Needed Today: A Ministry of Encouragement
Be honest: when was the last time you said something or gave something or wrote something or did something with the single motive of encouraging someone else?
Be honest: when was the last time you said something or gave something or wrote something or did something with the single motive of encouraging someone else?
It’s impossible to measure the worth of mutual encouragement. Whether spoken or written, a few encouraging words can make an enormous difference in the outcome of a single event or, in fact, someone’s entire life.
Before Paul put the final period on his first letter to the Thessalonians he issued a double-edged command: “encourage…and build up one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). In a world more sinful than saintly, such a command is necessary because the spirit of discouragement is dangerous.
In this message on Acts 5 and 7, Pastor Chuck Swindoll introduces you to Saul, the chief of all sinners. His dark past is full of shocking surprises.
How would you define hope? In what way would your definition apply to a local church? What if hope were missing from a congregation? Would anybody notice? We’ll think about these and other things as we allow Peter’s words to guide us into the truth about hope. These passages of Scripture suggest several ingredients that must be present if hope is to remain a vital part of a church’s life.
From Exodus 3 and Acts 7, Pastor Chuck Swindoll examines Moses’ formative years. As an adult, Moses’ life took a sharp turn when he defended a Hebrew slave by taking a taskmaster’s life.
To truly learn from Abraham’s life, we must think what he thought, hear what he heard, feel what he felt, go where he went, and most of all, learn what he learned. Among the many benefits of studying the life of a man of God is the opportunity to discover truths about the God of that man.
We may not be able to reach millions of people, but we can impact our neighbour...our co-worker...our friend. Reaching the world starts with just one person.
Evangelism and discipleship were never designed to be ministries limited to “the pros.” Many of us grow up believing that serving God is for somebody else. Let’s take some time to examine the truth.
The apostles certainly had their share of adventure! After receiving the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost, they embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Empowered and emboldened by the Spirit, they preached the Gospel and performed extraordinary miracles, touching others’ lives as they went. Let’s take a look at how they effectively ministered to others so we can discover some positive principles to use in our own lives.