The God Shot With Tara-Leigh Cobble

The God Shot: 1 Corinthians 13:3

"If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:3)In this letter, Paul is addressing the fact that these young Christians are wrongly focused on the more showy aspects of their new faith. They want to perform miracles and know everything. They're zealous, but they're a little bit off the rails. So Paul spends a lot of time correcting them in his letters. Meanwhile, other Christians are facing persecution and even death. So we have the Corinthians who want power, and other Christians who are losing all their power being martyred. So Paul points out that actually, neither extreme matters if love for God and others isn't at the heart of it all. Jesus performed powerful miracles, then died at the hands of his persecutors. He experienced both extremes. But in both, He was always motivated by His love for the Father and His love for His people. He didn't point to His own glory, but to the Father's glory and our joy because He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: 1 Corinthians 13:2

"If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:2)This famous passage about love is part of Paul's letter to a young church at Corinth. These Corinthian Christians are steeped in sin and idolatry, but they're also really interested in the more showy aspects of their new faith. They want to be out front catching people's attention. Paul uses a lot of hyperbolic language here to show them that even if they were capable of the most extreme displays of power and knowledge, none of it would matter if their motive is self-glorification. Jesus has always worked most powerfully through the humble when His disciples rejoice that they had power over demons. He said they should rejoice instead because they have been adopted into God's family. That is a display of God's power! Jesus rescued us from ourselves. He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: 1 Corinthians 13:1

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." (1 Corinthians 13:1)This famous passage about love is part of Paul's letter to the church at Corinth. This particular church is steeped in sin and idolatry so Paul spends a good bit of time warning them about their sinful actions. But he also lets them know that good moral behavior isn't the heart of what God is after. God cares about what motivates our behavior and since God's motive is love, He wants His people to be motivated by love too. Think about it. When you make better choices than someone else, isn't it easy to feel proud and arrogant? Paul says we're missing the point entirely when we act and think like that. On top of that, it's annoying like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. I don't want to be like that. May our pride be silenced. May you tap into and be motivated by the great love God poured out on you through Jesus. He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Romans 8:38-39

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)This is part of the Apostle Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome who were experiencing persecution and death because they refused to worship the Roman Emperor. Paul boldly says that nothing we face; no trial, no enemy, no today or tomorrow can separate us from God. He would know Paul experienced crazy amounts of persecution and prior to his conversion to Christianity, he was the one doing the persecuting of Christians. Paul had been on both sides of the throne stone and he said God's love for us is bigger than both sides. Praise God! He is where the joy is!

The God Shot: Romans 8:37

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)This is part of a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome who were experiencing persecution and death because they refused to worship the Roman Emperor. Despite their terrifying trials, Paul points to their eternal hope. They've been adopted into God's family, so their status as God's kids is eternal. Nothing can separate God's kids from God's love! Whether you face tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or death, you have access to eternal victory through Christ, and that can't be shaken. No matter what your day holds. Jesus has secured your eternity! He's where the joy is!