Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Continuous Encouragement and Spiritual  Renewal

Bible Reading: ::Thessalonians 5:14-28

Key verse:  

Bible Verse:  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

DEVOTION

“Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren’t rubbed in but rubbed out. Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice.”-Rick Warren

We are often misled by the fact that what God expects from us is just to be Spiritually stable. Paul reminds us that God expects more than that from us The church in Thessalonica was young and eagerly awaiting Christ’s return. Paul  instructs the church with a few key points for the church to achieve spiritual maturity, how to grow in faith, care for one another, and live as a Christ-centered community.
1. Care for One Another According to Spiritual Need 
 Paul instructs believers to warn the idle, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, and be patient with everyone. Not all believers are in the same spiritual condition. Some need correction  with love, others need encouragement, and others need support. A healthy church recognizes these differences and responds with patience and love. When the vulnerable are supported, they grow stronger in faith.
2. Refuse Retaliation and Pursue What Is Good 
Paul reminds the church that retaliation has no place in the Christian life. Believers are called to be peacemakers, not peacekeepers, actively pursuing peace even when wronged. God alone is the righteous judge, and vengeance does not belong to Christ’s children. When we refuse to return evil for evil, we reflect the character of Jesus.
3. Practice Worship as a Community 
Paul commands believers to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. This faith is meant to be lived together, not alone. Acts 2:42 shows the early church devoted to teaching, fellowship, prayer, and worship. These practices strengthen faith and deepen unity within the church.
4. Rely on the Holy Spirit for Growth and Leadership 
 Paul warns believers not to quench the Holy Spirit or treat God’s work lightly. Spiritual growth and leadership require dependence on the Spirit. Believers must test everything against Scripture and avoid all forms of evil. Spirit-led believers grow in discernment, maturity, and humility, enabling them to lead others faithfully.
5. Carry One Another in Love 
 The four friends in Mark 2:1-12 carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus, and Jesus responded to their faith with healing. This story illustrates active, sacrificial love. Similarly, the church is called to help the weak, protect the vulnerable, and refuse to abandon those who are struggling.
6. Trust God’s Faithfulness and Live as One Family 
In Christ, believers are adopted into a family that prays, encourages, and grows together. A church that lacks love, unity, and the fruit of the Spirit cannot truly be Christ-centered. A church marked by love, peace, and the fruit of the Spirit is the kind of church Jesus desires.

PRAYER

Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we can love and build each other.

Thought for the DAY

Spiritual maturity is not lived alone—it grows in a community rooted in grace, love and encouragement. ”Jesus says, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”


  Luxuly Abraham, LIMC, NY

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