WoW: James 3; Psalms 118:15-17; Proverbs 20:29



The Incredible Power of the Tongue

James 3; Psalms 118:15-17; Proverbs 20:29
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.


 Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.

See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 

With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 

This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. 

You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. 

For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 

Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord-that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes," be "Yes," and your "No," "No," lest you fall into judgment.

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 

And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

James 3:1-4:3, 13-17; 5:7-20

WORSHIP
The voice of rejoicing and salvation
Is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
I shall not die, but live,
And declare the works of the LORD.
Psalm 118:15-17

WISDOM
The glory of young men is their strength,
And the splendor of old men is their gray head.
Proverbs 20:29

ONE YEAR BIBLE: October 23rd One Year Bible Readings



October 23rd One Year Bible Readings

Jeremiah 42:1-44:23 ~ 2 Timothy 2:1-21 ~ Psalm 92:1-93:5 ~ Proverbs 26:3-5
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on ESVBible.org: OTNTPsalmsProverbs or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~
Powered by Translate
Old Testament - The three Jeremiah chapters today are quite eventful!  It is intriguing that the Israelites ask Jeremiah for a message from God - and that whatever they hear back they will do and obey. But then they don't obey! Are we like this at times... ?  We promise promise promise God that we'll listen & change...  but then do we?  If you are going through struggles in your life today will you call out to God?  Do you trust that He will answer in His own unique and perfect way and timing?  And then will you trust and obey?
God_answer
Jeremiah chapter 42 gives a good overview of the day's readings, with these closing 2 verses in this chapter from Jeremiah: "And today I have told you exactly what he said, but you will not obey the LORD your God any better now than you have in the past. So you can be sure that you will die from war, famine, and disease in Egypt, where you insist on going." Jeremiah delivered the message from God... but knew that the message would go unheeded.
Jeremiah20prophesying20the20defeat20of20
Chapter 43 reminds me that when we are disobedient to God's will that our disobedience can affect not only ourselves, but others around us too. Mind you, Egypt was not a "house of the holy" - but the Israelites disobedience is going to bring destruction to themselves and Egypt. They're carrying their disobedience and curse on to others.  Jeremiah 43's verses 9 & 10 stood out: ""While the people of Judah are watching, bury large rocks between the pavement stones at the entrance of Pharaoh's palace here in Tahpanhes. I will surely bring my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, here to Egypt." Interesting that God calls Nebuchadnezzar his "servant". Would God have said this about the Israelites at this time? Called them his servants?
Jer_43_9_take_great_stones_in_thine_hand
Chapter 44 is a great reminder of why it's a bad idea to pursue idols in our life instead of God! Verse 7 asks "Why are you destroying yourselves?" I love this verse. Why are we destroying ourselves? We bring upon self-abuse, self-destruction, when we pursue things that are not of God. Think about it. They may bring a quick temporary pleasure, but in the long run are they building us up or destroying us? Why are we destroying ourselves?
Stress
New Testament - 2 Timothy 2, verse 9 has a great verse for us One Year Bible readers! :) "But the word of God cannot be chained." Amen!  Well, I suppose in theory one individual Bible could be chained (as you sadly see below), but not all Bibles.  God's living and active Word overall cannot be chained!
Chained_bible
2 Tim 2 is a great chapter today... just jam packed with wisdom. Verse 4 stands out: "And as Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army." How often do we become tied up in affairs of this life.... ? Every day? Every hour? More often than that... ? If we are constantly "distracted" by the affairs of this life, do we lose sight of Jesus? Do we distract ourselves so much so that we can't serve Jesus well?
Distracted
Verse 21 is a great closing verse today: "If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work." Will you keep yourself pure?  Have you ever realized that you are indeed a utensil for God's use?  :)
Utensils
Psalms - Today in Psalm 92 verse 4 we read a joyful verse! “For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.” When was the last time you reflected upon God’s deeds? When was the last time you reflected upon God’s work of his hands? Do you think this might be a good daily habit? Do God’s deeds make you glad? Do you sing for joy regularly for the work of God's hands?
Bible.org's commentary on Psalm 92 titled "Worship - Our Delight and Our Duty" is at this link.
Proverbs - In Proverbs 26 today I think we have a catch-22! Someone correct me if I'm wrong here in verses 4 & 5 - "When arguing with fools, don't answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are. When arguing with fools, be sure to answer their foolish arguments, or they will become wise in their own estimation."  So do we not answer their foolish arguments.... or do we? :) I can see the wisdom in both verses in different circumstances... Let me know what you think on this one in the Comments below!
Catch_22
Worship God:  The wisdom of so many verses in Second Timothy chapter 2 today reminded me yet again of the power of the Gospel to transform our lives.  The power of Jesus to transform our lives!  And so, I'm reminded of Brandon Heath's popular song "I'm Not Who I Was."  I'm not sure if you've seen this video set to this song, but do yourself a favor and watch it all the way through.  It is a grace filled song with a grace filled video to go along with it!  Are you who you were?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrGfA6y9fNI
Are you who you want to be?  Click here to say "I'm Not Who I Was"!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly." 2 Timothy 2:16 (NIV)
Prayer Point: Pray that you will avoid godless chatter in your life. Pray that you will not indulge in gossip. Pray that you won't become ungodly by allowing godless chatter to infect your life in any way, shape or form.
Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

