First Baptist Church of Diana, Texas

1 Corinthians 9:19-27–For the Sake of the Gospel

One of the major goals of the Christian life is to lead others to Christ. In our Scripture reading for today, the Bible teaches us through the life of the Apostle Paul, adjustments are sometimes necessary in order for us to be effective witnesses.

Last year our church hosted two banquets in which we asked our members to purchase a ticket for themselves and a lost person to bring to the evangelistic event. Several commented that they did not know anyone who was not a Christian. Paul is showing us in this passage that it is sometimes necessary to put ourselves in a different position to lost people in order to gain an opportunity to share Christ. We must go where people do not know Christ.

A few weeks ago several of our members went to a community in Texas that has no Baptist church and that has no evangelical witness to host a Vacation Bible School. They traveled hundreds of miles, took vacations from work, and endured intense heat in Southwest Texas. Why?  They did this in order to put themselves in a position to share the Gospel with some who do not know Christ.

This teaching is not given to us as an option. It is given as a responsibility. If our routines do not expose us to those who do not know the Gospel, we must adjust our routines. This may be as simple as engaging a conversation with someone we do not know when we would normally just not engage. It may mean going on a mission trip with our church. It probably means participating in outreach and visitation in the church outreach ministry. It surely means being intentional. In the closing remarks, Paul says in essence, if we want to win others to Christ, we must play the game in a way that helps us to win. We will never win anyone to Christ if we do not intentionally seek opportunities to share Christ.

Prayer Challenge:
Pray for missionaries who have been sent out by the International Mission Board and by the North American Mission Board. If you know one personally, pray especially for them. The Fletcher family came to our church last fall and currently serve in Poland. They would especially covet your prayers. 

Ministry Challenge: 
As you attend the VBS  family night this evening, take note of some of the workers and send them a card of thanks and encouragement some time this week. 

Mission Challenge: 
Attend the Vacation Bible School family night this evening.  Parents of all children who participated in Bible School this week are invited for a time of celebration and fellowship. You will be an encouragement to them by participating. You  will likely encounter the parents of children who do not go to church and have an opportunity to establish a relationship that could lead to them coming to Christ and being a part of FBC.

Reflection

What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or prayer time?

What did I say to God?

1 Corinthians 9:1-18–What you Need to Know

What is best sometimes trumps our own personal rights particularly in our Christian duty. Christian duty is determined by the Scriptural descriptions of Godly living. Foremost in this discussion is our duty to love God and serve Him and Him alone. Secondary, yet with great importance, is our duty to live in loving, compassionate relationships with other human beings. As you read these first 18 verses of 1 Corinthians 9, see if you can capture the gravity of these truths in relationship to words chosen in the passage.

The illustration Paul used in pressing this point is more than sufficient to open the windows of truth. Paul believed that everything we do is for the glory of God and to be shared in the community of faith. The one who has more is to share with the one who has less. It made perfect sense to Paul that those who serve to preach and teach the Gospel deserved a share of the material goods of other believers who had occupations that produced financial gain. His exposition has been used heavily in the church to teach us to give to her ministries and pay certain staff members. It has also been understood to teach us that we should provide well for our church staff as well as missionaries around the world.

Understanding the responsibility of the church and the rights of church staff members and missionaries to share their financial resources with one another, provides a great backdrop to teach us that sometimes we must forfeit our rights for the benefit of others. Basically, Paul refused to take 

pay for which he was entitled in order to gain an unquestioned platform to teach and preach the truth of the Gospel. Instead of taking a salary for the mission work of the Corinthian church, Paul made and repaired tents to fund his ministry. In addition, we know he received offerings from churches who chose to give. However, he had not asked the Corinthian church to contribute to his financial needs although he had every right to do so. For Paul, it was better not to take the money than to discredit himself among those who would make public accusations against him that he was only in it for personal gain. 

This passage has much for us to consider in our relationship to others. Are their rights that we demand that actually diminish our standing with others preventing us from sharing the Gospel? Are their circumstances that might arise in the future that might damage our opportunity to be a valid witness to others if we assert our rights and lose sight of our responsibilities? 

Prayer Challenge:
As you consider your prayer list today, pray for those who are in authority over you. Pray for their physical well being, pray for their walk with Christ and their relationships to their own families. If you are in a position of authority over others, be sure to pray for them and their families as well.

Ministry Challenge:
Think about someone in your Life Group that you might need to make a special effort to contact today.  A note of encouragement or a fresh baked desert might be in order. You might also want to consider some time together with them this week. Perhaps a round of golf together,  a few hours drowning minnows in the name of fishing, sharing a meal together, or just some time on the phone would open up the windows of Christian fellowship and ministry. 

