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 Keith Larson from Tacoma, WA. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 14:36-40. Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But all things should be done decently and in order. — 1 Corinthians 14:36-40 Paul now drops the hammer. After regulating tongues. After regulating prophecy. After regulating the disorder. After addressing the controversial issue of silence. He confronts the deeper issue. Pride. "Or was it from you that the word of God came?" Translation: Did revelation originate with you? "Or are you the only ones it has reached?" Translation: Are you spiritually elite? Paul transitions from worship style to authority over worship. Paul exposes their spiritual arrogance that was causing the chaos. "If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord." This is a staggering declaration. Paul equates his written instruction with divine authority. To reject it is not merely to disagree with Paul. It is to resist the Lord. And then comes the sober warning: "If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized." In other words, refusal to submit to apostolic authority reveals something about your standing. This is the real dividing line and the real question we all have to ask ourselves: Do we submit to Scripture as the Lord's command? Submit to God's authority. Let the unchanging Scripture confront you, correct you, and reshape you. Do not presume to edit what was given to rule over you. DO THIS: Examine how you respond when Scripture confronts you. Do you reinterpret it—or do you submit to it? ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Lord, keep me from spiritual pride. Guard me from assuming I know better than your Word. Teach me to recognize Scripture as your command and to submit to it with humility and joy. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Use Me Lord"

If your words don't build the body, they're not spiritual — they're self-promotional. Summary In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul confronts a church obsessed with expressive spirituality but careless about edification. The repeated emphasis is clear: speech in the church must build others, not platform the speaker. Tongues, prophecy, interpretation, even silence — all are measured by one standard: does it strengthen the body? Spiritual maturity is not proven by intensity, volume, or visibility, but by whether the church leaves stronger than it arrived. Reflection & Small Group Discussion Questions Why do you think modern Christianity often confuses emotional intensity with spiritual maturity? Paul emphasizes "building up" seven times — why is repetition important in this chapter? What is the difference between building yourself up and building the church? How can someone claim "the Spirit led me" and still be acting in self-interest? Where do you see platform-building creeping into church culture today? How should the command for clarity (v. 9, v. 19) shape preaching, teaching, and worship? When might silence be more spiritual than speaking? How can social media amplify self-promotion instead of edification? What practical test can you apply before speaking in a meeting, posting online, or correcting someone? In what area of your life do you need to shift from self-expression to body-strengthening?

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Jim Kersey from Parrish, FL. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 14:33-35. As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. — 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 This is one of the most debated texts in the New Testament, for all kinds of obvious reasons. But there are a couple of things to note here: First, he grounds this instruction in what is true "in all the churches of the saints." That language signals apostolic authority and consistency—not local preference. The gathered church belongs to Christ (Matt. 16:18), and its worship is ordered according to his revealed will, not cultural negotiation. That is sound ecclesiology. It's not your church, so you and I don't get to decide the rules. Second, we have to read this text in context. So let's go back to chapter 11 first. Paul has already affirmed that women pray and prophesy in gathered worship—under proper order. (1 Cor. 11:5) So this cannot mean absolute silence in every sense. Also, Paul has already mentioned two contexts in which certain people should remain silent in the church: those who speak in tongues without an interpreter, and those who prophesy out of order. So this present call to remain silent is not exclusively for women. Which is how many people read it. Context matters, people. The specific issue here is not female inferiority in the church. The specific issue concerns the wives of believing husbands, who are commanded in this context to address and resolve family differences at home, as clarified in the text: "let them ask their husbands at home." Paul's concern is not the participation of wives (married) or women (gender) in the church. Again, go back and