
2 Corinthians Chapter 1 - Learning from Paulās Ministry
How can we improve and level up our ministry today?
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3 min read
How can we improve and level up our ministry today?
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3 min read
Be brave, be strong, and have tender love for others.
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3 min read
Do you know just how precious it is to speak in tongues when you pray?
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2 min read
How have we responded to the grace of God?Ā
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āLove is patientā¦ā ā 1 Corinthians 13:4 When I was young, to me, miracles meant parting of the seas or blind eyes blinking open. Now? Iām convinced the bigger miracle might be waiting calmly while your child tries to wear their own shoes āall by myself,ā for the 12th time this week . You sit there, watching them trying to slip the shoe on and tie the laces, determined to ādo it right.ā Youāre already late. The taxi is waiting. And yet, somehow, you donāt explode. You breathe. You smile. And in that moment, you realize: this is a lesson in love. Because love, real love, isnāt proven in dramatic declarations. Itās revealed in the tiny, invisible decision to wait when it would be easier to rush . Paul couldāve started his poetic list of loveās qualities with something grand, like āLove is powerfulā or āLove performs miracles.ā But he didnāt. He started with this: āLove is patient.ā Not glamorous. Not tweetable. Just⦠patient. Why? Because love thatās not patient isnāt loveāitās preference . Itās āIāll love you when itās convenient. When youāre polite. When you are obedient. ā But real love? Real love stands in line at the polyclinic and still blesses the nurse with a smile. Real love listens to the same story told by your grandmother, again and again, and reacts like itās the first time. Real love holds the hand of a friend whoās healing slower than you expected. I once saw a mother, at the end of a long work day, bringing home her son from the caretaker, stopping at a playground trying to leave. āCome on, son,ā she said. āWeāve got to go.ā But the toddler had apparently has to try every playground activity at every playground in their 1 km walk home. The mother waited. And waited. No yelling. No threats. Just patient presence.Ā And when they got to the next playground, the toddler went charging to the playground.Ā And she waited again. And I thought: That must be what God does. Right there. In the playground. In the waiting. Godās love is never in a hurry, even when weāre limping through life. Heās not tapping His foot in heaven, arms crossed. No! Heās patient with the broken, the stubborn, the procrastinators (ahem, thatās me). If God is patient with us, shouldnāt we be a little more patient with each other? Patience is not laziness. Itās love choosing not to rush things. Itās what holds a mom together when the baby wonāt sleep. Itās what keeps a caregiver gentle after 87 repeated questions. Itās what allows us to say, āTake your time. Iām not going anywhere.ā Patience doesnāt mean we never feel frustrated. It means we choose not to let frustration win. You may never raise the dead or feed five thousand with your ācai fanā. But if today you offer patience when itās easier to snap, youāre living out a miracleāone slow breath at a time. Next time someone tests your limit - your spouse, your child, the customer who still doesnāt understand how to use their phone to make an order - whisper this under your breath: āLove is patient.Ā And so am I.Ā With God's help. Probably.ā
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3 min read
The whispers of envy for the gifts others have are more common than we care to admit. We admire someoneās eloquence or melodious voice, while secretly doubting if ours matters. But comparison blinds us to the gifts God has placed within us and dims our willingness to serve. Praise the Heartbeat, Not Just the Smile We often praise what catches the eye, quick to pay compliments to someoneās smile or applaud their commanding presence. But when was the last time someone praised you for healthy arteries or how steady the rhythm of your heartbeat is? These unseen parts are what keep everything going. Yet, we rarely pay them any attention until something goes wrong. The same is true in church. Some roles may not draw applause, butĀ if we were to remove one, the whole body feels it.Ā Not every gift is the same, nor should it be Our gifts vary purposefully and are intentionally apportioned (1 Cor 12:11) for us to fulfil a roleĀ in Christās body that no one else can.Ā We are like brushstrokes in Godās painting. Some bold, others subtle. Some define the scene, others fill the gaps. On their own, a single stroke may seem small, but without it, the masterpiece is incomplete. We are called to be faithful stewards with what weāve been given. Whether our gift is to encourage, to serve, to give, to teach, to lead, or to show mercy, let us offer it joyfully (Rom 12:6-8).Ā I brought store-bought ice cream to a potluck long ago. Surrounded by meticulously prepared home-cooked meals, I felt like my contribution did not measure up. But as smiles accompanied their second helpings, I realised my contribution had more worth than I gave it credit for. No single dish makes a feast, just as no single member builds the church. In the same way, itās the chorus of all our offerings that makes the body complete (Rom 12:4-5). What may seem insignificant to you could be the very thing that strengthens someone else. And in turn, we too are uplifted by what others bring. Because together, we form a whole. May we learn to treasure not just the visible, but the faithful, for the parts of the body that seem weaker are indispensable (1 Cor 12:22). We are not meant to have every gift, nor strive for more. God designed us to be interdependent. Thus, submit to Him by using our gift faithfully, and celebrate others in theirs. Use It, Donāt Flaunt It.Ā While we are called to use our gifts in servitude, we must also guard against the temptation to use these gifts as a pedestal for prominence or self-glorification. We did not earn our gift, nor do we have to prove worthy of it. But it is given to us for one reason, so that we can serve (1 Peter 4:10). As 1 Corinthians 12:7 reminds us, the manifestation of the Spirit is for the common good. Let us not bury our gifts in fear or comfort, lest we be found unfaithful (Matt 25:26-30). For just as God gives, He can take away. Every Dish Counts When Feeding a Family When we gather every Sabbath, it is like a spiritual potluck of grace. Bring your portion to the table with joy. Because when every gift is in motion, the church becomes a unified, radiant body. And through it all, God will be glorified (Ephesians 4:16).
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3 min read
Having grown up in the church, partaking of the bread and cup in Holy Communion is one of the few deep-seated constants. From the breaking of the unleavened bread, to the pouring of the grape juice, to the singing of hymns, and to the receiving of a part of both wholes, one way or another, every sacrament has never ceased to move me. However, allowing myself to be moved is a very conscious decision, a very mindful act. Otherwise, it becomes all too easy to move through the superficially ordinary and routine service. As with all sacraments, their spiritual significance, everything our eyes and limbs cannot discern, surpasses their physical simplicities.Ā The central understanding is that in the partaking of the Holy Communion, we remember Godās love for us. In total submission to Godās will from start to finish, it is because of Jesusā sacrifice that the church can be established. Each of us was bought, brought, included and counted worthy, justified through Jesus alone. If we understand that it takes every one of us to complete the body of Jesus, that is the church, why do we still choose one over another? Or why do we stubbornly pursue self-directed agendas, cast Christās purpose far from mind? Pointedly reminded to humbly examine our hearts by this chapterās example of spiritual and physical divisions in the church, in conjunction with the unifying grace of Christās death, let us also pray and endeavour to esteem others above ourselves, that we may dwell and work together for the good of one another and the glory of God.
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We may not worship physical idols, but do you have idols in your heart?
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How far will we go for someoneās soul?Ā Ā
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I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
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Lifeās Great Wisdom - Appropriate Conduct
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How do we glorify God in a world that seems to tell us opposing things?
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