The Daily + Weekly by Vince Miller

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Eric Plummer from Huntersville, NC. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 14:1-5. Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. — 1 Corinthians 14:1-5 If your version of spiritual expression cannot be understood, it will not build up the church. That is Paul's opening correction, in a chapter that is full of corrections. But here is how he begins. "Pursue love." — 1 Corinthians 14:1 His correction in this chapter does not drift away from the unpoetic hardcore love of Chapter 13. Gifts are good, and we should desire them. But we must measure them rightly. But next, Paul contrasts tongues and prophecy to demonstrate how to regulate them. Tongues without interpretation speak to God with personal edification. Prophecy speaks to people, edifying the church. One edifies the individual. The other edifies the church. And Paul is unapologetic about which one he prioritizes. He would rather speak ten words that edify a church than ten thousand words that don't. Adding spiritual intensity to a spiritual gift is not a display of maturity in the church. Volume is not power in a church. Private ecstasy is not corporate edification in a church. Because the Spirit's work is never self-exalting. It is Christ-exalting and church-building. If any church gathering leaves you confused or overwhelmed—but not edified in truth—Paul would call that a miss. The questions are simple: Growth and understanding are love applied to the church and, therefore, true edification. Don't confuse intensity with maturity — the Spirit builds through clarity. DO THIS: When you gather for worship this week, evaluate what builds others up—not what excites you most. Prioritize clarity in your speech, prayers, and encouragement. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Lord, keep me from confusing spectacle with maturity. Teach me to value clarity, truth, and edification above personal experience. Build your church through speech that strengthens, not impresses. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Speak, O Lord"

What if the most quoted love chapter in the Bible is actually a sharp rebuke to arrogant Christians? Summary 1 Corinthians 13 is not a wedding poem — it is a correction to spiritually gifted believers who were proud, divisive, and self-promoting. Paul dismantles the idea that gifting equals maturity and declares that without love, even the most impressive spirituality becomes nothing but noise. He defines love not as sentimental softness, but as crucified self-denial that refuses envy, arrogance, and selfish ambition. In the end, only love lasts — because love is the evidence that Christ is truly at work in you. Reflection & Small Group Discussion Questions Why do you think 1 Corinthians 13 is commonly read at weddings instead of understood in its original corrective context? According to 13:1–3, what does Paul mean when he says gifted believers without love are "nothing"? Where have you seen spiritual gifting used without love — in culture, church life, or your own life? How can truth be weaponized in a way that becomes "noise" instead of Christlike love? Which description of love in verses 4–7 challenges you the most personally — and why? What is the difference between biblical love and unconditional acceptance of sin? Before speaking boldly, what internal heart work should happen first? Why does Paul emphasize that gifts will pass away but love will remain? How does remembering that we "see in a mirror dimly" (v.12) shape humility in disagreement? This week, what is one relationship where you need to pursue patience, kindness, or repentance before pursuing influence?

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Ken McKinney from Ellaville, GA. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 13:13. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. — 1 Corinthians 13:13 Paul ends with a ranking. Faith. Hope. Love. All three remain. But one is greater in how it remains. Love. Why? Faith trusts what it cannot see. Hope longs for what has not yet arrived. Both belong to this present age. One day faith will become sight. Hope will become fulfillment. Love will not change. It will remain. Love does not graduate into something better. It does not expire when the age ends. Love reflects the eternal character of God. That is why it is greatest. It's the greatest remaining. Corinth was fighting over gifts that would pass away. Paul redirects them to what will remain forever. Anchor your life there. Not in visibility. Not in applause. Not in being right. Love. Truthful everlasting love. Spiritual maturity is measured by what will last. And love will last. DO THIS: Choose one unseen act of love this week—something that builds another person up without drawing attention to yourself. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Father, fix my heart on what is eternal. Teach me to pursue love above recognition and shape my life around what will never fade. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Here Is Love, Vast as the Ocean"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Judson McCulloch from Lansing, MI. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 13:11-12. