7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9

⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  

⁹ As it is written:

   “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
   their righteousness endures forever.”

I am confronted again today on generosity and I once again I look to Christ to look into my heart, speak to me if I am not being generous.

My Prayer:  Lord, You have blessed me in so many ways, including financially.  I don't deserve it.  I am a broken and sinful person and easily distracted by earthly and worldly concerns - please forgive me Lord Jesus.  Please convict my heart if I am not a good steward of the resources with which you have entrusted me.  Help me give both generously and cheerfully.  Please also transform my heart and my life to Your glory.

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8

¹ And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. ² In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. ³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. ⁵And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.  ⁶ So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. ⁷ But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

⁸ I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 

Richness exists in being blessed by the Holy Spirit - while in theory I fully believe this I have yet to be challenged as the Macedonian churches have been to give generously in spite of extreme poverty. 

My Prayer: Lord, I know You have blessed my family beyond imagination - I am thankful that we have not distressed or suffered because of this.  We don't deserve this yet You provide anyway.  Thank You Lord Jesus - You are an awesome loving and caring God.  Yet again we don't deserve this because we are far from perfect and we continue to sin - even today I expressed anger and impatience at work that I should not have expressed.  Please forgive me for this.  Please also give me and my family the wisdom to be good stewards of the blessings You place in our trust.  Help us give generously.  Purify me of my sin, invade my heart and transform my heart and my life.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

2 Corinthians 7

⁸ Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— ⁹ yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. ¹¹ See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. ¹² So even though I wrote to you, it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are.  ¹³By all this we are encouraged. 

When I sin I am to feel a Godly sorrow - one that leads me to Jesus Christ.  I am to be sorrowful for many reasons, some of which may include earthly reasons such as harm to others, but primarily because we should yearn to be more pure and Christ-like and we can only move in this direction if we repent, seek Him out, and seek heart and life transformation.  We seek Him out as well for Christ to use us - everything about us good and bad.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know for sure I am a sinner - and I know that You love and forgive me.  I also know that You have great plans for me, including using everything about me good and bad.   I have seen how You have used me and it is an awesome thing and I thank You for allowing me to serve You - THE great and glorious God!  Lord Jesus, I seek You out to transform my heart and my life - use everything about me Lord as I desire to serve You alone.

Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.

2 Corinthians 6

¹⁴ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony is there between Christ and Belia? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

   

“I will live with them
   and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
   and they will be my people.”

 ¹⁷ Therefore,

   “Come out from them
   and be separate,
            says the Lord.

Paul references Old Testament scripture here in Isaiah (52:11).

¹¹ Depart, depart, go out from there!
   Touch no unclean thing!
Come out from it and be pure,
   you who carry the articles of the LORD’s house. 

Once again I am challenged to be separate from those in the unbelieving world.  This of course is more than just belief but in behavior, with implications at least as follows:

- Demonstrated avoidance of sin
- Demonstrated fruits of the spirit as discussed in this chapter verses 6-7 or in Galatians 5:22-23.

While I can say in the affirmative to both of the above at least some of the time, that means that OTHER times I don't - a stark reminder of my desperate need for Christ.

My Prayer: Lord, You lived a Holy and perfect life and You came to earth and died on the cross to save me - specifically.  What an awesome gift that I clearly do not deserve.  You are great and I need You badly.  Please forgive me for my lack of patience, anger, pride, and so many other things that I do that I should not.  Also forgive me for my lack of boldness in demonstrating fruits of the spirit.  Please help me be more bold Lord Jesus.  Please also purify and refine me - invade my heart and transform both my heart and my life.  Help me lead a life that is truly separate and distinguished from unbelievers - I want to be a light for You Lord Jesus and I want to glorify You.

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

2 Corinthians 5 

¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

A few things I hear God saying to me:
1. Do not view anyone from a wordly view - instead view others as Jesus does
2. This is just as true for believers as it is for non-believers; we are not to hold any sin against others and view everyone as God's children.
3. We must live our lives as ambassadors for Christ - living openly as believers and allowing Christ to invade our hearts and lives.

In particular, this is important for those people in my life and I feel as if I fall short and throw myself at Christ's feet, not only to ask forgiveness, but also for strength and encouragement to be who God intends me to be.