DANIELS PRAYER@3:00



God

Do I hear you less when I grow up

like grown ups seem to do?

COMMUNION DAILY: "The Reason"


THE REASON WE DO DAILY IS OBVIOUS
The results may be a mystery yet to be seen........

We Enjoy Communing with Jesus Daily at 1:00
We do this in Remembrance of Him
till he come again......



THE WORD OF GOD: October 23 2013 (The One Year Bible) AUDIO


"Faith Comes By Hearing"
"And Hearing by the Word of God"



DANIEL's PRAYER @ 12:00

DANIEL's PRAYER @ 12:00

DANIEL's PRAYER @ 12:00

DAILY DEVOTIONS: "a chaplain friend" -Mike MacIntosh


DAILY DEVOTIONS
Read it. Live it. Share it. Tag it.
"Honoring God in the Morning"



#DAILYDEVOTIONS
#LIFESTYLEOFINSPIRATION
#INTHEMORNING


And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.
Matthew 26:6-7


Years ago, a chaplain friend of mine in northern California received a 2:00 AM phone call. It was the Highway Patrol, and they needed him right away -- there had been an accident, and it was ugly.

 So he raced to the scene, exhausted, but eager to help. As he pulled up, he saw car parts everywhere and the typical ominous, swirling police lights. "How can I help?" he asked an officer. "Chaplain, this is one of the worst accidents we've seen, but we need to identify the victim, the driver..." 

Without hesitation, the chaplain interrupted, saying, "I'll do it; I'll get in the car somehow." He walked up to the shattered car; the driver's body was beyond recognition. He pulled out the driver's wallet, and froze. The driver was his son.

Understandably, he flipped out, unable to absorb what was happening. That night, he broke the news to his wife that their only son had lost his life on Interstate 5. It was the start of a horrible time in his life -- a time of anger and bitterness towards God. A time of brokenness and unanswered questions.

Shortly thereafter, he received another phone call, this time from back east. Terrorists had just flown two planes into the World Trade Center towers, and the voice on the other end of the line pleaded, "We need you to come to Ground Zero." He refused. It was the last place he wanted to go. Months passed, though, and that Christmas, after some convincing from his wife, he packed his bags and made the trip to New York.

Walking Ground Zero, he encountered a devastated couple, still wondering if their daughter had been killed in the attacks. "Can you tell me about her?" he asked them. He wrote down her description -- 24 years old, brown hair, brown eyes, 115 pounds -- and said he'd ask around. 

Later that day, as he walked inside the police perimeter, a truck came around the corner, filled with debris. As it passed by, something fell off the back, and he randomly picked it up. Pulling out his notes, he realized what he had just found: the identification for the couples' missing daughter.

He went back to the couple, hugged them, and cried. And cried, and cried. "Is this your daughter?" Mom and Dad fell apart. But that day, the chaplain was able to put it all in perspective. God healed his heart that day, and used him to lead the couple to Jesus.

You know, it's amazing how God not only loves the broken-hearted -- He uses them to bring love and healing to other broken-hearted people. In Matthew 26, Jesus visits the home of someone who knew what it felt like to be broken-hearted: a leper.

