Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies.
1 Corinthians 9:25
Think about the people we like being around. I’ll bet you’ll find that it comes down to feeling loved and accepted by them. They like you, and you know it. They are interested in you and what makes your life happy.
St. Paul decided that he wanted to do this with as many persons as possible. He figured that if he got interested in the things that others were interested in, they would come to like what he liked—the wonderful good news of how much God loves us. By becoming human in Jesus, God wanted us to like being around God because of the love that Jesus shared. All those persons that others didn’t like because they were poor and didn’t fit in, Jesus hung around with. They came to know how much they were loved.
Who are the people you are with day by day such as in school who are sad and lonely and don’t seem to have friends? Become their friend, and they will become yours. Be a friend to make a friend.
Examples of Bible Breaths Learn More…
My life: to share the Gospel v. 18
All I do: for the Gospel v. 23
So running to win the prize v. 25
The eternal crown of life v. 25
Check out Study Tools in BibleGateway.
I especially recommend the free resource
in Matthew Henry’s Commentary.
Thursdays are dedicated to the letters of Paul, other letters,
the Book of Acts, and the Book of Revelation.
These Firestarters are from a new edition of The Bible Through the Seasons being developed for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook. You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.
The Bible Through the Seasons 