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. — 1 Corinthians 13:11-12 Paul now moves from the permanence of love to spiritual maturity. Childhood is not a sin. But being an adult believer and acting like a child is. "When I was a child…" Notice how Paul makes this personal. Paul is not mocking spiritual immaturity. He is describing spiritual growth. Children speak in fragments. Think in fragments. Reason in fragments. Partial. Incomplete. Developing. And that is how spiritual gifts function in this age. They operate in the partial. While real. They are good. But they are incomplete. The church in Corinth, however, treated partial things as ultimate things. They were fascinated with flashes of insight. Moments of manifestation. Public demonstrations of knowledge, tongues, and prophecy. Paul says that is childish thinking. Spiritually mature believers recognize the limits of the present age. "For now we see in a mirror dimly…" That is our condition. We know truly—but not fully. And that reality should produce humility, not spiritual gifting arrogance. Then Paul lifts their vision again: "Then face to face." "Then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." The Christian hope is not better gifting or more manifestations of your present spiritual gifts. It is a further and fuller sight of the more valuable motivation. One day, you will not need prophecy. You will not need partial knowledge. You will not need mediated insight. You will see Christ. And this is what we live for: a future reality that shapes a present humility. Aim for that in all your motivations this week with the gifts the Spirit has given to you. DO THIS: Identify one area where you speak or argue with more certainty than Scripture allows. Practice humility in that space this week. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Father, remind me that I see only in part. Guard me from childish arrogance and inflated certainty. Shape in me a maturity that longs for the day I see you face to face. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Bill & Peggy McAllister from West Point, NE. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 13:8-10. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. — 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 "Love never ends." That's the headline in this text. Everything else in this paragraph is a contrast to that. Prophecies? Temporary. Tongues? Temporary. Knowledge? Temporary. Corinth was captivated by what was dramatic and public. They attached spiritual weight to what drew attention and applause. Paul reframes the timeline around the timeless The gifts you are tempted to build all your identity around have an expiration date. They will end. Notice the verbs. Prophecies will "pass away." Tongues will "cease." Knowledge will "pass away." But love? Never. This is an eschatological correction. Paul lifts their eyes beyond the present moment and into the coming fullness—"when the perfect comes." The force of Paul's argument is clear: what is partial will not last. So why do we worry about them so much? Spiritual gifts operate in the realm of the incomplete. But the force behind them—love— that belongs to the realm of the eternal. That means if your confidence rests in your gifting, it rests in something fading. Gifts are good, but they are anchored in what will vanish. Love, however, reflects the very character of God. This is why genuine self-giving love is greater. Not because it is softer. But because it is eternal. So, if you were stripped of the spiritual gifts you have, like my gift of teaching, would people see a loving believer behind it? DO THIS: Ask yourself what part of your spiritual life you would lose if your most visible gift disappeared tomorrow. Then cultivate love in hidden, uncelebrated ways this week. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Lord, detach my identity from what is fading. Anchor my heart in what is eternal. Teach me to value love above visibility and permanence above applause. Form in me what will endure beyond this age. Amen. PLAY THIS: "The Everlasting Love of God"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Tom Keoberl from Hector, MN. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 13:7. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. — 1 Corinthians 13:7 Paul now moves from what love refuses to do… to what love relentlessly does. Love bears. Love believes. Love hopes. Love endures. Four verbs. All active. All durable. Let's break these four down. "Bears all things" does not mean love ignores sin. The word carries the idea of covering, protecting, absorbing without immediately exposing. Love does not rush to broadcast failure. It absorbs cost when possible. "Believes all things" does not mean love is naïve. It means love is not suspicious by default. It is inclined toward trust rather than cynicism. "Hopes all things" means love refuses despair. It expects God to work even when people are slow. "Endures all things" is the strongest word of the four. It is a military term—remaining under pressure without retreating. This is covenant language. You see, Corinth's love was thin. Easily offended. Easily divided. Easily impressed. Easily irritated. Paul says real love stays. It absorbs. It trusts. It waits. It stands. This is not emotional intensity. It's more than a feeling. It is a lasting commitment within the Christian community. This is where the modern church fails. We only endure when appreciated. We only hope when progress is visible. We only believe when people perform. When disappointment comes? We withdraw. We distance. We detach. That is not love. That is not Paul's description of love. Jesus endured with weak disciples. Jesus believed Peter would return. Jesus hoped beyond the cross. Jesus endured hostility without abandoning his mission. That is the pattern. Love is not proven in ease. It is proven under pressure. This week, identify one person you've grown tired of bearing with. Instead of pulling back, choose one concrete way to remain present and patient. DO THIS: Name one person you've grown weary of bearing with. Instead of pulling back, move toward them with one deliberate act of patience or encouragement. