Dillon Community Church

Day 1: From Milk to More

Devotional

There is something beautiful about being a beginner. When you first come to faith, everything is new. Grace feels fresh. Community feels warm. But God never intended for us to stay in that place forever. He invites us to grow. The believers in Corinth had been following Jesus for years, yet Paul had to be honest with them. They were still on milk when they should have been eating solid food. Not because they lacked intelligence or talent, but because they had stopped pressing into growth. Life got comfortable, and comfort has a way of quietly stalling our progress. Growth in faith is not automatic. It requires intention. It means showing up when it is inconvenient, sitting with hard questions, and letting God stretch you beyond what feels safe. It means choosing the harder, deeper path when the easier one is right there. Here is the encouragement: God is not frustrated with where you are. He is inviting you forward. Every step you take toward maturity in Christ is a step He honors. You are not behind. You are simply being called to more, and that is a gift.

Bible Verse

"Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit, but as people who are still worldly, mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready." - 1 Corinthians 3:1-2

Reflection Question

In what area of your faith have you been staying comfortable instead of pressing into growth?

Quote

"It's this little tiny startup church in this big, big city of Corinth, and they're just figuring it out. How do we follow Jesus in this world? They're just figuring it out and they're doing their best."

Prayer

Lord, show me where I have settled for milk when You have solid food waiting for me. Give me the courage and hunger to keep growing in You. Amen.

Day 2: God Makes It Grow

Devotional

We live in a world that rewards results. We measure success by outcomes, and when things do not grow the way we hoped, we wonder what we did wrong. But Paul offers a perspective that is both humbling and deeply freeing: you are not responsible for the growth. God is. Paul planted. Apollos watered. But neither of them made anything grow. That part belonged entirely to God. This is not an excuse to be passive. Planting and watering still matter. Showing up, serving, investing in people, and being faithful in small things, all of it counts. But the pressure to produce results? That belongs to God, not you. This truth cuts against the comparison and competition that creeps into every community, including the church. When we start measuring our worth by visible outcomes, we have already missed the point. Your job is faithfulness. God's job is the harvest. Let that settle something in you today. You are not the source of growth in your own life or in the lives of those around you. You are a partner with God in something far bigger than yourself, and that is more than enough.

Bible Verse

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." - 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

Reflection Question

Where in your life are you carrying the pressure of producing results that only God can bring?

Quote

"I planted the seed Apollos watered, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow."

Prayer

Father, help me release the burden of outcomes and simply be faithful with what You have placed in my hands. Remind me that You are the one who makes things grow. Amen.

Day 3: What Are You Building?

Devotional

Every day, whether we realize it or not, we are building something. The choices we make, the habits we form, the things we prioritize, they are all materials going into a structure that will one day be tested. Paul uses the image of a building to describe the Christian life. The foundation is already set. It is Jesus Christ, and nothing can replace or improve on it. But what we build on top of that foundation is entirely up to us. Some materials last. Others burn away the moment pressure arrives. This is not a distant, theoretical idea. It becomes very real when a hard diagnosis comes, when a relationship fractures, or when life does not go the way you planned. In those moments, what you have been building is revealed. Families who have spent years building trust in God, staying in the Word, and leaning into community do not collapse under that weight. They were ready, even when they did not know they were preparing. You do not build for the easy days. You build for the fire. And the good news is, you can start building with better materials right now, today.

Bible Verse

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." - 1 Corinthians 3:11

Reflection Question

When you look honestly at how you are spending your time and energy, what kind of materials are you building with?

Quote

"The foundation has been laid, and it's a firm foundation on Jesus Christ that won't give way. But after that, what are you building in your life?"

Prayer

Jesus, You are my foundation and I am grateful for that. Help me to build wisely on top of what You have already laid, so that what I construct will last. Amen.

Day 4: You Are God's Temple

Devotional

It is easy to think of faith as something personal and private, a relationship between you and God that stays mostly on the inside. But Paul pushes back on that idea with a striking image: you are God's temple. His Spirit actually lives in you. This changes everything. It means you are not just a person trying to follow a set of rules. You are a dwelling place for the living God. That is not a small thing. It is the most significant thing about you. For the Corinthians, this truth was meant to cut through their obsession with status and comparison. They were dividing themselves based on which leader they followed, trying to elevate their own standing. But Paul says: stop. You are all God's temple. There is no hierarchy here. There is no competition worth having. The Spirit of God lives in each of you. When you truly believe that, comparison loses its grip. You stop needing to be better than someone else because you already carry something priceless. And you start seeing the people around you differently too, not as competition, but as fellow temples of the Holy Spirit.

Bible Verse

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple, and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?" - 1 Corinthians 3:16

Reflection Question

How would your relationships at church change if you genuinely saw every person around you as a temple of the Holy Spirit?

Quote

"No more boasting about human leaders, because you're all God's temple. It's not about comparison. It's not about competition. You're all God's temple."

Prayer

Holy Spirit, thank You for making Your home in me. Help me to live in a way that honors Your presence and to see others with the same reverence. Amen.

Day 5: Power Over Performance

Devotional

There is a version of faith that is mostly talk. It looks good on the outside, uses the right words, and knows how to sound spiritual. But it does not have much underneath it. Paul had a word for this: puffed up. Big on the outside, empty on the inside. The Corinthians had mastered the performance. They were proud of their associations, their wisdom, and their standing. But Paul pointed to something they were missing entirely: the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power. Real power in the kingdom does not look like worldly success. It looks like Jesus, led through the streets, mocked, and crucified, and yet that is exactly where the glory of God shone most brightly. The cross looked like defeat. It was the greatest victory in history. As you grow in Christ, something shifts. The need to perform fades. The hunger for status quiets. What grows instead is a quiet, steady power to love people well, to endure hard things with grace, and to serve without needing recognition. That is the kind of faith worth building. Not impressive to the world, but deeply, lastingly real.

Bible Verse

"The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." - 1 Corinthians 4:20

Reflection Question

Where in your faith life are you relying on the appearance of spirituality rather than the actual power that comes from a genuine relationship with God?

Quote

"The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power."

Prayer

Lord, I do not want a faith that is only words. Grow something real and lasting in me, the kind of power that only comes from walking closely with You. Amen.

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*Devotionals written from sermon given by Pastor Jesse Henkle and compiled using Sermon Shots.