Internal Divisions – Day 1

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. – 1 Corinthians 3:1-9


Most of us like to believe we’re more mature than we actually are. Like the time you told your parents you were so ready to drive – at age 13! At times like that, we need a reality check, which is exactly what Paul gave the Corinthians here. For all their lofty opinions of themselves, Paul told them we couldn’t teach them the really deep parts of the faith because they wouldn’t get it. In effect he said, “Telling you deep things is like trying to explain Physics to an eight-year-old; you just aren’t mature enough to understand it.” The Corinthians were capable of maturing so they could hear those things; they just thought they were already mature when they really weren’t. That kind of pride is costly.

Take an honest inventory of your spiritual life. Are you an infant or are you growing steadily?

Ask God to help you grow day by day so you won’t miss out on anything you’re supposed to learn.

Week 34 – Internal Divisions: First Letter to the Corinthians

Memory Verse

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.’” – Romans 12:6


Have you ever felt betrayed – like when you found your best friend was talking behind your back? It’s worse – much worse – than finding out your worst enemy is trashing you. We expect that kind of treatment from our enemies but not from our friends. As Christians I believe we’re ready to fight spiritual forces that are set against us and even people who don’t believe in Christ. But it’s a shock to realize you’ll often end up fighting other people in your church.

Paul experienced this firsthand. While on his third missionary journey, in Ephesus, Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. After wading through angry mobs of pagans in town after town, Paul found out that the believers in Corinth were fighting amongst themselves. The same thing happens today. Almost all of us know of a church that’s split over some trivial matter like the color of the carpet. What’s going on? Satan will never fight fair. If he can sabotage churches, then he’s more than willing to do so.

This wee we’ll look at some internal problems that cropped up in the New Testament Church and see how God wants us to deal with them today. Any conflict can be defeated when we allow Christ and his truth – not our prideful opinions – to be our guide.

A Night’s Vision – Day 5

"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” – 2 Timothy 2:1


At one time this was a confusing verse to me. How can grace make you strong? If I need grace, then doesn’t that mean I need help? So how can needing help make me strong? Paul wasn’t protected because he worked harder or was holier than others. He was protected because God loved him. We don’t need to be strong in our own abilities, but rather strong in God’s amazing and unfailing love for us. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, if you’re a believer, then you can be strong in God’s grace instead of trying to do things on your own. And I guarantee it’s easier to live in the grace of God than trying to live life solo.

What would it look like for you to be strong in the grace of Jesus Christ?

Ask God for help to live in his grace and not in our own abilities.

A Night’s Vision – Day 4

So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. – Acts 18:11

This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. - Acts 19:10

So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. - Acts 20:31


Paul was no fly-by-night preacher. He knew that in order to have an effective ministry, he couldn’t just preach a sermon and expect that to fix all the problems. So he stayed in certain towns for months and even years. But the real fruits of his labors were the churches that lasted for decades and centuries. Sometimes the hard part of ministry is sticking with it. The temptation to quit may not come from a physical threat, but with the day-to-day exhaustion of keeping up. The courageous thing is to keep going. And courage sometimes means refusing to quit and seeing God’s will through to the end.

Have you ever just wanted to quit being faithful?

How can the results of Paul’s ministry encourage you to persevere?

Ask God for strength to continue when you have no strength left.

A Night’s Vision – Day 3

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD , the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates-all the Hittite country-to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1: 1-9


Imagine you’ve just been handed the leadership over a million people. Now you’re about to go start a war with 10 other nations, and you have no idea what you’re doing. No pressure, right? No wonder God gave this advice to young Joshua: Don’t fear!

Since we’re being asked to do something we can’t do on our own, having faith and moving forward are always accompanied by at least some fear. But we can never let fear keep us from being faithful. This is courage: Choosing to obey even when we’re uncertain. Following Christ demands courage even if you have a little less responsibility than Joshua did. No one said this would be easy, but God promises to be with us every step of the way.

God gives Joshua two commands and a promise in this passage. What are they?

How are you obeying these same commands that were given to Joshua?

A Night’s Vision – Day 2

This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. - Jeremiah 9:23-24


Strength and confidence come from many places. Some people are confident because they’re popular, wealthy, or talented. But none of these things is stable enough to be relied upon. We need to always be on guard against false pride. We may feel we’re walking tall with God, but where does that confidence come from? It is because we really know God or because we simply look good to others? In order to walk in courage and humility, we must develop a real relationship with God, not just go through the motions. Any other type of confidence will ultimately fail us. Remember, there’s nothing more important than your personal walk with God.

Where does your confidence come from?

How can you gain real confidence?

What do you learn about God from this passage?

Spend some time talking to God about these attributes.

A Night’s Vision – Day 1

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. "This man," they charged, "is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law."

Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law--settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things." So he had them ejected from the court. Then they all turned on Sosthenes, the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever. - Acts 18:9-17


Paul wasn’t paranoid; people really were trying to kill him. It’s one thing to tell others about Jesus. It’s quite another to tell people about God when they might want to kill you afterward. God reassured Paul that he’d be protected. God kept his promise. When the Jews tried to get Paul beaten by the Romans, the Romans didn’t find him guilty. In fact the only one who was beaten that day was one of Paul’s accusers. God promises in Scripture to help us stand firm in the face of opposition. This passage proves that as we obey God, God will do what God promises.

What are some areas of your life in which you’re tempted to back down from doing what you know you need to do?

Which of God’s promises do you rely on to avoid these temptations? Write them here – or find some in Scripture.