Podcasts about servants

Proper 19 First Psalm: Psalms 70–71 Psalms 70–71 (Listen) O Lord, Do Not Delay To the choirmaster. Of David, for the memorial offering. 70   Make haste, O God, to deliver me!    O LORD, make haste to help me!2   Let them be put to shame and confusion    who seek my life!  Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor    who delight in my hurt!3   Let them turn back because of their shame    who say, “Aha, Aha!” 4   May all who seek you    rejoice and be glad in you!  May those who love your salvation    say evermore, “God is great!”5   But I am poor and needy;    hasten to me, O God!  You are my help and my deliverer;    O LORD, do not delay! Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent 71   In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;    let me never be put to shame!2   In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;    incline your ear to me, and save me!3   Be to me a rock of refuge,    to which I may continually come;  you have given the command to save me,    for you are my rock and my fortress. 4   Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,    from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.5   For you, O Lord, are my hope,    my trust, O LORD, from my youth.6   Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;    you are he who took me from my mother's womb.  My praise is continually of you. 7   I have been as a portent to many,    but you are my strong refuge.8   My mouth is filled with your praise,    and with your glory all the day.9   Do not cast me off in the time of old age;    forsake me not when my strength is spent.10   For my enemies speak concerning me;    those who watch for my life consult together11   and say, “God has forsaken him;    pursue and seize him,    for there is none to deliver him.” 12   O God, be not far from me;    O my God, make haste to help me!13   May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;    with scorn and disgrace may they be covered    who seek my hurt.14   But I will hope continually    and will praise you yet more and more.15   My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,    of your deeds of salvation all the day,    for their number is past my knowledge.16   With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come;    I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. 17   O God, from my youth you have taught me,    and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.18   So even to old age and gray hairs,    O God, do not forsake me,  until I proclaim your might to another generation,    your power to all those to come.19   Your righteousness, O God,    reaches the high heavens.  You who have done great things,    O God, who is like you?20   You who have made me see many troubles and calamities    will revive me again;  from the depths of the earth    you will bring me up again.21   You will increase my greatness    and comfort me again. 22   I will also praise you with the harp    for your faithfulness, O my God;  I will sing praises to you with the lyre,    O Holy One of Israel.23   My lips will shout for joy,    when I sing praises to you;    my soul also, which you have redeemed.24   And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,  for they have been put to shame and disappointed    who sought to do me hurt. (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 74 Psalm 74 (Listen) Arise, O God, Defend Your Cause A Maskil1 of Asaph. 74   O God, why do you cast us off forever?    Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?2   Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old,    which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage!    Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.3   Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins;    the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary! 4   Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place;    they set up their own signs for signs.5   They were like those who swing axes    in a forest of trees.26   And all its carved wood    they broke down with hatchets and hammers.7   They set your sanctuary on fire;    they profaned the dwelling place of your name,    bringing it down to the ground.8   They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”;    they burned all the meeting places of God in the land. 9   We do not see our signs;    there is no longer any prophet,    and there is none among us who knows how long.10   How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?    Is the enemy to revile your name forever?11   Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?    Take it from the fold of your garment3 and destroy them! 12   Yet God my King is from of old,    working salvation in the midst of the earth.13   You divided the sea by your might;    you broke the heads of the sea monsters4 on the waters.14   You crushed the heads of Leviathan;    you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.15   You split open springs and brooks;    you dried up ever-flowing streams.16   Yours is the day, yours also the night;    you have established the heavenly lights and the sun.17   You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth;    you have made summer and winter. 18   Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs,    and a foolish people reviles your name.19   Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts;    do not forget the life of your poor forever. 20   Have regard for the covenant,    for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.21   Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame;    let the poor and needy praise your name. 22   Arise, O God, defend your cause;    remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!23   Do not forget the clamor of your foes,    the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually! Footnotes [1] 74:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 74:5 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [3] 74:11 Hebrew from your bosom [4] 74:13 Or the great sea creatures (ESV) Old Testament: 1 Kings 22:29–45 1 Kings 22:29–45 (Listen) Ahab Killed in Battle 29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. 31 Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” 32 And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is surely the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 And when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 34 But a certain man drew his bow at random1 and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” 35 And the battle continued that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, until at evening he died. And the blood of the wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. 36 And about sunset a cry went through the army, “Every man to his city, and every man to his country!” 37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. 38 And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken. 39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and the ivory house that he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 40 So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place. Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah 41 Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43 He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD. Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 44 Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel. 45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? Footnotes [1] 22:34 Hebrew in his innocence (ESV) New Testament: 1 Corinthians 2:14–3:15 1 Corinthians 2:14–3:15 (Listen) 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. Divisions in the Church 3 But I, brothers,1 could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled2 master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—13 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. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Footnotes [1] 3:1 Or brothers and sisters [2] 3:10 Or wise (ESV) Gospel: Matthew 5:1–10 Matthew 5:1–10 (Listen) The Sermon on the Mount 5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. The Beatitudes 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons1 of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Footnotes [1] 5:9 Greek huioi; see Preface (ESV)

Teaching and Study helps for Galatians.  These insights coincide with the lesson for September 25-October 1 in the Come Follow Me manual. Principles include: Men Pleasers vs. Servants of Christ, Bewitching, The Law of the Harvest, and more. Link to Jello Mold: https://amzn.to/3rcC0R1Link to Blank Cards: https://amzn.to/465YuSuLink to Student Spinner Wheel: https://www.classtools.net/random-name-picker/To download handouts and slides go to https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeachingWithPowerTo purchase the New Testament Bundle Subscription: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1364419447/new-testament-bundle-subscriptionall?click_key=628a2cc6ba979010bdbb1a4e4405cb163a72aa97%3A1364419447&click_sum=cf524842&ref=shop_home_feat_1To purchase the New Testament Handouts Only Subscription:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/1364420781/new-testament-handout-bundle-every?click_key=7c50d21254e5caa1fe6f25c55b16f8f74b2b0acd%3A1364420781&click_sum=d579bb96&ref=shop_home_feat_2You can reach me by email at teachingwithpower@gmail.comMusic Provided by Youtube Audio Library. Track Name: Dancing Star. https://teachingwithpower.wixsite.com/teachingwithpower Disclaimer: I alone am responsible for the content of these videos. The opinions in them are mine. They represent my ideas and insights and do not reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Joyful Servants and Saints Philippians 1:1-2 David Wilson // Senior Pastor

On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge:   Previews the Diocesan pilgrimage to Emmitsburg, offers a save the date for the Diocesan Jubilee Festival in 2024    Shares stories and memories of growing up with Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who recently celebrated their centennial of service at St. James Parish   Read about the impact of religious sisters in our diocese over the years    Highlights why the Diocese prioritizes the celebration of National Migration Week — join him at the Mass for World Day of Migrants and Refugees    Learn how Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services is making a difference through education, advocacy and charitable works   Encourages young adults in their joy and zeal, along with parents of students   Bishop also answers the following question from the faithful:  September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. I've heard all sorts of rumors about whether those who commit suicide can enter Heaven. Can you clear this up? 

