Revival Through Adversity: Embracing God's Transformative Love

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Commands Are Fulfilled Through Obedient Scattering

When persecution came to the early church, believers were forced out of their comfort zones, leading to the spread of the gospel far beyond Jerusalem. What seemed like a setback was actually the fulfillment of Jesus’ command to go into all the world, as the scattering of the church after Stephen’s death resulted in evangelism and revival across nations. Even today, God can use difficult circumstances to move His people into new places and purposes, multiplying voices and impact for His kingdom. [01:50]

Bible passage: Acts 1:8 (ESV)
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Reflection: Where is God calling you to step out of your comfort zone, and how might He use a current challenge in your life to reach others with His love?

Day 2: Scripture Must Be Read in Context, Not as a Rulebook

The letters of Paul, including Corinthians, were written to specific people facing unique issues, not as universal laws for all time. Understanding the who, what, where, when, and why of each passage helps us discern God’s character and apply His wisdom to our own situations, rather than rigidly following rules without relationship. God desires us to seek His heart and guidance through the Holy Spirit, learning from scripture as a living conversation rather than a static set of regulations. [13:48]

Bible passage: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

Reflection: Is there a scripture you’ve treated as a strict rule without considering its context? How can you seek God’s heart and guidance about it today?

Day 3: God’s Word Is Living and Continually Speaks

Jesus taught that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God—emphasizing that God’s voice is ongoing, not limited to the past. The Bible is not just a record of what God has said, but a means by which He still speaks to us today, illuminating our hearts and guiding us through the Holy Spirit. As we read, we are invited into a living relationship where God’s word becomes personal, timely, and transformative for our daily lives. [22:45]

Bible passage: Matthew 4:4 (ESV)
"But he answered, 'It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”'"

Reflection: When was the last time you sensed God speaking to you through scripture? How can you make space today to listen for His living word?

Day 4: Relationship with God, Not Rules, Transforms Our Lives

God desires a loving, relational connection with us, not mere rule-following out of fear or obligation. When we face temptation or struggle, the question is not just “Is this allowed?” but “Would this hurt the heart of my Father?” Our motivation for obedience flows from love and respect for God, knowing He cares for us deeply and wants what is best for us, even when we fall short or struggle with our emotions and identity. [48:56]

Bible passage: John 8:10-11 (ESV)
"Jesus stood up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.'"

Reflection: Is there an area where you’ve been motivated by fear or shame rather than love for God? How can you invite Him into that place and let His love guide your choices today?

Day 5: God Created You with Purpose, Dignity, and Honor

God’s design for humanity is intentional, and He created each person with dignity, honor, and a unique purpose. Our feelings and emotions are gifts, but they are not meant to define our identity or guide every decision. When we operate according to God’s design and seek His truth above our own feelings or cultural trends, we find fulfillment, peace, and the strength to overcome confusion and lies. God’s love is steadfast, and He desires to walk with us through every struggle, offering grace and truth in equal measure. [40:13]

Bible passage: Psalm 139:13-14 (ESV)
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

Reflection: What is one way you can honor the way God created you today, even if your feelings or circumstances make it difficult?

Sermon Summary

Today, we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and invite God to speak to us, believing that He is stirring revival, especially among the youth and young adults of our nation. Even in the face of tragedy and opposition, such as the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, God is multiplying voices for truth and righteousness. Just as persecution in the early church scattered believers and fulfilled Jesus’ command to take the gospel to the world, so too will God use adversity today to raise up new leaders and spread His message further than before.

We begin a journey through 1 Corinthians, not as a dry academic study, but as a living exploration of God’s character and how He relates to us. Paul’s letters were written to real people in a real place—Corinth, a bustling, diverse, and morally complex city much like our own. Understanding the context—the who, what, where, when, and why—of these letters is crucial. Paul wrote not to lay down universal laws, but to address specific issues in the Corinthian church, drawing from his role as a spiritual father. His words reveal God’s heart and wisdom for navigating a culture saturated with idolatry, immorality, and confusion.

Scripture is not a rulebook, but a window into God’s nature. The Bible was written for us, not to us, and we must read it with discernment, guided by the Holy Spirit. God desires relationship, not mere compliance. Jesus Himself modeled this when He responded to the woman caught in adultery—not with condemnation, but with grace and a call to transformation. Our lives are to be shaped by a living relationship with God, where we seek His heart and let His Spirit guide us in every situation.

We also reflect on the role of emotions in our lives. God gave us feelings—not to rule us, but to serve us. Anger, fear, and even sorrow have their place, but they are not to be our compass. Instead, we are to let the peace of God rule our hearts, making decisions from a place of trust and relationship with Him. Even when we struggle with identity, temptation, or despair, God’s love remains steadfast. He calls us not to perfection, but to intimacy, inviting us to bring our whole selves to Him and let His truth and love transform us from the inside out.