 Here was a man who had been ostracized and rejected not only by his friends and family, but even by the religious leaders of his day. Jesus, though, freely visited his home. He loved this leper, even when everyone else rejected him. Why? Because Jesus, too, was broken-hearted.

You see, Jesus knew that He would be crucified in only a matter of days. He knew the burden of sin He would carry as He would be tortured and nailed to a cross. And it broke His heart. But there, in the leper's home of all places, a woman poured out expensive fragrant oil over His head to bless Him. 

Can you imagine how encouraged Jesus must have felt? Can you imagine how blessed He must have been by this woman, broken before her Lord, sacrificing her costly fragrance to honor Him? The disciples, though, grumbled amongst themselves. "This fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor," they reasoned (Matthew 26:9). They didn't share Jesus' brokenness, and couldn't minister to Him. They didn't understand.

Maybe today you feel like a failure, or an outcast, or that you'll never amount to anything. 

Maybe you, like my chaplain friend, are broken-hearted and crushed. Jesus understands. He loves you, and He wants to heal you. 

He suffered great loss -- even death on a cross -- because He cares for you so much. Let Jesus heal your heart, and He will use you to heal others.


DAILY DEVOTIONS: " Moments" -David McGee


DAILY DEVOTIONS
Read it. Live it. Share it. Tag it.
"Honoring God in the Morning"






Moments - Wednesday, October 23rd 2013
2 Kings 20:1

"In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.'"
NKJV

What if God told you that you were going to die? People every day are informed by doctors and juries they have only years, months, days, or even moments left to live. Those could be moments of regret or moments of satisfaction... it all depends on what we 'make' of the moments God allots to us. Make? Yes, God has given to each one of us creativity, time, a sense of right and wrong, and free will. What we do with these raw materials is up to us. Most of us dole out the moments on frivolous, self-centered activities. Sometimes, it takes moments of shock to make us change course.

Do something for the Lord or do something for the world? The first is a path leading to satisfaction and the latter is a highway leading to regret. It has been said, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." Life is much more than just a measure of our days. It is what we do for the Lord and that, my friend, will last forever. What if God told you that you were going to die? Well... He has.

Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment," NKJV

What are you doing with your moments? Are they going to last?

Life Lesson: There are things worse than death.

Dear Father,
Thank You for Your love. Thank You for the moments You have given to me. Please forgive me for times when I have selfishly squandered those moments. Please give me the courage to make the most of the time and abilities You have given me. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee


DAILY DEVOTIONS: "What's really real?" -Bob Coy

DAILY DEVOTIONS
Read it. Live it. Share it. Tag it.
"Honoring God in the Morning"





What's really real?
O Israel, trust in the LORD... (Psalms 115:9 NKJV)


If we were to summarize Psalm 115 into a single sentence, it could reasonably read like this: "The God which cannot be seen is more real then the gods that can be seen."

Imagine you're an Israelite living in the ancient Middle East. You're surrounded on every side by cultures that have built and bowed down to a man-made idol. Molech, Baal, Ashterah…their names are different but they all represent the same thing…man's desire to invest his trust in what he can measure through his senses.

Not you. You're different because you trust in the unseen and invisible God of Heaven…the God who made man and not the other way around. He calls you to trust in what can't be measured by your senses and to live according to a more profound principle…faith. This Psalm was written to affirm you in this, because it reminds you that the visible idols are actually lifeless fakes, and the God you serve but can't see is living and worthy of your trust.

Nothing has changed. The God we can't see is more real than the idols we often bow down to instead. We typically don't think of ourselves as bowing down to idols. 

But keep in mind that anything which replaces God as our primary priority in life is actually an idol. And this happens way more than we're willing to admit. We frequently forsake our faith in the unseen God in favor of things we can touch, taste, and feel because we think they have the power to fulfill us.

But the unseen God is living and real, and therefore He is able to fulfill us more than any idol we can see. We need to invest our trust in what's real by walking in faith with Him.

Unseen and Invisible One, give us eyes of faith so that we may better trust and follow You.
Think about it… 
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?

