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"