1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:16,759 Speaker 1: You're listening to daily devotions with Pastor John. I'm John 4 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: Stogey and today's devotion is inspired by Sewod Corinthians, Chapter five, 5 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: verses twelve and thirteen, which says, we are not commending 6 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 1: ourselves to you again, but giving you cause to boast 7 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: about us, so that you may be able to answer 8 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: those who boast about outward appearance and not about what 9 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 1: is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, 10 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: it is for God. If we are in our right mind, 11 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 1: it is for you. What keeps us from openly sharing 12 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: the good news of salvation with others? Isn't it most 13 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: often a fear of what they will think of us 14 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: or how we think it might make us look. Some 15 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: Christians in this world are being genuinely and intensely persecuted. 16 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: But in our country are we being beaten and put 17 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: into prison for our faith? Are we being fired from 18 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: our jobs because we're believers? Is there a risk of 19 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: us being executed because we bear the name of Christ? 20 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: The worst thing that tends to happen in our context 21 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: is someone makes a face at us or says something insulting, 22 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: and yet that's enough to keep many Christians quiet. One 23 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: of the dominant driving forces in our lives and in 24 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: the lives of those we know, is the desire to 25 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: be thought of well by others. Have we become overly 26 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: concerned with outward appearances and less concerned with what's taking 27 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: place in our hearts? Are we concerned with what the 28 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: Lord wants to do in the hearts of others as 29 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: they hear the gospel, trust in Christ and follow his teaching. 30 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your word, and 31 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege that it is to 32 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: be able to look at this portion of scripture from 33 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: the Book of Second Corinthians today. And Lord, as we 34 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: think about the things that the apostle Paul was communicating 35 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: to the church at corinth we're reminded of some things 36 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: that we should be aware of in our own lives. Lord. 37 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 1: So often we're so concerned about how we look in 38 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: front of others that we stop thinking about what's really important. 39 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: So often we care about our appearance or whether or 40 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: not others think well of us, that we stop taking 41 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: the risk to make the gospel known to them. But Lord, 42 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: you've told us in your word that you have ordained 43 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: that the gospel flow forth from our lips, that it 44 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: proceeded to the ears of others through what we say. 45 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 1: So Lord, we pray that we would learn to take 46 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: that seriously, and we pray that we wouldn't be so 47 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:03,519 Speaker 1: fearful of looking silly that we refuse to speak. Lord, 48 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: you've revealed to us that we need your son, Jesus 49 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: Christ to save us, and we know the essence of 50 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 1: your gospel, and we also know others who as of 51 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: yet do not know the truth of your word. So Lord, 52 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: we pray that we would take every opportunity, even if 53 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 1: we feel like it might make us look a little silly, 54 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: to share your gospel with those that you've placed in 55 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: our lives who need to hear it. We pray for 56 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: our family members that they would come to know You. 57 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: We pray for our friends, We pray for our neighbors, 58 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: we pray for our co workers, and we even pray 59 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: for those that we barely know that we might even 60 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: just have a passing interaction or conversation with. By your grace, Lord, 61 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: we pray that we would be your witnesses in the 62 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: midst of this fallen world, and that we wouldn't idolize 63 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: our desire to look well in front of others to 64 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: the point where we end up refusing to share the 65 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: message that you want us to share. Thank you, Lord 66 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: for this reminder from your word today, and thank you 67 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: for all that you do in our lives on a 68 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: daily basis. And we commit ourselves to you now and 69 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.