Tag Archives: 1 Corinthians 15:33

Bad Company Corrupts Good Character

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 251 - 1 Corinthians 15:33 - Bad Company Corrupts Good Character - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 251 – 1 Corinthians 15:33 – Bad Company Corrupts Good Character – Growing As Disciples

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

Friends

I haven’t given that much thought. You haven’t given what much thought? I haven’t given my friends much thought. What do you mean by saying that? I haven’t actually evaluated the character of my friends. I haven’t considered the positive or negative impact a friend might have in my life. Doesn’t that seem a little odd to you? Can’t you recall the positive or negative impact a friend has had in your life? I can recall things that my friends have said or done. I can remember having liked or disliked things that my friends have said or done. But beyond that it has been rare for me to reach a conclusion on the positive or negative impact friends have had on my life. What would you think if I were to say that you will become like your closest and most intimate friends? I would say that it is critically important for me to evaluate the character of my friends. If I would not want to become like one of my friends, then maybe it is better for them to not be my friends. I would rather have my friends encourage good and godly character in me than to discourage me in my desire to live a life that is good and right and pleasing to you. I want my friends to spur me on as I love and follow and serve you. I want to spur my friends on in their desire to love and follow and serve you. That is very good.

There is an important distinction to make. What’s that? I want you to be friendly and to befriend others. I want you to love and minister to all people. I want you to express care and compassion and kindness and love to everyone you encounter in life. You are to welcome the stranger. You are to love the unlovable. You are to feed the hungry and cloth the needy. You will be my hands and feet in this world. Do you understand? Yes, I understand. No one is beyond your reach. No one is unworthy of your kindness, mercy and love. You want me to become like you. Yes, I do. So, how do these thoughts relate to those people you allow into your inner circle to become your intimate friends? I am to love and minster to everyone. I am also to be very careful in choosing my close and intimate friends. That is correct. I should choose friends of good and godly character who will spur me on in my faith. My close friends should encourage my character in ways that will cause to think and speak and act in ways that are good and right and pleasing to you. But I will also love and minster to all. No one will be beyond my kindness, mercy and love.  That is right. That is good. That is true.

Lord, I have not always been wise about who I allowed into my circle of friends. I have had friends who caused me to think, speak and act in ways that were not pleasing to you. Bring good and godly friends into my life. Use good friends to develop my character. Amen

Key Question… How has the Lord used good friends to help develop good and godly character in you?

Living It Out… Make sure that you are surrounding yourself with good friends that will help develop your character.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will use good friends to help develop your character.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has used good friends to help develop your character.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you surround yourself with good friends who will help develop good character in you.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 251 – 1 Corinthians 15-33 – Bad Company Corrupts Good Character – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Bad Company Corrupts Good Character

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Promises - Day 311 - 1 Corinthians 15:33 - Bad Company Corrupts Good Character - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 311 – 1 Corinthians 15:33 – Bad Company Corrupts Good Character – Growing As Disciples

Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NLT)

Godly Character

Is that what you want? Is what do I want? Do you want to have godly character? Do you want to think and speak and act in ways that are pleasing to me? Do you want to live the life I have called you to live? To you want to be a bold and bright witness for me in the world? Do you want to bear fruit for my kingdom and bring glory to my name? Yes, I want all of this to be true of me. I want you to use my life to accomplish your purposes and fulfill your plans. I want to be able to know and do your will. Yes, I want to think and speak and act like you. I want to be able to know and do your will. At the end of my life, I want to have no regrets. I will want to know that I have been powerfully used by you. So, bearing fruit for your kingdom and bringing glory to your name is my highest goal. All of these desires will no doubt require that I have godly character. I will need to be the person you have called me to be. I will need to live the life you have called me to live. That is right. That is true. That is certain. How can I have godly character in me? That is a very good question with several related answers. I am listening. You have my full attention. First, you must live in an intimate relationship with me. You must draw near to me. You must meet with me in prayer. You must meet with me in worship. You must meet with me in my word. Will you draw near to me? Will you live in an intimate relationship with me? Yes Lord, I will. Next you must be very careful about who you allow into your close circle of friends. You must carefully guard those who will have an influence in your life. Without a doubt, it is true that, “bad company corrupts good character”. Will you distance yourself from bad company? Yes Lord, I will. Now be careful on this point, do not withdraw from people. I want you to reach out and minister to those who do not know me.  Do not expect that these people will have good and godly character because they won’t.  You can minister to people of all types of character without allowing them to have an evil influence in your life. I understand. That’s good. Finally, I want you to be regularly and consistently engaged in building godly character in others. Will you do that? Will you allow me to use you in this way? Yes Lord, I will. Then as you remain in my presence and allow me to use you to nurture and grow godly character, you will live a life of no regrets. You will be and do all that I ask of you. Thank you, Lord. 

Lord, often I have let bad company into my close circle of friends. What a foolish mistake that has been. I will no longer allow myself to be corrupted by bad company. Instead, I will allow you to use me to nurture and build godly character in the lives of others. Amen

Key Question…  How is God using you to nurture and build the godly character of another person?

