Ministry Motivation Matters - I Thessalonians 2:5-6
So much ministry looks good in the eyes of men but is worth nothing in the eyes of God. The prayer-refined heart seeking the pleasure of God and glory from Him alone must be behind all ministry. Without it, what looks like love and ministry is just flattery and masked greed.
Jesus: Risen Savior & Judge - 1 Thessalonians 1:10
From the earliest days in the NT church, there was a clear understanding and embrace of the return of Jesus physically… who would do two incredibly powerful things. He will come and deal with humanity in two wildly distinct ways. He will deliver… take back every person who has listened to him genuinely, having said to him.. I submit to you.. follow you completely and trust you promise to use your work of your perfect life and death and resurrection to save me. To every last person who has shunned and dishonored him, choosing “other than Christ”, he will judge… and warns us time and again that the perfect and holy judgement of Christ is not quiet, is not dignified, avoidable, quick or easy. Time and again, his divinely chosen word to describe it is wrath.. Jesus is eager to save all and terrifyingly mighty to judge. With all your heart, call out to Jesus for his promised grace and let us wait together for his sweet promise of coming and delivering us.
Perpendicular to the One - I Thessalonians 1:8-9
The core change of salvation is not escape from eternal destruction, but a transformation from false powers and promises to whole heartedly worship the only living and true God.
The Power Of Truth Believed - I Thessalonians 1:5-8
There is great worth in human examples. God has designed incredible power to be demonstrated through followers of Jesus who understand and articulate gospel centrality well and live lives continually shaped by it. Authentic believers openly speaking Christ into all things.
God’s Choosing Love - 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5a
As Paul is commending the Thessalonians for the Spirit’s fruit in them, he reminds them of God’s unmerited, choosing love for them and grounds all that he sees in them in that reality. God’s love being poured out on people through his gospel going forward in word and in power is the mean’s by which the church is established and strengthened.
Spiritual Vitality - I Thessalonians 1:1-3
Spiritual Vitality… what does the prayerful work of our faith look like? What does the labor of our love for one another look like and how steadfast is our confidence in Christ?
The Last Gospel - Revelation 22:12-17
I am coming and all will be perfectly rewarded by me, including you. Come to me and let me cleanse you. Listen to the Spirit telling you now “come”. Listen to the Church say “come”. Come and add your voice to tell others to come be with Christ and have your thirsty soul satisfied by Christ as a gift …without your merit.
The Power Of Gospel Servants - 1 Corinthians 9:15-23
Again and again we place ourselves at the feet of Jesus and welcome his commission to go out like Jesus and be a servant like he was. It’s our spiritual act of worship.
The Happiness of Obedience to Jesus - James 1:22-25
God is most glorified and we are most happy when the redeemed authentically understand and adopt the life-giving instruction and rule of Christ. How many of our life challenges can be traced back to bad listening habits on our part where we look diligently at God’s words to understand them but do not then work dillently to believe and obey them… forfeiting even our own happiness (“being blessed in the doing”).
Taste & See That The Lord Is Good - Psalm 34
David reminds us that it becomes easier to praise the Lord in every season when we “taste and see that the Lord is good.” Even in difficult times, when we are brokenhearted or hurting, we can trust that God is near.
A Song Worthy Savior - Psalm 98
Sing dear family of God. Sing Sing because our great Father is the righteous terminator of sin, in us through the forgiveness of our Savior Jesus and outside of us, in every ounce of existance the Judge Jesus. Because he loves it. Sing it loud, sing it new, sing it with music, sing it with joy and gladness…. For our God is a consuming fire.
The Delivered Deliverer Delivers - Psalm 40:6-17
Psalm 40 showed us how perfect Jesus would be and would rely upon the Father as he navigated the true valley of the shadow of death so that we wouldn’t. And because he did that, we now can cry out to the Father in our need and know he will truly deliver us into joy and gladness and so we can rest in him now before he has delivered us.
Waiting With God - Psalm 40:1-5
In the end, we are people who wait with God through prayer, watching for every part of his response, taking note of them and telling one another and the watching world of the accounts of Gods faithful and loving answers to our prayers for God’s praise and for the hope that they too will see and fear and trust the Lord.
Race Killing Lameness - Hebrews 12:1-14
In the Kingdom life-race that God has given each of us, weights of life and sin war against our minds and hearts to slow us down or stop us. God calls us to fight against these obstacles and sin and to embrace his refining help for each of us in this. The question for you is “ Will I embrace God’s refining training he says I need and will truly want”?
Practicing Godliness and Contentment - 1 Timothy 6:3-10
When we treasure Christ above the things of this world, we find contentment in God’s provision.