's mixed in, it spreads through the whole batch of dough. It doesn't matter if it starts in a corner—it ends everywhere. That's Paul's point. Sin never stays personal. It always becomes communal. A private compromise eventually affects public integrity. A hidden lust eventually damages relationships. A tolerated sin eventually shapes a church's culture. Just like leaven, sin spreads beyond the person who commits it. That's exactly why Paul confronted Corinth so strongly in the previous passage. Discipline wasn't only about the man—it was about the whole church, because what one person hides, the whole body eventually breathes. This is why Paul commands them to "cleanse out the old leaven." He's pulling from Passover imagery. Every Jewish family searched their home by candlelight, removing every crumb of leaven so the new batch would remain pure. Even a pinch of the old dough could corrupt everything new. Paul is applying that same spiritual search to the church: Remove the old habits. Remove the excuses. Remove the tolerated sins. Remove the attitudes that spread like rot. If we want a healed church, we must remove what is poisoning both the individual and the body. This is not just about your life. This is about our life together. But Paul ends with a powerful statement: "As you really are unleavened…" In other words, you're already made new. So live like it. Your identity is clean. Your standing is pure. Your church has been washed. So stop kneading in old corruption. Stop letting sin expand. Stop pretending one compromise won't spread to others. Don't be leavened with evil—be unleavened with truth. This is Paul's call to you. This is Paul's call to your church. This is Paul's call to every fellowship that wants to remain spiritually healthy. Remove what spreads death. Keep what spreads life. DO THIS: Do a "Passover sweep" of both your personal life and your church involvement. Remove whatever small thing you've been tolerating before it grows and affects more than you realize. ASK THIS: Where have I underestimated the spread of a small sin? How might my compromise be shaping others around me? What leaven needs to be removed so my life—and my church—can stay healthy? PRAY THIS: Father, show me anything in my life that's quietly spreading and corrupting what You want to renew. Give me courage to remove it and help me strengthen the purity of my church as well. Make me unleavened with sincerity and truth. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Give Us Clean Hands"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 5:3-5. Few passages in Scripture hit as hard as this one. Paul doesn't soften his tone, negotiate with sin, or try to appease the emotions of the Corinthian church. He issues a clear and urgent verdict. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. — 1 Corinthians 5:3–5 Paul knows that this situation isn't just unhealthy—it's spiritually destructive. The sin is so entrenched, and the man so unrepentant, that drastic action is required. This is immediate and urgent spiritual surgery. What does "deliver this man to Satan" actually mean? Paul isn't calling for torture or physical harm. He isn't asking the church to ruin this man's life. He's calling for something far more purposeful: removal from the protection and fellowship of the church so he experiences the full weight of his sin. Inside the church, the man enjoys spiritual covering, truth, prayer, and community. Outside the church, he feels the consequences of his rebellion without the shelter he had taken for granted. "The destruction of the flesh" refers to breaking down his sinful nature—not destroying his soul. Paul's goal is restoration, not ruin. The goal is always redemption: "that his spirit may be saved." Sometimes, the only path to saving a person is allowing them to feel the emptiness and pain of life apart from God. It's the same pattern we see in the prodigal son: consequences awaken repentance and a "coming to his senses." So why don't churches discipline like this anymore? Two reasons: 1. Fear of "church hurt." Pastors are often afraid to confront sin out of fear they'll be labeled harsh, judgmental, or unloving. But avoiding discipline doesn't protect anyone. It leaves people stuck. 2. Cultural understanding of love (compassion). Our culture equates love with affirmation. Many Christians have embraced this belief, assuming that confronting another's sin is unloving and judgmental. But Scripture teaches the opposite. Love tells the truth. Love corrects. Love rescues. In many churches today, the real scandal isn't that sin exists—it's that believers lack the courage to call sin what God has already called it. Removing discipline removes one of God's strongest tools for spiritual rescue. Discipline isn't rejection—it's rescue. God's discipline is not punishment; it's protection. Scripture also tells us: "The Lord disciplines the one he loves." (Hebrews 12:6) Discipline is never God turning His back on you. It's God refusing to let you destroy yourself. Church discipline, when done biblically, cuts in order to heal. It exposes in order to restore. It protects the body and saves the sinner. Don't despise discipline. Don't reject it. Receive it as grace. Because the only thing worse than being disciplined by God is being left alone in your sin. DO THIS: Ask God to reveal one area where you've resisted discipline or correction. Submit it to Him. Invite a trusted believer to help you walk toward healing. ASK THIS: Why do I avoid correction even when I know it protects me? Where have I confused love with affirmation? How can I receive discipline as a blessing instead of a burden? PRAY THIS: Father, thank You for loving me enough to discipline me. Cut away what corrupts me. Remove what destroys me. Give me a humble heart that welcomes Your correction so I can be healed and restored. