1 Thess 5:12-22

The Apostle Paul provides a plan for the church in Thessalonica to continue the growth pattern: the growth of their love of God and their love for one another.

1. As a church grows there are more sheep to shepherd. It is a challenging to know all the sheep, [Acts 20:28] their situations, struggles and personalities. Shepherds must work diligently to instill a love for the Lord and for one another. Paul's instruction for the members is found in (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13) But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge…

            This topic covers such a broad spectrum because every real problem we have is related to sin, so we’ll just briefly look at two obvious facts pertaining to the problem of sin. Sin deceives. Sin separates.

            Paul opens the book of Galatians stating that he was amazed at how quickly they were being deceived by false teachers distorting the gospel. He says in verse 6, “deserting Him who called you, by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel”. In chapter 3 he asks, “O…

Some time ago I read an article in Relevant Magazine where Thomas Turner wrote that Jeremiah 29:11 is "possibly one of our most beloved, yet most misunderstood verses in the entire Bible."

BibleGateway.com lists it as the second most accessed and read verse on their website, just behind John 3:16!

This verse is popular in various books about your purpose in life, the purpose of the church, and God's purpose for your marriage and family.

Jeremiah 29:11 even has its own facebook page!

So what does it say? Why is it misunderstood? And what is it's meaning?

Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans…

(from Moses and Old Testament Law)

Exodus 18

Notice the topics Moses and Jethro discussed in Exodus 18. They first asked how each other were doing (18:7), much like we would today when we see friends we haven't seen in years. Then Moses told Jethro three things: the miracles of God with the Egyptians, the hardships of travel, and God's deliverance. Jethro's response was one of praise and worship to God for all that He had done for Moses and the people. Moses gave God the credit and pointed to Him in front of his family. It is very encouraging to see…

In the Morning of Joy “We shall not all sleep, but we shall be raised.” Are there any words more comforting than these? We sing about it, and our hearts are filled with comfort. If there is no resurrection, we … Read More →

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Consider two news stories from across the Atlantic.

Wales — Discussing his new book on the cathedrals of England, author Simon Jenkins observes that cathedrals have become much more popular than churches in the U.K. The reason, he asserts, is that cathedrals “are responding to people’s desire for something that they might call spiritual. They are meditative, they are buildings where people find peace…in the music and the spirit.” Jenkins continues: “If you go to a cathedral now it’s anonymous. People can’t see you reading. No one shakes you by the hand,…

When our children were small, they had a pet hamster named Rowdy. We got him one of those fancy plastic hamster mansions with multiple rooms and tunnels. Among other things, this provided the little critter with any number of suitable places to sleep.

So where did Rowdy usually like to nap? In his exercise wheel.

That little bit of irony got me thinking. The writer of Hebrews said that mature Christians are those “who because of practice have their senses trained [exercised, NKJV] to discern good and evil” (5:14).…

Confess in Context Romans 10:9 is absolutely true. It states: “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” It is true … Read More →

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Have you ever misplaced something important? Maybe car keys? A wallet? A wedding ring? If so, didn’t you do everything you could to find it? And when you found it, weren’t you happy?

Jesus drew on this sort of experience to teach about the value of lost people. Consider two parables about lost things in Luke 15.

The Lost Sheep

What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and…