Mission Challenge:
Pray diligently today  for the effectiveness of our Vacation Bible School and as you participate, seek to be sensitive to the attitudes of the workers and children looking for opportunities to minister the Gospel of Christ.

Reflection

What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or  prayer time?

What did I say to God?

1 Corinthians 8–What You Don’t Know

What you don’t know can sometimes cause you and others great pain. Last Sunday evening my wife and I returned home from a small group Bible study to discover a Copperhead snake just inside the gate entrance to the back yard. We both know that Copperheads are poisonous snakes. We did not know the snake was in the center of our chosen path. Fortunately, my wife looked down as she started to open the gate and saw the snake.  What we did not know could have resulted in  a snake bite to one who knew snakes are poisonous.

Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians 8, is that if we are not careful, even Biblical knowledge and understanding can result in a prideful attitude and approach to life that causes our brothers and sisters to stumble in their faith. I am reminded of Jesus words to the inquiring folks in Matthew 22:38-39, the second greatest commandment is to love others as you love yourself. The Corinthian passage helps us to understand the obligation in Christian brotherhood of maintaining a sensitive spirit toward others concerning our actions.  In verse 13, Paul expresses the depth of commitment necessary to demonstrate a genuine love and concern for fellow believers.  He says he will never eat meat again if it is causes his brother to stumble. This amounts to forgoing his own pleasure for the benefit of someone else.

Prayer Challenge:
The challenge for us in response to this word is one that must be considered in the prayer closet. Have we, in some way, become arrogant in our knowledge so that we are not sensitive to the way our actions may be affecting others?  As we enter the prayer closet in humility today, let us ask the Lord if such an attitude has slipped into our daily walk. If such a way is identified, let us be quick to confess it and seek the gift of repentance and ask the Lord for a more sensitive spirit.

Ministry Challenge:
Think and pray for someone who is a member of your Life Group who was absent yesterday. Perhaps they were on vacation or had to miss your time of Bible study and fellowship. A touch from you either by phone call, a card, or personal visit to let them know you care about them and missed them this week will be an effort well spent.

Mission Challenge:
As you begin your week, be sure to look over your prospect list and ask the Lord to help you with the list in two ways.

1. Ask the Lord to give you opportunity to make a special effort in inviting someone on your list to Life Groups this week.

2. Ask the Lord to help you identify someone who needs to be added to your list.

Follow up this activity with a constant sensitiveness to those with whom you cross paths this week.  Pray for the evangelistic thrust of our Vacation Bible School program which is continuing this evening.

Reflection

What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or  prayer time?

What did I say to God?

Read your Life Group lesson in your Learner guide today.

Prayer Challenge
Reflect on the week and thank God for His protection and His provision. Thank Him for the opportunities you had to intersect the lives of others with encouragement from the Lord and ask Him to show you those opportunities you missed. Ask for His forgiveness and the privilege of another chance. 

Ministry Challenge
Pray for God to raise up strong leadership in the fellowship of FBC.

Mission Challenge
Pray for God to send workers into the harvest.

Reflection

What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or  prayer time?

What did I say to God?

Hebrews 11:25—Should I be Faithful in Attendance to Church?

This week we have considered questions believers might have concerning various aspects of life.  Today I would like for us to answer this question, “Should I be faithful in church attendance?” It seems as though many believers are answering that question in the negative these days. They may not say it with their mouths but they are saying it through their actions. Of course that brings up another question, how much do I have to attend to be faithful? I would say if we use the phrase “have to” we have already misunderstood why believers gather in the first place.

One of the primary purposes for assembling is encouragement. The picture here is one of a world that is continually trying to pull the believer away from the kind of radical faith Jesus described in the Gospel of Matthew. Wise Christians know they need to get together with other believers on a continual and consistent basis for the reason of giving and receiving encouragement. Through the encouragement of other saints, we are stimulated to good works and to love like Jesus loves.

This passage underscores a belief God is stirring in my heart. In order for any church to be effective in ministry in their own communities and around the world, they must not neglect being faithful to the ministries of their own church. There are so many choices these days. The option of attending church and being involved in church ministries often finds itself in great competition with so many other activities. Perhaps that is why the church seems so anemic and powerless to influence the surrounding world. Perhaps that is why a young generation is simply writing off the church as a non essential part of their lives. We need the encouragement of one another to hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.

Prayer Challenge
Ask the Lord to help you grow closer in your relationship with Him today. Think back through your attendance at your church meetings over the last couple of months. Have you been obedient to Hebrews 11:25?  Pray for God to give you guidance concerning your church attendance.

Pray for your Life Group teacher and those who lead your group. Pray for them to be full of the Holy Spirit  with a Word from Heaven to share with you and your group as you make preparations to attend this Sunday.

Ministry Challenge
Send a message of encouragement to your Life Group teacher today.

