Brothers and Sisters 😊

📖 In Second Corinthian’s chapter 9 today we see the apostle Paul highlighting and emphasizing the well known proverb…

“We will reap what we sow whether sparingly or bountifully”, and “God loves (is well pleased with) a cheerful giver” (vs 6-7).

Q. Have you ever thought about what is at the true root of our inclination toward self and sin?

Q. Is it possible that disobedience toward God is simply a matter of failing to believe (or greatly minimizing) the beautiful truth of the Gospel?

🙏 Heavenly Father thank you so much for your “Inexpressible gift” that you have given us in Jesus – Please cause the reality and relevance of Christ and His Gospel to grow more and more real to us, so that we may desire to be more and more obedient to you.

🙏 Lord Jesus we praise you today for being the ultimate cheerful giver, taking our sin upon yourself and giving us your perfect righteousness in return.

🙏 Holy Spirit please empower us to consistently express our gratitude by submitting to God’s call with abounding effort, because of (and fueled by) the abounding grace of Christ…

✝️ “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

2 Corinthians 9:8

Brothers and Sisters 😊

📖 In Second Corinthian’s chapter 8 today we see an “Abundant and joyful wealth of generosity” by the believers in Macedonia, who were so overwhelmed with gratitude for God’s grace that they…

“Begged Paul earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints” (vs 4).

Q. Have you ever experienced someone pleading strongly for the opportunity to give their money and resources away for the benefit of others and the glory of God?

Q. What could cause such a selfless and uncommon desire?

🙏 Heavenly Father forgive me for the many times of selfishly clinging to material things instead of generously sharing with others in need – Please help us all earnestly desire to be cheerful givers, and to show genuine love and grace toward your people because of your great love and grace toward us.

🙏 Lord Jesus we praise you today for the truest “Act of grace” the universe has ever known, and the eternal riches bought and paid for by your perfect life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection…

✝️ “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for our sake He became poor, so that by His poverty we might become rich unto salvation.”

2 Corinthians 8:9

Brothers and Sisters 😊

📖 In Second Corinthian’s chapter 7 today we see Paul’s exuberant response to answered prayer, as he shows great confidence in God’s providence over the Corinthians to exhibit true humility and repentance regarding his tough love letter to the church…

“I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great confidence in you; even in all our affliction I am filled with comfort and overflowing with joy…For I see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you – and also what eagerness and zeal to clear yourselves…At every point (because of your repentance) you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter” (vs 4,11).

Q. Have you ever been anxious or apprehensive about calling out someone you love to repentance because you thought it might cause them grief or jeopardize your relationship?

Q. What was your response when they humbly accepted and repented?

Q. How did you feel when they didn’t?

🙏 Heavenly Father please forgive me for the many times I have foolishly rebelled against your instruction and reproof, and also for the times of hesitating to hold others accountable (in truth and love) because of fear or discomfort.

🙏 Holy Spirit please help us all to gently but firmly confront and restore others when appropriate, and also to be open to instruction and reproof from others who God sends to help us – Please give us consistent godly sorrow over our sin that leads to repentance and life…

✝️ “I do not regret the grief that you had because of my letter to you. In fact I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting…For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

Brothers and Sisters 😊

📖 In Second Corinthians chapter 6 today Paul adds to his message that all Christ followers are to proactively share the Gospel for the glory of God, and turns his focus on the time-sensitive urgency in which to do so…

“Working together with Christ then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says, ‘In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation!” (vs 1-2).

Q. What reasons do you have for not making it a daily priority to tell people about their urgent need for Jesus Christ?

🙏 Heavenly Father please forgive me for the many times that I have used the tired and lazy (anti-great commission) excuses of…

“I just don’t have enough time, or I’m just not equipped enough, or I’m afraid of being rejected, or my sin is just too heavy, etc” to talk to people about your strong warnings and good news message to a lost and dying world.

🙏 Lord Jesus we praise you today for opening our hearts and minds to the new covenant realities of grace, transformation, and urgency to share you with others – the harvest is plenty but the laborers are few.

🙏 Holy Spirit please convict and empower us to never be ashamed of the Gospel, and to consistently be on mission for Christ as we fervently commit to holiness and bold proclamation of the one who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light – Please help us all to overcome our fears, put aside lesser things, and daily embrace our true identities as treasured and beloved temples of the living God…

✝️ “I will make my dwelling among you, and walk among you, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people… Therefore strive for holiness and be separated from evil says the Lord, and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:16-18‬ ‭

Brothers and Sisters 😊

📖 In Second Corinthians chapter 5 today we see a myriad of Gospel given gifts that are fully worthy of sharing frequently with both the world and the church (redemption, identity, transformation, life-purpose, freedom, and salvation)…

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ they are a new creation, the old has passed away and behold the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ has reconciled us to Himself, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, so that by His grace we might bring many others to Him” (vs 17-18‬).

Q. Does anyone else have an overwhelming sense of awe and amazement at the idea that God is… “Entrusting His message of reconciliation to us”, and has appointed us as… “Royal ambassadors for Christ”?

🙏 Heavenly Father I confess my many times of weakness and failure to joyfully point others to Jesus, boldly relay the good news of the Gospel, and live up to the all-important moment to moment mission you have given to sow seeds of truth for your glory – Please help us all surrender daily to your calling, and let the love of Christ control and compel us to magnify the Lord at all times and exalt your great name together!

