May God our Father and Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. May He as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all His holy people. (vv. 11-13, NLT)
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The Faith of the Thessalonian Believers, 1 Thessalonians Chapter 1
We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God love you and has chosen you to be His own people. For when we brought you the Good News it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both of us and the Lord. As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece – through both Macedonia and Achaia. (vv. 4-7, NLT)
An Encouragement for Prayer, Colossians Chapter 4
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about His mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.
Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive, so that you will have the right response for everyone. (vv. 2-6, NLT)
Living a New Life, Colossians Chapter 3
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of the earth. For you died to this life and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ , who is your life, is revealed to the whole wold, you will share in all His glory. (vv 1-4, NLT)
Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, The Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (v. 12-17, NLT)
Freedom from Rules and New Life in Christ, Colossians Chapter 2
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also, are complete through Christ, whois the head over every ruler and authority. (vv.6-10, NLT)
You have died with Christ, and He has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!’? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires. (vv. 20-23, NLT)
Christ is Supreme, Colossians Chapter 1
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see – such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities of the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who will rise fro the dead. So He is first in everything. For God in al His fullness was pleased to live in Christ and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything between heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. (vv. 15-20, NLT)
Words of Encouragement, Phillipians Chapter 4
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He as done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which extends anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (vv. 2-9, NLT)
The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ, Philippians Chapter 3
Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often from before, and I say it again with ears in my eyes, that there are many of those whose. conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control. (vv. 17-21, NLT)
Have the Attitude of Christ, Philippians Chapter 2
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from His love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though He was God, He did not think equality with God as something to cling to. Instead He gave up His divine privileges, He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on the cross.
Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father. (vv. 1-11, NL)
Paul’s Life for Christ, Philippians Chapter 1
For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between these two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.
Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what He is doing through me. (vv. 20-26, NLT)