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"

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 4:1-5.

We all make judgments every day. We should. Wise judgment is part of following Jesus—choosing what's right, resisting what's wrong, and evaluating what's healthy or harmful.

But Paul is talking about something very different here:

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. — 1 Corinthians 4:1–5

There's a difference between making wise judgments and pronouncing eternal judgment—and the Corinthians confused the two.

They weren't just evaluating behavior. They were assigning motives, ranking leaders, critiquing hearts, and acting like they could see what only God sees.

Paul says, "Your judgment—and even my own self‑evaluation—is too small to define me."

Human judgment is horizontal. God's judgment is eternal.

Paul isn't telling believers to stop using discernment. He's telling them to stop pretending they can see what only God sees.

You can evaluate actions and doctrine. You should evaluate behavior. But you cannot evaluate a person's motives or eternal standing. That belongs to God alone.

Live for God's approval, not human applause.

People will misjudge you. You'll even misjudge yourself—thinking you're doing great when you're not, or failing when God says you're being faithful. But none of that settles anything.

The final evaluation belongs to God. He will expose motives, reveal what's hidden, and reward faithfulness no one ever saw. And when He speaks, He will get it right.

So live for that moment. Live for His verdict.

DO THIS:

Release one place where you've been overly self‑critical or overly concerned about someone else's opinion. Say: "Lord, I want to be faithful—You handle the final judgment."

ASK THIS:

1. Where am I confusing wise judgment with eternal judgment?
2. Whose opinion has too much influence over my confidence?
3. What would change if I lived for God's verdict instead of people's reactions?

PRAY THIS:

Lord, help me judge wisely but never assume Your role. Teach me to live for Your approval, trust Your timing, and surrender every final judgment to You. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Only Jesus"

Are you growing or staying stuck?

SUMMARY
1 Corinthians 3 is Paul's wake-up call to every believer: put down the bottle and pick up a brick.
God's building His church—and He wants you building with Him. Watch the full breakdown now.

REFLECTION & SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Where do you see spiritual immaturity show up most clearly in your own life?
2. In what ways do jealousy or comparison hold you back spiritually?
3. How have you made Christian leaders into "instruments" instead of focusing on God's intent?
4. What unique role do you think God has given you in building His church?
5. Are you contributing to your church or mostly spectating? What needs to change?
6. What "building materials" are you using—gold or straw? What needs to be refined?
7. Where are you tempted to water down truth to fit culture?
8. How does remembering you are the temple of the Holy Spirit change how you live?
9. What recent situation exposed whether you were building unity or division?
10. What is one real step of maturity you can take this week?

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 3:21-23.

We all wrestle with insecurity — in relationships, in calling, and in the unknown future. It creeps in quietly and convinces us we're missing something, behind on something, or not enough for something. But Paul gives a truth big enough to shut insecurity down at its roots.

So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. — 1 Corinthians 3:21–23

The Corinthians were comparing, competing, and craving affirmation — classic insecurity on display. Paul cuts through it with one reality: you're not missing out. You already belong to Christ, and in Him, you have more than you think.

Look again at what Paul says belongs to you:

• The world — God works within it for your good.
• Life — every moment comes with a God-given purpose.
• Death — even your greatest fear has been turned into a doorway to Him.
• The present — God's presence is here, now.
• The future — God owns it, secures it, and guides you into it.

Paul intentionally stacks these truths to remind believers that insecurity is built on forgetting, while confidence is built on belonging.

Security forms with belonging — insecurity forms with forgetting.

When you remember who you belong to, insecurity begins to break apart. Fear quiets down. Comparison loses its pull. Anxiety loosens its grip. Because Christ doesn't just hand out spiritual gifts — He gives Himself.

And if you have Him, you're not lacking anything. Not now. Not ever.

DO THIS:

Name one insecurity you battle. Then say aloud: "I am Christ's — and Christ is enough."

ASK THIS:

1. What insecurity shapes my decisions more than God's truth?
2. How would I live if I really believed "all things are mine in Christ"?
3. What part of my identity in Christ do I forget most?

PRAY THIS:

Father, thank You that I belong to Christ. Help me release insecurity and rest in the security You've already given me. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Who You Say I Am"

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 3:18-20.

We like to think we're pretty wise. We read. We listen. We follow people who sound smart. We post things that feel deep.

But Paul says: Be careful, the moment you think you're wise, you might already be a fool.

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." — 1 Corinthians 3:18–20

Paul's point? Human "wisdom" without God isn't just wrong — it's laughable.

We act like the world is full of genius thinkers.
God looks at our best ideas and raises an eyebrow.

We build systems to "fix ourselves."
We redefine truth to fit our preferences.
We elevate experts who sound impressive but haven't solved a single heart-level problem.

And God calls all of it futile.

Paul uses sarcasm to land the punch.

He's basically saying: "Do you want to see how brilliant humanity is? They crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Corinthians 2:8)

If human wisdom were truly that great, the smartest leaders of the age wouldn't have handed over the Messiah they were supposedly waiting for or crucified him, because that played right into God's plan.

That's how "wise" we are. We crucified the only One who could save us. And by crucifying him He saved us.

That's Paul's whole point in this section: Human brilliance is no substitute for divine truth.

God is so much wiser, so much higher, so far beyond our thought processes that even His "foolishness" (if such a thing existed) would outsmart the brightest minds on earth.

This is why Paul says, "If you think you're wise, try again."
Not by becoming anti-intellectual, but by trading the world's angle for God's mind.

Because the wisdom of this age is just recycled folly with better marketing.

And the wisdom of God is the kind that saves, restores, convicts, heals, guides, humbles, and transforms.

Humans guess. God knows.
Humans posture. God reveals.
Humans killed Jesus. God raises Jesus from the dead.

That is the difference. And that is why trusting God's wisdom will always be smarter than trusting your own.

DO THIS:

Write down one place where you've been relying on your own "wisdom." Pray: "God, replace my thinking with Yours."

ASK THIS:

1. Where have I trusted cultural wisdom more than God's truth?
2. What "smart" ideas in my life are actually foolish in God's eyes?
3. How does remembering the cross humble my confidence in human wisdom?

PRAY THIS:

God, Your wisdom exposes my pride. Teach me to think with Your mind, trust Your truth, and reject the false wisdom of this age. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"God I Look To You"

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 3:16-17.

Most people read this passage and think it's about personal holiness.

But Paul isn't talking to you (singular).
He's talking to you all — the church.

Do you not know that you (plural) are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. — 1 Corinthians 3:16–17

Paul delivers a sobering truth: The gathered community — not the building — is God's dwelling place.

And the greatest threat isn't outside the church. It's inside. Division. Gossip. Pride. Competition. Criticism.
These don't just hurt feelings — they damage God's temple.

The church is rarely destroyed by the world. It's usually destroyed by believers acting worldly.

Every jealous comparison, every harsh word, every split, every whispered complaint, Paul calls it temple vandalism.

Because the Spirit dwells among His people, and whatever harms His people harms His dwelling.

What God calls sacred, don't tear apart.

But the opposite is also true: When you forgive quickly, speak gently, protect unity, and pursue peace — you strengthen what God lives in. Your words either build the temple or chip away at it.

Choose to build the church and the community today.

DO THIS:

Pray for one person in your church you've been frustrated with. Then choose one act of peace-building toward them today.

ASK THIS:

1. Have my words weakened the church or strengthened it?
2. Who do I need to forgive or approach with humility?
3. How does seeing the church as God's temple change my posture?

PRAY THIS:

Father, forgive me for any way I've damaged Your church. Make me a builder, not a destroyer, and give me a heart that protects Your people. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Make Us One"