read 1 Corinthians 11:5. It was how speaking was being handled in public worship. And I believe that, if we read this in context, it would make sense that the word translated as "to speak" (laleō), which was most recently used by Paul in reference to speaking in tongues and prophesying, was the main issue. Paul's bottom-line concern is preserving the structure of authority God established for gathered worship, and ensuring that all forms of speaking are handled in an orderly, not chaotic, fashion. This is not misogynistic oppression. It is a covenant structure for both his church and his covenant of marriage. Both were instituted by God, and not us, so we don't get to decide the rules regardless of culture. It flows from the same theological pattern we saw in chapter 11: Christ → man → woman — ordered environments under God's design. God's order is not a burden—it is a gift. When we submit to the structure he has revealed, we preserve both the church and the family from confusion and competition. We work in concert with his design. Faithfulness here means trusting that his design produces peace, clarity, and spiritual strength—even when culture and some opinions in the church disagree. God's church is not a democracy. DO THIS: When you encounter "the verse everyone wants to cancel," refuse to dismiss it. Slow down. Study it in context. Ask what kind of disorder it was correcting and what structure it was protecting. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Lord, give me humility where your Word confronts my assumptions. Keep me from trimming hard texts to fit modern preferences. Teach me to trust your authority and your design for your church. Amen. PLAY THIS: "What A Beautiful Name"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Dean Jenard from Yorktown Heights, NY. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 14:26-33. What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. — 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 Paul now regulates the church. Everyone has something. A song. A word. A revelation. A tongue. So the problem isn't participation; it's the disorder being caused and the motivation behind it. Notice the key phrase that governs this whole paragraph: "Let all things be done for building up." — 1 Corinthians 14:26 That is the filter and the gauge for doing anything in church. Not: Did it feel powerful? Not: Was it emotional? But did it build up? Paul then regulates tongues: two or three at most. One at a time. With interpretation. If there is no interpreter, be silent. He regulates prophecy the same way: two or three. Others weigh what is said. Why? Because God is not a God of confusion but of peace. Disorder is not evidence of spiritual movement. Unrestrained emotional expression is not evidence of revival. If a gathering reflects confusion, competition, or emotional frenzy, it does not mirror the God of peace. Spirit-led worship is not uncontrollable; it does not erupt without restraint or wisdom. It is ordered, intelligible, and governed by love so that everyone can learn and be encouraged. If the Spirit is truly leading, the church should leave strengthened—not shaken. DO THIS: Evaluate the atmosphere of your church gatherings. Do people leave strengthened—or merely stirred up? Does the structure reflect the character of a God of peace? ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Lord, shape our gatherings to reflect your character. Guard us from confusion, competition, and disorder. Let your Spirit produce peace, clarity, and edification so your people leave strengthened, not shaken. Amen. PLAY THIS: "What A Beautiful Name"

When God feels far away, the problem may not be his absence—but the fog around your heart. Summary Many believers go through seasons where God feels distant, prayer feels flat, and Scripture seems lifeless. This message explains that emotional distance is not the same as spiritual reality and offers practical ways to respond when you feel stuck. Instead of chasing more religious tasks, we are invited into honesty with God, small steps of obedience, and truth that steadies the soul. The clouds may linger for a season, but God has not moved—and the light will break through again. Reflection & Small Group Discussion Questions 1. Why do believers often confuse emotional feelings with spiritual reality? 2. How does Hebrews 13:5 challenge the idea that God has abandoned you? 3. What are some life circumstances that can cloud your awareness of God's presence? 4. Why can doing more religious tasks sometimes increase exhaustion instead of intimacy with God? 5. What does Hosea 6:6 teach about what God truly wants from us? 6. How do the Psalms help give language to emotions like fear, confusion, and hopelessness? 7. Why are small acts of obedience often more powerful than waiting for a dramatic breakthrough? 8. What does Peter's restoration in John 21 teach about moving forward after failure? 9. How can you practically "preach truth to your own soul" this week? 10. What is one step you can take today if you currently feel spiritually stuck?