Mission Challenge
It is prayer walk Friday. As you approach your place of employment today, be sure to pray for the salvation and spiritual awakening of the employees where you work.

Reflection 

What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or  prayer time?

What did I say to God?

1 Corinthians 7:25-40— If You are Not Married

Some consider it to be a great embarrassment. The truth is, I haven’t purchased a fishing license in the last four years. “Why” some would ask as others would want to know why anyone would ever buy a fishing license. I enjoy fishing, but in the last four years, other matters demanded my attention and a fishing license would have been a distraction. That distraction would have pulled me away from matters that demanded and deserved my devotion.

The Bible approaches a very sensitive subject in our Scripture reading for today concerning the distractions that can come in a marriage relationship. The power verse in our reading is verse 35 when it says, “…to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.”  I would be cut to my heart if I came to realize that my relationship with my wife was a distraction to her devotion to the Lord. Earlier this week we considered the tension in marriages over money and sexual relations. It is equally sad when couple fuss and fight over devotion to the Lord and the things of God.

I am of the belief that husbands or wives fully devoted to the Lord make the best husbands and wives. If that is the case, it would make little sense for one to be jealous of the other and in any way hinder devotion to the Lord. Of course the best case scenario for the married is that both husband and wife are fully devoted to the Lord and serving him side by side in all they do in life.

A Word to the Men.  Are you hindering your wife’s devotion to the Lord?  It seems to me it is more common for men to interfere with their wife’s spiritual walk than for wives to interfere with their husbands spiritual walk. From a personal testimony, I can truly say, your wife will love you more when she loves Jesus more. She will be a better wife when she loves Jesus more. She will be more trustworthy when she loves Jesus more. If you are hindering her, think about setting her free in her walk with Christ and  you will be amazed at what God will do in her life an in your marriage.

Prayer Challenge
Examine your attitudes and actions seeking to see what you might be withholding from your walk with Christ. Now is a great time to make a full surrender of everything to the Lord.

Please pray for our services for this Sunday Morning. Pray for our members to have such a hunger for the Word of God and fellowship with His people that we would be faithful in attendance and attentive in spirit. Pray for your pastor and worship leader to be filled with the Spirit. Pray also for the invitation that someone would be saved and all would be obedient.

Ministry Challenge
Stop and thank God for your family asking Him to show you some special way you can minister to them today.

Mission Challenge
Ask the Lord to give you an opportunity to minister to someone today in a way that would be an encouragement. Pray also that God would give you a sensitive spirit to opportunities to share Christ with those you encounter today.

Reflection

What God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or  prayer time?

What did I say to God?

1 Corinthians 7:17-24—If You Need Guidance

Tattoos have become the norm in American culture. For various reasons, some new converts who had tattoos prior to receiving Christ are ashamed of them and would like for them to be removed. And frankly, some of them have graphical images that really should be blurred or removed. But should every knew convert have their tattoos removed?

This is not an attempt to enter the debate about whether Christians should have tattoos, but rather it is a modern illustration of a New Testament problem. The question for the Corinthians was about the ritual of circumcision and the practice of slavery. The point of the discussion is this, when you are redeemed, what do you do with things the way they were?  Must a believer with an unbelieving spouse separate, must an uncircumcised man be circumcised, or how do you reconcile living in the freedom of Christianity while bound in slavery?

The key to understanding how to deal with your past after conversion is simple and found in verse 19. It is of primary importance to obey the commandments of the Lord. And what commandments is he speaking about? Surely he has in mind the words of Jesus from Matthew 22:37-40 where Jesus proclaimed the greatest commandment of loving the Lord with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself. We must remember that God’s grace looks beyond our past and even beyond our present. In the new covenant, God forgives our sins. We may bear the marks of our past, but on the inside is a brand new person. PTL. This is a day for liberty from our past. You know what I love about the past when it comes to issues I am not proud of?  I love that it is just that, in the past, not the present, not the future, but the past.   

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. NASU

Prayer Challenge
Pray today for the membership of First Baptist Church. Ask the Lord to free us of pride that might cause us to strain our fellowship and destroy our witness to the community. Pray for the delivery of our membership from the temptations sent from the enemy.  Please remember to pray for the service tonight. Pray that FBC members might develop a hunger to for the Word of God and attend services tonight.

Ministry Challenge
Send a note of encouragement, an email, a notice on facebook, or make a personal  phone call to someone in your Life Group today.

Mission Challenge
Review your prospect list today and work to invite at least one person on your list to attend your Life Group this week.

Reflection

What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or  prayer time?

What did I say to God?

1 Corinthians 7:10-16—If You are Married

After waiting an especially long time for our lunch to be served in a usually prompt restaurant, the inexperience of our waiter became very evident. I had specifically asked for the guacamole to be served on the side and the sour cream to remain in the kitchen. But there they were, sitting in the middle of my crisp lettuce and grilled chicken. I had a decision to make. Should I refuse the lunch and send it back to the kitchen? Should I simply scoop the sour cream away and be content with the meal?

My actions were tempered by my conversations with my waiter. It was clear he had no relationship with Christ. His stepfather kicked him out of the house when he was 16 and he, now 21, had just moved 1,100 miles because a friend promised he could get work in Longview.  He walked to work each day because he had no car and shared an apartment with 3 other males. My reaction was to accept his apology and tolerate his incompetence. It was a choice I could make.

In this passage the same principle is applied to the marriage relationship. There is an acknowledgement of the stress on a marriage relationship due to differing beliefs about the Lord. Even so, the choice is up to the believer. As long as they remain together the believer, whether the husband or the wife, has a godly influence over the other as well as the children.

So many outcomes of our lives come down to a choice. We can choose to be angry. We can choose to be vengeful. We can choose to be forgiving. We can choose to be patient. We can choose to be kind. We can choose to be Godly. What choices will you make today?

Prayer Challenge
Stop and think about 5 specific members of your Life Group and pray for them to maintain a pure heart before the Lord. Every member of your Life Group will face some kind of temptation today. Your prayers of intercession will make a difference in their lives.

Ministry Challenge
Think about someone in the church not in your Life Group that you make contact with for encouragement. You might want to plan a special deed to serve them. 

Mission Challenge
First Baptist Church will be hosting a VBS Kick-off party this Saturday morning. Would you pray for those who are helping and think about an unchurched family you could invite to attend?

Reflection

What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or  prayer time?

What did I say to God?

1 Corinthians 7:1-9 — If You Abstain

According to relationship psychotherapist Paula Hall, couples argue more about money and sex than anything else. The Bible doesn’t approach the money issue in this chapter but it does approach the subject of sex. I remember a day when such a subject was rarely talked about in church circles and if it was brought up, it was either quickly dismissed or spoken of in a very quiet voice. This was especially unfortunate given the amount of space it is given in God’s Word.

Paul identifies the natural sex drives of humanity, the intimacy involved in the marriage relationship, and the spiritual value of fasting from sexual relations. From this we can glean understanding that sexual relationships are to be maintained in the context of marriage and that they are beneficial to the marriage relationship. The intimacy of sexual relationships is often a key indicator of the true intimacy in a marriage. Verse three points out the responsibility of each spouse to meet the sexual needs of his or her spouse and verse four goes a step further revealing the give and take interaction between spouses. No one except the marriage partner is to have the keys to sexual intimacy with their spouse and they are not to have the keys to sexual intimacy with anyone else.

I am glad Paul brought up the ideas of refraining from sexual activity to concentrate on the Lord during times of fasting. When I have encouraged fasting in congregations I am often asked about fasting from TV or fasting from chocolate or ??? or ???. I don’t think I have ever been asked about fasting from sexual activity. I have spent time with couples where one or the other complained about a spouse withholding from sexual intimacy as a weapon in marriage warfare or in the lacking of intimacy in a marriage, but for spiritual reasons that conversation has not happened. But Paul brought the subject up. The key here is respect for the spouse and their relationship with the Lord.

Sex? The Bible speaks for it in the marriage relationship. The Bible speaks for it as a deterrent from immorality. The Bible speaks for it to enhance intimacy and as a part of intimacy in the marriage relationship. The Bible speaks against it outside of a marriage relationship.

What about frequency? When the subject comes up during marriage counseling, that is usually the primary question. My answer. That is up to the two of you in your marriage relationship. The last thing you should do is let someone else answer that question for you. There are many questions that can only be answered in a marriage relationship between two people and this is one of them.

Prayer Challenge
Be sure and thank God for your fellow laborers in First Baptist Church. The number of divorces in our community and in our congregation in the last year has been staggering. Would you pray specifically for marriages in your prayer time today?

Ministry Challenge
Call a fellow member of your Life Group today and express your appreciation for their service and friendship.

Mission Challenge
Look over your list of prospects for your Life Group and see if you have met someone this week who needs to be added to your list. Pray over this list with a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit for guidance in reaching out to those you are praying for.

Reflection

What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or prayer time?

What did I say to God?

Read your Life Group lesson in your Learner guide today.

Prayer Challenge
Reflect on the week and thank God for His protection and His provision. Thank Him for the opportunities you had to intersect the lives of others with encouragement from the Lord and ask Him to show you those opportunities you missed. Ask for His forgiveness and the privilege of another chance.

Ministry Challenge
Pray for God to raise up strong leadership in the fellowship of FBC.

Mission Challenge
Pray for God to send workers into the harvest.

Reflection

What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or  prayer time?

What did I say to God?