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Lord, where my love has thinned, strengthen it. Teach me to endure without hardening, to hope without illusion, and to remain under pressure without retreating. Form in me the steadfast love of Christ. Amen. PLAY THIS: "More Than A Feeling"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Robert Jae from Harvest, AL. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 13:5-6. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. — 1 Corinthians 13:5-6 Are you fighting for truth—or for yourself? That's the edge of this scripture today Let's break this down "Love does not insist on its own way." Literally, it does not seek its own. This is the tension of most church conflicts—and most "truth debates." My preference. My timeline. My comfort. My recognition. My, my, my wrapped in spiritual language. Corinth insisted on its rights. My freedom. My knowledge. They divided over personalities. They defended themselves quickly and forgave slowly. Paul says: that is not love. Love does not revolve around self, even when self claims to be defending truth. Love also "is not irritable." The word carries the idea of being easily provoked—thin-skinned, quick to flare. And love "is not resentful." This is an accounting phrase. Love does not keep a ledger of wrongs. It does not file offenses for later mental review. If you replay conversations in your head… If you store old wounds for leverage… If you withdraw when crossed… If you justify sharpness because you're correct… If you feel more energized by winning than by restoring… Paul says that is not love. And then he adds something clarifying. Something our morally lost world needs to hear about love. Love "does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth." Love is not moral indifference. It is not soft on truth. It does not celebrate sin for the sake of peace. On the flip side, it also does not weaponize truth to win arguments. The real question is not simply, "Am I right?" but "Why am I fighting?" Is your real goal restoration or vindication? Then choose words—and a tone—that aim to win your brother and sister in Christ, not the debate. DO THIS: Think of one relationship where you have been easily provoked or quietly keeping score. Release the ledger. Choose one tangible act of reconciliation or kindness. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Lord, free me from self-seeking instincts. Guard me from keeping score. Teach me to rejoice in truth for the good of others, not for the defense of myself. Shape in me the self-giving love of Christ. Amen. PLAY THIS: "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Brad Guck from Perham, MN. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 13:4-5. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful. — 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Are you being puffed up—or are you building others up? That is Paul's question. Previously in this letter, he repeatedly used the word physioō (φυσιόω)—"to puff up," to inflate with pride (1 Corinthians 4:6, 4:18–19, 5:2, 8:1). Knowledge puffs up, he said, but love builds up. Now, in chapter 13, he shows us what that looks like. If you want to know whether your motivation is right, don't look at your puffed-up gifts. Look at whether they are building others up. Paul defines the loving use of our gifts—but not the way we expect. He does not start with emotion in this text He starts with restraint. Love is patient. Love is kind. And then he turns negative. Love does not envy. Love does not boast. It is not arrogant. It is not rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable. It keeps no record of wrongs. The word "arrogant" in this text carries the same idea Paul has been correcting all along—puffed up. Inflated. Swollen with self-importance. This chapter is a direct confrontation with the puffed-up pride behind their spiritual gifts within the church. Corinth envied the visible gifts. They boasted about their spirituality. They divided over leaders. They insisted on their rights. They flaunted freedom. They ranked one another. They were puffed up. And Paul says that none of that builds up. Notice how many of these traits target the ego. Envy compares. Boasting advertises. Arrogance inflates. Rudeness disregards. Insisting on your own way centers your will. Irritability reveals entitlement. Resentment stores ammunition. Love dismantles every one of those. Love does not puff up because it is not focused on self. Love builds up because it is focused on others. Here is the point: you can operate in powerful gifts and still be deeply inflated. But if others are not strengthened, encouraged, and built up through you, it is not love. And without love, nothing else matters. DO THIS: Identify one area where you've been easily irritated or defensive. Instead of protecting your ego, intentionally build someone else up this week—with encouragement, patience, or quiet service. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Lord, expose pride that inflates my ego. Guard me from being puffed up by knowledge, success, or gifting. Make me an instrument of love that builds others up for the glory of Christ. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Humble and Kind"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Daniel DeGrote from Corona, CA. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. — 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 You can preach powerfully, speak mysteriously, give sacrificially—and still be nothing. Because the issue is not the size of the gift. It is the motive behind it. That's not hyperbole. That's the truth of Scripture. Paul has just finished correcting their obsession with spiritual gifts in chapter 12. They loved power. Sought visibility. Pursued manifestations. Now he dismantles it. But he doesn't minimize the gifts. He maximizes them. Tongues of angels. Mountain-moving faith. Prophetic power. Extreme martyrdom. The most impressive spiritual résumé imaginable. And then he says: Without love? Noise. Nothing. No gain. This is a devastating text for those who choose to be seen for the wrong reasons. You see, the church in Corinth equated spirituality with intensity. Spectacle. Status. Paul says the metric isn't the measure of your power. It is the measure of your love. And love here is not an emotional sentiment. It's not a personality style. It is the measure of spiritual authenticity. You see, a believer can defend doctrine and still destroy people. You can serve publicly and still resent privately. You can sacrifice visibly and still crave recognition. And if love is not the driving motivation—self-giving love shaped by Christ—the whole purpose of the gift is lost. Notice the repetition Paul drives home on these points: "I am a noisy gong…" "I am nothing…" "I gain nothing…" Not your gift is nothing. You are nothing, because the motivation is wrong. That's a severe correction from Paul, in the love chapter of the Bible. And it's meant to be corrective Because gifts can look impressive to crowds, but only love—rightly motivated love—actually builds the church. Gifts can draw attention to ourselves. But gifts wrapped in the motivation of self-giving love draw people to Christ. Jesus didn't just display power. He laid down his life in self-giving love. And that is the standard. Do you need to address your motivation today? DO THIS: Examine your service, leadership, and ministry this week. Don't just ask, "Was I effective?" Ask, "What was driving me?" and "Was I loving?" ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Father, guard me from giftedness without love. Expose motives that seek recognition instead of Christ. Form in me the self-giving love of Jesus so that what flows from me reflects him. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Better Word"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Jim Davis from Smyrna, GA. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 12:21-31. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. — 1 Corinthians 12:21-31 Insecurity says, "I don't matter." We addressed insecurity in the body last time. But pride says, "I don't need you." And this is the danger Paul confronts in this section. Prideful independence from the body when interdependence is God's design. "But God has so composed the body…" Notice the word "composed". It is the Greek word sugkeraō, which means to mix, blend carefully, or combine into a unified whole. It was used of mixing ingredients so that they form something inseparable. God has not merely assembled the church like loose disparate parts (like a junk drawer); he has blended it with deliberate care, giving greater honor where honor might otherwise be lacking. So why compose the body this way? He tells us why: "That there may be no division in the body." He composes with a mission— to preserve unity. Following this is one of the most probing lines in the chapter: "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." That is not sentiment. It is a spiritual reality. A blending so perfect that you cannot be indifferent to the suffering or honoring of another believer. This is countercultural. We are trained to compete, to compare, to isolate success, and to distance ourselves from pain. The body functions properly only when all its parts depend on one another. God has already blended you into this body. So experience it. Step toward the parts you are tempted to overlook. Lean into the people you think you can do without. Let yourself feel their joy and carry their burdens. You do not just attend a body that was composed. You are part of it. DO THIS: This week, intentionally celebrate someone else's gift and step toward someone else's pain. Refuse both envy and indifference. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Father, thank you for composing your church with wisdom. Forgive my pride and my indifference. Teach me to care deeply, rejoice sincerely, and depend humbly on the gifts you have given to others. For the glory of Christ. Amen. PLAY THIS: "They'll Know We Are Christians"

Everyone wants influence. Everyone wants visibility. But 1 Corinthians 12 confronts a dangerous assumption: "I get to assign myself." SUMMARY: In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul confronts self-appointed Christianity and reminds believers that spiritual gifts are assigned by the Spirit—not chosen, marketed, or self-appointed. Discover how God distributes authority, arranges placement, and builds a body—not a brand. REFLECTION & SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Where do you see "self-appointed Christianity" showing up in today's church culture? Why does Paul begin 1 Corinthians 12 by clarifying the source of true spiritual authority? What is the significance of the phrase "as he wills" in verses 11 and 18? How can ambition subtly disguise itself as ministry? In what ways have you been tempted to measure significance by visibility? What does it look like to resist God's placement in the body? Why is interdependence essential to the health of the church? How does spiritual elitism contradict the gospel? What would it practically mean for you to "embrace faithfulness instead of chasing influence"?

