“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” – 1 Timothy 1:15

Paul is speaking, first and foremost, of himself. By the time he wrote this, he’d spent decades reflecting on the extraordinary grace of God that saved him from the horrors he had committed. In his misguided zeal for God, Paul had persecuted the church, hunting down Christians and condemning them to death. He knew the evil God had rescued him from through Jesus Christ and he rejoiced in God’s love, grace, and mercy.

However, this “trustworthy saying” is about far more than Paul. It’s about you. To truly understand, appreciate, and rejoice in God’s grace, make this saying about you. Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, of whom “I ________ (fill in your name) am the foremost”. That’s when this statement becomes powerfully true!

Our minds hate to think about the horrors of our sin. We don’t like to admit that we were really all that awful, depraved, and hopeless. We like to say, I’m better than most people. We like to console ourselves that we probably haven’t killed or tortured anyone recently. These words radically misunderstand sin. ALL sin, no matter how “small” or “harmless” we consider it to be, is outright rebellion against God’s Kingship over the universe. All sin is our defiant, obscene gesture pointed toward God. ALL sin! Yours included…

Whatever your favorite sins may be, each one is a declaration of war against the Lord. Thus, each of us, you included, can say exactly what Paul did. Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. Once you can bring your mind and mouth to speak this truth for yourself, your love and appreciation for God’s grace and Christ’s saving work on the cross will skyrocket! #FollowJesus

“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you” – 2 Thessalonians 3:1

The last chapter of this letter includes many excellent examples of how to pray big Kingdom prayers aligned to God’s will. Studying it is a wonderful way to learn to align your prayers to God’s will rather than trying to align God’s will to your prayers. It begins in this verse with Paul declaring his top personal prayer request. He longs for fellow Christians to pray for him and his team so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will spread faster in the world.

Paul didn’t prioritize personal comfort or need. He prioritized the most critical spiritual need of people who aren’t yet reconciled to God through faith in Christ. The most desperate need of people still facing God’s just and righteous wrath for their sins. His heart’s desire is for them to know the Lord, be made new and clean in Him, and walk with Him.

That needs to be the top prayer focus for followers of Jesus. This is what Jesus taught us all to pray first by asking that God’s name would be hallowed (praised as holy) and His Kingdom come on Earth. How much time do you typically spend praying for the advance of God’s Kingdom and the salvation of lost people? How much energy do you devote to praying for unreached people groups around the world? If these aren’t among your top prayer priorities, make the decision today to begin praying like Jesus taught and Paul practiced. Pray that the word of the Lord would speed ahead and be honored (believed, trusted) wherever it currently isn’t. #FollowJesus

“Do not quench the Spirit.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:19

This seems to be a pretty straightforward command. However, many Christians disobey it regularly. Do you???

The Holy Spirit enters a person the moment he or she first trusts in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The Spirit seals them as genuinely belonging to God and He will never leave them. However, each person can either be filled with the Spirit or quench the Spirit at any given moment. To be filled with the Spirit is to live a life empowered and transformed by the Holy Spirit’s constant leadership, correction, and direction. To quench the Spirit is to block Him from controlling or even working in your life. It’s very easy to quench the Spirit.

How does one quench the Spirit? There are several ways. One way is to continue committing some sin. If you’re habitually disobeying God, you prevent the Spirit from working meaningfully in your life. That quenches the Spirit. Examine your life – is there some habitual sin (habit, addiction, attitude, or behavior) that God’s Word forbids? Recognize it, repent of it, ask God’s forgiveness for it, and refuse to indulge it again. Fiercely fight its ongoing temptation.

One way is to constantly fill your mind with the things of the world rather than the things of God. How much of the world’s news, entertainment, social media, and information are you consuming each day? How does that amount compare to your intake of God’s Word through reading, studying, and meditating on Scripture? If you’re mostly feeding your soul the world’s content rather than God’s, you’re quenching the Spirit. Devote your time to God’s Word each day.

Another way to quench the Spirit is to refuse to do what God calls you to do. When you know what God wants you to do (a sacrifice, a change, a gift, an action) and make excuses not to do it, that seriously quenches the Spirit. When you follow God’s promptings, you allow the Spirit to fill you. When you hold onto control over your life, you quench the Spirit. Surrender control to the Spirit if you want to be filled with the Spirit.

An unquenched life in the Spirit looks like total surrender and submission to the Lordship of Christ and the Word of God. It looks like turning your daily agenda over to the Lord with no strings attached. It looks like pursuing personal holiness and listening for God’s leading with the intent to do whatever He says. Anything short of that quenches the Spirit. Do not quench the Spirit! #FollowJesus

“For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:14

In Christ, death is NEVER the end! To our limited knowledge and sensory experience, death feels final and terrible. However, the reality is that we are eternal beings and death isn’t final. The souls of those who die in Christ go to be with Him immediately. They will also return with Him when He returns. On that day, their bodies will also rise from death in a glorified state and be reunited with their souls. And so, death is never the end. It is the beginning of endless glorious years with the Lord.

A Christian doesn’t need to fear death. The process of dying may be truly terrible, but death itself is merely the passage from our present experience into the eternal experience of God’s presence. When we die, we close our eyes to the physical reality we’ve experienced our entire lives and open them to the greater spiritual reality that we currently only understand by faith.

Let this be a reassurance to you if you’re a follower of Jesus. Let it also challenge you to urgent action for the sake of those who don’t yet believe in Jesus. These wonderful truths only belong to those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus. For everyone else, the future is every bit as eternally terrible as your future is eternally wonderful. While that is their choice (whether they realize it or not), urgently try and rescue them from that fate by introducing them to Jesus. #FollowJesus

“In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.” – Psalm 119:14

How’s your relationship with the Bible? Is it like King David’s? Do you delight in God’s Word as much as in all riches? If not, what holds you back?

God’s Word, the Bible, is His love letter to you. It’s His revelation of Himself and His unchanging gracious, merciful, patient, loving, faithful, just, kind nature. It’s His revelation of His Son Who loves you and gave Himself for you. It’s His guide to a meaningful, significant, and joyful life in a world governed by an all-wise, all-good, all-powerful, ever-present God. It tells the amazing story of His good creation, our terrible fall, His extraordinary redemption, and the glorious consummation to come.

If you haven’t yet reached the place in your life where you delight in God’s Word, think about what keeps you from that delight. Is it a lack of familiarity? The best way to get past that is to begin reading. Begin reading the Bible in small portions every day, one chapter at a time, beginning in Matthew. Is it that it’s long and difficult to understand? It will get easier to read the more times you read it. You will begin to make connections with each pass through the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit will help you grow in understanding. Bible reading is like any other skill, you must actually do it to improve at it.

Is it that you aren’t really a reader? Listen to it being read instead. There are many free sites that offer this. Is it that you don’t understand the writing? Talk to a trusted Christian friend or pastor to find a good quality translation that works better for you. God’s Word is food for your soul. It is beautiful, challenging, encouraging, and convicting. It has power beyond any other book you will ever pick up. While it will not save you in itself, it is meant to be a source of lifelong delight and growth in Christ. Nothing will change you more over time than a daily personal study of God’s Word. #FollowJesus