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Verse of the Week Archive

June 2-9, 2004

“The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her body? For it is said, 'The two will become one flesh.' But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6: 13-17)

The world is full of temptations. There is the lure to spend money on expensive cars and the "right" clothes, the temptation to over-eat, and the desire to engage in sexual immorality, as Paul calls it. Teens seem to be becoming sexually active at younger ages, and promiscuity is propagated through every form of media. This is not what God intended, however. He wants us to keep our bodies pure, because our bodies are not just our own -- they are part and parcel with Jesus himself! What does it mean, then, to be sexually moral? It can mean complete abstinence, or it can mean confining sex to the proper time and place in your life. Sex has its moral home in marriage. Paul says later in Corinthians that it is good to remain abstinent, but not everyone is meant for this kind of lifestyle. If you don't want to be abstinent, you "should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion" (1 Cor. 7:9). God wants us to treat our bodies morally in all ways, and this includes those aspects outside of the realm of sex. For example, eating disorders and self-mutilation can fall under this category. When you harm yourself, you harm God: "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple" (1 Cor. 3:17). God is closer to us than we sometimes may feel -- he is with us and in us, body and soul.

May 9-15, 2004

"'Do not be afraid,' Samuel replied. 'You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people.... But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.'" (1 Samuel: 12:20-24)

The world is full of distractions -- it always has been. Even back in the time when Samuel was stepping down to allow Saul to become king, the Israelites were being led astray by "useless idols." These are people who had seen God's glory and power first-hand and were still distracted. We're only human, and humans are imperfect and we make mistakes. We can't be completely like God because of our natures, and he knows that. At the same time, however, we know the truth. We know that while the things that the world has to offer may be attractive, they will ultimately get us no where. All the fancy cars, designer clothes, and expensive entertainment systems are fun for a while, but they do nothing good for our souls. Instead, they distance us from God, appealing to our inherent materialism and helping us to forget the best blessing and gift we could ever hope for -- God's unfailing love. Don't despair if you've been taken in by materialism, we all have. Just don't let it take you completely off track. If we serve God faithfully, he'll be there for us, even with all of our frailties and failures.

May 2-8, 2004

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." (Romans 8: 26-27)

Prayer is important and powerful. It is our way of communicating with God. Just like we call our friends and families on the phone when we need to speak to them, prayer is the way to telephone Heaven. Sometimes the connection might crackle a little, and sometimes a lot, but no matter how tentative the connection is, God is always on the other end, hearing our words and reading what is left unspoken in our hearts. Even when it doesn't seem like God is listening, he is, and he strengthens us as we pray. And not only does God always hear what we say to him, he also hears what our "words cannot express"! Prayer is good stuff. It makes us stronger and healthier. When you feel lost or confused, or if you feel like sending God a "thank you," phone him up with a prayer. He's waiting for your call.