Key Takeaways

1. God uses adversity and opposition to multiply His work and raise up new voices. Just as the persecution of the early church led to the spread of the gospel, God can turn what the enemy means for harm into a catalyst for revival and transformation. Our role is to remain faithful and expectant, trusting that God’s purposes will prevail even in dark times. [01:50]
2. Understanding the context of Scripture is essential for spiritual maturity. The Bible was written for us, but not directly to us; each letter addresses specific people, cultures, and issues. When we approach Scripture with humility and seek the “who, what, where, when, and why,” we gain deeper insight into God’s heart and avoid misapplying passages as rigid laws. [13:48]
3. God desires relationship, not mere rule-following. The heart of Christian living is not about checking boxes or following a set of rules, but about walking in daily communion with God. When we face moral or ethical dilemmas, the Holy Spirit guides us, and our motivation becomes love for God and a desire not to grieve His heart, rather than fear of punishment. [26:18]
4. Emotions are a gift from God, but they are not meant to govern our lives. Feelings like anger, fear, and even joy have their place, but they must be submitted to God’s wisdom. True peace comes not from the absence of conflict or apprehension, but from trusting God and letting His Spirit lead us, even when our emotions are turbulent. [47:40]
5. Our identity and worth are rooted in God’s love and design, not in our feelings or cultural trends. The world may encourage us to “live our truth,” but only God’s truth brings lasting dignity, fulfillment, and honor. Even when we struggle with confusion or temptation, God’s love is unwavering, and He invites us to bring our struggles to Him, trusting that He will lead us into wholeness and purpose. [48:56]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Addressing Current Events and Revival
[01:50] - Persecution and the Multiplication of Voices
[03:30] - Introduction to “Letters from Papa Paul” Series
[06:49] - Why Study Corinthians?
[08:55] - The City and Culture of Corinth
[10:20] - Corinth’s History and Influence
[11:49] - The Importance of Context: Who, What, Where, When, Why
[13:48] - Paul’s Letters: Not Laws, but Responses
[17:44] - Paul’s Divine Connections in Corinth
[19:52] - Paul’s Missionary Journeys and Letters
[21:29] - Paul as Spiritual Father
[22:45] - Scripture as Living Word, Not Rulebook
[24:53] - Jesus, the Law, and Relational Living
[26:18] - Relationship Over Rules
[29:08] - Acts 18: Paul Establishes the Corinthian Church
[33:10] - Paul’s Ministry Approach in Corinth
[37:50] - Truth, Identity, and God’s Design
[41:43] - The Role of Emotions in the Christian Life
[47:40] - Emotions: Gifts, Not Guides
[48:56] - Identity, Struggle, and God’s Unfailing Love
[55:59] - Invitation to Relationship with Jesus and Closing Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1. Acts 18:1-11 (ESV) — > After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

2. John 8:1-11 (ESV) – The Woman Caught in Adultery — > (Summary: Jesus is confronted with a woman caught in adultery. The law says to stone her, but Jesus responds, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” One by one, the accusers leave. Jesus tells her, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”)

3. Colossians 3:15 (ESV) — > And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Observation Questions

According to Acts 18, what circumstances led Paul to meet Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth, and how did their partnership help establish the church there? ([17:44])
In John 8, how did Jesus respond to the woman caught in adultery, and what was different about His approach compared to the religious leaders? ([24:53])
What does Colossians 3:15 say should “rule” in our hearts, and how does this contrast with letting emotions like fear or anger guide us? ([47:40])
The sermon described Corinth as a city full of different cultures, wealth, and immorality. What challenges did this create for the early church? ([08:55])

Interpretation Questions

The sermon said God uses adversity and opposition to multiply His work, just as persecution scattered the early church and spread the gospel. How might God use difficult situations in our lives or in the church today to bring about growth or revival? ([01:50])
Paul’s letters were written to specific people in a specific context, not as universal rulebooks. Why is it important to understand the “who, what, where, when, and why” of a Bible passage before applying it to our lives? ([13:48])
Jesus’ response to the woman caught in adultery was not to condemn, but to offer grace and a call to transformation. What does this teach us about how God wants us to relate to Him and to others when dealing with sin or failure? ([26:18])
The sermon said emotions are a gift from God, but they are not meant to govern our lives. What are some dangers of letting emotions be our main guide, and how can we instead let God’s peace lead us? ([47:40])

