The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
2 Corinthians 10-13
Act 3: God’s New Covenant People
Scene 4: Christ’s Church: God’s People Advance the Kingdom
Background Information: 2 Corinthians 10-13
Jeremiah wrote that we should not boast of our wisdom, strength, or wealth. The only legitimate boast is that we know the Lord. So, at the top of our resumes should be, “I know Christ.” What else should it include? Paul would tell us, “Put down everything that shows your weakness.” That is counter-intuitive and counter cultural, but very much in line with biblical reality. The church in Corinth was overly impressed with eloquent, charismatic, and confident teachers who were happy to charge speaking fees. These impressive false teachers warned the church about Paul. “Sure, his letters are full of big talk, but have you seen him? Have you heard him speak? He is not impressive at all. He doesn’t even charge for his services, and I can see why!” Paul’s resume doesn’t exactly sparkle, unless you read it with the eyes of eternity. He was an Israelite. He was beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, and chased by criminals, Jews, and Gentiles. He was frequently thirsty, hungry, and cold. He deeply longed for the church to grow in their faith. When Christians struggled, he felt it. When Christians fell into sin, he mourned it. He did have an unusual experience with God that he could probably have used to embark on a popular speaking tour, but he wasn’t allowed to talk about it. Instead, he was given some additional suffering to accompany the experience just to make sure he remained humble. We are often easily impressed by the unimpressive. This is because we try to fight the fight for perspective using human weapons. The battle begins in our hearts and minds and moves from there into our lives. The weapons of God’s power can bring down the fortified folly that is embedded in our brains. God’s truth is empowered by God’s Spirit, and it has the power to demolish the lies that destroy lives. These weapons are ours to wield, but we must train in order to become skilled in their use and win this epic fight.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for our time tomorrow of gathered worship. Ask God to speak to us through the message. Pray for those who attend who may not know Christ. Pray that they would trust in him.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.