Posted by: Jeremiah Hann

Scripture:

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.  Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7

Observation:

David keeps going back and forth reminding us that we need to trust God, and not worry about other people.

Application:

I don’t like waiting. I always try to find the fastest line at the grocery store. I look for the fastest lane in traffic.  However, some things God wants us to wait for.  It doesn’t get any easier when we think we are doing everything the way God wants, and still waiting, while someone who isn’t doing things the way God wants is prospering. We need to trust God and be willing to do His will, in His timing, not our own, because doing the right thing at the right time equals the right result.

Waiting on God is tough, but God’s timing is always best for us and for others.

Prayer:

Hey God, Thanks so much for working everything out the way You want it.  Please help me to always remember that Your timing is perfect.  Help me to not worry about other people prospering, but continue to focus on You, knowing that You will take care of me.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

By: Brent Hodges

Scripture

“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.”  1 Corinthians 12:7

Observation

Paul is addressing spiritual gifts with the church in Corinth.  Paul uses the human body as an example of how the church should function: many different parts, one body.  God has placed each part just where he wants it.

Application

Reading this passage has some serious implications…the second part of verse 18, “God has put each part just where he wants it.”  If we’re a believer and a part of a local church, we need to be serving the other believers there.  Why?  Because God has given us a spiritual gift…and we have a part to play in the body!  It’s easy at a large church to think, “why do they need me, there’s plenty of people to help out”…but if we look back at verse 7…God has given each of us a spiritual gift to help each other.  If we’re not helping, we’re hurting the body.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the opportunity I have to serve you with the gifts you have given me.  May I honor you today as I serve others.

posted by: Darius Sanders

Scripture
Esther 1:13
He immediately consulted with his wise advisers, who knew all the Persian laws and customs, for he always asked their advice.

Observation
The King of Persia always consulted with his wise advisers before making a big decision.  In this situation, it says, he consulted them immediately.  He wanted their input before making a decision because he realized that left to his own knowledge, he might make a poor decision.

Application
Seeing that the king had advisers that he consulted before making big decisions, I need to make sure that I continue to consult wise people in my life before making big decisions.  More importantly, I need to consult wise people in my life that are growing in their relationship with Christ.  People that are reading God’s Word daily and hearing from Him are more likely to give me sound biblical advice when I ask them about certain situations that I face in life.  Now, it’s not necessary to put a panel of 15 people together to ask them whether you should order your $5 foot-long on white or wheat, but you should analyze your life and think about the huge decisions that you need to make and proceed to talk to wise people before making those decisions.  

Prayer
God, I pray that after consulting You, I would continue to talk to spiritually growing wise people before making huge decisions.  You’ve placed wise people in my life as a resource and I pray that I would use their knowledge to guide me in the right direction.  Also, please help my Spicy Italian sub on Italian herb and cheese taste great.  Amen.

By Dennis Johnston

Scripture:

Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.  1 Corinthians 11:1

Observation:

We learn again (1 Corinthians 4:16) the desire God has for us to be like Him.  We are made in His image and should reflect Him more and more each day.  Paul consistently directs us to Jesus. 

Application:

I love to look at diamond rings.  There are so many different styles and they all say something “to” the person that wears them.  They are special.  Over the years, I have noticed the diamonds getting a lot bigger as a result of the cubic zirconia.  These so closely resemble the real deal that few can differentiate the difference.  A well trained eye can do just that.

It’s the same being a Christ follower.  On the outside I can look the part and appear genuine just like a cubic zirconia.  The reality is that God knows my heart and He knows my motives - He knows if I’m genuine. Christ has called me to be His hands and feet.  That means I walk in love just as He walked in love.  I will be genuine as I read the Bible daily and look for practical ways to apply it to my life.  It’s in the application of doing God’s word that I change and become more like Him. 

Prayer:

Lord, I desire to be an imitator of you just like Paul was.  He was authentic in his love for you in how he lived his life.  Transform my life today as I read your word and apply it by acting in love towards others.

by Paul Lewis

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Observation:

Paul has been addressing the issue of rights versus responsibility. He is primarily dealing with the issue of whether or not to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols. It was the practice of the day that after a sacrifice was made, meat that wasn’t burned up was often sold in the marketplace. There were good arguments on both sides of the issue, but the problem was that it had become divisive and people weren’t being drawn toward Christ in all the dissension.

Paul was saying that even though we may have the right to do something, we shouldn’t do if it will push someone further from Christ.

In verse 31 Paul is saying that regardless of whether a person chose to eat the meat or not, or in whatever else you do, or don’t do, everything should be done for God’s glory.

Application:

Since bringing glory to God is worship, Paul is telling us that everything we do is an act of worship. No matter what you do, or don’t do, in the name of Christ, you need to remember that it is all for his glory. Are there things that you do or don’t do because of what your relationship with Christ? Don’t let those things become divisive, and make sure that your motive for doing or not doing something is your desire to bring glory to God.

Prayer:

God, you are Lord. Help me to keep my motives pure. Help me to bring glory to you by the decisions that I make to live in ways that I believe bring honor and glory to you. Help me to never become divisive in what I believe is okay or not okay to do.

By Daniel Conner

Scripture:

I Corinthians 8:1-3  ” But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.  And anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.  But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.”

