Posts from February 2021 (Page 2)

1 Thessalonians, Day 5 Paul’s Exhortation to Them, Part 2 (1 Thessalonians 5) “For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5) Have you ever tried to prepare for something but you did not know when it was going to happen? Pretend that you knew that you were going on a road trip, but you did not know when you were leaving. What would you…

1 Thessalonians, Day 4 PAUL’S EXHORTATION 1 Thessalonians 4 What is a life pleasing to God? Many would respond it’s keeping the 10 Commandments. Others might say it’s going to church, reading your Bible, or loving others. These are all ways to live a life pleasing to God. As Paul closes out Chapter 4, his exhortation urges the Thessalonian church to continue to walk to please God more and more. “To walk and please God is to live a life…

1 Thessalonians, Day 3 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 3 The other day, I was walking into a building, when I had an encounter with a patch of ice and nearly fell feet over my head like a cartoon character! I was not paying much attention to the conditions of the sidewalk. The week prior, we had had quite a bit of snow and I was prepared for slippery conditions then, but it had been long enough since the snow that I…

1 Thessalonians Day 2 1 Thessalonians 2 | Marks of a Model Church What makes a model church? For a project at work, I’ve been compiling a list of local “churches.” Sadly, the majority of the 250 organizations I found do not fit the biblical definition of a church, and so many of those that do have fallen prey to some questionable modern trends. There are dozens of how-to books — with new and different ones appearing every year —…

1 Thessalonians, Day 1 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 1 As we begin our look into 1 Thessalonians, let’s go back to Acts 17. We see Paul and his companion, Silas, arrive in Thessalonica. As was their custom, they headed directly to the synagogue and preached from the Scriptures for three days. Some of those listening were persuaded and joined them. There were those Jews who were jealous and set the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason, complaining how Paul and…

Philemon, Day 2 Reconciliation 101 (Philemon 8 – 22) As parents, we are responsible for coaching our children to do the right thing. We step into the “university of choices” with them and leverage strategic situations as opportunities for growth. This education may take some convincing, cajoling, patience, and compassion, but the ultimate goal is for our children to learn how to make choices that reflect a heart for God — a heart that sees people as Jesus sees them…

Philemon, Day 1 Introduction and Thankfulness for Philemon (Philemon 1 – 7) “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much…

TITUS, DAY 4 OBLIGATIONS OF BELIEVERS TO LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY Instruction to Titus and Closing Words Titus 2:11 – 3:15 PREPARING TITUS FOR HIS TASK It is not documented in Scripture when Paul and Titus ministered in Crete, but Verse 5 of Chapter 1 clearly states that Paul left Titus behind in Crete to finish the business of building the church of Crete with Godly leaders. I don’t want to repeat things from my fellow writers, but Paul has done this…

Titus, Day 3 Titus 2:1 – 10 One of the statements I have heard students say to each other over and over throughout my years in ministry is, “You can’t do / say that in church.” I always chuckle a little when I hear that statement because the intentions of the student saying it are usually good. They are trying to help their friend act appropriately. However, it also implies that the action is acceptable in other situations. We have…

Titus, Day 2 Titus 1:10 – 16 Tell It Like It Is Being a pastor is a tough job. Actually, I don’t like to call it a “job,” or even a “career.” True pastors are paid for what they do, but that’s so they don’t have to do something else. Pastoring is a calling from above, and a dangerous one at that. It’s not just the controversy, opposition, and potential for persecution, that pose dangers — It’s the weight that…