DAY 31, II CORINTHIANS 10-12

Good Morning!  My name is Carolyn Smith and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of II Corinthians, chapters 10-12.

KEY VERSES:  

II Corinthians 12:7-10

⁷And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

⁸For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

⁹And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

¹⁰Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

REFLECTIONS: 

Isn’t it easy to be overwhelmed by our circumstances and then realize that we are trying to take care of a certain situation on our own rather than giving it to the Lord?  Even though the end result is not always what we might pray for, there is a peace that comes from giving it to the Lord and depending on Him.

Paul prayed for the Lord to take away His thorn in the flesh, but God refused. We see how that even though the Lord used Paul in a mighty way, his life was not always easy.

In verse 9, the Lord tells Paul that His grace is sufficient.  I have heard grace defined as “God’s provision for us at the point of our need.”  Even though it may not seem that the Lord is meeting our need, He sees so far beyond what we can see, and often times allows trials in our lives to make us stronger or more Christlike.

We can become proud if we try to do things on our own, but Paul admitted his weaknesses and was made strong in the Lord (v. 10).

Just like Paul, we, too, can sense God’s power in our lives.  When we allow Him to work in our lives we can grow spiritually, become more like Him, and have a close relationship with Him.

APPLICATION:  

When I was a child the Lord led my dad on two different occasions to move our family.  The first time was from Garland, Texas, to Hammond, Indiana.  I thought my heart would break as I said goodbye to grandparents that I was so close to and a school where I was comfortable.   The second time was five years later when the Lord led my dad into full-time evangelism and back to Garland.  I was so enjoying my life as a young teenager in a wonderful church and youth group.  Even though my heart seemed to break once again, I look back and am thankful for the way the Lord was working in my life, even as a child, and helping me learn to lean on Him.
Thank you for being a part of the 40 Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ,

Carolyn

NAME:  Carolyn Smith
SAVED:  June 6, 1957
FAMILY:  Husband Denny, Children Denny III and Melody, 5 grandchildren
FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE:  Psalms
FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE:  Lamentations 3:22-24

DAY 30, II CORINTHIANS 7 -9

Good Morning! My name is Kevin Leffew and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of II Corinthians chapters 7 -9.

KEY VERSES:

II Corinthians 7:1  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

II Corinthians 8:12  For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

II Corinthians 9:7  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

REFLECTIONS: As I read II Corinthians chapters 7-9, these 3 key verses seem to sum up the readings.  We need to take a good look at our lives as Christians to see if we are truly who God wants us to be.  Sometimes it's hard to leave our old self behind, but chapter 7, verse 1 says to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit."  We need to make a "BIG" change in our lives and to work hard every day to be someone the Lord will be proud of.  Paul also tells the Corinthian church that they (we) need not only to be generous givers, but we as Christians should give with a cheerful heart.  God does not want us to give to a point that we cannot pay our bills or take care of other financial responsibilities, but give what we can because we want to truly help.  Our attitude when we give is more important than the amount.  Chapter 9 verse 10 says, "Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness."  The more we give for God’s work, the more He will provide for us, so that we can continue to give.

APPLICATION:  As Christians we can always strive to do better, work harder, and be good listeners.  We can also give more of ourselves, whether it be our time, our money, or just a helping hand.  We need to show more of God’s love.  Pray for God to put someone in your path that you can be a blessing to.

Thank you for being a part of the 40-day challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day !

In Christ,

Kevin Leffew

Kevin Leffew

Saved:  April 1983
Favorite Book of the Bible:  James
Family:  Wife, Missy; Children - Brittany, Emily and Jacob
Hobbies:  Fishing, Motorcycling, Snowmobiling
Occupation:  Supervisor

DAY 29, II CORINTHIANS 4-6

Good Morning!  My name is Mike Nicksic and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of 2 Corinthians, chapters 4-6.

KEY VERSE:  

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

REFLECTIONS:

When I read through II Corinthians chapters 4-6, it seemed like every verse was a key verse, but it was 2 Corinthians chapter 4 that really touched my heart.  For in 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul tells us that we are nothing more than jars of clay.  When I think of a jar of clay, I think of a clay pot that has a bunch of cracks and chips in it.  It is also extremely fragile and has a worth of almost nothing.  These descriptions are picture perfect examples of what are mortal bodies are like.  It doesn’t take much to shatter us, we all have our own cracks and chips, and our worth is near nothing.  There is an upside to this, though, for Paul says that within these jars of clay is a treasure.  It is this treasure, that when we are hard pressed from every side we are we are not crushed; perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.  A pot of clay is only worth the value of what is kept inside of it; and if there were a price tag on all Christians, who are no more than mere jars of clay, it would read “priceless,” for there is no greater treasure than our Savior, Christ Jesus.  