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Nick Zumwalt from Ammon, ID. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 12:14-20. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. — 1 Corinthians 12:14-20 Have you ever wondered if you really matter in the church? Paul now addresses a different danger—not pride, but insecurity. Just as in churches today, some believers in Corinth envied the more visible gifts. If they did not have them, they quietly assumed they did not matter or even belong. Paul exposes that thinking for what it is. A foot does not stop being part of the body because it is not a hand. An ear does not lose its place because it is not an eye. Comparison does not cancel calling. Belonging is not self-determined—it is God-bestowed. "But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose." Notice this carefully: God arranged you for the body and within the body. Your placement is not an accident. It is not based on personal preference or fluctuating feelings. It is a settled reality determined by God himself. His arrangement implies intention. His placement implies purpose. The same sovereign God who apportions gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11) also positions people. Your place in the body is providential. This confronts the quiet withdrawal many believers practice today. When comparison convinces you that you are less important, you drift. You attend but do not engage. You observe but do not offer. But that logic has no place here. Your absence affects the whole. So step forward. Lean in. Speak to a pastor. Join the table. Serve beyond your comfort zone. Pray and look expectantly for how God is already at work through you for the good of his body. DO THIS: Identify one way you have minimized your place in the body. Then lean in this week—serve where God has placed you, not where you wish you were. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Father, thank you for arranging the members of your body according to your wisdom. Forgive me for doubting my place. Teach me to embrace where you have positioned me and serve faithfully for the glory of Christ. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Build Your Kingdom Here"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 12:12-13. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. — 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 What actually makes the church one? Not preference. Not personality. Not similarity. Paul says it plainly: one Spirit. Before he talks about diversity again, he grounds everything in unity. And this unity is not sentimental unity. It is spiritual and sovereign. "In one Spirit we were all baptized into one body." This is not water baptism, which is addressed elsewhere. Paul is describing Spirit baptism into the body of Christ. The moment the Holy Spirit unites a believer to Christ and incorporates them into his body, they are instantly regenerated and reidentified. The Spirit does not merely influence us. He places us into the Spiritual body. And notice the scope. All. Everyone. You too. Jews and Greeks (ethnic and covenant identity). Slaves and free (legal and social status). The most entrenched ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic divisions in the ancient world collapse at the point of Spirit-union. Unity is not something we engineer. It is something the Spirit has already accomplished through union with Christ. If we truly want to "End Racism"—not just market it on NFL end zones and on NFL helmets—we must come to Christ and be joined to his body, where ethnic hostility, social hierarchy, and status-based division are crucified at the cross and buried in Spirit-wrought unity. The church is not unified because we agree on everything, but because we share one Spirit and belong to one Christ. Paul even says, "so it is with Christ." Not merely the church—Christ. To fracture the body is to misrepresent him. And we do not merely join this body once; we "drink of one Spirit." The Spirit incorporates us and continually sustains us. Unity, then, is not organizational—it is Christological and Spirit-sustained. This confronts our consumer view of church. We cannot experience one-body unity at arm's length. Spirit-baptized people are not spectators; they are members. You were not saved into isolation. You were baptized into a body. Unity is not optional. It is part of what salvation accomplished. So step in, draw close, and live like you actually belong to the one body the Spirit has already made you part of. DO THIS: Move from attendance to involvement. Thank God that your unity with other believers is grounded in the Spirit's work—not your compatibility—and take one concrete step this week to draw closer to the body he placed you in. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Holy Spirit, thank you for baptizing me into the body of Christ. Forgive my distance and independence. Teach me to live in visible, committed unity with those you have joined to me, for the glory of Christ. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Dear Jesus"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Doug Wettstein from Bastrop, TX. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 12:8-11. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. — 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 Who decides which gift you receive? Paul answers that question multiple times in four verses because he is trying to beat this message home: The Spirit gives. The Spirit empowers. The Spirit apportions. The Spirit wills. That final phrase is key. "He wills." Not you will. He wills. The person of the Spirit wills them. Spiritual gifts are not discovered in the same way as human character traits or competencies. They are not ordered up like you order a meal at the Chick-fil-A drive-through. They are also not earned the way academic achievements are earned through measurable competencies. Spirit gifts are "gifts" sovereignly assigned by the Spirit of God as spiritual regeneration. Gifting reflects divine will, not human preference. Distribution is not random. It is intentional. Personal. Purposeful. The same Spirit who regenerates (John 3:5–8), indwells (1 Corinthians 6:19), and seals believers (Ephesians 1:13) also apportions gifts according to his wisdom. That means your comparison is a quiet protest against providence. To resent someone else's gift is to question the Spirit's will. To crave a different gift for status or visibility is to assume we know better than the one who distributes them. The Corinthians struggled here. Just like we struggle, because the rules are different. Some gifts are more spiritually dramatic. Some are more spiritually tangible. But Paul pulls their attention away from the gift list and back to the Giver. The emphasis is not on ranking manifestations. It is on trusting the Spirit. The Spirit is not merely powerful; he is purposeful. And his will is wiser than ours. Spiritual maturity means receiving your assignment with humility. Learning how to grow in this special assignment. And stewarding your assignment with faithfulness. Not demanding another. So, have you taken your assessment yet so you can claim His assignment? https://beresolute.org/sga/ DO THIS: Receive your gift as an assignment from the Spirit, not an accident of personality. Thank him for his wise will, and commit to stewarding your assignment faithfully this week. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Holy Spirit, you distribute your gifts according to your perfect will. Forgive me for questioning your wisdom. Teach me to receive my assignment with humility and steward it with faithfulness for the glory of Christ and the strengthening of your church. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Spirit of the Living God"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Charles & Carol Tentinger from Prescott, WI. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 12:7. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. — 1 Corinthians 12:7 What if the primary purpose of your spiritual gift has nothing to do with you? This verse is the thesis statement for the entire chapter. Let's break it down. First, "To each is given…" No believer is excluded. No Christian is spiritually devoid. If you believe in Christ, if you have proclaimed him as your Lord and Savior, then the Spirit has given something to you. Second, notice what he calls it. "The manifestation of the Spirit." Your gift is not a personal badge, a shoulder stripe, or a pin for your jacket. It is a visible manifestation of the Spirit's invisible presence at work in you. The word translated as "manifestation" is the Greek phanerōsis, meaning "making visible," "disclosure," or "bringing into the light." It refers to something that was previously unseen but has become clearly evident. The Spirit makes himself visible in the church through ordinary believers exercising their gifts in concert with one another. Third, notice the operative phrase: "For the common good." Not for private validation. Not for platform elevation. Not for personal comparison. For the good of other people in the body of Christ. The Spirit does not distribute a spiritual gift to you to spotlight you. He gives it to edify others and spotlight God. The Spirit's work is corporate with a few individual benefits. This is a frontal attack on Western individualism that seeks self-promotion and self-elevation even within the church. Most believers tend to ask, "What is my gift?" as though the answer will unlock personal fulfillment. But Paul pushes us toward a better question: "How is God being glorified through my gift for the good of others?" If a gift does not build up the church, it is being misused. If it draws attention to the individual more than to Christ, it has drifted. Spiritual maturity is not discovering your gift. It is deploying it for others. If you want, take a spiritual gift assessment here: https://beresolute.org/sga/ And when you get the results, focus on how your gifts or gifts can accomplish his purposes in his church. DO THIS: Identify one specific way your spiritual gift can strengthen someone this week — and act on it quietly, without needing recognition. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Holy Spirit, thank you for entrusting me with a manifestation of your presence. Guard me from using it for myself. Teach me to serve in ways that strengthen your church and reflect Christ. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Found It In Jesus"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to John Lecy from Lake Elmo, MN. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 12:4-6. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. — 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 Have you ever noticed how quickly diversity in the church becomes competition? Paul addresses that question through a subtle yet profound move. Instead of addressing behavior first, he points to theology using the triune God. In just three verses, he sketches one of the clearest Trinitarian patterns in all the New Testament. There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. Varieties of service, but the same Lord. Varieties of activities, but the same God. This is not careless repetition. It is an intentional structure that Paul will use to illustrate how God's community and its unique gifts work within the church. Here is the nuance a lot of readers miss: diversity in the church flows from unity within God himself. The Trinity is not uniform, but perfectly united—distinct persons with a shared purpose and no rivalry. God's community is one of the rare places in life where unity should be perfectly expressed through diversity. But when believers compete over visibility, rank gifts by status, or measure spirituality by prominence, we contradict the character of the God who gives the gifts and the unity they were meant to express. Your gift is not a personal asset to leverage. It is a grace to be stewarded by God to the community. They are gifts we steward for the benefit of others and for God's glory. Then notice Paul's closing line: "the same God who empowers them all in everyone." Every gift stewarded by every believer is sustained by him. There is no spiritual elite class in God's Church. The preacher is not better than the participant. The pastor is not better than the paritionier. God is the one who empowers, not a single believer in a church, but every believer in His church. Therefore, in the church, unity is not threatened by diversity; it is generated by it. That means your spiritual gift matters, and so does the spiritual gift you do not have. The church most clearly reflects the glory of God when diverse members serve without rivalry and depend on one another without comparison. This is not merely personality management—it is Trinitarian theology lived out in the body of Christ. So this week, intentionally encourage someone whose gift is different from yours, and thank God for how their strength complements your own. DO THIS: Thank God specifically for the way he has gifted you — and for the ways he has gifted others differently. Confess any comparison or quiet competition in your heart. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Father, thank you for empowering your church. Lord Jesus, direct my service toward you. Holy Spirit, distribute your gifts as you will. Guard my heart from comparison and teach me to reflect your unity in the way I serve. Amen. PLAY THIS: "What A Gift"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Jay Oldendorf from Blair, WI. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 12:1-3. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. — 1 Corinthians 12:1–3 Can something feel spiritual—and still lead you away from Jesus? The answer is yes. Not every felt spiritual experience comes from the Holy Spirit. Remember, before the Corinthians became believers in Christ, they were not irreligious. They were deeply spiritual. Passionate. Expressive. Immersed in worship. But Paul reminds them where all that felt spirituality once led them — to mute idols. Mute or dumb idols. Gods that could not speak. Gods who could not reveal truth. Gods who could not command allegiance. These gods stirred emotion but offered no revelation. They moved people, gave them goosebumps and emotional jolts, but those reactions were generated by human psychology and cultural pressure—not by the living, speaking God. Spiritual sensationalism does not always equate to spiritual truth. I have seen spiritual sensationalism, and sometimes it is unsettling because it leads to individual manifestations that drive groups into disunity rather than unity. Notice Paul's correction. He does not say, "True spirituality feels different." He says true spirituality says something: "Jesus is Lord." That confession declares allegiance. Submission. Public identification. But it also makes a further claim—that we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is not simply a declaration; it is an identification. It declares our regeneration. The Spirit does not merely rouse enthusiasm — he produces allegiance. He opens blind eyes (2 Corinthians 4:6). He reveals the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10–12). He bears witness to Christ (John 15:26). This Trinitarian thread runs quietly under the chapter. The Spirit's primary work is not sensationalism based on feeling; it's the exaltation of Jesus based on fact. And this may come with some good feelings. So here is Paul's test for every spiritual experience: Is Christ being exalted? Is this experience leading me (and others) toward deeper submission to Christ — or merely toward a heightened internal sensation? Is the voice I believe I am hearing aligned with the revealed Word of God — or is it untethered from Scripture and fueled primarily by emotional intensity? This is where discernment becomes difficult. Emotional responses are real. They can be powerful. But not every powerful emotion is produced by the Holy Spirit. Some are stirred by personality, atmosphere, repetition, or group momentum. Mute idols stir emotion without anchoring it in divine authority or revealed truth. The Holy Spirit, by contrast, never operates independently of the Word he inspired. He does not contradict Scripture, bypass Scripture, or add revelation that competes with Scripture. He speaks through it, reveals its meaning, convicts by its truth, and leads us to confess and live under the lordship of Jesus. Spiritual maturity is not measured by volume, novelty, or emotional intensity. It is measured by truth-rooted allegiance to Christ. So the next time something feels spiritual, test it by the Word—and bow your heart to Christ, not the feeling. DO THIS: Pay attention to the voices shaping your spiritual life. Ask whether they consistently lead you to deeper submission to Christ — or merely stir emotional intensity. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Holy Spirit, guard me from being impressed by what feels spiritual but is disconnected from Christ. Lead me into truth that exalts...

