email : Webview : Duane Brooks - Every Day with Jesus

October 12, 2021

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

New International Version (NIV)

“How is the church?” Pastors often measure churches numerically. How many did you have on Sunday? What is your budget? How many did you baptize last year? I have seen pastors ask and answer those questions for forty years now. The thought seems to be: a bigger church is always a better church. I have never once heard a pastor ask another, “Is faith growing in your church?” Nor, “Do your people love each other well?” Or, “Are your people filled with hope?”

How did Paul measure the first century church? In his first letter to the Thessalonians he commends their faith, hope and love without mentioning their numbers or budget. In other words, he measured the growth of the church qualitatively and not just quantitatively. Here in his second letter we see it again. The church at Thessalonica was growing in faith and in love for one another.

We learn later in the letter that the Christians in Thessalonica are suffering for the kingdom of God. Paul prays for them that God will make them worthy of his calling, that their desires for goodness will be fulfilled and that every deed will be prompted by faith. This informs my prayers for our church and sister churches in this season. For many reasons our attendance in the last year has not been as high as in previous years. If we root our identity in numerical success, things are not going well.

Yesterday we laid to rest a sister who had four sons. Her sister and her sons spoke about how she had grown in her faith since she had leukemia in 2015. She also loved her sons and grandchildren so well. Pray that we will grow in faith and that our love for each other will increase. Churches that trust God well and love each other well may very well grow numerically. People are searching for someone they can trust. Everyone needs to be loved. Let’s be the church, trusting God in a world that is struggling.

Pray with me:
Father, grow our faith and cause our love for each other to increase. Grow your church by growing us to maturity. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Scripture memorization for this week:

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

New International Version (NIV)

Our 2021 Every Day with Jesus readings will follow the Foundations Bible reading plan. Copies of the reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download your copy here:

2021 Reading Plan

We would love for you to join us as we read through the Bible in one year, while still having the flexibility of reading 5 days per week. In addition, I will continue my long-standing practice of reading one Psalm a day through the year. We will also memorize 2 scriptures each week. As we journal together this year, Robby Gallaty’s H.E.A.R. plan is a good resource: Highlight a verse that stands out to you, Explain what it means, Apply that truth to your life and Respond to what you’ve read with an action or prayer.

Joyfully,
Duane

Manage your preferences | Opt out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.

555 Tallowood Road
Houston, TX | 77024 US

This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.