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Even When It Hurts"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 5:1-2. The sin in Corinth wasn't subtle, hidden, or debatable. It was so scandalous that even the surrounding pagan culture was shocked by it. Paul writes: It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. — 1 Corinthians 5:1–2 Paul cannot believe what he's hearing. A man in the church is committing sexual sin that even unbelievers reject, and instead of grieving over it, the church is arrogant about its tolerance. This is not just a Corinth problem—it's a problem in today's church as well. Sexual sin is no longer shocking in the culture, but the deeper issue is that it's no longer shocking in the church. Porn has become normalized. Cohabitation is assumed. Adultery is reframed as emotional escape. Lust is dismissed as human nature. Same‑sex behavior is being affirmed rather than confronted by churches that are more focused on appearing compassionate than being holy. We are treating as normal what God calls destructive. This is where Paul's words cut through our excuses. The church is never more vulnerable than when it stops being distinct. And if we lose our distinction, we lose our witness. We cannot rescue a world we're trying to resemble. Believers today must reclaim what Corinth forgot: holiness isn't harsh—holiness is healing. Calling sin what it is doesn't crush people; it frees them. Truth is not the enemy of compassion; truth is what makes compassion meaningful. Love doesn't celebrate what destroys people; love confronts what destroys people so they can be restored. If we stay silent, people stay trapped. If we stay passive, people stay wounded. If we tolerate what God calls sin, we slowly become a church shaped by culture instead of by Scripture. This moment demands courage. Courage to grieve what God grieves. Courage to stand for truth when it's unpopular. Courage to gently persuade others toward the life God blesses. Courage to be different in a world that demands sameness. We cannot change hearts, but we can point to the One who does. We cannot force holiness, but we can model it with conviction and compassion. You don't persuade people by blending in; you persuade them by living what they desperately need. This is why Paul urges the church to mourn rather than shrug, to confront rather than ignore, and to lead rather than imitate. The church must be the place where truth restores—not where sin hides. DO THIS: Ask God to reveal any area of sexual compromise or complacency in your life. Confess it honestly, and commit to helping others walk in truth with humility and courage. ASK THIS: Have I become numb to sexual sin—in myself or in the church? Where have I stayed silent when I should have stood for truth? How can I lovingly help someone move toward holiness? PRAY THIS: Father, open my eyes to anything that mirrors the world instead of Christ. Give me courage to stand for truth—even when it's costly—and compassion to help others walk in it. Make me a voice of clarity and a vessel of restoration. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Refiner"

Fame is loud. Faithfulness is quiet. God only measures one. Summary: What does real leadership look like when you strip away applause, opinions, and platforms? In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul confronts a culture obsessed with evaluation and reminds the church that God isn't looking for celebrities—he's looking for faithful stewards. This chapter calls us to stop chasing approval, stop sitting in the judge's seat, and start living for the only commendation that lasts. Reflection & Small Group Discussion Questions: When you think about leadership, what metrics tend to matter most to you—and why? Where do you feel the pressure to seek approval instead of obedience? How does Paul's description of leaders as "servants and stewards" challenge modern leadership culture? What's the difference between being successful and being faithful in God's eyes? Why do you think Paul says it's a "small thing" to be judged by others—or even by himself? In what ways do we unintentionally play the judge with people's motives or ministries? How does the phrase "You receive, not achieve" confront pride in your life? Why is it tempting to expect comfort, recognition, or applause in ministry or service? What does fatherly leadership look like in real life—at home, church, or work? If God evaluated your life today, where would faithfulness be clearly visible?  

