DIVIDED LOYALTIES

Read 1 Corinthians 1:1–17 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 1 Corinthians 1:10 A Christian...

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DECEPTIVE STRENGTH

Read 2 Corinthians 13:1–10 He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 2 Corinthians 13:3 “Let Paul prove he is a true apostle!” said his opponents. Paul’s reply was, “Like Jesus Christ, I am strong when it appears I am weak.” On the cross, Jesus...

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PROGRESS

Read 1 Peter 5:1–3 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be. 1 Peter 5:2 Pastors must walk with God and grow in their spiritual lives. Paul admonished young Timothy: “Be...

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THE LIVING DEAD

Read Romans 6:1–23 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4 The mode of baptism in the early church was immersion. It...

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REACHING OUT TO ISRAEL

Read Romans 9:1–13 I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Romans 9:3–4 Paul was considered a traitor to the Jewish nation. He ministered to Gentiles, and he taught freedom...

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RIGHT RULING

Read 1 Timothy 5:16–25 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 1 Timothy 5:17 There were two kinds of elders in the church: ruling elders who supervised the work of the congregation, and teaching...

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A DOWNWARD CYCLE

Read Hebrews 2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. Hebrews 2:1 If we do not listen to God’s Word and really hear it, we will start to drift. Neglect always leads to drifting, in things material and...

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BACK TO (GOD’S) NATURE

Read 1 John 4:1–8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8 Love is a part of the very being and nature of God. If we are united to God through faith in Christ, we share His nature. And since His nature is...

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THE SPARK

Read James 3:1–8 Today’s Scripture: The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. James 3:6 I was visiting the used...

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TELL AND SHOW

Read 1 John 4:9–11 Today’s Scripture: Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11 A Salvation Army worker found a derelict woman alone on the street and invited her to come into the chapel for help, but the woman refused to...

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