Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is 1 Corinthians 5:1-2.

The sin in Corinth wasn't subtle, hidden, or debatable. It was so scandalous that even the surrounding pagan culture was shocked by it. Paul writes:

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. — 1 Corinthians 5:1–2

Paul cannot believe what he's hearing. A man in the church is committing sexual sin that even unbelievers reject, and instead of grieving over it, the church is arrogant about its tolerance. This is not just a Corinth problem—it's a problem in today's church as well.

Sexual sin is no longer shocking in the culture, but the deeper issue is that it's no longer shocking in the church. Porn has become normalized. Cohabitation is assumed. Adultery is reframed as emotional escape. Lust is dismissed as human nature. Same‑sex behavior is being affirmed rather than confronted by churches that are more focused on appearing compassionate than being holy. We are treating as normal what God calls destructive.

This is where Paul's words cut through our excuses. The church is never more vulnerable than when it stops being distinct. And if we lose our distinction, we lose our witness. We cannot rescue a world we're trying to resemble. Believers today must reclaim what Corinth forgot: holiness isn't harsh—holiness is healing.

Calling sin what it is doesn't crush people; it frees them. Truth is not the enemy of compassion; truth is what makes compassion meaningful. Love doesn't celebrate what destroys people; love confronts what destroys people so they can be restored.

If we stay silent, people stay trapped. If we stay passive, people stay wounded. If we tolerate what God calls sin, we slowly become a church shaped by culture instead of by Scripture.

This moment demands courage. Courage to grieve what God grieves. Courage to stand for truth when it's unpopular. Courage to gently persuade others toward the life God blesses. Courage to be different in a world that demands sameness.

We cannot change hearts, but we can point to the One who does. We cannot force holiness, but we can model it with conviction and compassion. You don't persuade people by blending in; you persuade them by living what they desperately need.

This is why Paul urges the church to mourn rather than shrug, to confront rather than ignore, and to lead rather than imitate. The church must be the place where truth restores—not where sin hides.

DO THIS:

Ask God to reveal any area of sexual compromise or complacency in your life. Confess it honestly, and commit to helping others walk in truth with humility and courage.

ASK THIS:

1. Have I become numb to sexual sin—in myself or in the church?
2. Where have I stayed silent when I should have stood for truth?
3. How can I lovingly help someone move toward holiness?

PRAY THIS:

Father, open my eyes to anything that mirrors the world instead of Christ. Give me courage to stand for truth—even when it's costly—and compassion to help others walk in it. Make me a voice of clarity and a vessel of restoration. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Refiner"

Fame is loud. Faithfulness is quiet. God only measures one.

What does real leadership look like when you strip away applause, opinions, and platforms? In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul confronts a culture obsessed with evaluation and reminds the church that God isn't looking for celebrities—he's looking for faithful stewards. This chapter calls us to stop chasing approval, stop sitting in the judge's seat, and start living for the only commendation that lasts.

1. When you think about leadership, what metrics tend to matter most to you—and why?

2. Where do you feel the pressure to seek approval instead of obedience?

3. How does Paul's description of leaders as "servants and stewards" challenge modern leadership culture?

4. What's the difference between being successful and being faithful in God's eyes?

5. Why do you think Paul says it's a "small thing" to be judged by others—or even by himself?

6. In what ways do we unintentionally play the judge with people's motives or ministries?

7. How does the phrase "You receive, not achieve" confront pride in your life?

8. Why is it tempting to expect comfort, recognition, or applause in ministry or service?

9. What does fatherly leadership look like in real life—at home, church, or work?

10. If God evaluated your life today, where would faithfulness be clearly visible?

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:21.

Paul ends the chapter with a question that sounds like a loving father sitting down after a long, difficult day:

What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness? — 1 Corinthians 4:21

This isn't a threat. It's an invitation. Paul isn't eager to discipline them; he's eager to restore them. His heart is essentially saying, "Don't make this harder than it has to be."