Application Questions

The pastor shared that God can use tragedy and opposition to raise up new voices and bring revival. Have you ever seen God use a hard situation in your life or in someone else’s life for something good? How did it change your faith or perspective? ([01:50])
When you read the Bible, do you tend to look for rules to follow, or do you look for God’s heart and character? What is one way you can start reading Scripture with more focus on relationship and context this week? ([13:48])
Think about a time when you faced a moral or ethical dilemma. Did you approach it out of fear of punishment, or out of love for God and a desire not to grieve His heart? How might your motivation change your choices? ([26:18])
The sermon talked about emotions like anger, fear, and sorrow. Is there a particular emotion that tends to “rule” your decisions? What would it look like to let the peace of Christ rule in that area instead? ([47:40])
The world often says, “live your truth,” but the sermon reminded us that our identity and worth are rooted in God’s love and design. Are there areas where you’ve been tempted to define yourself by your feelings or by what culture says, rather than by God’s truth? What would it look like to bring those struggles honestly to God? ([48:56])
The pastor shared personally about struggling with identity, temptation, and even despair, but finding strength in God’s love and relationship. Is there a struggle or area of confusion in your life right now that you need to bring to God? What’s one step you can take this week to invite Him into that area? ([48:56])
When you think about your relationship with God, do you see Him more as a rule-giver or as a loving Father? How does this affect the way you pray, worship, or make decisions? ([26:18])

Sermon Clips

I'm here to tell you there is a revival in the youth and the young adults of this nation. I mean, I am seeing it on college campuses, I'm seeing it, and I believe it's happening here. There is a revival of the youth, the young adults of this nation. They have said, no, no, we're not going to stand for this anymore. We know what's right. We believe what is right and we're going to stand up for it. [00:01:36] (27 seconds) #YouthRevivalRising

This is showing what he is actually creating at the time. He is living out what is to come. That is a Bible, the codified Bible, when it's brought together. If you look at the book right behind it, that is his journal. So this is his journal that he writes down, and it's going to be going into that book. But then look behind him, and there is a sword. Paul never used a sword, but Paul wrote that the word of God is a sword, sharper than a two -edged sword. So there's imagery in this thing to show us what Paul is doing and to let us know what's happening. [00:05:53] (46 seconds) #PaulTheWordWarrior

I'm telling you God sets people up. When you're obedient to God he's already got things in place for you. So just coincidentally Priscilla and Aquila these these successful tent makers were already there. They were believers but they had to leave Rome because Caesar had had flushed everybody out or all the Christians out and so they were there. So Paul joined with them and they began to help him start the church in Corinth. God's just smart like that. [00:19:13] (39 seconds) #DivineDivineAppointments

God didn't stop talking. God never stopped talking. When the Bible was written, people say he stopped talking. No, God still talks. He didn't go mute. He's still our father. How many fathers, when their kids got grown, didn't want to talk to them no more? I done talked to you enough while you was a kid. No, no, you want to talk to them. [00:23:55] (23 seconds) #GodStillSpeaks

We've got to understand God is a relational God. He's not a gray area God. He is relational. And God wants us to live our life for him and with him. And our lives are to be born out of a relationship with him to where we live, walking according to the spirit, where when we are faced with issues, we have a communication channel with him that we can know what he wants me to do in a certain situation. We just can know. [00:26:29] (33 seconds) #LivingInRelationship

This Bible is not a rule book. Okay? The Bible is not a rule book. It is a glimpse into God's character. And just because it was handled one way this time does not mean it has to be handled that way this time. Now, do we let sin go? No, no, no, no. Jesus didn't let her sin go. And he asked her, he said, okay, where are your accusers? And she said, I guess I don't have any. And his statement was, well, neither do I condemn you. But go and sin no more. [00:27:10] (36 seconds) #BibleReflectsCharacter

When we operate the way God created us to operate, there is fulfillment in life that this feeling, and see, people have misconstrued their feelings into reality. Just because you feel something. See, I can wake up one morning and feel like I'm not married to Sharon. But there is a document in Denton County Courthouse, Denton County, Texas Courthouse, that says, I am married to that woman. And there's no other document anywhere that says otherwise. So whether I feel like I'm married or not, whether I feel like I want to be pastor of this church or not, I am. I am married. [00:40:44] (49 seconds) #CreatedForFulfillment

My feelings will lead me astray. They say, follow your heart. Well, God put your heart, God gave you your emotions to help you, but not to rule you. And if we allow our emotions to rule our lives, and whatever we feel like, that's how we approach our life, we have to understand God gave us the emotions, gave us our feelings, so that we can have life and be more intense about things. [00:41:33] (29 seconds) #FeelingsDontRule

When he is attacking our family, he wants us to get angry at the enemy. That's why we have emotions. But our anger is not to guide us in everything we do. Okay, we're not to let anger pop up everywhere. Listen, this is a man that used to have a very bad anger issue. I grew up having an anger issue. All right? All right, I've got some testimonies right back there. Somebody testified to this. I mean, I had a short fuse, and I would like that rascal myself. I had such anger issues. But God has dealt with me and taught me. [00:46:35] (40 seconds) #RealityOverFeelings

We are not to make decisions based with fear being the guiding principle. If I make a decision because I'm afraid if I don't do this, then this is going to happen, that's not a way to make a decision. You're to let the peace of God rule your heart and mind. You are to allow God to bring you peace. Now, peace is not the absence of being apprehensive, okay? You can have peace and still be apprehensive because it's something you've never done before or something you've never faced before. [00:48:40] (36 seconds) #AngerWithPurpose

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