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Mike Hershberger from Dundee, OH. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 14:20-25. Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. In the Law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord." Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. — 1 Corinthians 14:20-25 Paul now names the real issue. It's immaturity. Not a lack of passion, they have that. Not a lack of experience, they have that too. But a lack of grown-up thinking around how they use their gifts. "Do not be children in your thinking." — 1 Corinthians 14:20 Consider how children behave for a minute. Children are easily mesmerized. They gravitate toward what is loud and dramatic. Thus Paul is saying the church in Corinth had done the same. They were mesmerized by tongues—drawn to the extraordinary—while neglecting what actually built up the church. Paul references the Law and Isaiah 28 to show that uninterpreted tongues served as a sign of judgment to unbelieving, resistant Israel. In other words, unintelligible speech was not a badge of spiritual superiority—it was historically associated with covenant warning by God. The opposite of what they thought it intended. Paul is trying to sober them up about the historical use of tongues. Then he contrasts tongues with prophecy. If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? — 1 Corinthians 14:23 But if all prophesy, or if truth is spoken clearly, the outsider has an opportunity to be convicted, called, and changed. Notice the difference? Sensationalism produces confusion, but clarity produces conviction. One draws attention to oneself. The other exposes the heart. Spiritually mature believers do not chase sensationalism; they pursue what converts. It is to proclaim truth so clearly that sinners are undone. That's the miracle we are after. Not sensation but transformation. If unbelievers walk away thinking you are out of your minds, something is off. Aim for worship that is so clear, so truthful, and so Christ-centered that they leave saying, "God is really among you." DO THIS: Examine what you are most drawn to in worship. Is it what creates excitement—or what produces conviction? ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Lord, mature my thinking. Keep me from chasing what dazzles but does not change hearts. Make your truth so clear among us that unbelievers fall on their faces and confess that you are truly present. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Homecoming"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Ken Gagnon from Fort Kent, ME. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 14:13-19. Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. — 1 Corinthians 14:13-19 We now correct a dangerous assumption. That the less engaged the mind is, the more spiritual the moment must be. Paul rejects that outright. "For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful." — 1 Corinthians 14:14 Mental fruitlessness. That is not prayer or praise at all, and it is not the goal of gathered worship. But Paul's solution is not less Spirit. It is more Spirit by linking the Spirit and mind together. "I will pray with my spirit… and with my mind also." — 1 Corinthians 14:15 The Spirit is not anti-intellectual or an empty intellectual. The Spirit who inspired Scripture does not sidestep understanding when he works. In fact, Paul presses this matter further. If others cannot understand your thanksgiving in the Spirit, how can they say "Amen"? Corporate worship is not a private experience performed publicly. It is a shared experience with shared understanding. If your Spirit-given gift and the expression of it cannot be affirmed by the gathered church, it may not be serving you, and it is definitely not serving the church. And note who is saying this—Paul. Paul, who declares that he speaks in tongues more than all of them. But in church? He would rather speak five understandable words than ten thousand words in tongues that leave people confused. Let your worship be truly Spirit-Led—engaging heart and mind together. Refuse mindless worship, and pursue understanding that builds others up. DO THIS: When you pray or sing this week, pay attention to what you understand. Ask God to deepen both your affection and your comprehension of what you are saying. ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Lord, unite my heart and mind in worship. Guard me from chasing experiences that bypass understanding. Let your Spirit produce clarity, conviction, and truth in me and through me. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Christ Be Magnified"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Carlos Andino from Allentown, PA. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 14:6-12. Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. — 1 Corinthians 14:6-12 Shouts of sincerity do not equal suitability. Paul piles on illustrations. A flute without clear notes. A harp without distinction. A trumpet without a clear call. Sound can be present, while meaning is absent. And where meaning is absent, growth is impossible. Again, Paul is not anti-spiritual gifts. But he is anti-confusion. Paul's reflective question is relentless: "How will my spiritual gift benefit you?" That is the standard. If speech is unintelligible, it could "feel" intense to one, but it does not edify the whole. If language is unclear, it may "sound" spiritual, but it does not strengthen anyone. The goal of gathered worship is not to display spiritual ability. It is to build up the body. Notice verse 12: "Strive to excel in building up the church." — 1 Corinthians 14:12 Not strive in expression. Not strive in volume. Not strive in uniqueness. But strive in building up everyone in the church. Intensity without clarity is just noise. So don't be noisy in the body, be edifying to it. Use whatever gift you have not for yourself, but for building someone up today. DO THIS: Before you speak in any church setting this week—class, group, prayer—ask: Will this be clear? Will this strengthen someone else? ASK THIS: PRAY THIS: Lord, guard my words from becoming noise. Make my speech clear, humble, and useful so that others are strengthened in Christ. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Goodness 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 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"