And isn't that exactly how so many of us relate to God? We resist. We push back. We defend ourselves. We dig in our heels. Instead of confessing, we explain. Instead of yielding, we argue. And eventually, God has to use the "rod"—that loving, corrective pressure that wakes us up. Not because He's angry, but because He refuses to let us drift into destruction.

But Paul is showing us a better path—the path of restoration.

Humility invites gentleness. Repentance invites tenderness. A softened heart invites God's nearness. We often assume God is eager to be harsh, but Scripture tells a different story:

God would rather restore you than correct you. He would rather embrace you than discipline you. He would rather speak softly than press firmly.

Paul's question becomes God's question for you: "How do you want me to come to you?"

If you respond with a humble, teachable heart, He comes with love. If you respond with pride and resistance, He comes with correction. Not because He wants to, but because sometimes correction is the only thing that shakes us awake.

Don't make God use the rod when He's offering restoration.

If you feel conviction today, that is God's kindness. If you feel warned, that is His mercy. If you feel nudged toward obedience, that is His love. Paul pleads with the Corinthians—and God pleads with us—to choose the path that invites gentleness.

Choose restoration.

DO THIS:

Humble yourself before God today. Ask Him, "Is there anything I'm resisting that You're trying to restore?"

ASK THIS:

1. What area of my life would cause God to approach me with correction rather than gentleness?
2. Have I misunderstood God's discipline as His anger?
3. What step of repentance could open the door to restoration?

PRAY THIS:

Father, soften my heart before You. Don't let me push things to the point of the rod. Help me choose humility so I can experience Your restoration instead of Your correction. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Come Thou Fount"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:18-20.

Some in Corinth were puffed up—loud, confident, full of opinions. They acted as if Paul would never return, and even if he did, they imagined they could stand toe-to-toe with him. Paul answers with calm clarity:

Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. — 1 Corinthians 4:18–20

Paul is done with the noise. He's not coming to evaluate their words—he's coming to see their lives. Big talk is cheap. Real power isn't.

We live in a world drowning in words—content, opinions, debates, arguments, and theological posturing. The Corinthians did too. But Paul reminds them that the kingdom of God doesn't advance through intellect that merely informs or through language that elevates the ego. It advances through power—the kind that transforms.

God isn't impressed by vocabulary, clever arguments, or spiritual branding. Those things often feed pride more than faith. What He looks for is the unmistakable evidence of the Spirit—a power that softens hard hearts, produces repentance, crucifies ego, heals broken places, strengthens the weary, and transforms character from the inside out.

You can imitate style, tone, or theological vocabulary. But you cannot imitate the power of God flowing through a surrendered life.

What we're after isn't the allure of power—it's the ability to see real power when we encounter it. You recognize it in people who spend time with God, who carry peace you can't manufacture, who walk in humility that confronts pride, who speak with quiet authority born from obedience, and who display fruit that only the Spirit can produce. You can sense it. You can't always explain it. But you know: this person walks with God in a way I need.

That's what Paul is after. That's what the Corinthians were missing.

You don't measure a life by what it says, but by what it carries.

Talk says, "Look at me." Power says, "Look at Christ." Talk elevates self. Power reveals the Spirit. Talk feeds ego. Power grows humility.

Paul isn't coming to hear speeches. He's coming to see surrender. That's what God desires from us, too.

Let your life carry more weight than your words.

DO THIS:

Take five quiet minutes to ask God, "Where is talk overshadowing true spiritual power in my life?" Let Him highlight one place where surrender needs to deepen.

ASK THIS:

1. What talk have I trusted more than transformation?
2. Do people experience Christ's power or just my opinions?
3. Who in my life carries real spiritual power—and what can I learn from them?

PRAY THIS:

Father, free me from empty talk and spiritual performance. Fill me with Your power—the kind that transforms my character and carries Your presence into the world. Make me a vessel you can use. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Holy Spirit"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:17.

Some people talk a good game. Timothy lived one.

