Day 159

1 Kings 3–4 | 1 Corinthians 15:1–34 | Psalm 67

⸻

There’s a lot Paul could have said.

The Corinthians were distracted, divided, and disoriented.

Drifting into pride. Chasing novelty. Unraveling the gospel.

But Paul doesn’t start with rebuke.

He starts with a reminder.

“I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received…” (1 Corinthians 15:3)

First importance.

Not a side issue.

Not an optional doctrine.

The death. The burial. The resurrection.

“That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day…” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4)

That’s the center.

The anchor.

The foundation that makes everything else matter.

Not our performance.

Not our knowledge.

Not even our suffering.

Because if the resurrection isn’t true, then Paul says everything else is in vain.

“And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:14)

Don’t Graduate from the Gospel

We live in a world obsessed with the new.

A world that feeds on noise, labels it wisdom, and calls it truth.

But Paul pulls us back to what is old.

To what is certain.

To what is first.

The gospel isn’t a launchpad. It’s a lifeline.

It’s not the starting line. It’s the whole course.

You don’t move beyond the resurrection—you build your entire life on it.

So if your world feels shaky today…

If your identity is in flux, or your future feels fragile…

Come back to what matters most.

Christ died.

Christ rose.

Christ will return.

Everything else is scaffolding.

⸻

Lord, thank You for reminding me what matters most. When I’m tempted to chase novelty, when fear clouds my thinking or pride fuels my striving, anchor me again in the resurrection. Let this gospel not just be what I preach—but what I breathe, what I carry, and what I cling to. Help me live today with gospel-first clarity—where the death of Christ shapes my identity, the resurrection secures my future, and Your return directs my hope. Amen.