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:21. Paul ends the chapter with a question that sounds like a loving father sitting down after a long, difficult day: What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness? — 1 Corinthians 4:21 This isn't a threat. It's an invitation. Paul isn't eager to discipline them; he's eager to restore them. His heart is essentially saying, "Don't make this harder than it has to be." And isn't that exactly how so many of us relate to God? We resist. We push back. We defend ourselves. We dig in our heels. Instead of confessing, we explain. Instead of yielding, we argue. And eventually, God has to use the "rod"—that loving, corrective pressure that wakes us up. Not because He's angry, but because He refuses to let us drift into destruction. But Paul is showing us a better path—the path of restoration. Humility invites gentleness. Repentance invites tenderness. A softened heart invites God's nearness. We often assume God is eager to be harsh, but Scripture tells a different story: God would rather restore you than correct you. He would rather embrace you than discipline you. He would rather speak softly than press firmly. Paul's question becomes God's question for you: "How do you want me to come to you?" If you respond with a humble, teachable heart, He comes with love. If you respond with pride and resistance, He comes with correction. Not because He wants to, but because sometimes correction is the only thing that shakes us awake. Don't make God use the rod when He's offering restoration. If you feel conviction today, that is God's kindness. If you feel warned, that is His mercy. If you feel nudged toward obedience, that is His love. Paul pleads with the Corinthians—and God pleads with us—to choose the path that invites gentleness. Choose restoration. DO THIS: Humble yourself before God today. Ask Him, "Is there anything I'm resisting that You're trying to restore?" ASK THIS: What area of my life would cause God to approach me with correction rather than gentleness? Have I misunderstood God's discipline as His anger? What step of repentance could open the door to restoration? PRAY THIS: Father, soften my heart before You. Don't let me push things to the point of the rod. Help me choose humility so I can experience Your restoration instead of Your correction. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Come Thou Fount"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:18-20. Some in Corinth were puffed up—loud, confident, full of opinions. They acted as if Paul would never return, and even if he did, they imagined they could stand toe-to-toe with him. Paul answers with calm clarity: Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. — 1 Corinthians 4:18–20 Paul is done with the noise. He's not coming to evaluate their words—he's coming to see their lives. Big talk is cheap. Real power isn't. We live in a world drowning in words—content, opinions, debates, arguments, and theological posturing. The Corinthians did too. But Paul reminds them that the kingdom of God doesn't advance through intellect that merely informs or through language that elevates the ego. It advances through power—the kind that transforms. God isn't impressed by vocabulary, clever arguments, or spiritual branding. Those things often feed pride more than faith. What He looks for is the unmistakable evidence of the Spirit—a power that softens hard hearts, produces repentance, crucifies ego, heals broken places, strengthens the weary, and transforms character from the inside out. You can imitate style, tone, or theological vocabulary. But you cannot imitate the power of God flowing through a surrendered life. What we're after isn't the allure of power—it's the ability to see real power when we encounter it. You recognize it in people who spend time with God, who carry peace you can't manufacture, who walk in humility that confronts pride, who speak with quiet authority born from obedience, and who display fruit that only the Spirit can produce. You can sense it. You can't always explain it. But you know: this person walks with God in a way I need. That's what Paul is after. That's what the Corinthians were missing. You don't measure a life by what it says, but by what it carries. Talk says, "Look at me." Power says, "Look at Christ." Talk elevates self. Power reveals the Spirit. Talk feeds ego. Power grows humility. Paul isn't coming to hear speeches. He's coming to see surrender. That's what God desires from us, too. Let your life carry more weight than your words. DO THIS: Take five quiet minutes to ask God, "Where is talk overshadowing true spiritual power in my life?" Let Him highlight one place where surrender needs to deepen. ASK THIS: What talk have I trusted more than transformation? Do people experience Christ's power or just my opinions? Who in my life carries real spiritual power—and what can I learn from them? PRAY THIS: Father, free me from empty talk and spiritual performance. Fill me with Your power—the kind that transforms my character and carries Your presence into the world. Make me a vessel you can use. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Holy Spirit"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:17. Some people talk a good game. Timothy lived one. Paul had a big problem in Corinth—a proud, divided church drifting from the way of Christ. So he doesn't just write another paragraph. He doesn't send a rebuke. He sends a person. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. — 1 Corinthians 4:17 Timothy wasn't a random choice. He was the right man, in the right moment, with the right life. History of Timothy: Paul met him in Lystra as a young man known for sincere faith (Acts 16:1–2). He was raised by a godly mother and grandmother (2 Tim. 1:5). Paul invited him into ministry early (Acts 16:1–3). Timothy proved faithful through suffering, travel, pressure, and conflict (Phil. 2:19–22). Paul trusted him so deeply that he sent him to tough churches—Philippi, Thessalonica, Ephesus… and now Corinth (1 Thess. 3:1–2). So why send him? Because Timothy didn't just know Paul's teaching—he knew Paul's ways. He lived the gospel Paul preached. Timothy is who Paul would be if Paul were standing in the room. The Corinthians didn't need more clarity. They needed more example. A humble one. A faithful one. A consistent one. A fellow worth following. We all need examples like Timothy… and we're all called to become examples like Timothy. Not perfect. Just faithful. Steady. Growing. Becoming the kind of person who makes it easier for others to follow Jesus. Be a fellow worth following. And here's the truth: You can be. Not by being impressive. Not by being flawless. But by walking closely with Christ until your life naturally points others toward Him. God can shape you into the kind of person others look to for strength, courage, and clarity. The kind of person who lifts prayer burdens, speaks truth gently, and carries the presence of Christ into every space. You don't need a platform. You don't need a title. You just need a faithful life. Let God form you into a fellow worth following. DO THIS: Choose one area of your life where you want to grow into someone "worth following." Invite God to shape you—and someone you trust to sharpen you. ASK THIS: Why did Paul trust Timothy so deeply? What qualities in Timothy do I need to grow in? Does my life help others follow Christ more clearly? PRAY THIS: Lord, form in me the kind of life others can follow. Make me faithful, steady, humble, and true—like Timothy. Shape me into a fellow worth following. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Lead Me to the Cross"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:14-16. No one enjoys being corrected. But deep down, we all know this: Sometimes the most loving thing someone can do is tell us the truth. Paul leans into that reality here. I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me. — 1 Corinthians 4:14–16 The Corinthians may have felt attacked, but Paul wants them to know the truth: he's not shaming them—he's loving them. Correction is restoration. Shame is destruction. Shame pushes you down. Correction pulls you back. Shame says, "You're done." Correction says, "You're drifting—come home." Paul speaks like a spiritual father. Not a critic. Not an enemy. A father. And here's the truth: We all need at least one person who loves us enough to tell us what we don't want to hear. Most of us are surrounded by "guides"—voices, content, encouragement. But guides speak to you. Fathers and mothers speak into you. Guides edify. Fathers rectify. Guides give information. Fathers give formation. Paul corrects because he cares. He warns because he wants to keep them from drifting. He speaks truth because silence would cost them. The people who love you most aren't the ones who flatter you—they're the ones who fight for your future. Paul ends with a courageous invitation: "Be imitators of me." Not because he's perfect, but because he's following Christ and wants them to follow faithfully. Correction isn't meant to crush you. It's meant to realign you. Restore you. Strengthen you. God corrects to restore, not to ruin. DO THIS: Identify one person who consistently tells you the truth. Thank them for loving you enough to correct you. ASK THIS: Why do I resist correction, even when I need it? Who are the true spiritual fathers/mothers in my life? What recent correction do I need to receive instead of resist? PRAY THIS: Father, thank You for loving me through correction. Help me receive truth as restoration, not shame. Surround me with people who speak honestly and help me follow You faithfully. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Gratitude"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:8-13. Paul pulls no punches in this section. He exposes the lie the Corinthians had embraced—the belief that the Christian life should look like success, strength, ease, and even royalty. They wanted to be kings. Paul wanted them to see the cross. Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. — 1 Corinthians 4:8–13 Paul uses biting sarcasm — "Already you have become rich! Already you've become kings!"—to expose their inflated view of themselves. They wanted the life of royalty. Paul lived the life of a servant. The gospel doesn't call us to upward mobility but downward humility. This is the heartbeat of Paul's contrast: They wanted honor; Paul embraced humiliation. They wanted ease; Paul accepted hardship. They wanted status; Paul lived as a servant. They wanted the crown; Paul carried the cross. It's the same lie still preached today—mainly by the health-and-wealth movement that elevates comfort, prosperity, and "blessing" as the measure of God's favor. But following Jesus is not about climbing up—it's about kneeling down. Paul shows what real ministry looks like: Hunger Thirst Poor clothing Hard labor Persecution Insults Being viewed as the "scum of the world" Not exactly the resume of upward mobility. And yet—Paul is content. Not because life is easy, but because it looks like Jesus. The way up is always down. This is the paradox of the Christian life: You descend before you rise. You humble yourself before you're exalted. You suffer before you reign. You serve before you lead. The Corinthians wanted to skip straight to the throne. Paul reminds them—and us—that the throne comes only through the cross. Downward humility, not upward mobility. That's the shape of the Christian life. That's the model of our Savior. That's the path to true greatness. DO THIS: Identify one area where you've expected ease, comfort, or recognition. Ask God to help you embrace a servant posture instead. ASK THIS: Where have I believed comfort should be part of the Christian life? Do I secretly want the crown without the cross? How can I practice "downward humility" today in a practical way? PRAY THIS: Lord, protect me from chasing upward mobility. Make me a servant like Your Son—humble, willing, and joyful in obedience. Help me embrace the cross before the crown. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Christ Be Magnified"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:6-7. Pride rarely shows up overnight. It inflates slowly—one comparison at a time. The Corinthians were comparing leaders, comparing gifts, comparing wins, and comparing influence. Every comparison pumped a little more air into the ego. So Paul says: I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? — 1 Corinthians 4:6–7 There it is: "puffed up." Inflated. Air-filled. Hollow confidence built on comparing yourself to someone else. Comparison is spiritual bloat. It makes you look bigger, but it always makes you weaker. Paul doesn't just call it pride—he shows what fuels it: You compare your strengths to someone else's weakness. You compare your wins to someone else's struggles. You compare your gifting to someone else's calling. And suddenly, you're "puffed up in favor of one against another." Comparison always produces two outcomes: inflation or deflation. Neither leads to humility. So Paul places a pin in the ego with one question: "What do you have that you did not receive?" It's one of the most humbling sentences in the chapter. Your gifts? Received. Your opportunities? Received. Your abilities? Received. Your influence? Received. Your successes? Received. When you realize everything is a gift, boasting feels ridiculous. You didn't earn the breath you're breathing. You received it. When you remember everything comes from God, something beautiful happens: The bloating stops. The ego shrinks. The comparisons fade. Gratitude rises. Because you can't be "puffed up" when you know you're living on received grace. Therefore, puffed-up faith pops under pressure. So stay grounded. Stay grateful. Stay aware that everything you have comes from a generous God—not a comparison chart. DO THIS: Identify one area where comparison has inflated or deflated you. Then replace comparison with gratitude by thanking God for what you've received. ASK THIS: Where am I most tempted to compare myself with others? What gift from God have I been treating like something I earned? How would gratitude—not comparison—change my posture today? PRAY THIS: Father, expose the places where I've inflated myself through comparison. Remind me that everything I have is received from You. Make me humble, grounded, and grateful. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Give Me Jesus"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:1-5. We all make judgments every day. We should. Wise judgment is part of following Jesus—choosing what's right, resisting what's wrong, and evaluating what's healthy or harmful. But Paul is talking about something very different here: This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. — 1 Corinthians 4:1–5 There's a difference between making wise judgments and pronouncing eternal judgment—and the Corinthians confused the two. They weren't just evaluating behavior. They were assigning motives, ranking leaders, critiquing hearts, and acting like they could see what only God sees. Paul says, "Your judgment—and even my own self‑evaluation—is too small to define me." Human judgment is horizontal. God's judgment is eternal. Paul isn't telling believers to stop using discernment. He's telling them to stop pretending they can see what only God sees. You can evaluate actions and doctrine. You should evaluate behavior. But you cannot evaluate a person's motives or eternal standing. That belongs to God alone. Live for God's approval, not human applause. People will misjudge you. You'll even misjudge yourself—thinking you're doing great when you're not, or failing when God says you're being faithful. But none of that settles anything. The final evaluation belongs to God. He will expose motives, reveal what's hidden, and reward faithfulness no one ever saw. And when He speaks, He will get it right. So live for that moment. Live for His verdict. DO THIS: Release one place where you've been overly self‑critical or overly concerned about someone else's opinion. Say: "Lord, I want to be faithful—You handle the final judgment." ASK THIS: Where am I confusing wise judgment with eternal judgment? Whose opinion has too much influence over my confidence? What would change if I lived for God's verdict instead of people's reactions? PRAY THIS: Lord, help me judge wisely but never assume Your role. Teach me to live for Your approval, trust Your timing, and surrender every final judgment to You. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Only Jesus"

Are you growing or staying stuck? SUMMARY 1 Corinthians 3 is Paul's wake-up call to every believer: put down the bottle and pick up a brick. God's building His church—and He wants you building with Him. Watch the full breakdown now. REFLECTION & SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS 1. Where do you see spiritual immaturity show up most clearly in your own life? 2. In what ways do jealousy or comparison hold you back spiritually? 3. How have you made Christian leaders into "instruments" instead of focusing on God's intent? 4. What unique role do you think God has given you in building His church? 5. Are you contributing to your church or mostly spectating? What needs to change? 6. What "building materials" are you using—gold or straw? What needs to be refined? 7. Where are you tempted to water down truth to fit culture? 8. How does remembering you are the temple of the Holy Spirit change how you live? 9. What recent situation exposed whether you were building unity or division? 10. What is one real step of maturity you can take this week?

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 3:21-23. We all wrestle with insecurity — in relationships, in calling, and in the unknown future. It creeps in quietly and convinces us we're missing something, behind on something, or not enough for something. But Paul gives a truth big enough to shut insecurity down at its roots. So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. — 1 Corinthians 3:21–23 The Corinthians were comparing, competing, and craving affirmation — classic insecurity on display. Paul cuts through it with one reality: you're not missing out. You already belong to Christ, and in Him, you have more than you think. Look again at what Paul says belongs to you: The world — God works within it for your good. Life — every moment comes with a God-given purpose. Death — even your greatest fear has been turned into a doorway to Him. The present — God's presence is here, now. The future — God owns it, secures it, and guides you into it. Paul intentionally stacks these truths to remind believers that insecurity is built on forgetting, while confidence is built on belonging. Security forms with belonging — insecurity forms with forgetting. When you remember who you belong to, insecurity begins to break apart. Fear quiets down. Comparison loses its pull. Anxiety loosens its grip. Because Christ doesn't just hand out spiritual gifts — He gives Himself. And if you have Him, you're not lacking anything. Not now. Not ever. DO THIS: Name one insecurity you battle. Then say aloud: "I am Christ's — and Christ is enough." ASK THIS: What insecurity shapes my decisions more than God's truth? How would I live if I really believed "all things are mine in Christ"? What part of my identity in Christ do I forget most? PRAY THIS: Father, thank You that I belong to Christ. Help me release insecurity and rest in the security You've already given me. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Who You Say I Am"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 3:18-20. We like to think we're pretty wise. We read. We listen. We follow people who sound smart. We post things that feel deep. But Paul says: Be careful, the moment you think you're wise, you might already be a fool. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." — 1 Corinthians 3:18–20 Paul's point? Human "wisdom" without God isn't just wrong — it's laughable. We act like the world is full of genius thinkers. God looks at our best ideas and raises an eyebrow. We build systems to "fix ourselves." We redefine truth to fit our preferences. We elevate experts who sound impressive but haven't solved a single heart-level problem. And God calls all of it futile. Paul uses sarcasm to land the punch. He's basically saying: "Do you want to see how brilliant humanity is? They crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Corinthians 2:8) If human wisdom were truly that great, the smartest leaders of the age wouldn't have handed over the Messiah they were supposedly waiting for or crucified him, because that played right into God's plan. That's how "wise" we are. We crucified the only One who could save us. And by crucifying him He saved us. That's Paul's whole point in this section: Human brilliance is no substitute for divine truth. God is so much wiser, so much higher, so far beyond our thought processes that even His "foolishness" (if such a thing existed) would outsmart the brightest minds on earth. This is why Paul says, "If you think you're wise, try again." Not by becoming anti-intellectual, but by trading the world's angle for God's mind. Because the wisdom of this age is just recycled folly with better marketing. And the wisdom of God is the kind that saves, restores, convicts, heals, guides, humbles, and transforms. Humans guess. God knows. Humans posture. God reveals. Humans killed Jesus. God raises Jesus from the dead. That is the difference. And that is why trusting God's wisdom will always be smarter than trusting your own. DO THIS: Write down one place where you've been relying on your own "wisdom." Pray: "God, replace my thinking with Yours." ASK THIS: Where have I trusted cultural wisdom more than God's truth? What "smart" ideas in my life are actually foolish in God's eyes? How does remembering the cross humble my confidence in human wisdom? PRAY THIS: God, Your wisdom exposes my pride. Teach me to think with Your mind, trust Your truth, and reject the false wisdom of this age. Amen. PLAY THIS: "God I Look To You"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. Most people read this passage and think it's about personal holiness. But Paul isn't talking to you (singular). He's talking to you all — the church. Do you not know that you (plural) are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. — 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 Paul delivers a sobering truth: The gathered community — not the building — is God's dwelling place. And the greatest threat isn't outside the church. It's inside. Division. Gossip. Pride. Competition. Criticism. These don't just hurt feelings — they damage God's temple. The church is rarely destroyed by the world. It's usually destroyed by believers acting worldly. Every jealous comparison, every harsh word, every split, every whispered complaint, Paul calls it temple vandalism. Because the Spirit dwells among His people, and whatever harms His people harms His dwelling. What God calls sacred, don't tear apart. But the opposite is also true: When you forgive quickly, speak gently, protect unity, and pursue peace — you strengthen what God lives in. Your words either build the temple or chip away at it. Choose to build the church and the community today. DO THIS: Pray for one person in your church you've been frustrated with. Then choose one act of peace-building toward them today. ASK THIS: Have my words weakened the church or strengthened it? Who do I need to forgive or approach with humility? How does seeing the church as God's temple change my posture? PRAY THIS: Father, forgive me for any way I've damaged Your church. Make me a builder, not a destroyer, and give me a heart that protects Your people. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Make Us One"

Government has a role, but it was never meant to redeem hearts, forgive sin, or secure eternity. SUMMARY: Every election cycle promises salvation—but Scripture says otherwise. Government has a role, but it was never meant to redeem hearts, forgive sin, or secure eternity. This teaching calls Christians to engage faithfully in civic life without confusing political power with spiritual hope. REFLECTION & SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Where do you most feel tempted to place hope in political outcomes rather than Christ? How does Psalm 146:3 challenge modern political thinking among Christians? Why do you think God allows leaders that reveal the limits of human authority? Which biblical leader mentioned (Pilate, Judas, Herod, religious elites) feels most relevant today—and why? How can misplaced trust in government create anxiety, anger, or division? What is the difference between engaging politically and idolizing politics? How should Christians balance Romans 13 with ultimate allegiance to Christ? Where have you personally confused support with salvation? What does faithful civic engagement look like at the local level? How does Christ's authority in Matthew 28:18 reshape how you view elections and leaders?