__________________________________________________________________________ Please Donate towards our Wudhu Project Inshallah: https://micharityp2p.com/ahc/product/phase-1-wudu-facility-renovation-2/ __________________________________________________________________________ Servants of the Most Merciful playlist: https://goo.gl/MHrBMx The Beneficial Means to a Happy Life Playlist: https://goo.gl/j6ejeX The Evolution of Fiqh playlist: https://goo.gl/VGeDaH In their stories, there are lessons playlist: https://goo.gl/qdBU9M

This sermon was recorded at a Sunday morning gathering at Church of the Lookout in Longmont, Colorado.Speaker — Luke HumbrechtVisit Our Website — https://thelookout.churchTake Your Next Step--- https://thelookout.church/connectConnect with Us --- https://thelookout.church/newGiving to Support the Ministry --- https://thelookout.church/giveVisit our websiteFollow us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

1. The King and His kingdom      A. Jesus is the Heir to the Kingdom                                 B.  Jesus  would rescue the kingdom                                            C.  Jesus will return to establish His Kingdom            2.  Servants of the King      A. They work for the King      B. They glorify the King      C. They are reward by the King   3. The wicked servant      A. Wrong thoughts of the King      B. Fear and lazy work for the King       C. Selfish desires not the King's      4.  The enemies of the King      A. They rejected the King      B. They stand before the King      C. They are judged by the King

__________________________________________________________________________ Please Donate towards our Wudhu Project Inshallah: https://micharityp2p.com/ahc/product/phase-1-wudu-facility-renovation-2/ __________________________________________________________________________ Servants of the Most Merciful playlist: https://goo.gl/MHrBMx The Beneficial Means to a Happy Life Playlist: https://goo.gl/j6ejeX The Evolution of Fiqh playlist: https://goo.gl/VGeDaH In their stories, there are lessons playlist: https://goo.gl/qdBU9M

Believers should not expect to live without any conflict in their lives. But as they navigate times of necessary or unnecessary disagreement and confrontation, they must enter into conflict with the mindset of the servant of Christ, desiring unity, pursuing Christlikeness, and walking in love. Let us have the same mind as one another and put aside the selfish motives that often taint our relationships!

Automate Your Donations Every Juma! https://jumadonation.my.canva.site/au... Please Donate towards our Wudhu Project Inshallah: https://micharityp2p.com/ahc/product/... __________________________________________________________________________ Servants of the Most Merciful playlist: https://goo.gl/MHrBMx The Beneficial Means to a Happy Life Playlist: https://goo.gl/j6ejeX The Evolution of Fiqh playlist: https://goo.gl/VGeDaH In their stories, there are lessons playlist: https://goo.gl/qdBU9M

Automate Your Donations Every Juma! https://jumadonation.my.canva.site/au... Please Donate towards our Wudhu Project Inshallah: https://micharityp2p.com/ahc/product/... __________________________________________________________________________ Servants of the Most Merciful playlist: https://goo.gl/MHrBMx The Beneficial Means to a Happy Life Playlist: https://goo.gl/j6ejeX The Evolution of Fiqh playlist: https://goo.gl/VGeDaH In their stories, there are lessons playlist: https://goo.gl/qdBU9M

The governing authorities.  Just mere mention of the words ‘politician,' or ‘government,' these days results in high blood pressure, red faces, grinding teeth, and simmering anger. And folks tend to ask, “Can things get any worse?” In Paul's day, the leader of the empire was Nero! So, how can he, here in Romans, describe the governing authorities as "God's servants"?

► Gather with us live online and in person every Sunday at 9:30a and 11:00a: https://live.fbcw.org/► Watch/listen to our services: https://fbcw.org/worship-with-us/► Give to help our mission: https://fbcw.org/give/

__________________________________________________________________________ Surah an Nisa ayah 42 Please Donate towards our Wudhu Project Inshallah: https://micharityp2p.com/ahc/product/phase-1-wudu-facility-renovation-2/ __________________________________________________________________________ Servants of the Most Merciful playlist: https://goo.gl/MHrBMx The Beneficial Means to a Happy Life Playlist: https://goo.gl/j6ejeX The Evolution of Fiqh playlist: https://goo.gl/VGeDaH In their stories, there are lessons playlist: https://goo.gl/qdBU9M

__________________________________________________________________________ Please Donate towards our Wudhu Project Inshallah: https://micharityp2p.com/ahc/product/phase-1-wudu-facility-renovation-2/ __________________________________________________________________________ Servants of the Most Merciful playlist: https://goo.gl/MHrBMx The Beneficial Means to a Happy Life Playlist: https://goo.gl/j6ejeX The Evolution of Fiqh playlist: https://goo.gl/VGeDaH In their stories, there are lessons playlist: https://goo.gl/qdBU9M

Automate Your Donations Every Juma! https://jumadonation.my.canva.site/au... Please Donate towards our Wudhu Project Inshallah: https://micharityp2p.com/ahc/product/... __________________________________________________________________________ Servants of the Most Merciful playlist: https://goo.gl/MHrBMx The Beneficial Means to a Happy Life Playlist: https://goo.gl/j6ejeX The Evolution of Fiqh playlist: https://goo.gl/VGeDaH In their stories, there are lessons playlist: https://goo.gl/qdBU9M

We saw that y'all loved the first two faith leader panels so much that today we are bringing you the third and final installment. If you missed the first two–first, you should go back and listen to them. These panels of religious leaders were part of Texas Impact's three Houston Faith Votes kick-off events, a partnership between local congregations and organizations in Houston working to increase civic engagement and voting, but the material from these conversations isn't Houston-specific. Hopefully they inspire all of us to engage our congregations in civic engagement work, and specifically to mobilize our congregations and communities to participate in every election. Spoiler–Texas Impact has tools for you to do that. Check out texasimpact.org or the materials from the Houston Faith Votes campaign at houstonfaithvotes.org.  Here to inspire you to do that are the panelists from the August 27 faith leaders panel at Servants of Christ UMC:  Bishop Cynthia Harvey Bishop of the Texas Annual Conference of the UMC Rev. Harvey Clemons Jr., Senior Pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Rabbi Josh Fixler Associate Rabbi of Congregation Emanu El And Rev. Victor Thomas Dean of the East Harris Convocation and Rector of St. James Episcopal Church  

Is the topic of “sales” covered in scripture? Can the Bible serve as a guide in business? When you think of sales, what do you think of? Do you think of a salesman as someone trying to scam you or serve you? On this week's episode, Rylee Meek and Christian Edwards dive into why the best salesmen should be the ones who know God's Word!Join the King's Council Community: https://joinkingscouncil.com/Follow King's Council: https://www.instagram.com/kingscouncilcommunity/Follow Rylee: https://www.instagram.com/theryleemeek/Follow Christian: https://www.instagram.com/christian_edwards01/Subscribe to YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@KingsCouncilCoachingWednesday morning Bible Study link: https://zoom.us/j/99244794170

An amazing list of 9 Biblical names from the 1600s BC approximately. Thanks for listening! Please leave a five star review, share and subscribe!

