How many hours do you work each week? Ever totaled up a close approximation of the hours you will work in your lifetime? If you work for 45 years, 50 weeks per year, 45 hours per week, you will have worked over one hundred thousand hours in your life. Perhaps the only activity we doContinue reading “At its core, work is…? – 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12; 5:14, Part 1”
Tag Archives: bible
What kind of workers (and retirees) does God want us to be? – 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; 5:14, Preview
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”
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”
Does God punish people? – 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8, Part 5
There are many passages in the Bible that talk about God’s punishment. Today’s passage is one of them. I have to admit that I don’t like the idea of a God who punishes. Especially considering that there are loads of other passages in Scripture that talk about God’s love. “God is love,” John writes (1Continue reading “Does God punish people? – 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8, Part 5”
When it comes sexual expression, men, we need to do better – 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8, Part 4
In contemporary society, we are well aware of the ways in which people harm or take advantage of others sexually. Certainly in the context Paul wrote, and throughout most of human history, that harm, that taking advantage of, has moved in one direction. From males to females. In the vast majority of situations where thereContinue reading “When it comes sexual expression, men, we need to do better – 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8, Part 4”
Engaging Scripture 