Going Beyond Surface Spirituality A Study of First Corinthians 2:1 13 on the Daily Bible Refresh with Dr.

Brad Miller hello, my good friend Dr.

Brad Miller here with you with the Daily Bible Refresh.

Your daily reading of the New Testament.

That is understandable.

We use the message version Relatable.

We give you some points to ponder applicable.

We give you an action step.

We have a prayer.

We do all of that in under 10 minutes or so.

We are in the year C of a three year cycle from the Revised Common Lectionary.

This is the Pentecost season.

We want you to know this is all brought to you by voiceofgoddaily.com our website, which is the home of the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible study method.

Let's get into our reading for the day from first Gr.

Corinthians 2:1 13 reading from the Message.

You'll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God's sheer genius, I didn't try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy.

I deliberately kept it plain and simple.

First Jesus, who he is, then Jesus and what he did.

Jesus crucified.

I was unsure of how to go about all this and I felt totally inadequate.

I was scared to death if you want the truth of it.

And so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else.

But the message came through anyway.

God's spirit and God's power did it, which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God's power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.

We of course have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground.

But it's not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high priced experts that will be out of date in a year or so.

God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes.

You don't find it lying around on the surface.

It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest.

What God determined as the way to bring out the best in us long before we ever arrived on the scene.

The experts of our day haven't a clue about what his eternal plan is.

If they had, they wouldn't have killed the master of the God designed life on a cross.

That's why we have this scripture text.

No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it, what God has arranged for those who love Him.

But you've seen and heard it.

Because God by His Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.

The spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dies into the depths of God and brings out what God planned all along.

Whoever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself.

The same with God, except that he not only knows what he's thinking and but he lets us in on it.

God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us why we don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions.

We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school.

We learned it from God who taught us person to person through Jesus.

And we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand well that ends the reading.

What a powerful reading it is.

It's a reflection here about we're reflecting here about Paul's first Letter to the Corinthians, which really challenges us to look beyond superficial wisdom and embrace a deeper, more authentic spirituality.

So let's get into some points to ponder.

The Power of Vulnerability Paul's admission of fear and inadequacy is revolutionary in a world obsessed with projecting strength and certainty, especially in the religious space, Paul demonstrates that authentic spirituality begins and embraces our vulnerability.

True power often emerges when we drop our mask and admit our uncertainties.

A second point is about countercultural wisdom.

The wisdom Paul speaks of stands in opposition to the high priced experts and and systems of power.

This reminds us that God's wisdom often contradicts societal norms and institutional authority.

Progressive faith means being willing to question traditional interpretations and challenge systems that claim exclusive access to truth.

The third point is about divine depth.

The Spirit delves into the depths of of God, suggesting that spiritual truth isn't found in rigid dogma or surface level religiosity, but in deep personal engagement with God the divine.

This intimate experiential expertuality is available to everyone and not just the religious authorities or scholars.

Let's talk about some action steps.

Take 10 minutes or so to write down your honest doubts, fears or questions about faith.

Don't try to resolve them, acknowledge them.

Remember that questioning and uncertainty are not signs of weak faith, but opportunities for deeper spiritual growth.

We'll come back with a prayer in a moment.

Just a reminder that we have a great resource just for you.

It's called the ABC 123 Bible Study Method.

It is a straightforward Bible study resource for you to use in your daily Bible study.

It will be helpful to you.

Let's head over to our website voiceofgod Daily dot com.

There's links there.

You go right to it.

It's free to you Daily Bible right here at the Daily Bible Refresh the website again.

Voiceofgoddaily.com let's pray.

Oh God, you are the source of wisdom and love, and we come to you with our uncertainties and fears, knowing that our vulnerability is not weakness but a doorway to deeper connection with Help us trust the wisdom that emerges not from textbook or authorities, but from the depths of our lived experience with you.

Give us courage to question, humility to admit what we don't know, and wisdom to recognize your presence in unexpected places and faces.

Thank you for meeting us exactly as we are.

Amen.

Always a joy to be with you here on Daily Bible Refresh.

Here just about.

Well, here every day.

The whole idea here is to get the word of the audible word of God into two million ears, a million people by 2028.

You can help by subscribing to the podcast@voiceofgoddaily.com and bring a friend to join me tomorrow.

I'll be here.

Until then, God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new every morning.