Throughout 2023, we are reading and studying passages of Scripture as a church family that speak about the topic of Growing in Christ. We continue this year-long series with Senior Pastor Dr. Tyler Smiley speaking from 1 Peter chapter 2 about how to have a proper understanding of Christian freedom.

__________________________________________________________________________ Please Donate towards our Wudhu Project Inshallah: https://micharityp2p.com/ahc/product/phase-1-wudu-facility-renovation-2/ __________________________________________________________________________ Servants of the Most Merciful playlist: https://goo.gl/MHrBMx The Beneficial Means to a Happy Life Playlist: https://goo.gl/j6ejeX The Evolution of Fiqh playlist: https://goo.gl/VGeDaH In their stories, there are lessons playlist: https://goo.gl/qdBU9M

__________________________________________________________________________ Surah an Nisa ayah 36 Please Donate towards our Wudhu Project Inshallah: https://micharityp2p.com/ahc/product/phase-1-wudu-facility-renovation-2/ __________________________________________________________________________ Servants of the Most Merciful playlist: https://goo.gl/MHrBMx The Beneficial Means to a Happy Life Playlist: https://goo.gl/j6ejeX The Evolution of Fiqh playlist: https://goo.gl/VGeDaH In their stories, there are lessons playlist: https://goo.gl/qdBU9M

Hebrews 1:4-7 3b After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are My Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to Him a father, and He shall be to Me a Son”? 6 And again, when He brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “Let all God's angels worship Him.” 7 Of the angels He says, “He makes His angels winds, and His ministers a flame of fire.” Key Words: Name, Inherited, Superior, Father, Son, Begotten, Angels, Worship Keystone Verse: [Jesus has] become as much superior to angels as the name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs. (Hebrews 1:4) Download Bulletin

