Paul begins his first letter to the Thessalonians by giving thanks to God for their “work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in [the] Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:3). These three characteristics gave evidence to the “power” of the Holy Spirit witnessed by Paul in the…

The prophet Malachi charged the post-exilic people of Israel with robbing God by refusing to bring their tithes and contributions into His house. They were keeping for themselves what legally and covenantally belonged to God. In response, the Lord invited the people to test him, to see “if [He] will…

Church growth can be difficult. Where do we put all these people? How can they connect with others? How can we ensure they’re being cared for and shepherded? Where did they come from? If this growth doesn’t bring with it a growth in maturity, then the difficulty is that much…

“And the ark of God was taken” (1 Sam 4:11, 17, 19, 21). Although this was just part of what was shared with Eli after the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines, it was the most devastating news. Let’s learn more about the account of the capture and return of…

When the church in Philippi heard of Paul’s imprisonment, they undoubtedly assumed this would hinder the work God was doing through him. Having partnered with him in his ministry (cf. Phil. 4:14–18), they must have worried the fruit of his ministry was ending. But in a shocking twist, God providentially…

Have you ever faced a task so daunting you were unsure it would be possible to complete? Or have you been in such a difficult situation that you didn’t think you had the necessary resources to succeed? While none of us “is adequate for these things” (2 Cor. 2:16), we…