Paul had a big problem in Corinth—a proud, divided church drifting from the way of Christ. So he doesn't just write another paragraph. He doesn't send a rebuke. He sends a person.

That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. — 1 Corinthians 4:17

Timothy wasn't a random choice. He was the right man, in the right moment, with the right life.

• Paul met him in Lystra as a young man known for sincere faith (Acts 16:1–2).
• He was raised by a godly mother and grandmother (2 Tim. 1:5).
• Paul invited him into ministry early (Acts 16:1–3).
• Timothy proved faithful through suffering, travel, pressure, and conflict (Phil. 2:19–22).
• Paul trusted him so deeply that he sent him to tough churches—Philippi, Thessalonica, Ephesus… and now Corinth (1 Thess. 3:1–2).

So why send him?

Because Timothy didn't just know Paul's teaching—he knew Paul's ways. He lived the gospel Paul preached. Timothy is who Paul would be if Paul were standing in the room.

The Corinthians didn't need more clarity. They needed more example. A humble one. A faithful one. A consistent one. A fellow worth following.

We all need examples like Timothy… and we're all called to become examples like Timothy. Not perfect. Just faithful. Steady. Growing. Becoming the kind of person who makes it easier for others to follow Jesus.

Be a fellow worth following.

And here's the truth: You can be. Not by being impressive. Not by being flawless. But by walking closely with Christ until your life naturally points others toward Him.

God can shape you into the kind of person others look to for strength, courage, and clarity. The kind of person who lifts prayer burdens, speaks truth gently, and carries the presence of Christ into every space.

You don't need a platform. You don't need a title. You just need a faithful life.

Let God form you into a fellow worth following.

DO THIS:

Choose one area of your life where you want to grow into someone "worth following." Invite God to shape you—and someone you trust to sharpen you.

ASK THIS:

• Why did Paul trust Timothy so deeply?
• What qualities in Timothy do I need to grow in?
• Does my life help others follow Christ more clearly?

PRAY THIS:

Lord, form in me the kind of life others can follow. Make me faithful, steady, humble, and true—like Timothy. Shape me into a fellow worth following. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Lead Me to the Cross"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:14-16.

No one enjoys being corrected. But deep down, we all know this:

Sometimes the most loving thing someone can do is tell us the truth.

Paul leans into that reality here.

I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me. — 1 Corinthians 4:14–16

The Corinthians may have felt attacked, but Paul wants them to know the truth: he's not shaming them—he's loving them.

Correction is restoration. Shame is destruction.

Shame pushes you down.
Correction pulls you back.

Shame says, "You're done."
Correction says, "You're drifting—come home."

Paul speaks like a spiritual father. Not a critic. Not an enemy. A father. And here's the truth: We all need at least one person who loves us enough to tell us what we don't want to hear.

Most of us are surrounded by "guides"—voices, content, encouragement. But guides speak to you. Fathers and mothers speak into you.

Guides edify. Fathers rectify.
Guides give information. Fathers give formation.

Paul corrects because he cares. He warns because he wants to keep them from drifting. He speaks truth because silence would cost them.

The people who love you most aren't the ones who flatter you—they're the ones who fight for your future.

Paul ends with a courageous invitation: "Be imitators of me." Not because he's perfect, but because he's following Christ and wants them to follow faithfully.

Correction isn't meant to crush you. It's meant to realign you. Restore you. Strengthen you.

God corrects to restore, not to ruin.

DO THIS:

Identify one person who consistently tells you the truth. Thank them for loving you enough to correct you.

ASK THIS:

1. Why do I resist correction, even when I need it?
2. Who are the true spiritual fathers/mothers in my life?
3. What recent correction do I need to receive instead of resist?

PRAY THIS:

Father, thank You for loving me through correction. Help me receive truth as restoration, not shame. Surround me with people who speak honestly and help me follow You faithfully. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Gratitude"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:8-13.

Paul pulls no punches in this section. He exposes the lie the Corinthians had embraced—the belief that the Christian life should look like success, strength, ease, and even royalty.