Ephesians 6.5-9 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. Introduction If you've been here for the last few Sundays, you're probably getting the idea that submission is really important to God. Going back to the start of the context in Ephesians 5:21, we are to submit “to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Wives submit to your own husbands, husbands submit to Christ in how you love your wife and children submit to your parents. And today is bondservants and masters. These commands from God for submission would have been massively disruptive to a first-century church in the Roman Empire. Because as Nate said a few weeks ago, of course wives should submit to husbands, but the shocking message would have been the corresponding command for husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church. And, sure, children obey your parents, but it would have been stunning to hear “fathers don't provoke your children to anger.” And it's the same with bondservants and masters. Slaves obeying was a given, but masters commanded to treat bondservants with respect and not threaten them? That was unheard of. There are also some extremes in this passage. At one end of the spectrum, bondservants are to submit to earthly masters as to Christ. And Peter even clarifies with “not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.” At the other end of the spectrum there's the blessing of God's pleasure and eternal reward for those who obey. And although there definitely isn't a one-to-one connection between bondservants and masters compared to workers and bosses since in our country workers have a lot of rights and we can quit when necessary, there are a lot of parallels. This passage will challenge us to submit because the majority of us probably think of jobs as something we do, not a reflection of who we are. Whether you are a worker or a boss or both, this passage calls for authentic submission. When we die, God's not going to ask to see our resume. He won't care that you faithfully worked for the same company for 40 years and had continual upward career progression. He won't care that you finished your big project on time and under budget. God's delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. 1 God will be pleased if we submitted to the authorities He put in our lives, and if we used the authority He gave us with humility. Too often we derive a sense of worth from our jobs and whether we are successful or not; whether we did something significant or what our title was. For my generation, jobs were mostly a means to an end and a source of social status. You worked hard, got promoted so that you could live the American Dream. My generation tends to be motivated by loyalty to the company, hard work and responsibility. But Millenials and Gen Z want work-life balance, diversity and individuality. “Bringing your authentic self” to work wasn't a thing when I started working. And “Do what you love,” wasn't even a consideration. There was no “do what you love” it was “Do what you're told.” That's what I grew up with. Our view of jobs and bosses changes from generation to generation, but all of these shifting values are like a honey bee just looking for the next flower to land on. They're a distraction to what God says is the true purpose of work. Our jobs are a means to serve Jesus because we work directly for Him. The purpose of work whether you are a bondservant or a master is not identity, financial security, power or notoriety. It's to work with a sincere heart as to the Lord. How many of you have ever had a terrible boss, someone who handled their authority badly? Haven't we all? I've had bosses take credit for my work, or focus an annual review on one thing I did poorly instead of five things I did well, and threaten me with some consequence they dreamed up. Years ago I turned down a job offer and they threatened me with, “I'll make sure you never get another job in this city!” First, thanks for confirming my decision, and second I was living in LA at the time and found that a little far-fetched. But it's true that some bosses want to serve up a threat like a perfect mic-drop. There are also times that I have been a poor bondservant, very early in my career I wrote an email to my boss pointing out that they were late on a project, and I CC'd a bunch of other people. One time early in my college days I had a job at Der Wienerschnitzel. My very first shift at the restaurant was six hours and I spent the majority of that time filling soda cups. At the end of my six hours I left the restaurant, went back to my apartment and the next morning called my boss to say I was quitting. Didn't give any notice, I don't remember even giving a reason. I just quit. The cringe moments on my resume didn't stop there. I'm still very much in process with these five verses. As we explore these verses I'd like you to keep a destination in mind, and that is answering the question, “Whose eyes?” Whose eyes are you working for? Whose eyes do you want approval from? Whose eyes assess your “performance?” Who do you really work for? Because, if we get to that destination, then this passage will make a lot more sense and you might even stop dreading Mondays. 2 A brief background on work First, let's lay some groundwork for work. What is it, what's its purpose? I don't think it's any big revelation that work is hard. Work is something for most people that falls in the category of have to do instead of get to do. And this goes all the way back to Genesis 3 when part of the curse for fallen people is that work will be hard, and not just if you choose a career path in agriculture. Gen 3.17 “cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you” The curse isn't that being a farmer will be hard. The curse is that however you provide for yourself and your family, to put food on the table, it will be painful all the days of your life. But notice it's the ground that's under the curse, not work itself. Work is good and God Himself works. Work is a blessing and the gift of being able to work allows us to provide for ourselves and our families. And not only for our provision, but as 4.28 says, that we “may have something to share with anyone in need.” Doing work and earning provision allows us to save for times when work is scarce or when we can no longer work. It also helps us avoid idleness. So, work is good, but work is painful. I was googling for job data, and I'm not sure if this indicates everyone who uses Google or my own search history, but when I typed, “how many people hate” the top reply was “their jobs” followed by “school” and “math.” The data suggests that somewhere between 50 and 85% of people hate their jobs. One fairly recent Gallup poll reported that 70% of people in the US hated their job, and the number one reason was that they hated their boss. Other reasons include time spent commuting and the ever-increasing pressure to be available. We have a more difficult time than ever being offline from our work. Work is a painful task. And although a lot of memes on Linked In say that what I really need is to believe in myself, I'm guessing it's more than that. We have a fundamental problem with how we view jobs and bosses. That's because jobs and bosses are hard for external and internal reasons. Things that happen outside of us and things that happen inside of us. Some of the external factors line up with Genesis 3. Work itself is just hard sometimes. Things go wrong, deals fall through, equipment breaks or technology fails us. We live in a broken world. There are times when other people in your own company will undermine you. I've had multiple times in my career when I was responsible for a project and another team started a competing project and intentionally undermined what I had been doing. I've heard multiple stories of employees going out of their way to make someone else look bad. It's not uncommon. Work is also hard for internal reasons. Things happening in our own hearts, whether we are aware of them or not, cause us to be discontent in our work. Maybe you've worked hard on a task, done it well and then someone above you changed their mind and you did all that work 3 for nothing. It can feel demoralizing. Or you work for a large tech company and there's the constant worry and fear of the next re-org that will put you out of a job. Or maybe your job is just boring and doesn't provide job satisfaction or growth opportunities. Whatever it is, these five verses will point us to the only true satisfaction in our work and also provide us with hope and peace for the journey. So, let's jump into this very relevant passage. Bondservants We can understand from this passage that the early church had both bondservants and masters as members of the same body. It's mentioned in Colossians, Philemon and here in Ephesians. Slavery was pervasive in the first-century Roman Empire. Most bondservants were captured in battle or bought elsewhere and brought to Rome. It was also sadly not uncommon for impoverished parents to sell their own children into slavery. It was a harsh system where slaves were legal property and could be treated in any manner the owner desired. According to Aristotle, a human bondservant was nothing more than a tool and had the same rights as a shovel or an ox. One small hope for bondservants was the ability to earn their freedom, but even this would have required money that was hard to come by for them. Broadly speaking, slavery in the Roman Empire was despicable and unbiblical, just as it was in our own country's history. Any practice based on human trafficking and forced labor is contrary to God's will. 1 Timothy 1.8-10 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine Slavery is contrary to the gospel of the glory of God. So why doesn't God just say, “Stop it.” To the Corinthians He does say take advantage of your options, but again doesn't directly condemn the practice. 1 Corinthians 7.20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 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. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God. If you're a bondservant and you can get your freedom, do it. If you're not a bondservant, don't become one. But God doesn't say, “Masters, give all your bondservants their freedom” and I believe the reason is that the goal of the gospel is not social change, but heart change. Tim Keller said it like this, 4 “I am struck by the simple fact that cultural change is always a by-product, not the main goal. The main goal is always loving service. If we love and serve our neighbors, city, and Lord, it will definitely mean social changes, but Christians must not seek to take over and control society as an end in itself.” Whose eyes matter to us? The eyes of society and culture change as often as hair styles. The eyes of our masters and bosses can change quickly too. I'm sure we've all had a boss that didn't know what they wanted except that it's not what you just gave them. The only eyes that matter are Christ's. And we see this in Ephesians 6 with phrases that describe how we should submit to our bosses “as you obey Christ” and “as slaves of Christ” and “as to the Lord.” The first of these three commands in verse 5, “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ” I'd guess that a lot of us have some sort of earthly master, and God says to give them your respect with a sincere heart as you would Jesus Himself. This doesn't mean that if you're a cook you prepare a meal as if Jesus were going to eat it. You could do that with a totally self-righteous heart. It means that if the chef told you how to cook the meal, and to use ingredients you didn't like and serve it in a way that you disagreed with, that you obeyed with all respect and sincerity as if Jesus Himself gave you those directions. There is no room for complaining or grumbling or eye-rolling here, even though I've done all of those things in the not too distant past. Would you talk bad about Jesus behind His back? No. Would you make veiled comments about how Jesus isn't as smart as He thinks He is? No, never. Treat your earthly master in the same way. That's what “fear and trembling with a sincere heart” means. However, this doesn't mean we become people who agree with anything our bosses ask and never raise questions. There is a way to respect your earthly master and still make an appeal for a different course of action. Joseph makes an appeal to Pharoah via the cupbearer to be released from the dungeon. Daniel makes an appeal to the chief of the eunuchs not to eat the king's food. He gets told no, and then appeals again with a plan that removes any responsibility