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The apostle Paul often used the theme of running in his letters. Discover what he might have been trying to tell us through his running metaphor.

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The apostle Paul often used the metaphor of running a race to remind his readers, and us, how important it is to run our race well. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul encouraged believers to run away from sin and temptation and to run toward God.  

What have you been running toward lately? 

Is there something you need to flee from in your life so you can pursue God instead? 

What could your next step of running toward God look like? 

Reflect  

• How can you run away from sin and temptation as the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:18 and 1 Corinthians 10:14? 
• What does it look like to “run in such a way” as it says in 1 Corinthians 9:24? 
• According to 1 Corinthians 9:26–27, why is it important to be disciplined along your Christian journey? 
• Based on 1 Corinthians 14:1, what are we to be running toward? 

Respond 

(Use this prayer to start a conversation with God) 

“Dear God, thank You that You are with me as I run the race You have set before me. Help me to run away from sin and temptation and run to You with my whole heart. Thank You that Your Holy Spirit can empower me to run my race well.”      

Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources 

Mentioned in this episode: 

• In Pursuit of Paul 

Listen: 

• Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes  
• Paul, the Letter Writer | Week 1  
• Paul, the Letter Writer | Week 2  

Read: 

• The More Excellent Way: What Paul Actually Means in 1 Corinthians 13  
• Spiritual Disciplines | Running the Race  

Watch: 

• Why Do We Have to Struggle? | 1 Corinthians 10:13  
• Cleansing the Body and Spirit – 2 Corinthians 7:1  

A restaurant employee discovered an unconscious man beside a dumpster. He was sunburned, bitten by ants, and showed signs of blunt force trauma. He had no memory of who he was. The man, later self-named “Benjamin Kyle,” lived in limbo for more than a decade. He couldn’t work, collect benefits, or even reclaim his past. His healing began when a community of strangers helped him rediscover his identity through genetic testing and investigation. “I have a history,” he said. “I’m not just some stranger that materialized out of thin air.”

The story of Ruth in the Bible can be seen as one of rediscovered belonging. After losing her husband and leaving her homeland, she chose to bind herself to her mother-in-law Naomi and her people. She said, “Where you go, I will go. . . . Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth connected her identity and destiny to that of Naomi and her people in life and in death. She was “determined to go with her” (v. 18)—prioritizing community over clarity, belonging over certainty. In doing so, she stepped into God’s redemptive story and is remembered forever as part of the lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:5).

When we as believers in Jesus forget who we are—or when life’s pain leaves us disoriented—God often uses community to reconnect us with our most authentic identity. In Him we’re beloved, chosen, and known.

SNL alum (1986-1992) Victoria Jackson has assembled her lifetime collection of handstand photographs, age 5 to age 65, her original poetry that began at age ten and continued through her TV years where she sang her original songs on Johnny Carson, Saturday Night Live, numerous talk shows and movies, and her original art rarely seen. She dots the collections with personal stories, detailing the highs and lows of her show biz career, marriages, and home life, sprinkling the colorful tales with favorite Bible verses that kept her strong in the face of adversity. Her recent diagnosis of stage 4 breast cancer was the instigator that led her to comb through boxes and boxes of treasures and pick the ones she wanted to share with the world. Like the story of Hezekiah in the Bible when God said, "Get your things in order because you are going to die soon," Victoria is doing just that. Join us as Victoria Jackson teaches us how to live well here while preparing to really live in Heaven.

Become a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partners

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Over the past 18 months some of the most violent attacks against persecuted Christians anywhere in the world have taken place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country where more than 100 armed groups—many motivated by Islamist ideals—vie for territory and influence.

Dr. David Kasali, founder and president of Congo Initiative, is back on VOM Radio this week to tell how Christians are responding and enduring, how they are choosing to be victors instead of victims.

Listen as he shares how he trains Christians to overcome their fears and how he prays for Christ's Kingdom to be established in DRC, just as it is in heaven. He'll also share how Congo Initiative is welcoming Christians from around the world to come and serve in various roles. "We have to work," Dr. Kasali says, "for the coming Kingdom of God."

He'll also share the story of his calling by God to return to Congo—leaving behind an education ministry he truly loved in Kenya—to serve and strengthen the persecuted church in DRC. And finally, he'll equip listeners to pray specifically for the needs of persecuted Christians in the Congo.

Dr. Kasali's first visit with VOM Radio can be heard here.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, China and Iran, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

“So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another” (Romans 14:19).

I was putting my grandson to bed during a sleepover. When his Bible bookmark opened to Psalm 23, he objected, “We already read this one.” After I suggested we might learn something new, he read aloud, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastries.” Green pastries?! I explained that the word was pastures, not pastries. Hours earlier, he’d stood before a bakery shelf, selecting treats. His interpretation came into focus: to him, a bakery conveyed a place of rest and enjoyment.

Psalm 23 may be so familiar to us that we miss its deep offering. David, a king well acquainted with shepherding, describes God’s provision over a lifetime of things both idyllic (vv. 5-6) and challenging (v. 4). He points out that our good God leads us to places where we can partake of His presence, be rejuvenated, and prepare for what will come. Green pastures (v. 1) and still waters (v. 2) are such dwellings for sheep, and we are God’s sheep.

My grandson’s innocent interpretation opened my eyes to the “green pastures” God provides for me—places of rest and enjoyment in everyday life where He restores me. A gold-hued sunset. A verdant field. A quiet corner. A bakery shelf of green pastries, wafting out delight. I’m so glad we read Psalm 23 again!

On In The Market with Janet Parshall this week, Matt Whitman joined us to explain why we are seeing an increased interest in the church, the Bible and Jesus today. We spent time with two guests this week addressing the recent claims about U.F.O’s and alien life. First Dr. Fazale Rana put the latest claims into a biblical perspective and explained how Christians should like about these events. Then on Tuesday Dr. Casey Luskin explained why if there was such a thing as alien life it would be a greater danger those who believe in materialistic evolution than for those who believe in a creator God. We also told you why the U.N. wants you to eat insects instead of meat. National Security expert Lt. Col Robert Magginnis gave us a sobering warning about the encroachment of AI in every aspect of our lives and why we should not ignore this threat. “Readin, Writin and Rithmatic” are at the bottom of priority list for too many schools today. Janet’s daughter, the vice president of Defending Education, was back to explain how indoctrination has taken the place of education in America’s classrooms. There is only one way to combat the broken and misguided ideals permeating our society today, the word of God. Join Janet and Craig as they continue to teach, by example, how to apply His truth to our lives every day and in every circumstance.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James 1:13-15

James - Walk & Talk

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