Paul declares to this church that they are doing great and so now he
prays for more. They are ready for all that God has to give to them theologically
and practically. Paul concludes by pointing to Jesus as the example of how all
these graces from God the Father are lived out.
Christ died for our sins and was raised on the third day; Paul would
say this declaration is the most important thing you could ever do. More
important than anything you have or anything you could be. Today, let's
examine what Jesus has done and praise Him for conquering the grave.
It’s not difficult to find conflict in this world. But the greatest conflict in the world today is the battle for our minds. The good news is God can reframe our mind for spiritual success.
The end of 1 Thessalonians is the practical boots on the ground portion of this brilliant letter. It gives the church both its marching orders and the plan to construct a community that lives into its given righteousness.
The church at Thessalonica was freaked out about the end of days. They were uninformed about both the return of Jesus and what happens at death. In this short section Paul brilliantly clarifies these questions to encourage the church.
The church at Thessalonica is told to not do sex like the people who don’t know God. Paul had previously instructed them to control their bodies in holiness and honor. We attempt to unearth the weapons that they would have used to exercise body control.
Ancient Greeks and Romans had a drastically different view of what was allowed sexually. The good news is the Gospel has redefined sex for the entire world and in its sunrise has protected the most vulnerable in a society.
Paul has to leave the new church quickly and has concerns about tough things he had said to them. Did they accept them? Reject? Were they mad at him? He sends Timothy and gets a refreshing answer to his relational doubt.
Chapter 2 leaves us dead to the kingdom of darkness. Too often, believers stay in this state, missing out on the feasts of kingdom life. Chapter 3 resurrects us and…
The warning and guarding section of Colossians concludes with three religious traps: legalism, mysticism, and asceticism. Each trap is concluded with a truth to prevent a Christian from these three…
Pastors have two primary jobs: guarding and gardening. They are to heap on the fertilizer of God’s Word and guard against bad doctrine. In this section of Colossians, Pastor Paul…