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 3:12-15. Every day, you're building something — habits, choices, reactions, priorities. You may not see it, but a structure is rising. And Paul says one day, God will test what you built. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. — 1 Corinthians 3:12–15 This is one of the most sobering texts in 1 Corinthians. Paul's not talking about salvation — that foundation is in place. He's talking about what you build on that foundation. And he says plainly: some things survive God's fire, and some things burn. Gold. Silver. Precious stones. Enduring items like these represent costly obedience, sacrificial love, perseverance, faithfulness, and holiness. Wood. Hay. Straw. These represent shortcuts, ego, comfort, laziness, worldliness, and half-hearted faith. And here's the truth most believers never think about: You can spend years building something that won't survive one second of the Refiner's Fire. Not because God is cruel — but because his fire reveals the truth. It reveals what was built for Him… and what was built for you. It exposes our motives, not to shame us, but to strengthen us. And Paul's point is simple: Build what lasts — because everything else will burn. Your energy, your time, your thoughts, your habits — they're either forming something eternal or something disposable. So today, ask yourself: Am I building with gold, or am I settling for straw? The good news? You can modify the materials today. You can start building with materials that last. DO THIS: Identify one "straw" habit today — something easy but empty. Replace it with a "gold" habit — something costly but eternal. ASK THIS: What am I building that won't matter in eternity? What part of my life needs stronger, costlier materials? What would building with "gold" look like this week? PRAY THIS: Father, teach me to build a life that lasts. Burn away what's worthless and strengthen what's eternal in me. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Refiner"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 3:10-11. Everyone's building something— a career, a reputation, a family, a future, a legacy. But Paul reminds us that the foundation matters just as much as the construction. Actually—more. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. — 1 Corinthians 3:10–11 Paul is clear: There is only one true foundation—Jesus Christ. Everything else looks strong for a while, until life leans on it. Success, relationships, security, money, comfort, reputation— none of them can hold the weight of a real life. Only Jesus can. But Paul makes a second point we often miss: You don't choose the foundation, but you do choose how you build. Your habits, decisions, reactions, desires, disciplines— all of them are construction materials. They determine whether your life is: Sturdy or unstable. Aligned or crooked. Lasting or temporary. Paul says, "Let each one take care how he builds…" Because not all building is equal. You can build fast—but sloppy. You can build big—but weak. You can build impressively—but not wisely. The foundation is perfect—Christ Himself. But the structure you build on top of Him is being shaped every day. And here's the accurate truth: If your foundation is firm—and you build on it correctly—your life will stand firm. Not because you're strong but because Christ is solid and your building aligns with Him. Storms don't destroy what's built on Jesus with care. Pressure doesn't crack what's anchored in Him. Time doesn't weaken what's formed by His wisdom. So today isn't just about believing in the right foundation. It's about building on it with intention. DO THIS: Write this somewhere you'll see it today: "I'm building on Christ." Then identify one habit that needs to be rebuilt with Him at the center. ASK THIS: What part of your life is being built quickly instead of carefully? Which habits reflect Christ—and which don't? What will building "correctly" look like today? PRAY THIS: Jesus, You are the foundation of my life. Teach me to build with wisdom, humility, and strength that aligns with You. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Firm Foundation (He Won't)"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 3:5-9. We live in a culture obsessed with taking credit. Who built this? Who made that? Who gets the recognition, the spotlight, the applause? Yet Paul cuts through all of it with one simple reminder: What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. — 1 Corinthians 3:5–9 Paul says the part we don't say out loud: Workers matter, but they're not the ones who make anything grow. Paul planted. Apollos watered. Both worked hard, served faithfully, and played their part. But only God made anything come alive. That's the point Paul wants the Corinthians to swallow: You're not as important as you think — and that's the good news. Because if you made the growth happen, then you must maintain it, sustain it, and defend it. And you cannot handle that. But if God gives the growth, then the pressure comes off your shoulders. You plant. You water. You obey. You show up. You serve faithfully. And God — not your skill, strategy, charisma, or talent — produces the fruit. You plant. You water. God grows. Let that truth unclench the pressure in your chest. Paul isn't minimizing your role. He's clarifying it. You're a servant, not the source. You're a worker in the field, not the one who makes the field fruitful. You're faithful in your assignment, but God alone creates life. And that truth should free you today. You don't have to impress anyone. You don't have to compete with anyone. You don't have to carry outcomes that belong to God. Your job is faithfulness. God's job is growth. And He has never failed at His job. DO THIS: Identify one place you feel pressure to "produce results." Then pray: "Father, I'll plant and water today. But only You can make this grow." ASK THIS: Where are you carrying pressure God never asked you to carry? Are you more focused on the results or your obedience? What "planting" or "watering" do you need to do today? PRAY THIS: Father, free me from the pressure to produce. Help me plant faithfully, water wisely, and trust You with the growth. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Do It Again"