October 6: “All for the Sake of the Gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:1-27)

Though Paul can exercise his rights as an apostle, Paul chose to relinquish them. Paul made himself a servant of everyone to win as many people as possible. Paul is following the example of Christ, who relinquished his rights as the Son of God and made himself a servant to win many people. Like an […]

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September 22: “Whether you are married, single or divorced…” (1 Corinthians 7:1-40)

In response to the questions posed by the Corinthians, Paul provides his guidance on the issues of sex, marriage, and divorce. There are two guiding principles in Paul’s instruction. One is the command from Jesus not to divorce except in the case of adultery. The other is to remain in the situation people were in […]

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September 15: “The Ending is the Beginning” (Acts 28:16-31)

Compared to the beginning of Acts, which began with the ascension of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit, the ending seems rather anticlimactic. The abrupt ending has two effects. First, it challenges the readers to either believe or reject Jesus. Second, it challenges all believers to continue their partnership with the Holy Spirit. We […]

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September 8: “Paul’s Arrest in Jerusalem” (Acts 21:1-36)

After his third missionary journey, Paul went to Jerusalem instead of Antioch. As a missionary, Paul faced these three challenges: 1) Discerning the Spirit’s guidance. 2) Having his message and ministry misunderstood and misrepresented by others. 3) Hardships, persecutions, and sufferings. Today’s missionaries face the same challenges. Today, let us pray for all the missionaries […]

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