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"