My Prayer: Lord, I know You love me and I know I don't deserve Your love.  I fall short daily and in particular today I fall short in my role as an ambassador of Christ.  Please forgive me.  Help me be an ambassador for you - give me strength.  Invade my heart, speak to me, turn my life upside down Lord Jesus.  Please transform my heart and my life so that I can more fully live a live for You and to glorify You.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 

I often wonder whether I am living with the end in mind.  I also wonder whether when I DO appear before the judgment seat of Christ how well I will be viewed.  I DO know that that it is ONLY through Christ will I have the strength and courage to do what He intends for me.

My Prayer: Lord, I know I am blessed and I know that You love me.  I also know that I am undeserving of this love - yet You love me anyway.  What an awesome thing.  I need You badly - I am broken and I am far from perfect.  I am also weak and lazy.  Please forgive me Lord Jesus.  Help me have the courage and energy to serve You fully and as I have heard from You this week to love as love never fails.  Please transform my heart and my life Lord Jesus.

18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 

Where are my eyes fixed?  My eyes are often fixed on earthly matters....not so much things but things to happen.  I want certain outcomes in my life and in the lives of my family.  However, I need not concern myself about outcomes as these are in the realm of God - I need to trust in God and have faith in Him that only He can transform hearts and lives.  God wants me to act in ways that please Him but not to have too much faith in my own abilities.

¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 

The question is: am I acting in ways that demonstrate my faith so that others can see this daily renewal?

⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 

My Prayer:  Lord, You are eternal and it is through You that I have eternal life - what an awesome gift!  Yet I don't act as if I have this gift and I imagine this is like spitting in Your face - how disrespectful and ungrateful I am!!  Please forgive me Lord!  Help me recognize the greatness of this gift and of course of Your love.  Help me fix my eyes not just on You but also on what lies beyond this life.  Please transform my heart and my life Lord Jesus.

So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

2 Corinthians 4

⁵ For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”

 ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 

Building on Paul's admonishment to love above all (read yesterday), this love is to be a demonstration of Jesus to others:

¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 

What am I willing to give up...something must "die" so Christ can live.

My Prayer: Lord, I KNOW You are alive, Your Spirit lives and it is life-giving and a blessing beyond imagination to me.  What a blessing!  Yet once more I must recognize that I am not worthy of such love and blessing - it is undeserved.  I continue to sin by not leading in my household as You intend me to.  Please forgive me Lord Jesus for this weakness.  Help me rid this laziness and this sin.  Please purify me and transform my heart and my life.

Love never fails

1 Corinthians 13

I've never thought of this before but love needs to be a way of life.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

⁸ Love never fails.

...

 ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 

When I wake in the morning, I am to serve others: my wife and my kids.  During the day when I work I am to serve others and glorify Christ.  When I study the bible or pray it is out of love for Christ.  When bad things happen I am to see how it is the love of Christ and for the glory of Christ.

I think of another verse right now:

[G]ive thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:16

I need more love...for God first and foremost then of course for others.  What is ironic is that today...on Valentine's Day, we need not look any further than God's love for each of us.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome Valentine's Day!  You love me and like Pastor Scott said, it is an intentional love and an undescribeable  love - a love so significant that words are insufficient.  Thank You for this great love and this gift...for it is truly undeserved.  Forgive me that I have not loved You with all of my heart nor have I loved others as You desire me to.  Help me love Lord, You and others.  Purify and refine me Lord and transform my heart and my life.

22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable

1 Corinthians 12

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”   ²²On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Verse 22-23 is what strikes me: On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.

I am drawn to think of Dustin and how he is indispensable and we are to treat him with special honor.  I am also drawn to think of others who are to be thought of as indispensable and to be treated with special honor.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus I know that only You are to be treated with the highest honor as You are to be exalted above all.  Yet I know I don't always do this and it can even be said that many times I don't do this.  Please forgive me for my anger at work and my lack of patience.  Purify me of these sins and transform both my heart and my life Lord.  Help me also treat with honor the weaker amongst us, including those with whom I deal with frequently.

