Let’s be honest – the last five verses of this chapter are quite challenging to us Americans, accustomed as we are to women taking an equal role in all facets of our society. There has been a lot of ink spilled over these verses, and they form the central reason…

So, what is a pastor’s job? Yes, it’s important to teach people right from wrong, and in today’s “anything goes” culture, it seems that no truth is too basic to be considered self-evident anymore. But as Paul points out in verses 9 and 10, the Law of God is primarily…

Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that the Lord would “comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word” (2:17). And we might guess that such good works would include “standing firm” in the face of their persecutions and that such good words would include encouraging one another…

When will the Lord come again? Christians have been asking that question for 2000 years, and never more urgently than when our enemies have the upper hand. When Rome fell to the Visigoths in 410, when Mohammed’s hordes overran the Mediterranean world starting in the 600’s, when the Irish monasteries…

“He pulls a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of your guys to the hospital, you send one of his guys to the morgue. That’s the Chicago way.” And that’s the way of the Taliban, and the inner-city gangs, and frankly the way of most human beings throughout…

Jesus told us that the essence of the Law is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves. But how do we put this love into practice in our daily lives, especially as we live with one another…

When we lose loved ones, it’s easy to lose hope. It’s easy to imagine that life no longer has any purpose or meaning. And it’s easy to medicate our despair by seeking pleasure in whatever form we can find it. But Paul encourages us to turn away from the sort…

How should we pray for Christians who are suffering persecution? As the Taliban once again take control of Afghanistan, it’s not merely an academic question. It wasn’t for Paul, either – in fact, he knew that he would continue to suffer for the sake of Christ (3:4). And he knew…

So, if faith and hope in Christ are the best evidence of the Christian life, what kind of proof should a pastor give of God’s call to preach the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ? Most obviously, the gospel itself. Paul reminds the Thessalonians that, even though conflict so…

“So you say you’re a Christian? Give me some proof!” How would you respond to such a challenge? To what sort of evidence would you point? Regular attendance at worship? Daily prayer and Bible reading? Giving help to the needy? Well, when giving thanks to God for the faith of…