from the chief, and gains approval. Paul also, in Acts 16, refuses the decision of his earthly masters to release him from prison in secret. Basically, he says, “Oh, you want to release Roman citizens that you publicly beat, in secret to save face? No. You need to do it the right way.” That was bold! But there was a lot at stake and Paul made a valid appeal. The next example in verse six is, “not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ” This verse is the heart of the passage, and where the question, “whose eyes” comes from. There is a humility here that says, as a Christian I submit to my one true Master and I don't want to do anything for anyone's approval unless it also pleases Him. We are bondservants of 5 Christ and only His eyes matter. We can humbly resist the temptation to fake looking good to our boss or anyone else by remembering whose eyes matter most. You know how this happens. Jiggle the mouse every few minutes so that your online status stays green. Send a Slack or email after 10:00pm to show you're dedicated. Mention how late you were up the night before meeting with another region. Drop hints about how busy you are. I recently heard someone at work say that they, “had to decline a meeting because they were already double-booked.” And someone followed it up with, “Oh, you're only double-booked?” Why say that unless you're trying to impress people? I don't think Jesus is impressed by a full calendar. I've even seen this taken to some dangerous levels. I was meeting with a woman who was struggling with some issues in her marriage, and one situation was while they were driving her husband would ask her to hold the steering wheel so that he could respond to work messages on his phone. What value was he placing on his wife and kids in the car? It seems likely that looking good to the boss was more important than his family's safety. The question of whose eyes shows up in many ways in our bondservant roles. For example, how do you feel when someone takes credit for your idea or work? Maybe you do some work then hear that your boss passed it off as their own. Or how many of you have had this experience? You're in a meeting and make a suggestion or share an idea and it gets overlooked. Five minutes later, someone else shares pretty much the exact same thing and everyone can't believe how great the idea is. If we weren't so concerned about the eyes of people, I don't think this would bother us so much. We are bondservants of Christ and His eyes see everything perfectly. Whose eyes really matter to us? The next section says, “doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man” I worked with a person once that went on a business trip and turned in their hotel receipt to get reimbursed. But then it came to light that they contacted the hotel and said that they meant to use loyalty points for their stay, then got a refund and pocketed the cash. Can I just say that's not rendering service with a good will? That is using the company to serve yourself. I once worked with a sales guy who visited a client that wanted to golf, so he bought himself a new set of clubs and turned in the receipt as if it were a legitimate business expense. That's not doing the will of God from the heart. That's like the last verse in the book of Judges, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” What we do in our jobs should be from the heart, actually from the soul. The phrase translated “rendering service with a good will” is literally “with benevolence serve as a slave to Christ and not man.” God's will is that we work in our jobs with kindness in servitude. Not serving ourselves, not asserting our own rights. 6 I've had employees who didn't get the raise they thought they deserved or they were asked to do more than they wanted, and for the next several months they were disengaged and not working to their potential. We now have phrases in our vocabulary for this like Quiet Quitting and Act Your Wage. There was a reputable survey recently about quiet quitting, counting workers who reported being neither engaged nor actively disengaged at work. They found that quiet quitters make up at least half of the U.S. workforce. This is not the will of God. God wants us to respect our masters, work as if only God were watching and do His will by rendering service as unto Him. 1 Peter 2:18-21 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. Our jobs and our earthly masters give opportunities to follow the example of Christ. And it's not without reward. Look at verse eight in Ephesians. “knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free” Honestly, it ought to be enough of a reward that we can please Christ in how we submit to our masters. We don't work for ourselves and our advancement, or so that people would think well of us, we work in a way that simply follows in His steps. That should be enough, but God does more for us. This is the hope of working for His eyes. He sees the heart, He sees the submission as bondservants, He sees the injustice and says whatever good we do, we will receive back from Him. This is why the question, Whose eyes, matters. If we work with a “What's In It For Me” attitude, we have our reward in full. But if we work as to the Lord and not to man, God sees and rewards. Jobs are hard. If that weren't true I wouldn't get emails so often offering the freedom of being self employed. Be your own boss! Yeah, because that is so much easier. Or all those credible emails from a NASA Scientist or a Harvard professor with easy ways to make money that will SHOCK me. The point isn't to make work easier, it's to submit and work as to the Lord. Masters Paul then turns to masters in verse 9 and says, “Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.” 7 How do you treat people under your authority? This isn't just formal employer-employee relationships. Americans employ servants much the same way that early Romans did, but instead of a house-servant that does a lot of tasks, we farm them out to a whole cadre of people. We go out to eat and effectively are hiring cooks and servers to take care of us. We employ people to clean our houses, cut our hair, mow our lawns. We employ hotel staff and contractors and financial advisors and mechanics and childcare. We are earthly masters very much in the way that Ephesians 6 means. How do we treat the people we employ? Are we demanding, hard to please, threatening not to pay, leaving bad Yelp reviews? Paul says masters “do the same to them.” Meaning the same way that bondservants should treat masters with respect, authenticity in our work and kind service is how masters should treat bondservants as well. Earthly masters are nothing special, they have the same temptations as bondservants to look good in front of other people. We all want that. I had a boss once that would use a lot more corporate-speak and a manager tone whenever a peer or superior was in the same meeting. Jesus says, don't do that. Masters also should obey with a sincere heart, as servants of Christ, with a good will in the same way as bondservants. And in addition to that, masters, stop threatening. Stop abusing your power because you also have a Master. Several weeks ago I was traveling in Melbourne and needed to rent a car. Can I just say that renting a car is my least favorite part of traveling? Why do they have to treat their customers like marks in an elaborate con? As I was standing at the counter for twenty minutes saying no to all of the upsell, I overheard the conversation of the couple next to me. They wanted a special deal that they saw online, although mysteriously they couldn't find it to show the rental agent, who was very polite and patient throughout the barrage of demands. Finally the couple left in a huff and said on their way out, “I will be leaving multiple bad reviews.” That is someone in an employer role threatening the worker. I work for a software company and part of the role is in Tech Support. We get threats and called awful things on a somewhat regular basis. Some customers believe that since they bring the money they are the boss. Threats like, “Do you even know what you're doing? If this isn't fixed today I'm demanding a refund.” Making threats reveals an abuse of power, even if it's only perceived power. If you're a boss, use your power with humility because God is not impressed, there's no partiality with Him. God will measure the slave and the free in the exact same way. It does not matter at all to God if you are a master or a bondservant. There is no partiality with Him. So, how do you treat the people that serve you, the people you employ to take care of tasks in your life? Do you see them as creatures made in the image of a loving God? Do you see them as people who in many ways very likely have a harder life than yours, and they should get respect and kindness even if they botched your haircut? 8 We shouldn't underestimate the impact we have on those who work for us, and how much this matters to Jesus. About six months before Linda and I were married her father, George, died suddenly in his mid fifties. He was a hard worker, super smart and an exemplary husband and father to seven. He's one of those men that I wish I could have had more time to get to know. After he died multiple people that worked for him wrote letters to Linda's family. Here's one of them. Dear Mrs. Haugland and Family, This is just a note to express a small portion of the loss we feel. George treated everyone -- his managers, peers, and inferiors (and all of us were his inferiors!), with kindness, courtesy and respect. We were never made to feel stupid for asking questions or advice. His door was always open to help us. His fine character and talent were an inspiration to us. His work was always done correctly and on time. He gave clear, written instructions. We enjoyed his quick wit and keen sense of humor. He was a leader, and he led by example. His life was an anthem of praise to God. We miss him and will never forget him. Another person that worked for him said, “Although I am not a dedicated Christian, George has made me respect the faith and study it, since a man with his intelligence and integrity would not believe in a faith of weak foundations.” George was a nuclear engineer working on power plants for General Electric. Pretty heady stuff, but he didn't let it go to his head. He was a faithful earthly master who worked with a sincere heart as to the Lord and was known for kindness, courtesy and respect. Whose Eyes? How can you tell whose eyes you're working for? One of the best ways for me is to step back and look at my thoughts and emotions when I don't get the recognition or approval I feel I'm owed. You know the feeling. A little bit frustrated, disappointed, angry. For example, my last year of work has been super challenging in multiple ways. Our team lost a person to cancer, we had two people resign and another on maternity leave for seven months. My company also went through its first cyber security exploit and breach of our product. It was a hard year and I had lots of long days to keep everything moving in a good direction. A week and a half ago I had my annual review and got a ‘performing' rating. One of my first thoughts was that I could have worked half as hard and gotten the same rating. That is factually true, but it's also 100% caring about my boss's eyes instead of God's. God sees everything right down to the deepest thoughts of our souls. If I did anything good, He saw it and I will receive back from Him. What triggers you to be tempted to disrespect your boss or at the other end of the pendulum, do a little kissing up? Times when you're either miffed you didn't get their approval, or when you're trying too hard to get it. Those are the times when God's eyes matter too little. Maybe one good application is in the last phrase in verse 7, “rendering service with a good will as to 9 the Lord and not to man.” Find something you can do to serve your boss or someone who works for you, and don't let anyone know. Do something with benevolent kindness that only God's eyes can see. This will be a good test whose eyes are important to you, and whose bondservant you really are. There's a value in today's culture to speak truth to power, be a whistleblower, don't let your employer take advantage of you. Our entitled American minds don't like the extremes of what is being said here. Jesus is telling us to submit to our earthly master because He is our ultimate Master who has allowed authorities to be placed in our lives, and it pleases Him when we submit to them. This week ask yourself, whose eyes matter? Who am I really working for?

