Three Areas in Which to Excel in Life
The Christian life is not a refuge for the lazy. It is a continuous, diligent, and strenuous effort to pursue holiness, love, and an exemplary life before the watching world. Paul makes this important point in the fourth chapter of 1 Thessalonians.
Homesick for Loved Ones
Do we really value our fellow Christians? The apostle Paul's example shows us how critical it is that we treasure Christian fellowship and faithfully minister to and among one another in the church at every opportunity.
Leading Without Pretending
We tend to measure success in ministry by numbers, dollars, and buildings. What we really should be looking at is character, attitudes, commitments, and responses. Paul's own ministry in the city of Thessalonica shows us what Christ-honoring ministry looks like.
Influencers and Trendsetters for Believers
Thanking God for fellow believers and recalling what He has done in their lives is an important ministry. It encourages them, as well as us, and it gives us a fresh perspective on God’s grace.
Act Your Age!
The Christian life is not conformity to a set of rules but conformity to the person of Jesus Christ. It is thinking like Him, adopting His attitudes, developing His character qualities, and living all this out in every area of life.
Counterfeit Religion
We identify, reject, and refute error by knowing the truth. The truth is that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh and our Savior, and through faith in Him, we possess everything we need to serve and honor Him.
Older and Wiser
The goal of ministry is to bring glory to God by bringing Christians to maturity in Christ. Spiritual maturity should be our personal goal as well. It is marked by godly wisdom--understanding the spiritual treasures we have in Christ and walking with Him.
Jesus Is Creator God
The Christian faith is not about Christians but about Christ. The book of Colossians begins by telling us who Jesus Christ is and what He has done and how these truths have affected and should affect us, His followers.
The Secret of Contentment
As he concludes the book of Philippians, Paul gives us the secret to genuine satisfaction in life. It comes as we learn contentment with the circumstances God has placed us in and as we thank Him daily for all His gifts to us.
Killing the Serpent of Anxiety
Our passage today is an eminently practical one. The apostle Paul urges us to pursue harmony with one another, prayer and thanksgiving, and a renewed way of thinking. Over all of this is the admonition to keep rejoicing in the Lord. Doing these things is the answer to anxiety.