APPLICATION:  

As born again believers whose price tag reads “priceless,” we should strive to fill other jars of clay with this priceless treasure as well.  We should also remember that although we are no more than mere jars of clay, able to crack and shatter at any moment, Jesus will never let us shatter, no matter how many cracks or chips life has given us.  He will be there with us through the thick and the thin.  We should also remember that we are no different from anyone else in the world – we are all jars of clay – but it is this treasure that saves us from shattering, so let us share this treasure and change as many price tags as we can to read “priceless.”

Thank you for being a part of the 40 Day-Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ, Mike Nicksic

NAME: Mike Nicksic

SAVED: A long time ago
FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER:  Paul
FAMILY:  Rick Nicksic (dad) Kim Nicksic (mom) Merrick Nicksic (brother) Camri Nicksic (sister) Nick Nicksic, John Capps, and Pat Capps (grandparents) Kathy Nicksic (aunt)
OCCUPATION: Pre-med Biology Major at IUN
FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE:  Romans
MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT AT VBC:  Was a small group leader

DAY 28, II CORINTHIANS 1-3

Good Morning! My name is Holly Herrold, and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of II Corinthians, chapters 1-3.

KEY VERSES:  

II Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

II Corinthians 1:8-9

For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.

 REFLECTIONS: 

As I read this I thought of trials in my life.  At the times I would go through trials I did not appreciate them or thank God for them.  It was after I went through the trial and looked back, especially in my prayer journal (where I write mostly when I am going through trialsJ), that I thanked God for the trials.  I grew closer and yearned for God at those times!  Looking back I would not change anything because I experienced God’s mercy and comfort like I never would if I had not had to go through a trial and lean on him.  What I have learned from these trials is that I have been able to help others with the same things I have gone through and experienced (I have found it is easier to help people when you share personally what the Lord has done and carried you through in your life) . I believe hard times in my life were used to draw me closer to God and not rely on myself but on God to see me through.  I really enjoy how in vs. 9 Paul says that things got so bad, they had the sentence of death, they thought they were surely going to die, they knew they could not save themselves, but God could.  They could no longer trust in themselves but they had to trust in God.  There wasn’t anywhere else to turn.  Where else could they go but to the Lord?  Why would they turn to God?  Why should we turn to God when we need help?  Because our God is a great God, our God is all powerful, our God is all knowing, our God raised Himself from the dead, our God spoke the world into existence, our God sits on His throne, our God is the good shepherd, our God knows exactly what we need before we do.  That’s my King!  Do you know and trust Him with your life?

APPLICATION:  

Don’t waste your troubles, learn more about our Father’s comfort and mercy through them, and help comfort others just as you have been comforted.

Realize that you can’t handle everything, but God can carry you through any and everything…Rely on God!!

Thank you for being a part of the 40-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ,

Holly Herrold

NAME: Holly Herrold
SAVED: Third grade
FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER:  Esther
FAMILY:  Jeff (husband)  Kids: Bella, Riley, and Baby boy due May 20, 2012
OCCUPATION:  Full time MOMMY and WIFE
FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE:  Psalms (ok plus two moreJ Ephesians and Philippians)
MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT AT VBC: King's Kids, 4th-6th grade Sunday School, Children's Church

INTRODUCTION TO II CORINTHIANS

                      

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was written, in part, in response to serious problems within the church.  In response to this letter, false teachers within the church took offense to his rebuke and rejected his warnings.  II Corinthians was an effort on Paul’s part to defend his character and apostolic authority.  Paul defends his ministry and appeals to the factions of the church to reconcile themselves to each other.  He speaks on foundational doctrines of the Christian faith:  The triune God; the deity, humanity, death, and resurrection of Christ; the sealing of the believer by the Holy Ghost; the fact that the Corinthians are in Christ and Christ is in them and that they will be resurrected and evaluated at the judgment seat of Christ where they will be either ashamed or rewarded.  Paul declares that Satan opposes the Church, blinds unbelievers, and seeks to divide the true church.  Paul exhorts the believers to live holy lives, to repent of sin, and to be reconciled to each other.  It was Paul’s intent that the believers in Corinth realize that the Christian faith was to affect all facets of their lives.

AUTHOR:  Paul

DATE:  during Paul’s third missionary journey while at Ephesus; 56 A.D.

