Westminster Seminary California Professor A. Craig Troxel gives a morning devotion from 1 Corinthians 13.

Westminster Seminary California Professor A. Craig Troxel gives a morning devotion from 1 Corinthians 13.

C.S. Lewis wrote that the first step to “acquire humility” is “to realize that one is proud. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.” Lewis is probably correct that pride shadows us more than we know. Thankfully the Word of God helps us to see how we can re-orient our lives, speech and motives more humbly. Moreover, the eternal Word become flesh helps us to see what humbling oneself looks like; especially when it is motivated by love.

When Paul says “Love does not envy” he is addressing the earnestness of our desire. A strong or intense desire is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Scripture tells us to “earnestly desire” higher spiritual gifts among other things (1Cor 12.31). But if we desire or love something in the wrong way and to the wrong degree, then we have entered into the realm of envy. The darkness of envy will not rest until it has snuffed out its rival, even if that rival is the “light of the world.” 

This series of chapel talks (based on 1Corinthians 13) is intended to answer the question, “What Is Love?” Few questions could be more important or more practical. Our “greatest” duty is to love God with all of our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. So, if we miss this, we have missed the most obvious thing of all. This first lesson looks at the two sides of love—in what it is determined to endure and what it is willing to give.

Love is Passive and Active (1Cor 13.4)

It can be difficult to know how to pray for ourselves and others, but the Apostle Paul reminds us of three things we can pray that we all will increasingly know.

 In these verses we ascend the summit of John’s prologue. In it we hear echoes of God’s appearing on the mountain to Moses, who condescends once again, only now embodied in the Word. He comes in the fullness of his steadfast love and faithfulness for those who look to him out of the emptiness they feel within. And those that do will not be disappointed. 

Morning devotion from 2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Everyone wants to belong—to become part of a circle of friends or a group where they will be accepted, valued and loved. But often the price of admittance is costly and one’s ongoing status is fragile. So what does the Word offer to those who feel like they do not belong or think they will not become anyone of value? 

Morning devotion from Matthew 15:1-28

A lecture from WSC's new Associate Professor of New Testament, Dr. Bradley J. Bitner

Morning devotion from Luke 14

The prologue of John states that the Word “was life, and the life was the light of men.” He gives what he is. For those who live in a world of darkness what truth could offer more hope than this? He who is “the light of life” intrudes himself upon the deepest shadows to bring a redemption no one else can.

Jesus sends his exhausted disciples into troubled waters, but he has a clear intention for them. 

John's gospel begins—not with Jesus' genealogy or public ministry—but with a prologue. 

Graduating Senior gives a devotion from 1 Peter 4:1-6.

Lawsuits among believers stem from a failure of the church to live in light of its union with Christ. 

Graduating Senior Christopher Smith give a devotion on Luke 15:1-2, 11-32

Though the Apostle Paul was in chains, the gospel was not. 

Graduating Senior Matthew Day gives the morning devotion from the book of Revelation.