Automate Your Donations Every Juma! https://jumadonation.my.canva.site/au... Please Donate towards our Wudhu Project Inshallah: https://micharityp2p.com/ahc/product/... __________________________________________________________________________ Servants of the Most Merciful playlist: https://goo.gl/MHrBMx The Beneficial Means to a Happy Life Playlist: https://goo.gl/j6ejeX The Evolution of Fiqh playlist: https://goo.gl/VGeDaH In their stories, there are lessons playlist: https://goo.gl/qdBU9M

Automate Your Donations Every Juma! https://jumadonation.my.canva.site/au... Please Donate towards our Wudhu Project Inshallah: https://micharityp2p.com/ahc/product/... __________________________________________________________________________ Servants of the Most Merciful playlist: https://goo.gl/MHrBMx The Beneficial Means to a Happy Life Playlist: https://goo.gl/j6ejeX The Evolution of Fiqh playlist: https://goo.gl/VGeDaH In their stories, there are lessons playlist: https://goo.gl/qdBU9M

In this episode of Pray the Word on 1 Corinthians 4:1–2, David Platt helps us to redefine success from a biblical perspective.

With family: 1 Samuel 21–22; 1 Corinthians 3 1 Samuel 21–22 (Listen) David and the Holy Bread 21 1 Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.' I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 4 And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.” 5 And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” 6 So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the LORD, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away. 7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD. His name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen. 8 Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.” 9 And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.” David Flees to Gath 10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,   ‘Saul has struck down his thousands,    and David his ten thousands'?” 12 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” David at the Cave of Adullam 22 David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul,2 gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men. 3 And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay3 with you, till I know what God will do for me.” 4 And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 5 Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth. Saul Kills the Priests at Nob 6 Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. 7 And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, 8 that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day.” 9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, 10 and he inquired of the LORD for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” 11 Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. 12 And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?” 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and captain over4 your bodyguard, and honored in your house? 15 Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.” 16 And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house.” 17 And the king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the LORD. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword. 20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22 And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house. 23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.” Footnotes [1] 21:1 Ch 21:2 in Hebrew [2] 22:2 Or discontented [3] 22:3 Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew go out [4] 22:14 Septuagint, Targum; Hebrew and has turned aside to (ESV) 1 Corinthians 3 (Listen) Divisions in the Church 3 But I, brothers,1 could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled2 master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—13 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. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you3 are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. 18 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. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. Footnotes [1] 3:1 Or brothers and sisters [2] 3:10 Or wise [3] 3:16 The Greek for you is plural in verses 16 and 17 (ESV) In private: Psalm 37; Ezekiel 1 Psalm 37 (Listen) He Will Not Forsake His Saints 1 Of David. 37   Fret not yourself because of evildoers;    be not envious of wrongdoers!2   For they will soon fade like the grass    and wither like the green herb. 3   Trust in the LORD, and do good;    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.24   Delight yourself in the LORD,    and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5   Commit your way to the LORD;    trust in him, and he will act.6   He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,    and your justice as the noonday. 7   Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,    over the man who carries out evil devices! 8   Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.9   For the evildoers shall be cut off,    but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. 10   In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;    though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.11   But the meek shall inherit the land    and delight themselves in abundant peace. 12   The wicked plots against the righteous    and gnashes his teeth at him,13   but the Lord laughs at the wicked,    for he sees that his day is coming. 14   The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows    to bring down the poor and needy,    to slay those whose way is upright;15   their sword shall enter their own heart,    and their bows shall be broken. 16   Better is the little that the righteous has    than the abundance of many wicked.17   For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,    but the LORD upholds the righteous. 18   The LORD knows the days of the blameless,    and their heritage will remain forever;19   they are not put to shame in evil times;    in the days of famine they have abundance. 20   But the wicked will perish;    the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;    they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. 21   The wicked borrows but does not pay back,    but the righteous is generous and gives;22   for those blessed by the LORD3 shall inherit the land,    but those cursed by him shall be cut off. 23   The steps of a man are established by the LORD,    when he delights in his way;24   though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,    for the LORD upholds his hand. 25   I have been young, and now am old,    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken    or his children begging for bread.26   He is ever lending generously,    and his children become a blessing. 27   Turn away from evil and do good;    so shall you dwell forever.28   For the LORD loves justice;    he will not forsake his saints.  They are preserved forever,    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.29   The righteous shall inherit the land    and dwell upon it forever. 30   The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,    and his tongue speaks justice.31   The law of his God is in his heart;    his steps do not slip. 32   The wicked watches for the righteous    and seeks to put him to death.33   The LORD will not abandon him to his power    or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. 34   Wait for the LORD and keep his way,    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;    you will look on when the wicked are cut off. 35   I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,    spreading himself like a green laurel tree.436   But he passed away,5 and behold, he was no more;    though I sought him, he could not be found. 37   Mark the blameless and behold the upright,    for there is a future for the man of peace.38   But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;    the future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39   The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.40   The LORD helps them and delivers them;    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,    because they take refuge in him. Footnotes [1] 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [2] 37:3 Or and feed on faithfulness, or and find safe pasture [3] 37:22 Hebrew by him [4] 37:35 The identity of this tree is uncertain [5] 37:36 Or But one passed by (ESV) Ezekiel 1 (Listen) Ezekiel in Babylon 1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.1 2 On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), 3 the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the LORD was upon him there. The Glory of the Lord 4 As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.2 5 And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, 6 but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: 9 their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit3 would go, they went, without turning as they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning. 15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.4 16 As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl. And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they went, they went in any of their four directions5 without turning as they went. 18 And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. 20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures6 was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. 23 And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. 24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 26 And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire;7 and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. 27 And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.8 28 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking. Footnotes [1] 1:1 Or from God [2] 1:4 Or amber; also verse 27 [3] 1:12 Or Spirit; also twice in verse 20 and once in verse 21 [4] 1:15 Hebrew of their faces [5] 1:17 Hebrew on their four sides [6] 1:20 Or the spirit of life; also verse 21 [7] 1:26 Or lapis lazuli [8] 1:27 Or it (ESV)

Brent Aucoin- Today's message will answer two questions- -What is the Gift of Serving- and -What Transforms Us into Servants--

Listen in as Pastor Kirk Shelton shares part two of a message from Philippians 2:19-30 entitled "Two Christlike Servants."   www.CalvaryFayetteville.com info@CalvaryFayetteville.com 479-4424634  

__________________________________________________________________________ Please Donate towards our Wudhu Project Inshallah: https://micharityp2p.com/ahc/product/phase-1-wudu-facility-renovation-2/ __________________________________________________________________________ Servants of the Most Merciful playlist: https://goo.gl/MHrBMx The Beneficial Means to a Happy Life Playlist: https://goo.gl/j6ejeX The Evolution of Fiqh playlist: https://goo.gl/VGeDaH In their stories, there are lessons playlist: https://goo.gl/qdBU9M