OUTLINE:

I.                    Salutation and thanksgiving 1:1 – 11

II.                 Consolation:  comfort in ministry 1:12 – 7:16

A.    The conduct of Paul 1:12 – 2:11

1.     Paul’s explanation for not returning

2.     Paul’s instruction concerning the disciplined person

B.    The character of Paul’s ministry of the Gospel 2:12 – 6:10

1.     Triumph in ministry

2.     Credentials for ministry

3.     Privilege of the ministry

4.     Honesty in the ministry

5.     Pressures in the ministry

6.     Discouragement in the ministry

7.     Motivations for ministry

8.     Conduct in ministry

C.     The appeal to the Corinthians 6:11 – 7:4

1.     The appeal for sympathy

2.     The appeal to be separated to the Lord

3.     The second appeal for sympathy

D.    The comfort in the ministry 7:5 – 16

1.     The obedience of the believers

2.     the love of the believers

III.              The collection:  the ministry of giving 8:1 – 9:15

A.    Arrangements for the collection 8:1 – 24

B.    Arguments for the collection 9:1-15

IV.              Correction:  vindication of Paul’s ministry 10:1 – 13:10

A.    Paul’s position 10:1 – 12:18

1.     Paul’s authority

2.     Paul’s boast about support

3.     Paul’s boast about service

4.     Paul’s boast about weakness

B.    Paul’s purpose 12:1 – 13:10

1.     Paul’s ambition:  his service

2.     Paul’s aim:  the Corinthians edification

V.                Personal greetings, admonition, and benediction 13:11 – 14

In this letter, Paul points again to the power behind his actions and words – THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

(Source:  Nelson Study Bible)

DAY 27, I CORINTHIANS 14-16

Good Morning!  My name is Jim Gordon and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of  I Corinthians 14-16.

KEY VERSES:   I Corinthians 15:10a “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain…”
REFLECTIONS:  I have come to the age that it is probably better that younger and sharper minds take over.  That is not to say I am done, for I am not.  I will continue to present Christ to the lost, and to invite people to Valley Baptist to worship the Lord with us.
I know in my mind that anything that has been done, God has done through me.  I am proud I have been able to teach God’s Word in Sunday school and training union and speak from the pulpit since I was about 20 years old.  I could not have done it if God had not done it through me.  I am first a sinner saved by grace, thanking God for Paul’s words in I Cor. 15: 51-52, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”  I know without a shadow of a doubt, asleep or alive, I will hear His call for me to come home.
APPLICATION:    Let God use us now so that His gospel will reach more souls and bring more into His church.  Let us be what God would have us be so that others truly see God in us.

Thank you for being a part of the 40-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!
In Christ,

Jim Gordon

NAME: James E. Gordon   

SAVED:  Spring of 1948, Saturday morning about 11:30, Macedonia Baptist Church, Edith, TN

FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER:  Daniel

FAMILY:  Wife Jerry; 4 children – Kathy, Jimmy, Connie, Marla; 11 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren

OCCUPATION:  Retired

HOBBIES:  Gardening, hunting

FAVORITE BOOKS IN BIBLE:  Genesis, Daniel, Revelation

MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT AT VBC:  What is asked of me

DAY 26, I CORINTHIANS 11-13

Good Morning my name is Aaron Clark and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from I Corinthians 11-13.

KEY VERSES:

I Corinthians 11:3

I Corinthians 11:31
I Corinthians 13:13

REFLECTIONS:

In Chapter 11 we obviously see Paul taking care of church business in dealing with the order of leadership and how they should pray and teach (God- Christ-Man-Woman).  Then later in the chapter he gets into the abuse of the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper.  This subject is always very sobering to me.  At our church, whenever we take of the Lord’s Supper I am always reminded about the severity of flippancy.  Verse 30 tells us that there are sick among us and even dead who have left because they took of this ordinance unworthily.  However, in verse 31 the promise is given that if we judge ourselves we will not be judged.  What a privilege to take our sin before God and have Him bury it in the deepest sea.  Yes, we still have to accept the consequence, which is part of judging ourselves, but we do not have to face that judgment ever again.  (Praise the Lord!)

Now we move to Chapter 12, which deals with the Spiritual Gifts.  Pastor Smith has just taught a very informative series on Wednesday nights on the spiritual gifts.  Here is the main outline to help understand the gifts and their origin.

I.  All gifts are given by ONE SOURCE:  God, through the Holy Spirit.

                        * Therefore you have to be saved to have a spiritual Gift activated.