If Jesus didn't rise, nothing matters—but if he did, you don't get to stay the same. Summary The resurrection is not a small detail in the Christian story—it is the turning point that changes everything. Without it, the cross is just a tragic death and sin still holds its power. But because Jesus walked out of the grave, death is no longer final, sin is defeated, and new life is possible. The resurrection doesn't just invite belief—it demands a response that reshapes how you live. Reflection & Small Group Discussion Questions 1. Why does Paul say that without the resurrection, our faith is futile (1 Corinthians 15:17)? 2. How does the resurrection change the meaning of the cross? 3. Why is the empty tomb described as evidence rather than just symbolism? 4. What "limits" have you accepted in your life that the resurrection challenges? 5. How does the resurrection speak to the permanence of sin and your past? 6. Why can't someone claim belief in the resurrection and still live unchanged? 7. What does it mean to "walk out" of sin, shame, or fear in light of the resurrection? 8. How does the resurrection give hope in situations that feel irreversible? 9. What is the difference between believing in the resurrection and responding to it? 10. What is one area of your life where you need to live like the resurrection is true?

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Toby Main from Oldmar, FL. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 11:23-34. For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come. — 1 Corinthians 11:23–34 Paul now brings the entire issue of worship and the Lord's Supper to its most sobering conclusion. He begins by grounding the Table in the words of Jesus himself. This meal was not created by the church. It was received from Christ. And it was given, Paul reminds us, "on the night when he was betrayed." The Table is not casual because it was born in suffering, sacrifice, and surrender. Jesus did not offer bread and cup in comfort, but in betrayal. Not as a suggestion—but as a command to remember. "This is my body, which is for you." Those words confront every selfish impulse. The Table is not about appetite or preference. It is about atonement. It calls the church to remember the cost of grace. And every time the church eats and drinks, Paul says, we proclaim something. We proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. But Paul does not stop there. Because remembrance without reverence is dangerous. Whoever eats and drinks "in an unworthy manner" is not merely being careless—they are failing to discern what this meal declares. The issue is not personal perfection, but spiritual awareness. To eat without discerning the body is to ignore both Christ's sacrifice and the unity of his people. That is why Paul calls for self-examination. "Let a person examine himself." This is not meant to keep believers away from the Table, but to bring them to it rightly—humbled, repentant, and aware of what Christ has done. Paul's warning is severe because the Table is formative. To treat it lightly is to invite discipline, not condemnation, so that the church may be restored rather than destroyed. And Paul closes with a practical word. "Wait for one another." The Table is meant to form a people who slow down, consider one another, and approach worship with love and restraint. This teaching forces us to look at the table and worship in four ways: It looks backward—to the cross. It looks inward—to repentance and faith. It looks outward—to unity in the body. It looks forward—to the return of Christ. Scripture even reminds us that one day, when Christ returns, we will eat and drink this meal anew with him in his kingdom. The first meal we share in heaven will not be unfamiliar. It will be the fulfillment of what we have been proclaiming all along. DO THIS: Before taking communion, slow down. Examine your heart with honesty. Confess sin, consider the body of...

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul confronts believers who gathered for worship but brought their preferences instead of reverence. A study by Vince Miller. SUMMARY You were made to worship.But what happens when worship becomes about your preferences instead of God's design? In this study of 1 Corinthians 11, Paul confronts believers who gathered in God's name—yet distorted worship through contention, selfishness, and cultural accommodation. REFLECTION & SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Where do you see the tension between cultural preference and biblical design showing up in today's church? In what ways can "reasonable questions" actually mask resistance to God's authority? Why does Paul ground his argument in God's established order before addressing behavior? How does 1 Corinthians 11 challenge modern assumptions about autonomy and self-expression? What is the difference between healthy theological curiosity and contentiousness? How can preference subtly replace reverence in corporate worship? What does it mean to "examine yourself" before participating in worship or the Lord's Supper? Why is unity essential to true worship according to this chapter? How should the reality of God's discipline shape our posture toward worship? What practical step can you take this week to submit more fully to God's design in worship, marriage, or church life?