Advent 2025, Week 1: Psalm 112, Part 3 Two of the primary hopes parents long for is (1) that their children do well, and (2) that they have enough money to provide for their kids. Parents can expend mountains of emotional energy on these two important concerns throughout the parenting years, and even long afterContinue reading “Mighty children and fabulous wealth”
Tag Archives: relationships
Allowing people to disagree with you (even if you are convinced they are wrong) – Jesus’ love and peace, Part 2
Allowing ourselves to encounter and express the love of Jesus, I believe, starts with humility. By saying, “I need more of you Jesus.” By saying, “I don’t have your love all figured out. I could learn more about it, maybe a lot more. I could live your love more in the day to day, hourContinue reading “Allowing people to disagree with you (even if you are convinced they are wrong) – Jesus’ love and peace, Part 2”
What’s at the root of the saying, “That’s just the way I am”? – 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Part 5
Years ago someone was telling me about a conflict they were having with their boss. They had actually had conflicts with a string of bosses. They said it was always the bosses’ fault. During their conflict with their most recent boss, they said, “That’s just the way I am.” Have you ever said that? HaveContinue reading “What’s at the root of the saying, “That’s just the way I am”? – 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Part 5″
When you get into a family argument on the way to church – 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Part 4
Think about how your mouth has gotten you in trouble in the past. Might have been this week. Might have been this morning. The worst is when you get into a verbal argument with a family member as you are getting ready to come to a worship service. You drive to church in silence. ThenContinue reading “When you get into a family argument on the way to church – 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Part 4”
Dashboards, emotions, and making God sad – 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Part 3
Car dashboards have all sorts of indicators. Speed, engine temperature, lights on/off, and turn signals have been standard for decades. In the past few years, cars are coming equipped with radar. My two vehicles have radar and alarms that sound if we are drifting toward the sides of our lane, or if we need toContinue reading “Dashboards, emotions, and making God sad – 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Part 3”
There’s a fire God does not want us to put out – 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Preview
A few weeks ago, a serious forest fire devastated 2700 acres in the Michaux State Forest here in Pennsylvania. Close friends of ours have a property located very near to where the fires burned, and thankfully their property was spared. Others were not so fortunate. The news reported that the fire was started not by lightning, butContinue reading “There’s a fire God does not want us to put out – 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Preview”
Christians have been discipled by outrage culture – 1 Thessalonians 5:13–15, 26, Part 4
It is simply human nature that the people in a church family will not always agree with one another. Hear what Paul has to say about that in 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 14–15, “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient withContinue reading “Christians have been discipled by outrage culture – 1 Thessalonians 5:13–15, 26, Part 4”
Christians are to “live…with each other” – 1 Thessalonians 5:13–15, 26, Part 2
Have you ever heard of the Ephrata Cloister? The Cloister was a group of Christians who practiced communal living from 1732–1934. They viewed themselves as a kind of monastic (celibate) community, with noncelibate “householders.” Because I live about 20 minutes from the Cloister, I have toured it, and I find it an eerie experience, cult-like.Continue reading “Christians are to “live…with each other” – 1 Thessalonians 5:13–15, 26, Part 2″
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”
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 