II.  Every man is born with a Spiritual gift. The Spirit at salvation activates them.

III.  Every Christian should be using his spiritual gifts in the local church. 

IV.  All gifts are important and necessary.

Then in chapter 13 the Bible tells us that without Charity or Love being the source in whatever we do, it is for nothing.  In verse 13 God tells us that love is more important than faith.  Wow, that really speaks to how God wants us to be motivated. 

APPLICATION:

By far the most challenging aspect for me to take out of these passages is Charity -- not just to love when it is easy, but to let love be the motivation for all my actions and thoughts.  I remember helping someone move several years ago. When I got there to help them, some of the family members that were also living there were leaving to go golfing just as we arrived.  I could not believe it. I was in dismay that I gave up my whole day to help them move so that they could go golfing.  I used my truck all day, used a whole tank of gas and thought nothing about love and charity.  All that I could think is how I wanted to be out golfing and that they should be here helping.  I know that I was not motivated by charity but instead by duty, and God says that it is all for nothing without love.  Let us be moved by love for others when we look around, whether it is at church or in the world.  If we see someone living in sin, let love push us to pray for him or her so that they can enjoy fellowship with God that will bring joy to their life.  We will want to have people around us like that when we fall.

Thank you for being a part of the 40-Day Challenge.  I hope this has helped in your walk.

In Christ, Aaron Clark

NAME: Aaron M. Clark
SAVED: October 1986
FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE:  Proverbs
FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER: Peter
FAMILY: wife: Julie Clark
HOBBIES:  Carpentry, Riding Snowmobiles, Guns, Being with the People of VBC!
AREA OF MINISTRY AT VBC:  Music Leader; Youth Leader; Greeter Team Leader; Mission Committee Member; Food Tasting Team Leader

DAY 25, I CORINTHIANS 8-10

Good Morning! My name is Jason Butcher and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of I Corinthians chapters 8-10.

KEY VERSES: I Cor. 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

I Cor. 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

REFLECTIONS: Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but I have no problem giving all the glory to God when it comes to eating and drinking.  It's that middle phrase in the verse that most of us struggle with.  Giving God the glory in EVERY situation.   Just sitting here thinking about different people or problems we all deal with on a daily basis, makes me think..."How could my actions glorify God?"  It seems impossible.  And it is, through our power.  Thankfully, if we are Christians we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and He knows how much we can handle.  The Lord puts us all through trials and temptations to try our faith.  It's in those situations where our true testimony shines through.  Will we become bitter?  Or will we give all the glory to God?  Remember, God will make a way to escape so that we can bear it.

APPLICATION: Ask the Holy Spirit to work in each situation, so that we can give God ALL the glory. After all, He sees the big picture and has total control.

Thank you for being a part of the 40-Day Challenge. Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ, Jason Butcher

SAVED: November, 1992

FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE: James

FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER: Paul

FAMILY: Wife Nikki, Children Madison, Haley, Cade

OCCUPATION: Lineman

HOBBIES: Watching the Bears lose
AREA OF MINISTRY AT CHURCH: Deacon, Children's Church

DAY 24, I CORINTHIANS 5-7

Good Morning!  My name is Dave Wilgus and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of I Corinthians 5-7.

KEY VERSES:   I Corinthians 5:6-7:  “Your glorying is not good.  Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.  For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:”

REFLECTIONS:  Leaven is used in the Bible as a symbol of something that is either a good or a bad influence.  In the church of Corinth, there were many divisions, and Paul appealed to them to mend their differences.  In this passage, the leaven was referring to sin that was taking place within the body of the Corinthian church.  Sin cannot be considered as an isolated event.  Therefore, Paul was pleading that their sin be purged out so that they could be used more effectively for the cause of Christ.

APPLICATION:    As Christians, we must be sensitive to our sin and not treat it as an occasional mistake.  Psalm 19:12 reads:  Who can understand his errors?  Cleanse thou me from secret faults.  God promises in I John 1:9 that He will forgive our sin, but we need to go one step further in our Christian walk.  Address the sin as if it is a matter of life or death, so that we will not be a stumbling block for the weaker brother or sister in Christ.

Thank you for being a part of the 40-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ,

Dave Wilgus

NAME: Dave Wilgus           

SAVED:  May of 1976

FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER:  John the Baptist

FAMILY:  Wife, Christine; Children – DJ, Amy, Rusty; 4 grandchildren

OCCUPATION:  Retired from Chrysler Corp.

FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE:  Psalms

MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT AT VBC:  Ministering at local nursing homes in Valparaiso community