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

1 Corinthians 10

³¹ So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ³² Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— ³³ even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 

It is not clear by others that all that I do it is for the glory of God.  It is not even clear by others, particularly non believers, that anything I do is for the glory of God!  Upon self examination, I feel damned!  Now I know that I am not damned, yet I feel somehow very immature in my faith.

How can I do something for the glory of God.  First of all, my actions must glorify God.  Second of all, whatever blessing I may experience I must acknowledge that it is from God.  Thirdly, every trial I may experience I must acknowledge that it is from God.  This is just a start but it begins to get me thinking about how - as encouraged by Paul - I am to "do it all for the glory of God".

My Prayer: Lord, Your works and Your will is perfect.  I have personally experienced Your work and Your hand in my life and I have also experienced Your perfect will in my life as trial turns to blessing.  You are truly amazing and it is amazing that You love me personally as only You can do.  Yet I am broken and I disobey.  You call me to grow and to glorify You - yet I do not.  Please forgive me.  Help me glorify You in all that I do - purify me; transform my heart and my life Lord Jesus.

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

1 Corinthians 10

¹² So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.  

Key for me is that "[Christ] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

We are to endure temptation.  James expands on this view:

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

James' view (and one that we should share) is that endure is not a word that we should fear or loathe.  Instead we are to welcome opportunities to perfect our faith.  Of course there is a fine line in that we should focus on doing good and glorifying God and through that process we are to be tested and refined.

The challenge then is in James' view as he goes on is to act out our faith:

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. 

Bottom line for me is that I will not be tested in my faith unless I ACT out my faith.  God will deliver me from temptation as Paul writes but I must first act out my faith.

My prayer: Lord Jesus, You have refined and purified my faith and I feel strengthened yet I continue to be timid in my faith, acting in ways that display an immaturity in my faith.  I know this is NOT what You desire for me.  Please forgive me for not being bold and help me Lord Jesus so that I can be more bold in my faith as I do want to be tested and refined.  Transform my heart and my life Lord Jesus.

I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

1 Corinthians 9

I know we are to serve but no where is it more strongly worded in my reading of the bible (which admittedly is still an ongoing process and I have yet to read the entire Bible) to serve.

19 I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

Paul goes on...

²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 

I am not only to serve but I am to think of myself as a slave, as my body is not owned by myself as it is owned by Christ Jesus.

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)

Also:

²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28)

The question for me then becomes:
Do I have a servant heart (for all) or do I have a selfish heart?

My Prayer: Lord, I know You died for me as ransom for my sins and to this very day and until the end of time You will love, protect, and teach me (and so on).  I don't deserve this and I am grateful for this undeserving gift.  Please forgive me for my selfish heart and I pray earnestly that you will transform my heart so that I might have a servant heart as Paul does and of course as You do.  Transform my heart and my life Lord Jesus.

He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.

1 Corinthians 3

There are many earthly and worldly matters that I treat with urgency.  But, do I treat my relationship with the Lord with urgency?  Do I live my life with eternity in mind and consequently follow Christ's teachings with urgency. 

No.  I don't.  I am just like those to whom Paul is speaking:

⁵ Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

At this time, I am concerned that if the appointed time was near what would God say about how I lived my life.  I don't want to know....I simply want to live the life God intends for me.

My Prayer: Lord, Your love for me is amazing yet I don't deserve it.  Please forgive me for being distracted by earthly and worldly matters.  Help me daily fix my eyes on You.  Purify me of my sin and transform my heart and my life.  Help me live life with the end in mind.

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

1 Corinthians 3

We've been talking alot about grace at church and I am challenged to provide grace for another.  Scripture in this chapter reinforces where we should start.

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. 

I need to view others as Jesus does and here Paul is saying that each one of God's children is (although he is specifically talking to believers here) of value as God lives in each person.  This is consistent with the parable of the lost sheep:

¹ Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:1-7)

I have people in my life where I live as if I don't value these people.  This is sinful.  At the very least it is sinful that I THINK these people don't have value.

My Prayer: Lord, you are an awesome God...that You love me even though I am broken person and a sinner.  I am unworthy of Your love yet You love me anyway.  Lord, please forgive me for my sin - for my lust and for my wrongful thinking.  There is more and this needs forgiveness too.  All I know is that I need You Lord Jesus Christ.  Help me fix my eyes on You - please purify me of my sin and transform both my heart and my life.