In Joshua 24, we see the people of Israel gathered as their leader, Joshua, exhorts them to follow after God and Him alone. However, regardless of their personal decisions, Joshua vows "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Paul closes his first letter to the church at Thessolanica with a short, but complex prayer. He prays that God will complete the work of sanctification in the church and help it to persevere to the end.

As Paul is nearing the end of his first letter to the church at Thessalonica, he has some very practical advice to help the church be the church better.

God has entrusted His sheep to the care of many shepherds. As the sheep of a local flock (meaning church), how how are we to treat our leadership (meaning shepherd/pastor)?

The second coming of Christ is something all Christians should be anxiously awaiting, but this hope in a future event should effect how we think and act in our present lives.

Sanctification is the ongoing process, through the Holy Spirit, of a person becoming more holy. In today’s passage, we see a few practical steps in the process, things that can be applied to everyday life.

Paul instructs the church to live a life of holiness. He warned them concerning the dangers of sexual immorality.

In Paul’s prayer for the church, we see him asking God to strengthen the church through growth in faith, love, and holiness.

People don't need something – they need somebody.

In this passage, we see Paul giving thanks to God for a group of people who have been changed by His word. They both heard it and received it for what it was: the Word of God.