Today's Readings: New Testament -
Luke 21:20-28
1 Corinthians 3
Old Testament -
Psalms 75
Joshua 8-9
Click on Text Links to Read Online
Focus Verses: 1 Corinthians 3:5-9
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
Insight:
Christians can be too preoccupied with loyalties to a certain teacher, tradition, or denomination. "I am of Apollos" and "I am of Paul" sound very similar to “I am a protestant," "I am a Calvinist," "I am an evangelical," or "I am a post-evangelical."
God is the one who makes the seed of faith grow, not your favorite pastor, theologian, or author. Teachers, traditions, and denominations can help plant, water, and nurture the seed of faith, but they do not deserve the credit for what only God can do.
Our highest loyalty and identity should be placed in Christ Jesus. Christians wear the name of Christ, not the name of his servants. Let's be thankful for those who help us to mature in our faith and devotion to Christ, but let's not let them become a source of division and quarrels. No Christian teacher worth following wants that!
Response & Action:
While I value specific individuals, writers, teachers, groups, ministries, and denominations, I must not allow this appreciation to turn into something divisive. My loyalty is to Christ Jesus, and I embrace his church in its entirety. Those who plant and water the seeds of faith in my life deserve my thanks and love, but they would be dishonored if my loyalty to them overshadowed my loyalty for Christ and my desire to see all who follow him to be united in testimony and fellowship.
O God, I believe in one, holy, and universal church. I thank you for the men and women who have planted and watered the seeds of faith in me. Thank you for their examples, teachings, and writings. Help me to demonstrate true appreciation for them by placing my faith and commitment in Christ, rather than in them. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 15:5-6
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Resources:
Mere Christianity
by C.S. Lewis