They wanted to be kings. Paul wanted them to see the cross.

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. — 1 Corinthians 4:8–13

Paul uses biting sarcasm — "Already you have become rich! Already you've become kings!"—to expose their inflated view of themselves. They wanted the life of royalty. Paul lived the life of a servant.

The gospel doesn't call us to upward mobility but downward humility.

This is the heartbeat of Paul's contrast:

• They wanted honor; Paul embraced humiliation.
• They wanted ease; Paul accepted hardship.
• They wanted status; Paul lived as a servant.
• They wanted the crown; Paul carried the cross.

It's the same lie still preached today—mainly by the health-and-wealth movement that elevates comfort, prosperity, and "blessing" as the measure of God's favor.

But following Jesus is not about climbing up—it's about kneeling down.

Paul shows what real ministry looks like:

1. Hunger
2. Thirst
3. Poor clothing
4. Hard labor
5. Persecution
6. Insults
7. Being viewed as the "scum of the world"

Not exactly the resume of upward mobility. And yet—Paul is content. Not because life is easy, but because it looks like Jesus.

The way up is always down.

This is the paradox of the Christian life: You descend before you rise. You humble yourself before you're exalted. You suffer before you reign. You serve before you lead. The Corinthians wanted to skip straight to the throne. Paul reminds them—and us—that the throne comes only through the cross.

Downward humility, not upward mobility.

That's the shape of the Christian life. That's the model of our Savior. That's the path to true greatness.

DO THIS:

Identify one area where you've expected ease, comfort, or recognition. Ask God to help you embrace a servant posture instead.

ASK THIS:

1. Where have I believed comfort should be part of the Christian life?
2. Do I secretly want the crown without the cross?
3. How can I practice "downward humility" today in a practical way?

PRAY THIS:

Lord, protect me from chasing upward mobility. Make me a servant like Your Son—humble, willing, and joyful in obedience. Help me embrace the cross before the crown. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Christ Be Magnified"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:6-7.

Pride rarely shows up overnight. It inflates slowly—one comparison at a time.

The Corinthians were comparing leaders, comparing gifts, comparing wins, and comparing influence. Every comparison pumped a little more air into the ego.

So Paul says:

I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? — 1 Corinthians 4:6–7

There it is: "puffed up." Inflated. Air-filled. Hollow confidence built on comparing yourself to someone else.

Comparison is spiritual bloat. It makes you look bigger, but it always makes you weaker.

Paul doesn't just call it pride—he shows what fuels it:

• You compare your strengths to someone else's weakness.
• You compare your wins to someone else's struggles.
• You compare your gifting to someone else's calling.
• And suddenly, you're "puffed up in favor of one against another."

Comparison always produces two outcomes: inflation or deflation. Neither leads to humility.

So Paul places a pin in the ego with one question: "What do you have that you did not receive?"

It's one of the most humbling sentences in the chapter.

• Your gifts? Received.
• Your opportunities? Received.
• Your abilities? Received.
• Your influence? Received.
• Your successes? Received.

When you realize everything is a gift, boasting feels ridiculous. You didn't earn the breath you're breathing. You received it.

When you remember everything comes from God, something beautiful happens:

• The bloating stops.
• The ego shrinks.
• The comparisons fade.
• Gratitude rises.

Because you can't be "puffed up" when you know you're living on received grace. Therefore, puffed-up faith pops under pressure.

So stay grounded. Stay grateful. Stay aware that everything you have comes from a generous God—not a comparison chart.

DO THIS:

Identify one area where comparison has inflated or deflated you. Then replace comparison with gratitude by thanking God for what you've received.

ASK THIS:

1. Where am I most tempted to compare myself with others?
2. What gift from God have I been treating like something I earned?
3. How would gratitude—not comparison—change my posture today?

PRAY THIS:

Father, expose the places where I've inflated myself through comparison. Remind me that everything I have is received from You. Make me humble, grounded, and grateful. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Give Me Jesus"