Month: March 2026

Faith is not just about what we believe—it’s about how we live. As you work through these devotionals, my prayer is that you will grow stronger, stand firmer, and live bolder for Christ. No matter what comes, you can remain unshaken because your foundation is in Him. – John O’Malley

Below is an excerpt from Bro. John O’Malley’s book, Unshaken: Strengthening Your Faith. If you would like to read the book in its entirety, please click here.

1 Corinthians 6:1-8

“Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.”

Learn About It

Paul confronts the Corinthians for taking their disputes to secular courts rather than handling them within the church. Instead of resolving conflicts as brothers in Christ, they were dragging each other before unbelieving judges, harming their testimony.

Paul reminds them that believers will one day judge the world and even judge angels (v.3). If they are entrusted with such responsibilities in eternity, why are they unable to handle minor disputes now?

The core issue is not legal matters, but a failure to practice grace, forgiveness, and wisdom. Paul goes so far as to say, “Why do ye not rather take wrong?” In other words, it would be better to suffer personal loss than to destroy Christian unity by acting like the world.

The church should be a place where believers seek peace and reconciliation, not a battleground where selfishness and pride take over. When Christians air their grievances publicly, they damage the church’s witness and fail to reflect Christ’s humility.

Apply It to Me

Conflict is inevitable, but how we handle it reveals our spiritual maturity. The world teaches us to fight for our rights, but Christ calls us to seek peace and show grace.

• Do I quickly resort to retaliation or legal action, or do I seek biblical reconciliation first?
• Am I more concerned with winning an argument than with preserving unity?
• Do I let pride and anger drive my responses, or do I practice forgiveness and wisdom?

Handling disputes with a biblical mindset does not mean we ignore injustice, but it does mean we prioritize love, grace, and the testimony of Christ over personal gain.

Talk to God About It

Lord, teach me to handle conflict in a way that honors You. Help me to seek reconciliation rather than revenge, to show grace rather than demand my rights. Give me wisdom to resolve disputes in a Christlike manner, putting unity and testimony above personal pride. Let me be an example of humility and love in my relationships. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Act on It

If you have a conflict with a fellow believer, take the first step toward reconciliation today. Whether through prayer, a conversation, or an act of kindness, seek to restore the relationship in a way that honors Christ.

John O’Malley

If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley to let him know.

Faith is not just about what we believe—it’s about how we live. As you work through these devotionals, my prayer is that you will grow stronger, stand firmer, and live bolder for Christ. No matter what comes, you can remain unshaken because your foundation is in Him. – John O’Malley

Below is an excerpt from Bro. John O’Malley’s book, Unshaken: Strengthening Your Faith. If you would like to read the book in its entirety, please click here.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5

“It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

Learn About It

Paul rebukes the Corinthian church for tolerating open sin within their congregation. A man was involved in an immoral relationship with his stepmother—a sin that even the pagan Gentiles found shocking. Yet, instead of dealing with the issue, the church was “puffed up”—arrogantly ignoring the sin rather than mourning over it.

Paul makes it clear that sin left unaddressed will corrupt the entire church. He commands them to remove the man from their fellowship, not out of cruelty, but out of love for his soul. The phrase “deliver such an one unto Satan” means allowing the man to face the consequences of his sin outside the protection of the church, with the hope that he would repent and be restored.

This passage reminds us that sin in the church is never just a personal matter—it affects the whole body of believers. If tolerated, it spreads like yeast in dough, corrupting others and damaging the church’s testimony.

Apply It to Me

Today, many churches struggle with compromising on sin for the sake of avoiding conflict or appearing “loving.” But true love confronts sin with truth and grace, seeking repentance and restoration.
• Do I excuse or overlook sin rather than addressing it biblically?
• Am I more concerned with appearing tolerant than with upholding holiness?
• Do I hold myself accountable to living righteously, or do I justify my own compromises?

Paul’s warning is clear: tolerating sin weakens the church. We must hold each other accountable in love, seeking to restore those who fall, while maintaining holiness before God.

Talk to God About It

Lord, help me to take sin seriously. Give me the courage to address it in my own life and to lovingly encourage holiness in my church. Keep me from becoming indifferent to unrighteousness. Let me balance truth with grace, always seeking restoration rather than condemnation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Act on It

Examine your own heart for any sin you have ignored or justified. Confess it before God and take steps toward repentance. If someone in your church is struggling, pray for them and, if appropriate, encourage them toward restoration in Christ.

John O’Malley

If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley to let him know.