How do you encourage a brother in Christ who is already excelling in his walk with God? This is the challenge the Apostle Paul faced with the Thessalonian Church . After leaving Philippi , where he was severely mistreated ( Acts 16:22-24 ), Paul and his team traveled on to Thessalonica to share Christ. They received the gospel as the Word of God, not merely a message from men (1 Th 2:13). As a result, they demonstrated admirable qualities as the fruit of salvation. In 1st Thessalonians we see… They became imitators of Paul and his team, (1:6) They became examples to all those in Macedonia and Achaia. (1:7) They turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God (1:9) They were waiting patiently for the return of Christ. (1:10) So, how do you encourage someone that is doing so well in the Lord? Let us look at how Paul did it… Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ou...
In this fallen world, fear and doubt can easily overwhelm us. As Christians, however, we have a powerful resource: confidence in Christ. Sadly, many do not draw on this resource and instead depend on self-confidence . Self-confidence looks for the strength to face the challenges of life from within. We rely on our own wisdom, experiences, or methods of handling things. And sometimes this strategy works. But often, it does not. The self-confident person often thinks they are better than others. They may be full of pride. And this very pride can be their undoing. Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. (Prov 16:18) But most self-confident people are secretly very insecure. They know that their strategies are not sufficient for the " slings and arrows of outrageous fortune ", as Shakespeare famously said. Simply put, the challenges they face often overwhelm them, and may even crush them. The bel...