__________________________________________________________________________ Surah an Nisa ayah 22 Please Donate towards our Wudhu Project Inshallah: https://micharityp2p.com/ahc/product/phase-1-wudu-facility-renovation-2/ __________________________________________________________________________ Servants of the Most Merciful playlist: https://goo.gl/MHrBMx The Beneficial Means to a Happy Life Playlist: https://goo.gl/j6ejeX The Evolution of Fiqh playlist: https://goo.gl/VGeDaH In their stories, there are lessons playlist: https://goo.gl/qdBU9M

Sermon Series: Jesus Is King Speaker: Pastor Doyle Surratt

In this second episode on Redemption, we will look at who are the servants of God that will receive of God's REDEMTPION.  We will look at a passage in the OT that is repeated in the NT quoted by Peter in describing the True Grace of God that we are to stand firm in.  We will also look at an example of King David.Passages Covered:  Psalm ch 34;  1 Peter;  Psalm ch 26

Last weekend Scott had a chance to moderate a faith leader panel with four incredible Houston faith leaders discussing the importance of civic engagement and why and how local congregations can engage their communities. That conversation was so rich and deep, we wanted to share it with the whole Texas Impact community…so we decided to run it as the podcast this week.    Texas Impact is in the middle of three events to kick off our Houston Faith Votes campaign in partnership with local congregations and organizations in Houston. The first event was last weekend at Congregation Beth Israel, and we have two more scheduled for August 26th at Brentwood Baptist Church, and August 27th at Servants of Christ United Methodist Church.    Find out more and register for the events at houstonfaithvotes.org  

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 21 Psalm 21 (Listen) The King Rejoices in the Lord's Strength To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 21   O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices,    and in your salvation how greatly he exults!2   You have given him his heart's desire    and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah3   For you meet him with rich blessings;    you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.4   He asked life of you; you gave it to him,    length of days forever and ever.5   His glory is great through your salvation;    splendor and majesty you bestow on him.6   For you make him most blessed forever;1    you make him glad with the joy of your presence.7   For the king trusts in the LORD,    and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. 8   Your hand will find out all your enemies;    your right hand will find out those who hate you.9   You will make them as a blazing oven    when you appear.  The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath,    and fire will consume them.10   You will destroy their descendants from the earth,    and their offspring from among the children of man.11   Though they plan evil against you,    though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.12   For you will put them to flight;    you will aim at their faces with your bows. 13   Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!    We will sing and praise your power. Footnotes [1] 21:6 Or make him a source of blessing forever (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 1 Samuel 9–10:16 1 Samuel 9–10:16 (Listen) Saul Chosen to Be King 9 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” 4 And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them. 5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant1 who was with him, “Come, let us go back, lest my father cease to care about the donkeys and become anxious about us.” 6 But he said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.” 7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” 8 The servant answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel2 of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way.” 9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for today's “prophet” was formerly called a seer.) 10 And Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was. 11 As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” 12 They answered, “He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place. 13 As soon as you enter the city you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat till he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.” 14 So they went up to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the high place. 15 Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince3 over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen4 my people, because their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.” 18 Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” 19 Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. 20 As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father's house?” 21 Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?” 22 Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, who were about thirty persons. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.'” 24 So the cook took up the leg and what was on it and set them before Saul. And Samuel said, “See, what was kept is set before you. Eat, because it was kept for you until the hour appointed, that you might eat with the guests.”5 So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 And when they came down from the high place into the city, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep.6 26 Then at the break of dawn7 Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Up, that I may send you on your way.” So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street. 27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to pass on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.” Saul Anointed King 10 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you to be prince8 over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the LORD and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the LORD has anointed you to be prince9 over his heritage. 2 When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”' 3 Then you shall go on from there farther and come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. 4 And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand. 5 After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim,10 where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. 6 Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 7 Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you. 8 Then go down before me to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do.” 9 When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day. 10 When they came to Gibeah,11 behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, “What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” 12 And a man of the place answered, “And who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” 13 When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place. 14 Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.” 15 And Saul's uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.” 16 And Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything. Footnotes [1] 9:5 Hebrew young man; also verses 7, 8, 10, 27 [2] 9:8 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [3] 9:16 Or leader [4] 9:16 Septuagint adds the affliction of [5] 9:24 Hebrew appointed, saying, ‘I have invited the people' [6] 9:25 Septuagint; Hebrew city, he spoke with Saul on the roof [7] 9:26 Septuagint; Hebrew And they arose early, and at the break of dawn [8] 10:1 Or leader [9] 10:1 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks over his people Israel? And you shall. . . . to be prince [10] 10:5 Gibeath-elohim means the hill of God [11] 10:10 Gibeah means the hill (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Lamentations 1 Lamentations 1 (Listen) How Lonely Sits the City 1   How lonely sits the city    that was full of people!  How like a widow has she become,    she who was great among the nations!  She who was a princess among the provinces    has become a slave. 2   She weeps bitterly in the night,    with tears on her cheeks;  among all her lovers    she has none to comfort her;  all her friends have dealt treacherously with her;    they have become her enemies. 3   Judah has gone into exile because of affliction1    and hard servitude;  she dwells now among the nations,    but finds no resting place;  her pursuers have all overtaken her    in the midst of her distress.2 4   The roads to Zion mourn,    for none come to the festival;  all her gates are desolate;    her priests groan;  her virgins have been afflicted,3    and she herself suffers bitterly. 5   Her foes have become the head;    her enemies prosper,  because the LORD has afflicted her    for the multitude of her transgressions;  her children have gone away,    captives before the foe. 6   From the daughter of Zion    all her majesty has departed.  Her princes have become like deer    that find no pasture;  they fled without strength    before the pursuer. 7   Jerusalem remembers    in the days of her affliction and wandering  all the precious things    that were hers from days of old.  When her people fell into the hand of the foe,    and there was none to help her,  her foes gloated over her;    they mocked at her downfall. 8   Jerusalem sinned grievously;    therefore she became filthy;  all who honored her despise her,    for they have seen her nakedness;  she herself groans    and turns her face away. 9   Her uncleanness was in her skirts;    she took no thought of her future;4  therefore her fall is terrible;    she has no comforter.  “O LORD, behold my affliction,    for the enemy has triumphed!” 10   The enemy has stretched out his hands    over all her precious things;  for she has seen the nations    enter her sanctuary,  those whom you forbade    to enter your congregation. 11   All her people groan    as they search for bread;  they trade their treasures for food    to revive their strength.  “Look, O LORD, and see,    for I am despised.” 12   “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?    Look and see  if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,    which was brought upon me,  which the LORD inflicted    on the day of his fierce anger. 13   “From on high he sent fire;    into my bones5 he made it descend;  he spread a net for my feet;    he turned me back;  he has left me stunned,    faint all the day long. 14   “My transgressions were bound6 into a yoke;    by his hand they were fastened together;  they were set upon my neck;    he caused my strength to fail;  the Lord gave me into the hands    of those whom I cannot withstand. 15   “The Lord rejected    all my mighty men in my midst;  he summoned an assembly against me    to crush my young men;  the Lord has trodden as in a winepress    the virgin daughter of Judah. 16   “For these things I weep;    my eyes flow with tears;  for a comforter is far from me,    one to revive my spirit;  my children are desolate,    for the enemy has prevailed.” 17   Zion stretches out her hands,    but there is none to comfort her;  the LORD has commanded against Jacob    that his neighbors should be his foes;  Jerusalem has become    a filthy thing among them. 18   “The LORD is in the right,    for I have rebelled against his word;  but hear, all you peoples,    and see my suffering;  my young women and my young men    have gone into captivity. 19   “I called to my lovers,    but they deceived me;  my priests and elders    perished in the city,  while they sought food    to revive their strength. 20   “Look, O LORD, for I am in distress;    my stomach churns;  my heart is wrung within me,    because I have been very rebellious.  In the street the sword bereaves;    in the house it is like death. 21   “They heard7 my groaning,    yet there is no one to comfort me.  All my enemies have heard of my trouble;    they are glad that you have done it.  You have brought8 the day you announced;    now let them be as I am. 22   “Let all their evildoing come before you,    and deal with them  as you have dealt with me    because of all my transgressions;  for my groans are many,    and my heart is faint.” Footnotes [1] 1:3 Or under affliction [2] 1:3 Or in the narrow passes [3] 1:4 Septuagint, Old Latin dragged away [4] 1:9 Or end [5] 1:13 Septuagint; Hebrew bones and [6] 1:14 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [7] 1:21 Septuagint, Syriac Hear [8] 1:21 Syriac Bring (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: 1 Peter 2:11–3:12 1 Peter 2:11–3:12 (Listen) 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Submission to Authority 13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution,

