Have you ever gotten caught up in the comparison trap? Have you envied someone else, their talents, skills, gifts, personality, strengths, or possessions?

When it comes to the people of God, the church, we share in the blessings of one another. We enjoy and benefit from what each person has to offer. There is no competition or comparison in the Kingdom of God. We belong to one another.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.” (1 Corinthians 3:21-23, ESV).

When situations are complex and unsure, are you confident in the leading hand of God?

We can easily become overwhelmed with the demands and uncertainties of life. It can be challenging to see God’s will, and to understand how God is leading and what he is doing.

The Psalmist writes about God’s presence and leading, even in the worst, most remote, and most destitute places, saying, “Even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:10, ESV).

What does it look like to be under God’s hand?

Humility and peace occur when we are under the hand of God.

We cannot be under God’s hand until we humble ourselves. And when we humble ourselves under the hand of God, he lifts us up. We can place all our anxieties upon the one who cares for us, and we can be at peace.

In his first letter, the Apostle Peter wrote, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7, ESV).

What is the church? Is the church a building or a program you go to? Or is the church the people of God called out of the world to bring the Kingdom of God to the world?

The church is the people of God.

Author and pastor Tony Evans said, “Far too often, we have limited the definition of the Church. While not in all cases, in many cases, 'Church' has become an informational, inspirational weekly gathering rather than the group of people that God has ordained from Heaven to operate on his behalf on Earth in order to bring Heaven's viewpoint into history.” (Tony Evans).

What is the work God has called you to do? What will you receive as reward for doing the work God has called you to?

As followers of Jesus, we are God’s workers. We are co-laborers with God to produce kingdom fruit as his field. We are co-laborers with God to build God’s kingdom dwelling in the world.

Paul wrote the Corinthian church saying, “He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.” (1 Corinthians 3:8-9, ESV).

Are you at peace or afraid? Do you have peace or do you need peace?

Fear is the enemy of peace. We cannot be at peace if we are afraid. This broken world offers us more to be afraid of than it does to be at peace over.

God offers to give us the peace we are longing for. The peace God gives is a perfect peace—the peace of Jesus.

In John’s Gospel Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27, ESV).

What is your role in doing God’s work?

We each have a role to fulfill in serving God by doing his work. However, it is ultimately God who does the work.

God works in us. God works through us. And God works despite of us.

We do the work and God gives the growth.

The Apostle Paul wrote the church in Corinth, saying, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building." (1 Corinthians 3:6-9, ESV).

Who is your teacher? How are you being taught? Who are you teaching?

We should always be learning. We cannot learn unless we are taught.

We should also teach, instructing with our words, as we are being taught by the Spirit of God.

The Apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian church, saying, “And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2:13, ESV).

How safe are you? What dangers do you face? Where do these dangers come from? How can you find safety?

Our fears can paralyze us. The fears we face can actually be the cause of the dangers we encounter.

The wisdom of God from the Wisdom Book of the Proverbs tells us, “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.” (Proverbs 29:25, ESV).

Are you able to be steadfast in living out your faith? Are you able to endure hardships, challenges, and difficulties as you live into God’s work?

Living out our faith can have its challenges. We can encounter hardships, challenges, and difficulties as we live into God’s work and will for our life.

The Apostle Paul encouraged the church in Corinth, saying, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV).

How does God reveal himself to us?

God is always speaking. God is constantly revealing himself. God speaks and reveals himself by his Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit searches the depths—beyond our seeing or hearing, and beyond our wildest imaginings.

The Apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian church saying, “‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’—these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10, ESV).

How do you know how to think? What kinds of things do you think about? Do you think critically? Do you think rightly?

Our minds are capable of much more than we realize. We use our minds more than we are aware of. And we are capable of using our minds more than we do.

As followers of Jesus who have been given the Spirit of God, we have the mind of Christ. Because we have the mind of Christ, we can think like Jesus.

The Apostle Paul instructed the church in Corinth with this wisdom, writing, “‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16, ESV).

How do you need help? Who can help you with what you need?

It is easy to be fearful when we need help. We can feel insecure and alone in the face of our weaknesses and need.

God spoke through the Prophet Isaiah saying, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, ESV).

How does God use the foolish to shame the wise? How does God use the weak to shame the strong? Does the wisdom of God look like foolishness in this world?

God chooses unlikely candidates to serve him and to proclaim his kingdom in this world. What may look foolish from the outside, can actually be God’s wisdom.

The Apostle Paul asked the Corinthian church to consider their calling, saying, “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.” (1 Corinthians 1:26, ESV).

What does true power look like? What does true wisdom look like? How does God display and exercise true power and wisdom?

Most of us have an impression about what true power and wisdom looks like.

According to God’s word, Jesus’ crucifixion is the display of God’s power and wisdom. The world may see the cross of Jesus as weakness and foolishness; however, for God it is the ultimate expression of his power and wisdom for salvation for all people.

In his first letter to the Corinthian Church, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-24, ESV).

What does wisdom look like? Where does wisdom come from? Do you have wisdom?

The Apostle Paul instructed the Church in Corinth, saying, “You are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31, ESV).

Wisdom looks like Jesus, who is wisdom personified. Jesus embodies true wisdom. Wisdom is a person, his name is Jesus.

How do you know how to have peace with God? Do you have peace with God? What does peace with God look like?

When we know we are in a state of rightness, we are at peace with God. We have this state of right being through faith in Jesus. When we exercise our faith in God, we are justified and at peace through him.

The Apostle Paul wrote about this peace with God in his letter to the church in Rome, saying, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1, ESV).

Where does life come from? To whom does life belong?

God is the author of life. All life comes from God and God sustains all life. Life is God’s idea. It is God who gives life and instructs us how to live.

The Apostle John begins his gospel account with Jesus and his creation of all things—the origin of life. John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5, ESV).

Are you aware of what you are submitting to in your life? What are the things that you are resisting?

We are faced with constant choices of submission and resistance in life.

As followers of Jesus we are called to submit to him in all things. We are also called to resist the enemy, the devil, who seeks to kill, to steal, and to destroy life (John 10:10).

James, the half brother of Jesus, wrote, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7, ESV).

When was the last time you brought a friend to Jesus? What did bringing a friend to Jesus look like in the first century context? What does bringing a friend to Jesus look like in our current cultural context?

Bringing your friends to Jesus can be difficult. It was also challenging for four friends to bring their friend, who was a paralytic, to Jesus in Luke 5:17-26.

Luke’s gospel account tells us, "And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus.” (Luke 5:18, ESV).

These four friends had to be persistent to receive the help they were looking for from Jesus. They had to address the complex issue of navigating the crowd, and when they could not push through, they had to design and implement another plan.