1 Corinthians Chapter 3 - When God Is Still Growing You

Today we continue our study through the Book of 1 Corinthians with Chapter 3. In this chapter, Paul confronts the spiritual immaturity and division within the Corinthian church. He explains that believers were acting spiritually immature because jealousy, rivalry, and pride were still controlling their attitudes and relationships. Paul reminds them that ministry is not about elevating human leaders, but about God working through different people for His purposes. He also teaches that believers are God’s field, God’s building, and God’s temple.

Transcript

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It's a blessing to know that God's word continues to stand firm no matter the circumstances. This reminds me of Psalm 119, verse 89. Lord, your word is forever. It is firmly fixed in heaven. Praise God that his word is unchanging and reaching 48 countries around the world. We want to take a moment to say hello to our listeners in Cachoiras de Macaku, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Cuessin City, Metro Manila, Philippines, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, San Francisco, California, and San Jose, California, United States. We're grateful you've joined us today. Thank you for being part of this ministry. It means so much to have you listening.

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Welcome to Giving God Praise. This is a podcast where we walk through the entire Bible book by book and chapter by chapter. Our desire is to discover not only what God's Word says, but what it means to praise God in our daily lives. In each episode, we explore a promise to claim, a response to make, an attitude to change, an instruction to obey, a sin to confess, and an example to follow. So let's go ahead and grab our Bibles and dive into today's teaching. Today we continue our study through the book of 1 Corinthians with chapter 3. In this chapter, Paul confronts the spiritual immaturity and division within the Corinthian church. He explains that believers were acting spiritually immature because jealousy, rivalry, and pride were still controlling their attitudes and relationships. Paul reminds them that ministry is not about elevating human leaders, but about God working through different people for his purposes. He also teaches that believers are God's field, God's building, and God's temple. As I read this chapter, I'm reminded how easy it can be to measure spiritual growth by knowledge, activity, or outward appearance while still struggling internally with pride, jealousy, comparison, or selfish attitudes. What challenges me personally in this chapter is realizing that spiritual maturity is not simply about how much someone knows about God, it is about allowing God to transform the heart over time. Paul also reminds believers that every person is building something with their life, and eventually those works will be tested. That really makes me stop and think about what I'm investing my time, energy, and focus into daily. This chapter reminds me that faithfulness matters deeply, and that God desires believers to build their lives carefully on the foundation of Jesus Christ. This chapter reminds us that believers are called to grow spiritually, reject division and pride, and build their lives faithfully upon Jesus Christ. So let's begin reading 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Brothers, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers? For whenever someone says, I'm with Paul, and another, I'm with Apollos, are you not unspiritual people? What then is Apollos, and what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants, nor the one who waters, is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Now the one planting and the one watering are one in purpose, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's co-workers, you are God's field, God's building. According to God's grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one's work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire. The fire will test the quality of each one's work. If anyone's work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved. Yet it will be like an escape through fire. Don't you yourselves know that you are God's sanctuary, and that the Spirit of God lives in you? If anyone destroys God's sanctuary, God will destroy him. For God's sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are. No one should deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he can become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, since it is written, he catches the wise in their craftiness. And again, the Lord knows that the reasonings of the wise are meaningless. So no one should boast in human leaders, for everything is yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world, or life or death, or things present or things to come. Everything is yours, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. Let's take a moment now to pause and bring our hearts before the Lord. Heavenly Father, thank you for the truth of 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and the reminder that spiritual growth comes from you alone. Lord, guard our hearts from pride, jealousy, division, and selfish ambition. Teach us to walk in spiritual maturity and help us build our lives carefully upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Remind us that our lives, words, attitudes, and actions matter deeply because we belong to you and your spirit dwells within us. Strengthen every listener today who may feel discouraged, distracted, or spiritually immature in certain areas of life. Continue shaping us into people who pursue humility, faithfulness, unity, and obedience before you. Open our hearts today to receive your truth deeply and help us invest our lives into things that carry eternal value. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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Now that we have read God's Word and opened our hearts to Him in prayer, let's begin our praise study and listen to what God wants to say to our hearts today. One powerful promise we see in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 is that God gives the growth. Paul explained that different believers may plant or water spiritually, but ultimately, God is the one who causes growth within people's lives. That promise matters deeply because believers sometimes become discouraged when growth feels slow, prayers seem unanswered, or spiritual progress appears difficult to measure. Yet this chapter reminds us that God is actively working behind the scenes, even when we cannot immediately see the results. Another promise in this chapter is that Jesus Christ remains the unshakable foundation for every believer's life. Everything else in life can shift, fail, disappoint, or fade away. But Christ remains secure and eternal. This chapter also reminds believers that they are God's temple and that his spirit dwells within them. That truth brings incredible hope because Christians are never abandoned or left alone spiritually. As I read this chapter, I'm encouraged by the reminder that God is still patiently growing and shaping his people over time, even through weakness, immaturity, and difficult seasons. If this study is encouraging you today, consider sharing it with someone who may need the reminder that God is still faithfully working in their life, even when growth feels slow or difficult. The response we are called to make in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 is to pursue spiritual maturity rather than remaining spiritually immature. Paul confronted the Corinthian believers because jealousy, division, and pride were still controlling their attitudes. That response challenges Christians today because spiritual maturity is not measured only by knowledge or church activity, but by allowing God to transform the heart and character over time. Another response we see in this chapter is building carefully on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Paul reminds believers that every person is building something with their life, and eventually, those works will be tested. This chapter also calls believers to stop elevating human personalities above Christ. The Corinthians had become divided through loyalty to different leaders, instead of remaining united around Jesus. And maybe someone listening today needs the reminder that spiritual growth often requires honestly confronting attitudes, priorities, and behaviors that God is still working to change within us. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 challenges us to change our attitude from pride to humility. Human nature naturally seeks recognition, comparison, influence, and validation from others. Yet Paul reminds believers that all ministry and spiritual growth ultimately belong to God. This chapter also calls us to move from division to unity. The Corinthian believers allowed jealousy and rivalry to damage relationships within the church, but Paul continually pointed them back toward their shared identity in Christ. Another attitude to change is moving from spiritual immaturity to spiritual growth. Immaturity often reveals itself through selfishness, envy, emotional reactions, and prideful behavior. One thing this chapter challenges me with personally is realizing how easy it can be to focus outwardly on activity or knowledge while ignoring areas where God still wants to grow humility, patience, faithfulness, and spiritual maturity within my own heart. The instruction to obey in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 is to build carefully upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Paul warned believers that every person's work will eventually be tested, meaning Christians are called to live intentionally and faithfully, rather than carelessly. Another instruction in this chapter is to reject worldly wisdom and pride. Paul reminded believers that the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. Christians are called to pursue God's truth rather than depending fully on human reasoning or worldly values. This chapter also instructs believers to remember that they are God's temple and that his spirit lives within them. Obedience means treating our lives, relationships, attitudes, and conduct with holiness and reverence before God. As we continue walking through 1 Corinthians together, my prayer is that God would continue helping us grow spiritually and build lives that reflect eternal faithfulness rather than temporary worldly success. The sin to confess in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 is the sin of spiritual immaturity. Paul openly confronted jealousy, rivalry, division, and pride among the Corinthian believers because those attitudes revealed fleshly behavior rather than spiritual maturity. Human nature naturally drifts toward comparison, selfish ambition, insecurity, and pride if hearts are not continually surrendered to God. This chapter also confronts the sin of building life around temporary things rather than eternal priorities. People often invest enormous amounts of energy into achievements, recognition, possessions, or personal success while neglecting spiritual growth and eternal purpose. Another sin to confess is placing too much focus on human personalities or leaders rather than keeping Christ at the center. Confession allows believers to bring pride, jealousy, selfishness, insecurity, division, spiritual complacency, and worldly thinking honestly before the Lord, so he can continue transforming hearts through his grace. As I read this chapter, it reminds me that spiritual growth requires honesty before God about the areas where he still wants to shape and mature my heart. The example to follow in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 is Paul's humility and faithfulness in ministry. Paul refused to take personal credit for spiritual growth because he understood that only God gives the increase. Even though Paul planted and Apollos watered, both recognized that God alone deserved the glory. This chapter also gives believers the example of building carefully and intentionally upon the foundation of Christ. Paul understood that every action, decision, and investment of life carries eternal significance. Another example we see is remaining united in Christ rather than becoming divided through personalities or comparisons. Every time believers choose humility over pride, unity over division, faithfulness over selfish ambition, or spiritual growth over spiritual complacency, they reflect the kind of maturity described throughout 1 Corinthians chapter 3. 1 Corinthians 3 reminds us that believers are called to grow spiritually, reject pride and division, and build their lives carefully upon Jesus Christ. This chapter challenges Christians not to remain spiritually immature, but instead to pursue humility, faithfulness, unity, and eternal priorities. It reminds us that God alone gives spiritual growth and that every believer's life is being built upon a foundation that will eventually be tested. Take time today to reflect honestly before the Lord. Are jealousy, pride, insecurity, division, or selfish ambition affecting your spiritual growth? Have temporary pursuits become more important than building a life centered on Jesus Christ? And are you allowing God to continue shaping maturity, humility, and faithfulness within your heart? If this message encouraged you today, consider sharing it with someone who may need the reminder that God is still patiently growing and strengthening his people. We invite you to continue walking with us through God's Word at www.giving GodPrazePodcast.com as we grow together, book by book and chapter by chapter. As we close today's praise study, let's bring our hearts before the Lord together in prayer. Heavenly Father, thank you for the truth of 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and the reminder that spiritual growth comes from you alone. Lord, guard our hearts from pride, jealousy, division, insecurity, and selfish ambition. Teach us to walk in spiritual maturity and help us build our lives carefully upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Remind us that our lives, words, attitudes, and actions matter deeply because we belong to you and your spirit dwells within us. Strengthen every listener today who may feel discouraged, distracted, or spiritually immature in certain areas of life. Continue shaping us into people who pursue humility, faithfulness, unity, and obedience before you. Help us invest our lives into things that carry eternal value and bring glory to Christ. May God bless you and keep you in his grace. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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