After assuring the Christians in Thessalonica that they are loved by God (see previous post), Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 1:4, “I know God has chosen you.” With that word “chosen,” Paul brings up one of the most confounding theological problems that has caused Christians confusion and consternation for centuries. Do we choose God orContinue reading “Do we choose God or does he choose us? Both/And! – 1 Thessalonians 1:4–10, Part 3”
Tag Archives: god
How God feels and thinks about you – 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10, Part 2
What do you think God thinks about you? How does God feel about you? Some of us might think that there is a distance between ourselves and God, like a friend who used to be close, moved away, and though you said you would remain close, now years have gone by and you haven’t talkedContinue reading “How God feels and thinks about you – 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10, Part 2”
When you forget your guitar, a pillow will work just fine – 1 Thessalonians 1:4–10, Part 1
We got my grandson a child’s guitar for Christmas this year. He will stand in front of the television watching music videos of worship songs, belting out the vocals in a three-year voice, and strumming his guitar, trying to copy the people in the video. My wife watches our grandkids two days per week, oneContinue reading “When you forget your guitar, a pillow will work just fine – 1 Thessalonians 1:4–10, Part 1”
What do people say about you behind your back? – 1 Thessalonians 1:4–10, Preview
What do people say about you behind your back? You might answer, “I don’t know, because whatever they are saying, they are keeping it hidden from me. That is the definition of ‘behind your back’.” Okay, I’ll grant you that. But I won’t let you off the hook that easy. I suspect that most ofContinue reading “What do people say about you behind your back? – 1 Thessalonians 1:4–10, Preview”
Why a group of people worked so hard for the mission of Jesus – 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3, Part 5
Take a look at the photo, and what do you see? Pockmarked gloves evidence of hard work? Yet a bright smile. This could very well be a posed photo. After all, the worker’s t-shirt is bright white. Whether posed or candid, the photo communicates a message of joy in the midst of work. Joy andContinue reading “Why a group of people worked so hard for the mission of Jesus – 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3, Part 5”
Christian, what are the top two principles that define your life? – 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3, Part 4
If you are a Christian reading this, what are you known for? Imagine that people evaluate your life to answer the question, “What are two of the most important Christian principles for living?” What principles would they land on? What principles should define Christians? There are many good possibilities. In this post I share twoContinue reading “Christian, what are the top two principles that define your life? – 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3, Part 4”
What a Christmas card taught me about ancient communication technology – 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3, Part 3
A few years ago during the Christmas season, I got the mail from our mailbox, and as is so typical at Christmas, the mail that day included numerous Christmas cards. I opened them one by one, glancing at the pictures. As I looked one card’s picture, I thought “I have no idea who this is.” Continue reading “What a Christmas card taught me about ancient communication technology – 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3, Part 3”
Is three weeks enough time to start a church? – 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3, Part 2
Paul is very troubled about the Christians in Thessalonica. Why? Two reasons: too little time and too much pressure. First, time. He was only with them for about three weeks. That is such a short amount of time. How could they possibly learn to be followers of Jesus in three weeks? I’ll grant you thatContinue reading “Is three weeks enough time to start a church? – 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3, Part 2”
A new house church network begins, and right away there is trouble – 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3, Part 1
Today we start a study through the New Testament book titled 1st Thessalonians. What is 1st Thessalonians? Turn to Acts 17, because there’s a back story we need to hear if we want to answer the question “What is 1st Thessalonians?” In Acts 17, the Christian church is only about 20 years old. What JesusContinue reading “A new house church network begins, and right away there is trouble – 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3, Part 1”
Maybe all Christians need to attend a pastoral assessment center – 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3, Preview
My denomination, the Evangelical Congregational Church (ECC), has something I love called the Pastoral Assessment Center (PAC). The PAC is one of the early steps a pastoral couple or single attends on the road to becoming a licensed pastor in the ECC. When my wife and I started at Faith Church in October 2002, IContinue reading “Maybe all Christians need to attend a pastoral assessment center – 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3, Preview”
Engaging Scripture 