Christ’s Resurrection and Your Small Little Slice of Service Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 Each year a new batch of servants stand before the altar and promise to...

May We Be Useful Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.  2 Timothy 4:11 Paul and Barnabas parted ways in Antioch over whether to take Mark with them on their next journey.  Mark had previously abandoned them and was now the source...

Tomorrow’s Teachers and Preachers Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38 Hannah vowed that if the Lord gave her a son that she would offer him to the...

The Main Thing For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.  1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Though I have read the words many times before,...

To Whom Shall We Go? After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.  So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”  Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”  John 6:66-68 Peter’s words in...

Hope for Eternity But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this...

Increasing and Abounding Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the...

Created for Community “Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone,  and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,  that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we...

In Person for One Another But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan...

Like a Mother and a Father For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.  You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward...