Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson 2026

2 Corinthians 10:3-5  " For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.   The weapons we fight with  are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power  to demolish strongholds.   We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,  and we take captive every thought to make it obedient  to Christ. "   Paul is confronting the Corinthians who are saying that Paul seems bold in his writing but face to face not so much.  They are trying to use words manipulatively to discredit his ministry and creating "naysayers" that would create division in the Corinthians church. Paul could have been tempted to fight back motivated by resentment and fear of his reputation being ruined, but he took the high road.  In doing so, he talked about a more powerful form of weapon.  "The  weapons of the world Paul refuses were not material weapons such as swords...

2 Corinthians 9:6-8,15 Generosity Encouraged 6  Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.   7  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give,  not reluctantly or under compulsion,  for God loves a cheerful giver.   8  And God is able  to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need,  you will abound in every good work.  15  Thanks be to God  for his indescribable gift. Paul closes his teaching on giving with the following verses.  He has already told the Corinthians how anxious he was to collect the offering they had set aside for the church in Jerusalem. Paul even sent people in advance so that when he got there with the Macedonians they would be ready  He jokes with them a little saying, " I have already been bragging about you to the other churches, so you better come throu...

The Collection for the Lord’s People 8  And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian  churches.   2  In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.   3  For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,   4  they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing  in this service  to the Lord’s people.   5  And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.   6  So we urged  Titus,  just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion  this act of grace on your part.   7  But since you excel in everything —in faith, in speech, in knowledge,  in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you [ a ] —see...

2 Corinthians 7:8-9 " Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter,  I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9  yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.   10  Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation  and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.   11  See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern,  what readiness to see justice done. We can learn a lot about Paul in this passage.  We see his care for the Corinthians, his willingness to confront the sin that affected the church, and how he distinguishes between " godly sorrow " and " worldly sorrow ".  Godly sorrow leads to repentance, whereas worldly s...

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 As God’s co-workers  we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2  For he says,  “In the time of my favor I heard you and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation . Grace is a free gift.  It is unmerited favor.  It is undeserved.  Like any gift it has to be received.  But then what do we do once we receive this gift?  Paul says, " We urge you not to receive God's grace in vain? "  What does that mean? It think it means three things.  First, the primary grace we have received is the free gift of salvation through faith in what Jesus did for on the cross.  As someone has said, " Grace is free it is not cheap !"  Meaning, as we have received God's gift of salvation what are we going to do with it?  We have been set free from the power of sin, death and the power of the devil.  How are we going to use that freedom?...

2 Corinthians 5:6-10  " Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.   7  For we live by faith, not by sight.   8  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.   9  So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.   10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us  for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." Paul teaches the church about how the bodies we have on earth will be replaced with a body in heaven.  He calls our bodies here an earthly tent, and our bodies in heaven a heavenly dwelling.  The tent of the body we live in now is temporary, but our heavenly dwelling will be permanent.  Paul says we are "confident" that one day we will take up this new body when we are with the Lord....

  2 Corinthians 4 " Therefore, since through God’s mercy  we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.   2  Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.  On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience  in the sight of God.   3  And even if our gospel  is veiled,  it is veiled to those who are perishing.   4  The god  of this age  has blinded  the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,  who is the image of God.   5  For what we preach is not ourselves,  but Jesus Christ as Lord,  and ourselves as your servants  for Jesus’ sake.   6  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts  to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in...