VERSE: 1 Corinthians 13:7–love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. TRUTH: An interesting set of attributes when we realize that bearing and enduring refer to going through struggles and hardship, while believing and hoping refer to seeing the positive. Love bears and endures through the difficulties and wrongs suffered while believing and hoping give us the faith to continue to love those we are having to endure. Do we love people? Really love people as Christ loves us? RESPONSE: Lord, help me to love as You love, hoping and enduring, believing and bearing burdens.

VERSE: 1 Corinthians 12:18–But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body just as He desired. TRUTH: He knows our gifts and the gifts of others and He has brought us together on purpose just as He desired. Do we see our brothers and sisters as helping us accomplish our purpose? RESPONSE: Lord, help me focus on pleasing You where I am and to work together with those You have placed around me.

VERSE: 1 Corinthians 11:28–But a man must examine himself and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. TRUTH: Communion is a time of self-examination. But we are to examine and compare ourself to Christ not to someone else. Next to Him, none of us measure up and all of us need His sacrifice. Do we compare ourselves only to Him? RESPONSE: Lord, compared to You, I don’t measure up. Help me to allow You to live through me the life I can’t live on my own!

VERSE: 1 Corinthians 10:24–Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. TRUTH: Paul is dealing with some difficult issues in this chapter and gives lots of specific direction. But, this is the overall direction. When we make decisions, how do we choose? Do we take the good of others into consideration? Are we focused on what will build them up? RESPONSE: Father help me make every decision today focused on other people. May my decisions be made seeking to build up and encourage them and not myself.

VERSE: 1 Corinthians 9:19–For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all so that I may win more. TRUTH: What are we willing to sacrifice to see people come to know the Lord? Paul was willing to sacrifice his freedom so that others might come to Christ. What are we doing in order to be able to reach people? RESPONSE: Lord, do in me whatever needs to be done so that people may be won to You.

VERSE: 1 Corinthians 8:1–No concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. TRUTH: Paul is moving into a specific cultural issue of the day, but the principle still applies. We have knowledge to do things, but if we do not apply love to those actions, we become arrogant. Love is what builds up and encourages others. In everything we do, are we doing it out of love or just out of knowledge? RESPONSE: Lord, help me act out of love, not just out of knowledge. If I do not love, I am nothing.

VERSE: 1 Corinthians 7:35–This I say for your own benefit, not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord. TRUTH: Paul has been talking about relationships, which make up a huge part of our lives. Paul encourages us to be Godly in these and to not allow them to be distracting from our devotion to Christ. Focusing on Christ gives us freedom to live for Him in every other relationship. RESPONSE: Lord, be my purpose and let nothing and no one distract me from You.

VERSE: 1 Corinthians 6:20–For you have been brought with a price: therefore glorify God in you body. TRUTH: We are valuable & worthy to the Lord. He paid a steep price to be able to save us: the life of His Son Jesus. Knowing this, how do we thank Him? Do we seek His glory or our own? Do we even act like we’ve been set free? RESPONSE: Lord, please help me act like one who has been redeemed & not keep living like it makes no difference in my life.

VERSE: 1 Corinthians 5:6–Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? TRUTH: It doesn’t take much to get our focus off the things of God. Christ wants our attention and devotion, but if we’re boasting then our focus is on ourselves instead. Are we misplacing our focus, even a little? Even a small change can greatly affect our effectiveness for Christ. RESPONSE: Lord, keep me focused on You in every area throughout my day. Let me be effective for You in every area of my life.

VERSE: 1 Corinthians 4:16–Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. TRUTH: Paul has claimed to be the spiritual father to the Corinthians and as as such, is telling them that if they want to know how to live like Christ, imitate him. Would we be willing to invite people to imitate us in order to follow Christ? Would our life teach others what it means to imitate Christ? RESPONSE: Lord, help me live like You and be open to others so they can look at me and see You.