When I was working on my doctoral dissertation in 2020-2022, I began writing about organizations. My goal was to examine what the Bible has to say about organizations. One of my first hurdles was to define organizations. When you think of an organization, what comes to your mind? I think about an organization as aContinue reading “What kind of workers (and retirees) does God want us to be? – 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; 5:14, Preview”
Tag Archives: Apostle Paul
What a church community should be doing – 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; 5:11, 14, 27, Part 5
Editor’s Note: I once again welcome Molly Stouffer as guest blogger. Molly is from Hagerstown, MD, studying Pastoral Ministries at Lancaster Bible College. What does your church community do? Are they doing what they should be doing? In this week’s final post on 1st Thessalonians 4:9-10; 5:11, 14, 27, Paul emphasizes something important any churchContinue reading “What a church community should be doing – 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; 5:11, 14, 27, Part 5”
Brotherly love is patient – 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; 5:11, 14, 27, Part 4
Editor’s Note: I once again welcome Molly Stouffer as guest blogger. Molly is from Hagerstown, MD, studying Pastoral Ministries at Lancaster Bible College. When you’re watching TV and a commercial comes on, do you change the channel or wait for the show to come back on? When you’re watching a YouTube video and there isContinue reading “Brotherly love is patient – 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; 5:11, 14, 27, Part 4”
How to be an encourager – 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; 5:11, 14, 27, Part 3
Editor’s Note: I once again welcome Molly Stouffer as guest blogger. Molly is from Hagerstown, MD, studying Pastoral Ministries at Lancaster Bible College. It can be easy to encourage someone who’s got it all going well. But what do we do when someone comes to us after they lose a job? Their relationship ends? AContinue reading “How to be an encourager – 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; 5:11, 14, 27, Part 3”
Participate in the flowing movement of encouragement – 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; 5:11, 14, 27, Part 2
Editor’s Note: I once again welcome Molly Stouffer as guest blogger. Molly is from Hagerstown, MD, studying Pastoral Ministries at Lancaster Bible College. Did you know that there is flowing movement of encouragement? At the end of 1 Thessalonians verse 10, Paul describes a flowing movement of encouragement. The movements starts with the Christians heContinue reading “Participate in the flowing movement of encouragement – 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; 5:11, 14, 27, Part 2”
Where true love is found – 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; 5:11, 14, 27, Part 1
Editor’s Note: I once again welcome Molly Stouffer as guest blogger. Molly is from Hagerstown, MD, studying Pastoral Ministries at Lancaster Bible College. Almost a month ago, my favorite football team, the Eagles won the Super Bowl. And the week following that, there was great big parade to celebrate in the City of Brotherly Love.Continue reading “Where true love is found – 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; 5:11, 14, 27, Part 1”
The Brotherly Shove and the Bible – 1 Thessalonians 4:9–10; 5:11, 14, 27
Did you hear that at least one NFL team wants the NFL to ban The Brotherly Shove? The potential of that ban is big news for all you Philadelphia Eagles fans. Given that I live in Philadelphia Eagles territory, I suspect that the Eagles are the most popular NFL team in my church family. It sureContinue reading “The Brotherly Shove and the Bible – 1 Thessalonians 4:9–10; 5:11, 14, 27”
What does it mean to be sanctified? – 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8, Part 2
As one who preaches and teaches for a living, I have wrestled with how pushy to be in my sermons. Or in lessons. Or in written communication. And not just in large groups, but also one-on-one. I’ve heard that we shouldn’t guilt people into doing things. I agree with that. We shouldn’t manipulate them, orContinue reading “What does it mean to be sanctified? – 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8, Part 2”
What matters more than what you put in or on your body – 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8, Part 1
What kinds of substances is God okay with you putting in your body? What kinds of clothing does God want you to wear on your body? Or rather, how much of your body is God okay with your leaving uncovered by clothing? What kinds of images can you look at? What words can you say? Continue reading “What matters more than what you put in or on your body – 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8, Part 1”
So many questions about human sexuality – 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8, Preview
This coming week I resume the blog series on 1 Thessalonians, and we will study chapter 4, verses 1–8. The topic of those verses is sexuality. Evidence suggests that the Greco-Roman culture of the first century was highly sexualized, somewhat like many cultures of the twenty-first century. What Paul writes to the Christians in ThessalonicaContinue reading “So many questions about human sexuality – 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8, Preview”
Engaging Scripture 