Daily Dose of Hope

January 27, 2026

Scripture: I Corinthians 3

Prayer: Almighty God, Search our hearts today. Show us those places that we need to change. Show us where we aren't fully devoted to you and your Kingdom. Lord, we need your wisdom and guidance. On our own, we falter and drift. Lord, we want to know you more. We want to be a living example of your love and holiness. Help us, Jesus. Amen.

Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan. We are currently journeying through Paul's pastoral letters, chronologically. Thus far, we have read through Galatians, I Thessalonians, and II Thessalonians. We are currently in I Corinthians.

Today's reading was I Corinthians 3. Paul continues to have harsh words for the Christ-followers at Corinth. They think they live by the Spirit, but Paul tells them they actually are still living by worldly standards. He had to teach them like babies in the faith; they lack maturity. They are drinking milk rather than being able to eat solid food. One example of this is their view of Christian leadership. They see leadership as focusing on an individual, that person having a following, pitting one person again another. In a sense, they view Christian leadership as a popularity contest. Paul makes the case that there are no individual superstars in Christian leadership. Different people have different tasks at different times. Some people plant, some people water, and others harvest. One task is not better or more important than another. They are all necessary for expanding God's Kingdom.

My own experience is that Christian leadership has to be rooted in humility. The way our churches are structured doesn't always lend itself to this so we have to be very, very intentional. I know I have to very, very intentional. Ministry isn't about me as a pastor, it's always about Jesus and what he desires for his church. Jesus is of course our ultimate example of leadership. As a servant leader, he washed dirty feet, touched lepers, and ultimately gave up his life for those he led. No superstardom there, just a lot of rolling up sleeves, getting dirty, and experiencing sacrifice.

We find a beautiful example of Christian leadership in Philippians 2:5-8:

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki