March 9, 2023

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:3 – “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What it means

Oh, to be remembered for something good that we do in life – isn’t that always important to all of us, to be remembered for something positive that we have accomplished? How much better to be remembered “before our God and Father your work produced by faith, etc.” If we back up to verse 2, it states “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers”…not bad 😊 We should strive to accomplish good things, no matter what we’re involved with, but if we have the opportunity to do something of eternal, Kingdom value…try to focus on that even more than doing something big and flashy that gets the attention of the world.Exercising our faith, loving well, and enduring in our hope may not get the attention of the masses, but it gets God’s nod of approval – our audience of 1.

What it means

I managed to survive my busy month at my secular job during the month of January, where I worked 6 days a week, 9-10 hours a day. For most of you, that’s probably not all that impressive, but for a spoiled brat like myself who isn’t used to putting that many hours in at the office, and then coming home and trying to come up with a sermon that ministers to all of you, bible studies, devotionals, and occasionally being dad and husband…I’m tired 😊 Life is really busy for all of us, I get it, and sometimes we need some downtime to catch our breath and refocus our energies where they need to be. Our day to day responsibilities have the potential to suck all the energy out of us to the point where all The Lord gets is our leftovers, and that’s not how it should be. So if you’re tapped out and tired, as I am, slow down when you have the chance to, catch your breath, and then take Hebrews 10:24 to heart: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”

Love you guys, see you Sunday!

In Christ,

Brian