Day 38 - 1 Corinthians 12:27-31

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.
And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

Terrie's Comments:

We all have jobs to do... we are not called to do all of the jobs alone.  Each of us has a part to play.  We are to eagerly desire these gifts empowered through the Holy Spirit.  If we are in a place of eagerly desiring the gifts we will be willing to step out in faith when the Holy Spirit prompts us to do what Jesus has called us to do.

Tori's Comments:

All of these so far have had a similar theme...as usual. It's interesting that he lists them in order of importance? Did I get the right impression?

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 37 - 1 Corinthians 12:14-26

14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Tori's Comments:

I think that some people have gifts they don't know what to make of, and thus don't use for God's glory like they could.

But each one is needed, and designated by God for a purpose..

Terrie's Comments:

I had heard it said once that if we were all eyeballs we wouldn't get very much done... the image in my mind was a dirty, hairy eyeball rolling down the street... that is just plain silly and it renders the eyeball useless because there is no eye socket to protect it.  But this is sometimes how we act in church... we want to be a part that God never intended us to be.  Consider this... if you are trying to be something God didn't intend then it is like the church is operating without that part... without a big toe - we are off balance... without eyes - we can't see... without hands - we wouldn't be able to be hands on in so many ways... without ears (as interesting as they look) - we wouldn't be able to hear or listen.  If you aren't doing what God has asked you to do, you are causing the body of Christ to operate with a handicap.

Are you content with what God has asked you to do? Are you looking for something different?  Have you caused the body of Christ to operate with a handicap perhaps?

Another thing that stands out in this passage is that we are to be concerned for each other equally.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.  My husband had a toothache this week.  Even though a tooth is an extremely small part of our body that we just take for granted most of the time, it made his whole body suffer.  He didn't eat or sleep for 2 days.  When one part of the body of Christ suffers it should affect the rest of the parts because we are one.  We should also be celebrating as a whole body when a part of us is honoured :-) It is foolish to rival against your own body.

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 36 - 1 Corinthians 12:7-13

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Terrie's Comments:

I love how God makes it so that we all have different parts in the body of Christ.  We are all unified in Christ and are empowered to do what we are called to do through the power of the same Holy Spirit.  We are not to be jealous of others who are being used in one area or another.  We should be celebrating that the Holy Spirit is moving in our body and seeking how he wants to use us in the body of Christ.  

Tori's Comments:

I know that a gift is from the Spirit if it is used for the common good.

We are all baptized by the same Spirit! And are now brothers and sisters! 

"given the one Spirit to drink"?????

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 35 - 1 Corinthians 12: 1-6

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Tori's Comments:

I think of the song "Same Power" by Jeremy Camp :)

Terrie's Comments:

Clarifying who the Holy Spirit is and what He does in our lives - and what He doesn't do in our lives is always valuable information to have :-) 

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!