Podcast Introduction

Today our reading is 1 Corinthians 13-14.  I’m calling the episode “Love Is.” 

Comments on 1 Corinthians 13

In the 13th chapter, which is often called the “Love Chapter”, Paul continues addressing the church in regards to division and gifts. What he tells them is that it doesn’t matter what gift you have, if you don’t have love. If there is love, you won’t have the problem fighting over who has what gift or which gift is better. And to make it clear, he delineates what love looks like. Love is not that mushy feeling of butterflies in your stomach you got with your first high school crush. Love is much more than that, and Paul is very specific about what it is. I hesitate to even begin to boil it down into just a few words, because his description is so dead on, but I’ll do it anyway. Love is not about what makes me feel good. Love is about what I can do for the benefit of the object of my love. Even when it’s difficult, or when that other person is unloveable. Love keeps going. 

Beloved, we don’t see much love in the world today, do we? We are living in turbulent times. What we do see a lot of is hate, I’m sorry to say. 

If we want peace, if we want love, we are not going to get it by arguing or confronting. We need to pray for changed hearts. How are hearts changed? Only by the Spirit of God. But He uses people to bring His message to people, planting seeds so that the Holy Spirit can cause them to grow and bear fruit. Paul said in Romans 10:17 “So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing (comes) through the Word of God.” 

Hearts are changed one at a time. I was saved as a teenager. I can point to a church service I was in when I publicly declared my faith, but I had really made the decision much earlier. It was from dozens and dozens of conversations with my friend Del Brixey, who invited me to that church. From listening to our pastor’s messages. From attending a Christian kindergarten. From seeing faith in Christ lived out in so many people, and on and on. My faith was built a little at a time from hearing the Word of God in many different ways.  

Beloved, we should be praying each and every day, asking God to show us how we can love our neighbor. How we can share the message of hope, love and Good News. Because until we do that, hearts will not be changed. The world needs God now, more than ever. 

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 13 CEB; Ch. 14 HCSB

Today’s Music

The Ben Vaughn Singers with “Christmas Feeling”

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