DAILY DEVOTIONS: "The Sacrifice Of Thanksgiving (Psalm 50)" -Ray Steadman


DAILY DEVOTIONS
Read it. Live it. Share it. Tag it.
"Honoring God in the Morning"


#DAILYDEVOTIONS
#LIFESTYLEOFINSPIRATION
#INTHEMORNING


A Cry For Mercy  (Psalm 51:1-9))

Read the Scripture: Psalm 51:1-9
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:1-2).
What a marvelous understanding of the nature of sin and the character of God's forgiveness is found in these verses! There are three things David asks for. First, he understands that sin is like a crime. If criminals are to be delivered from the effects of their crime, they do not need justice but mercy. Sin is an illegal act, a violation of justice, and an act of lawlessness and rebellion and therefore requires mercy.
Then he says, Blot out my transgressions, and thereby he reveals that he understands sin is like a debt. It is something owed, an account that has accumulated and needs to be erased.
Finally he cries, Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. He understands that sin is like an ugly stain, a defilement upon the soul. Even though the act fades into the past, the dirty defiling stain remains a stigma upon the heart. So he cries out and asks to be delivered from these things.
Notice that David understands well the basis for forgiveness. He asks on the basis of two things: first, according to your unfailing love. He understands that he himself deserves nothing from God, that God is not bound to forgive him. Some people are never able to realize forgiveness because they think they deserve it, that God owes it to them. But David knows better. He realizes that only because of God's love may he even approach God to ask. On the basis of that unqualified acceptance, that marvelous continuing love-that-will-not-let-me-go, he says to God, I am coming to you and asking now for this.
Second, as David appeals to God according to your great compassion, he again indicates his understanding of the character of God. God is not a penny pincher; He does not dole out bits of mercy, drop by drop. No, He pours it out. His are abundant mercies. When God forgives, He forgives beyond our utmost imaginings. Two figures of speech that are used in the Old Testament depict the forgiveness of God. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12). How far is that? Well, how far do you have to go east before you start going west? You never come to west. Then God says He will hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). Someone has added that he puts up a sign that reads NO FISHING. Do not go down there and try to fish old sins out once God has dealt with them. What relief comes when we begin to understand this fullness of God's forgiveness.
Father, thank You that I can come to You with my sin and cry out for mercy and love. Your love is steadfast; your mercy is abundant. I trust that You are always willing to forgive.
Life Application: The Word of God teaches the true nature of sin, and the astounding basis for God's forgiveness. Are we learning to live in these liberating truths?
We hope you were blessed by this daily devotional.

DANIELS PRAYER @ 9:00


GOD

Jesus Loves me this I know

Why Don't my Mother and Father?

DAILY DEVOTIONS: "WE ALL MUST START WITH GRACE" -Bob Caldwell


DAILY DEVOTIONS
Read it. Live it. Share it. Tag it.
"Honoring God in the Morning"





POISON OF PRIDE
READING FROM: 
 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
KEY VERSE:
“that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord. ’” –1 Corinthians 1:31


Throughout this letter, Paul pleads with these Corinthian believers to turn their focus away from seeing Christianity as a means for personal exaltation. It is Paul’s sincere desire that a genuine relationship with Christ will compel them to live to bring glory to Him—the One Paul loves.

Paul begins his teaching by showing that all believers are equally given the full benefits of salvation in God. Also, they are all equally sanctified and called to be saints (a reference to being set apart to God for holy use). Paul then goes on to remind them that God, by His unmerited grace toward them, enriches them all equally in countless ways. Paul’s goal was to renew the minds of many who falsely glorified themselves as better and more spiritual than others.

Sadly, they did not see believers as all being fundamentally equal before God. They saw themselves as superior to others based on their identification with a specific teacher. Paul refers to Peter, Apollos, and himself as men who did not glory in themselves even though many of these immature believers took pride in being identified specifically with one of them. 

He reminds these Corinthian believers that when Christ called them it had nothing to do with their superiority to others or identification with a particular teacher. It was just the opposite. He reminds them that, spiritually speaking, they had been considered foolish and weak, and would still be that way apart from what Christ had done to change them.

The carnal desire to elevate ourselves above others by identifying with a noted leader who, for whatever reason, is considered superior to other teachers remains very common. We love to glory in man. This is especially true if we think our identification with a person or movement elevates us above others. 

The poison of pride is the greatest evil among humanity. It is one of the most common battlefields for Christians. Pride is deeply rooted in our fallen nature, which fosters self-idolatry, and is itself rooted in Satan. Remember it was Satan who placed the seed of self-idolatry in Adam and Eve.