Christ Alone Series | August 20th, 2023 | Pastor Keith Harrington

Federal prosecutors and other law enforcement agents are turning blockchain firms into government subsidiaries. The real goal is to criminalize what really are lawful, private exchanges. Original Article: "The Government Wants to Turn Blockchain Firms into Servants of the State"

Morning: Psalm 119:1–48 Psalm 119:1–48 (Listen) Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet Aleph 119   1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless,    who walk in the law of the LORD!2   Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,    who seek him with their whole heart,3   who also do no wrong,    but walk in his ways!4   You have commanded your precepts    to be kept diligently.5   Oh that my ways may be steadfast    in keeping your statutes!6   Then I shall not be put to shame,    having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.7   I will praise you with an upright heart,    when I learn your righteous rules.28   I will keep your statutes;    do not utterly forsake me! Beth 9   How can a young man keep his way pure?    By guarding it according to your word.10   With my whole heart I seek you;    let me not wander from your commandments!11   I have stored up your word in my heart,    that I might not sin against you.12   Blessed are you, O LORD;    teach me your statutes!13   With my lips I declare    all the rules3 of your mouth.14   In the way of your testimonies I delight    as much as in all riches.15   I will meditate on your precepts    and fix my eyes on your ways.16   I will delight in your statutes;    I will not forget your word. Gimel 17   Deal bountifully with your servant,    that I may live and keep your word.18   Open my eyes, that I may behold    wondrous things out of your law.19   I am a sojourner on the earth;    hide not your commandments from me!20   My soul is consumed with longing    for your rules4 at all times.21   You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,    who wander from your commandments.22   Take away from me scorn and contempt,    for I have kept your testimonies.23   Even though princes sit plotting against me,    your servant will meditate on your statutes.24   Your testimonies are my delight;    they are my counselors. Daleth 25   My soul clings to the dust;    give me life according to your word!26   When I told of my ways, you answered me;    teach me your statutes!27   Make me understand the way of your precepts,    and I will meditate on your wondrous works.28   My soul melts away for sorrow;    strengthen me according to your word!29   Put false ways far from me    and graciously teach me your law!30   I have chosen the way of faithfulness;    I set your rules before me.31   I cling to your testimonies, O LORD;    let me not be put to shame!32   I will run in the way of your commandments    when you enlarge my heart!5 He 33   Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes;    and I will keep it to the end.634   Give me understanding, that I may keep your law    and observe it with my whole heart.35   Lead me in the path of your commandments,    for I delight in it.36   Incline my heart to your testimonies,    and not to selfish gain!37   Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;    and give me life in your ways.38   Confirm to your servant your promise,    that you may be feared.39   Turn away the reproach that I dread,    for your rules are good.40   Behold, I long for your precepts;    in your righteousness give me life! Waw 41   Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD,    your salvation according to your promise;42   then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,    for I trust in your word.43   And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,    for my hope is in your rules.44   I will keep your law continually,    forever and ever,45   and I shall walk in a wide place,    for I have sought your precepts.46   I will also speak of your testimonies before kings    and shall not be put to shame,47   for I find my delight in your commandments,    which I love.48   I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,    and I will meditate on your statutes. Footnotes [1] 119:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem of twenty-two stanzas, following the letters of the Hebrew alphabet; within a stanza, each verse begins with the same Hebrew letter [2] 119:7 Or your just and righteous decrees; also verses 62, 106, 160, 164 [3] 119:13 Or all the just decrees [4] 119:20 Or your just decrees; also verses 30, 39, 43, 52, 75, 102, 108, 137, 156, 175 [5] 119:32 Or for you set my heart free [6] 119:33 Or keep it as my reward (ESV) Evening: 1 Corinthians 3 1 Corinthians 3 (Listen) Divisions in the Church 3 But I, brothers,1 could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled2 master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—13 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. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you3 are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. 18 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. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. Footnotes [1] 3:1 Or brothers and sisters [2] 3:10 Or wise [3] 3:16 The Greek for you is plural in verses 16 and 17 (ESV)

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 1-7. This lesson focuses on challenges in Corinth, overcoming divisions, religious epistemology, intellectual arrogance, foolish or wise, knowing nothing, milk before meat, subcontractors, the body as a temple, the apostles, immorality, excommunication, suing the Saints, bodies as Temples, marital intimacy, celibacy, mixed-faith marriages, full-time ministry, and more. 0:00 Introduction to Corinthians 11:57 Paul's Salutation 18:22 Overcoming Divisions 28:28 Religious Epistemology 40:48 Intellectual Arrogance 48:40 The Foolishness of Preaching 56:10 Foolish or Wise 1:04:31 Determined to Know Nothing 1:20:19 Man's Wisdom or God's Power 1:32:16 Obtaining the Lord's Wisdom 1:46:06 Milk before Meat 2:05:36 Servants & subcontractors 2:15:48 Abiding as the Temple of God 2:23:27 Faithful & Humble Stewards 2:31:30 Apostles as Fools for Christ 2:36:34 Teachers or Parents 2:44:35 Immorality Among You 2:57:20 Excommunication 3:09:43 Suing the Saints 3:18:04 Sins to Repent of 3:28:26 Bodies as Temples 3:46:43 Marital Intimacy 3:59:48 Marriage or Celibacy 4:07:31 Mixed-Faith Marriage 4:21:07 Serving in Any Condition 4:27:13 Married to the Ministry 4:39:24 Conclusion