Observation:

Knowledge can be deceiving.  We can have all the answers to all the questions because of knowledge, but ultimately that will only go so far.  Our heart will be revealed as time goes by, and if there is not any action following the knowledge, then there is no love.  I guess that’s the difference between knowledge and wisdom.  Knowledge is acquiring truth or facts about something, and wisdom is knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action. 

Application:

I’ve heard it said, “knowledge without application is an abomination”.  Simply meaning we can have all the knowledge about every topic in the world, be educated about specific areas of life, but until we put that knowledge into practice, it is pointless.  And it’s at this crossroads that we stand and have a decision, will I have wisdom and take what I know, (from God’s Word and applying it) and be a passionate productive person who lives what I believe to draw people closer to Christ, or will I be content with the knowledge, and be a prideful pointless person who lives for only me. 

Prayer:

Father thank you for your Word, and thank you for your promise that if we ask for wisdom that you are waiting to give it to us, all we have to do is ask.  Help me to flesh out what I learn so that others will see you, and come to know you.  Help me to be a passionate purposeful person for you.

By Daniel Conner

Scripture:

Psalm 32:7 “For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble.  You surround me with songs of victory.”

Observation:

 Ever had a bad day?  I know I have.  Kaos creeps in and trys to take control of what is going on in my life, by impacting my heart.  In the midst of days like those, and it’s really not a matter of if, but when they come.  In the midst of days like those, I have a choice to make, I can physically try to run from my bad day and that may work, but that’s really only temporary, the issues will still be there tomorrow most likely.  Or I can allow Christ to be my hiding place.  What I love about Psalm 32:7 is that God promises to be our “hiding place”, a shelter, a refuge.  The very next verse says, “I will advise you and watch over you.” 

Application:

I’m a visual person, and also a BIG Disneyland freak, one of my favor ate rides is the ”Pirates of the Caribbean”.  At one point on the ride as you near the town, you are in the middle of a battle between the “Pirates” who are on a ship, and then the towns people who are on land, and protected by a castle.  Now as you continue on the ride the pirates actually conquered the town, but in reality that would not have happened!  Those people are safe in that castle, they are protected, that castle is a refuge, a hiding place for all who are there.  The battle still might be going on outside, but on the inside it is a little more peaceful.  So is in our lives, Christ is to be our hiding place, our refuge, and that doesn’t mean that the situations go away, but he is our refuge, he is protecting us, bringing peace to our hearts while the battle rages on.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for your protection, your peace, and for being my hiding place.

Posted by: Jeremiah Hann

Scripture:

God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.  1 Corinthians 7: 23

Observations:

In the midst of all the things that Paul is telling the Corinthian church, he reminds them that they were bought at a price, and that they should, live according to God’s plan.

Application:

As I go though my day, I need to make sure that I am putting God first.  He paid a huge price for me, by sending Jesus to die for me, and I should not let anything get in the way of that.  Today, I want to make sure that I thank God for sending Jesus to pay the price for my sins, and live in a way that God is first in my life.

Prayer:

Hey God, Thanks so much for loving me so much that you sent Jesus down here to die for me.  I can’t even imagine the price that he had to pay, but I am so thankful for that sacrifice.  I am thankful that I am worth 1 Jesus to you.  Help me to always put you first, and not be enslaved by the world.  You deserve to be the main focus of my life.  Please continue to remind me to put You first.  In Jesus name, Amen.

By: Brent Hodges

Scripture

“You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price.”  1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a

Observation

Paul is tackling a pervasive sin in the culture then and now: sexual sin.  Paul explains that sexual immorality is a sin against your own body…one that was bought with a high price…Christ’s sacrifice.

Application

Shift the focus from, “what makes me feel good”…to the realization that our body is not our own.  Our body is to be used to bring glory to our Father…not immediate gratification of any urge, whether sexual or not.  Shift the focus from Me…to Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.

Prayer

Lord, may Your sacrifice mean more to me than my selfish desires.  May I honor You in my speech and my actions.

posted by: Darius Sanders

Scripture
I Corinthians 5:13
God will judge those outside the church; but as the Scriptures say. “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

Observation
People who are not followers of Christ that are not a part of His church will be judged by Him one day.  It is not our responsibility to pass judgment on them. 

Application
This reminds me of when I told one of my neighbors that I was a follower of Christ that went to Palm Valley Church.  From then on, whenever I went to their house and there was alcohol everywhere they would say, “Don’t judge us, we only drink on the weekends and when we’re stressed out.”  It always made me laugh because I never passed judgment on their family in the first place but they always felt guilty about their actions when “the pastor” came over.

I need to make sure I never pass judgment on people that don’t know Christ.  They are basically held to a different standard than people who do know Christ here on this earth.  People who don’t know Christ that are living in sin are doing so because they don’t know any better.  People that know Christ that are living in sin should be confronted however.  These people shouldn’t be confronted in a self-righteous way, but rather in a loving way to bring them back to Christ.  If these people have been confronted and they continue to walk in their sinful ways, then they need to be removed from positions of leadership at the church for a time so that their actions won’t cause anyone else to sin.  This is one of those touchy issues that isn’t usually talked about at church, but it is important that followers of Christ don’t continue to live in sin to the point that it drags others followers of Christ away from Him as well.

Prayer
God, please help me to remember that you are the judge of the non-Christians here on this earth.  I want to be obedient to You in that I never pass judgment on people outside the church.  Please help me to be wise about confronting people in the church living in sin in a loving way to bring them back to You.