Satan knows the intoxicating power of pride. It is often his best weapon in destroying anyone who is found “enriched in everything” by God’s grace. He simply tempts us to take pride in these riches as if they were based on our own unique and special spirituality. 

Nothing could be further from the truth. The only reason we have been enriched is because we are all equally spiritually bankrupt. A lie of darkness feeds the delusion that our superior, spiritual qualities drew God to us. It is not true. He is drawn to us because of His glorious grace. Hear the warning at the end of this chapter loud and clear, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

BIBLE READING

1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-31

CHRIST THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

GLORY ONLY IN THE LORD

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

VERSE-BY-VERSE STUDY NOTES

1 CORINTHIANS 1

CHRIST THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD (VERSES 18-25)

v. 18 Cross is Foolishness - This is the perception of those who reject Christ in the Greek culture, and many cultures ever since have rejected Christ for the same reason. This is a very humbling message. Those who perceive themselves as philosophical or intelligent find the cross foolish because it declares that all people are too sinful to save themselves from judgment. Their elevated sense of self, obtained through their wisdom, is of no saving virtue when it comes to their guilt before God for their sin.
v. 19 Destroy the Wisdom - Paul quotes Isaiah 29:14 as a evidence for God dismissing man’s hopes of being worthy of heaven because of the various systems of thought.
v. 21 Wisdom did not - Paul exposes the weakness of man’s various attempts to approach God without humbly accepting His own prescribed way found in the gospel.
v. 22 Jew Require a Sign - This was often seen during Jesus’ public ministry. However, whatever signs Jesus performed to reveal His deity were simply rationalized away and replaced with requests for further proof (John 9:9, Matt. 12:38-40).
Greeks Seek After Wisdom - This endless pursuit of intellectual and philosophical novelty was a primary trait in the Greek culture (Acts 17:21).
v. 23 Stumbling Block - Jesus was someone the Jews could not come to terms with because they had always expected a political and military Messiah, not one who would come first as a sacrifice to save mankind from their sins. They wanted a salvation that resulted in freedom from the Roman occupation. They could not accept that the Kingdom of the Messiah would not be set up until His second coming as outlined in the book of Revelation.
v. 25 Wiser than Men - Paul points out that even if the gospel did seem in some way foolish to man, God’s most foolish truth would be far wiser than man’s most elevated concepts.
Wisdom - The effective and fruitful wisdom of God is the privilege of every believer. It completely eclipses the wisdom of man because it is related to both the physical and spiritual world (Eph. 1:17, 2 Pet. 3:18).
Righteousness -  Righteousness contains two elements. First, it is the gift of being declared right before God (2 Cor. 5:21, Phil. 3:9). Secondly, it is a progressive life of expressing that righteousness until we see Him face to face.
Sanctification - This means to be set apart for God. This is an act of God in Christ where the believer is God’s property. The proper response is to become a living expression of sanctification to be used by God.
Redemption - This means to buy something back. Christ’s blood has paid the price for our sins, and it redeems us from the power and punishment for sin (Eph. 1:4, 1 Pet. 1:18-19).

GLORY ONLY IN THE LORD (VERSES 26-31)

v. 26 Not Many Wise - Paul points out the fact that the majority of those who had experienced the blessings of the gospel had done so because they did not have strong barriers. Intellectual pride, family nobility, financial status, and political power tended to prevent many people from receiving the gospel. However, this does not mean people from these backgrounds never accepted Christ. Even in Corinth some such people received Christ. These include people like Sosthenes (Acts 18:8, Cor. 1:10), the rich Gaius (Rom. 16:23), and the Chancellor of Corinth Erastus (Rom. 16:23).
v. 29 No Flesh Should Glory - Paul points out that one of the main reasons God chose to use the lowly, weak, and despised of this world is so that man would not use Christianity simply as another way to express its prideful desire to share in the glory that is due only to God.
v. 30 In Christ Jesus - This makes clear that the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption that is the experience of every believer in the gospel is rooted in Christ, not ourselves.
v. 31 Glory in the Lord - Seeing the provision of salvation solely in Christ and  results in glorify God alone, not ourselves. This becomes a wonderful directing influence upon mankind to look to God for the good He has done for each one of His children.

Translate