🙏 Lord Jesus we praise you today for the diamond-like truths and beauty of the Gospel, and for your gracious & merciful great exchange on our behalf (our sin for your righteousness) – May these realities ignite and fuel us to live a zealous life of evangelistic obedience, and consistent love toward the saved and the lost…

✝️ “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:21

Brothers and Sisters 😊

📖 In Second Corinthian‘s chapter 4 today we see the “Light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ” illuminating and empowering its followers to endure difficult (yet temporary) earthly circumstances, because of the permanent assurance of God‘s unbreakable promises…

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (vs 8-9‬).

Q. What should our response be to the amazing love of the Lord of glory and King of the universe, in light of the fact that He was willingly…

– Forsaken & rejected for our benefit (Mk 15),

– Bruised & crushed for our peace (Isaiah 53),

– Beaten & afflicted for our comfort (2Cor 1), and

– Put to death so that we could be raised in glory! (2Tim 1).

🙏 Heavenly Father thank you so much for our grace-dependent all-sufficient life in Christ, and for your surpassing power to display your glory in these temporary jars of clay – Please strengthen us daily by your Spirit to worship & praise you well, while we eagerly await your eternal reward…

✝️ “For we know that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also and bring us into His presence…So we do not lose heart, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison…therefore we must look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:14-18‬ ‭

Brothers and Sisters 😊

📖 In Second Corinthians chapter 3 today we see great emphasis placed on the liberating and transformative power of the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of all Christ followers…

“Their minds were hardened and their hearts were covered by the veil of blindness so that they had no understanding…But whenever a person turns in repentance and faith to the Lord, the veil of separation is removed…Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and true freedom” (vs 14,16-17).

Q. What is the difference between Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification?

Q. What role does the Holy Spirit have in these 3 amazing elements of grace?

🙏 Holy Spirit we praise you today for your miraculous work in our lives – You’ve opened our eyes to the truth of the Gospel, regenerated our hearts to become born again children of God, sealed & guaranteed us to the day of redemption in glory, and continue to shape & conform us day by day to the image of Christ…

✝️ “We all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:18

Brothers and Sisters 😊

📖 In Second Corinthian’s chapter 2 today we see the unmasking and disarming of satan and his ways, means, purposes, and devices of robbing us from the blessings of love and forgiveness toward others…

“You must rather graciously forgive and encourage the guilty brother to keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive sorrow…If you forgive anyone anything, I too forgive them with the approval of Christ, to keep satan from taking advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his schemes” (vs 7,10,11‬).

Q. In light of how you have been mercifully forgiven for your sins against God, what should your mindset and posture be toward those who have sinned against you?

Q. Do you agree that your sin against God is far greater than any sin that has been committed against you?

🙏 Heavenly Father please forgive my bitter heart, and the many times I have been quick to judge and slow to forgive – Please help us all to reconcile with each other as we have been reconciled to you through the costly sacrifice of Christ.

🙏 Lord Jesus we praise you today for shedding your innocent blood at the cross so that we may forever be forgiven and favored by God – Help us be mature in mutual forgiveness, love, and unity in order that we may walk in consistent victory for the good of your people and your eternal glory…

✝️ “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved!”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭2:14-15‬ ‭

Brothers and Sisters 😊

📖 In Second Corinthian’s chapter 1 today Paul encourages all who struggle with difficult times and hardships to turn to…

“The God of all comfort who will always comfort us in all our affliction” (vs 3),

and the reason we experience suffering is to…

“Cause us not to rely on ourselves but on God who supernaturally raises the dead” (vs 9).

Q. In the seasons of suffering that we experience in this life, what if our perspective changed from self-pity and why me, to thankful hearts and patient faith?

Q. What impact would it have on our families? Our neighbors? Ourselves?

🙏 Heavenly Father please forgive me for the many times I have sought out the false comforts of this world rather than your far superior comfort during difficult times.

🙏 Lord Jesus we praise you today for the honor of being able to share in your sufferings, so that we may become more like you and have great joy when your glory is revealed – Please help us learn to have compassion and comfort others as you continue to comfort us, and cause us always to set our hope firmly on you, rejoicing in the countless benefits and blessings of your atoning work for us at the cross…

✝️ “For all the promises of God find their yes in Christ, and through Him we shout Amen to God for His Glory!”

2 Corinthians 1:20

Brothers and Sisters 😊

📖 Finishing our Gospel-centered walk through First Corinthian’s today in chapter 16 as Paul exhorts the community of Christ to love and humility and generosity toward all…

“Now I urge you brothers that you devote yourselves to the service of the saints, be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer…for they have continually refreshed my spirit as well as yours” (vs 15,16,18).

Q. Is anyone else amazed at the fact that no matter how many times you read through God’s Word, there continues to be incredibly sweet truths and new revelations that grip the soul and capture the heart?

God is so good!!!

🙏 Heavenly Father thank you so much for your grace and time to complete the study of another awesome love letter from you “Our God”, to us “Your People”.

🙏 Lord Jesus we praise you today for your costly and atoning “Once for all time” sacrifice on our behalf, delivering us from the curse of sin and spurring us on to self-less service rather than self-ish indulgence…

✝️ “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, and let everything you do be done in Love…the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus, Amen!”

1 Corinthians 16:13,23