Category: Supreme

1 Corinthians 13:7
[Love] “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

“The two verbs “believes” and “hopes” of course foreshadow the conclusion of the chapter, in which faith and hope join love as the abiding marks of Christian character. And the final verb (“endures”) creates an inclusio with the first item in verse 4 (“Love is patient”) and suggests the eschatological location of love in the present time: love persists in a hostile world, awaiting the coming of the Lord. The hyperbole of the repeated “all things” in verse 7 should not lead us to think that love is infinitely credulous and utterly indiscriminate in its believing and hoping. Love does not make its adherents into foolish Pollyannas. Paul’s point is accurately conveyed by the NEB’s translation: “there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance.” Hays, Richard B.. First Corinthians: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (p. 228).

Prayer: Thank you for the love that always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres. We ask that as we are being transformed together in the church, may we be your instruments to display this love to others. May those we are reaching out to, experience this quality of love that only comes from you: the love with no limit to faith, hope and endurance. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Song: Here is a remix of the song “Beauty” (written by Jason Park) by Epaphras & Chelle. As you follow along, let’s join in asking that we would behold Him more and be transformed into the likeness of His Son. (To listen click here)

-MK

1 Corinthians 12:31b; 13:1-3 NIV
And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

There is a remake nowadays of the popular “The Gong Show” from the 70’s where contestants perform acts (stranger the better) and if the judges were not entertained they would hit this large gong to stop the act and send them away! We don’t know what exact type of “gong” Paul had in mind when equating that sound with the practice of gifts of the Spirit without love, but one thing for certain is the expectation that he would never hear such a noise! The goal of this illustration was for the practice of edifying one another in love to continue among the people of God and never to inhibit its use. The wonderful gift of prophecy, the faith that will bring healing, and all the gifts that God gave to the church are essential in this day and age to build up so that the church can become even more the display of God’s glory and witness in our generation.

Prayer: Let’s pray that each of us in the church would grow in His love as we minister to another with the gifts that the Spirit gives. Especially, let’s continue to pray for healing over one another so that we will be built up for His service, for His glory.

Song: Here is an older song by Delirious? “Shout to the north”, (click here) let’s sing together.

-MK

1 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)
3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

“In thanking them all for their “work produced by faith” (probably Christian service) and “labor prompted by love” (probably manual labor), Paul is thus offering genuine thanks for those among them who are doing this very thing, even though for others it will be a matter needing correction. Thus rather than thanking God for them with Christian platitudes, Paul is in fact giving thanks for things that are both at work among them and at the same time need some correcting or bolstering. Fee, Gordon D. 1 Thessalonians (NICNT) (p. 26).

Prayer: Let’s thank God for the love that the Father has poured out on our churches, that we can experience the work of faith, the labor of love and the endurance together to hope for His glory. Let’s ask the Lord for even more of these works among us! Let’s keep at it!

Song: Here’s another oldie that many in the church used to sing in the early days. Not to just bring back memories, but the heart of prayer is right on! Shine Jesus Shine, (click here) written by Graham Kendrick.

-MK

Galatians 5:5-6 (NIV)
5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

“Faith expressing itself through love” thus forges a strong link between the so-called theological section of the letter and the so-called ethical section. Paul’s argument may thus be more continuous than we have sometimes recognized: throughout the letter he focuses on the sufficiency of the Spirit and faith for the “righteousness” that counts before God. Those who are “in Christ” by faith need to live by faith, a faith that produces works of love pleasing to God through the Spirit; and it is by living in this way that people can have a sure hope of righteousness” Douglas J. Moo, Galatians, Baker, p. 331.

Prayer: let’s pray this for ourselves and for the church, that as we continue to grow in the expression of our faith through love, that the body of Christ will be built up and edified more and more.
Song: This is an old but goodie by our own rxn, Labor of Love (To listen click here)

-MK