Living It Out…  Allow God to use you to build godly character in others.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that the Lord will use you to build godly character in others.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how God has been using you to build godly character in others.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you allow God to use you to nurture and build good character in others.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Promises – Day 311 – 1 Corinthians 15-33 – Bad Company Corrupts Good Character – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Good Character

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 251 - 1 Corinthians 15:33 - Good Character - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 251 – 1 Corinthians 15:33 – Good Character – Growing As Disciples

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

Friends

I haven’t given that much thought. You haven’t given what much thought? I haven’t given my friends much thought. What do you mean by saying that? I haven’t actually evaluated the character of my friends. I haven’t considered the positive or negative impact a friend might have in my life. Doesn’t that seem a little odd to you? Can’t you recall the positive or negative impact a friend has had in your life? I can recall things that my friends have said or done. I can remember having liked or disliked things that my friends have said or done. But beyond that it has been rare for me to reach a conclusion on the positive or negative impact friends have had on my life. What would you think if I were to say that you will become like your closest and most intimate friends? I would say that it is critically important for me to evaluate the character of my friends. If I would not want to become like one of my friends, then maybe it is better for them to not be my friends. I would rather have my friends encourage good and godly character in me than to discourage me in my desire to live a life that is good and right and pleasing to you. I want my friends to spur me on as I love and follow and serve you. I want to spur my friends on in their desire to love and follow and serve you. That is very good.

There is an important distinction to make. What’s that? I want you to be friendly and to befriend others. I want you to love and minister to all people. I want you to express care and compassion and kindness and love to everyone you encounter in life. You are to welcome the stranger. You are to love the unlovable. You are to feed the hungry and cloth the needy. You will be my hands and feet in this world. Do you understand? Yes, I understand. No one is beyond your reach. No one is unworthy of your kindness, mercy and love. You want me to become like you. Yes, I do. So, how do these thoughts relate to those people you allow into your inner circle to become your intimate friends? I am to love and minster to everyone. I am also to be very careful in choosing my close and intimate friends. That is correct. I should choose friends of good and godly character who will spur me on in my faith. My close friends should encourage my character in ways that will cause to think and speak and act in ways that are good and right and pleasing to you. But I will also love and minster to all. No one will be beyond my kindness, mercy and love.  That is right. That is good. That is true.

Lord, I have not always been wise about who I allowed into my circle of friends. I have had friends who caused me to think, speak and act in ways that were not pleasing to you. Bring good and godly friends into my life. Use good friends to develop my character. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 251 – 1 Corinthians 15-33 – Good Character – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Bad Company

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Wisdom - 1 Corinthians 15:33 - Bad Company - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Wisdom – 1 Corinthians 15:33 – Bad Company – Growing As Disciples

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV) 

Your Company

Who are you allowing into your inner circle? Who have become your intimate friends? Who is speaking into your life? Who is giving you wise counsel? How are you becoming like those who are around you? Is there a reason that you are asking me these questions? I don’t want you to make huge mistakes. I don’t want you to become mislead. How so? You might think that you will be unchanged and untouched by people that surround your life. That would be incorrect. That would be a huge mistake. You will become like those people that you allow into your inner circle. Really? Yes, really.

Will you be happy if you become like your intimate friends? Are your intimate friends setting an example for you to follow? Do those in your inner circle want to love me with all their heart and mind and soul and strength? Do your close friends want to go where I guide them to do what I ask of them? Are you being lifted up, encouraged and spurred on in your faith by the people that surround you? Those are good questions. Those are tough questions. I certainly want to be that kind of friend to all those who are around me. I want to be an example that others can follow. I would like others to be able to imitate my life as I love and follow and serve you. That will be very good. I want to lift up, encourage and spur others on in their faith. If I haven’t done that, then I have accomplished nothing. If I haven’t done that then I have not been fulfilling your purposes and accomplishing your plans. That’s true.

Make no mistake about it, you will become like those who surround you. Don’t let others cause you to think and speak and acts in ways that are not pleasing to me. Don’t be led by others to go where you should not have gone. Do not be led by other to do what you should not have done. Keep this thought in you, bad company will corrupt good character. Just the opposite is also true, good company will build good character. Who do you want in your company? I want people that are fully devoted to you in my company. I want people that hunger and thirst for righteousness in my company. I want people who know and love you in my company. I want people who are following and serving you in my company. I want people who are trying to live a life that is fully pleasing to you in my company. These people will help you to know and do my will. These people will help you to bear fruit for my kingdom and bring glory to my name. Keep these people close to you. Yes Lord, I will. 

Lord, I know that I am surrounded by darkness. I know that this world is filled with evil of every kind. I know you don’t want me to sit, stand or walk with the evil in this world. Help me to distance myself from bad company that will seek to corrupt my character. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Wisdom – 1 Corinthians 15-33 – Bad Company – 4 Page Discipleship Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com