A ministry friend of mine once asked me how long I had been pastor at Faith Church. At the time, I had been pastor about ten years. He shook his head and said that he couldn’t do it. His ministry focused on speaking from place to place to place, sometimes returning to the same place,Continue reading “The important lesson Christians can learn from nursing mothers – 1 Thessalonians 2:1—3:5, Part 2”
Tag Archives: spirituality
Only 1% of churches are very effective in outreach? – 1 Thessalonians 2 & 3, Preview
A recent article notes “Evangelism is on life support in most churches.” The article reports a poll in which only 1% of pastors surveyed say their church is very effective in sharing the Good News about Jesus. Here’s the data: Does this relate to your church? Maybe a little? I’ll let you answer that for yourself. AsContinue reading “Only 1% of churches are very effective in outreach? – 1 Thessalonians 2 & 3, Preview”
How to choose God – 1 Thessalonians 1:4–10, Part 4
How do we choose God? Do we just reach out hands to the sky? In contemporary Christianity, raising our hands to God is a common worship practice. Is that what God wants us to do to show him that we choose him? Or is their something else? Paul saw evidence of God choosing the Thessalonians,Continue reading “How to choose God – 1 Thessalonians 1:4–10, Part 4”
Do we choose God or does he choose us? Both/And! – 1 Thessalonians 1:4–10, Part 3
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”
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”
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”
Engaging Scripture 