Learning to love others the way Jesus loves us
1 Thessalonians 2 Paul made clear in this chapter that the gospel is entrusted to us, not for our reputations, but for His glory and pleasure. Entrusting the most important news ever to fallible, mistake-prone people delights the Father; almost like handing down a family heirloom from one generation to another. Treating the gospel as… Continue reading Be who you say you are
1 Thessalonians 1 The church of Thessalonica was made up of people who were consistent in their work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope, so much so that their reputation spread well beyond the borders of their city. They lived out their conviction without compromise. Thessalonica was a port city influenced by… Continue reading Consistent conviction
1 Thessalonians 1:3 (part 3). There is so much packed into this one verse! I may use these short devotions as an outline for something longer eventually! Steadfastness of hope is one I struggle with, particularly with the little things, like where I will work next year. I get discouraged when I see so few… Continue reading Steadfastness of hope
1 Thessalonians 1:3 A labor of love is work done for the benefit of someone else, not for personal gain. Thus defined, the truest labor of love is Jesus' atonement for us, taking the penalty of sin on our behalf. The Apostle John focused on the love of God, giving us John 3:16, probably the… Continue reading Labor of love
1 Thessalonians 1:3 After reading Joel about the Day of the Lord, I thought I would turn to Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, a letter where he addressed the Day of the Lord 300 years after Joel did. I didn't get very far before I was struck by a new-to-me realization. In chapter 1, verse… Continue reading Work of faith
Joel 1:1-3:21 Joel's word from the Lord opens with a dire warning. I had to look up the context of the book and I learned that it was written after a massive natural disaster: locusts that consumed everything (insightforliving.org). Joel starts by telling the people to remember this disaster, and to prepare for even worse.… Continue reading Yet, even now
Galatians 6 Paul is adamant that the Galatians get his point: what you do doesn't save you, only Jesus. However, salvation is not an excuse to be useless; there is still good work that needs to be done. The work isn't the issue, but our reason for doing the work matters. If we participate in… Continue reading One last thing
There is a really cool percussive dance genre called Stepping. When I read Galatians 5 this morning, all I could imagine was a team of people using their whole bodies and their voices to create complex rhythms with a message. Stepping requires coordination, discipline, practice, unity, and commitment for the routine to have its full… Continue reading Keep in step
Why would anyone go back to something that doesn't work?Galatians 4 Why Jesus? Why did he relinquish his divine authority and be born as a human to live in an oppressed population under the Roman government? Paul says it plainly, " to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive adoption… Continue reading Why go back?
Galatians 3 The Galatians were near eye-witnesses to the crucifixion and resurrection; this letter was written less than 20 years after the events. But in that short time, they began to add a human element to salvation - Jesus can't possibly be enough, so keep the Law, too. But NO. JESUS IS ENOUGH. It is… Continue reading Who has bewitched you?
Defaulting to Grace 