Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then…

You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. —II Corinthians 8:9 What do you give up in order to enrich the lives of others? Are you investing you time, talent and treasure to help others? Reflect on your life right now. What are you doing that is actually not only looking on your interests but also on the interest of others (Philippians 2:4)? What will you do for someone else today because of your love for God and for people (Matthew 22:37-40). Think of this! “You must…

Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. —II Corinthians 6:1 “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” What does it mean to “receive the grace of God in vain?” We are given the answer in I Corinthians 15:1-2— “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to…

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. —II Corinthians 4:16-18 Eyes that are focused only on our present troubles will lack the vision of eternal destiny. Are you consumed with what…

We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. —II Corinthians 3:4-5 Where do you and I put our confidence? What or who do you and I trust in? Do we trust in our abilities? Does our confidence come from being able to do something? Does it come from our education? Does it come from our position at work or in school? Does it come with people patting us on the back? Does it come from our qualifications? The Apostle Paul and his colleagues…

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident…

There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me… Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. —I Corinthians 16:9, 13-14 Have you ever walked through an open door and felt apprehensive, not knowing what or who is on the other side? Maybe it was when you had an important meeting and you were really nervous as you walked through the door to that meeting. Maybe it was the “door” of marriage or parenting that you were walking through. It may have been the door to the doctor’s office to hear about test results or through…

Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen…

Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. —I Corinthians 14:26 Why am I part of a local church? Just to say I attended on Sunday morning or whenever it meets? So I go and try to get something or feel something, some “felt need” or emotional fulfillment? Do I go to seek favor with God or look good before man? Do I go just to be part of a…

Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. —I Corinthians 14:1 Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. —Matthew 22:37-40 What is your highest goal in life? Is it a good job, a good education, a good family, a big house, a good retirement? How about loving God? Is that your…