Bible passage: Thessalonians 5:23 "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."   This is a prayer from the Apostle Paul for the believers. He is asking God to make them holy in every part of their lives. He doesn't just pray for their "soul" to be saved, but for every bit of them—their spirit (their connection to God), their soul (their mind, will, and emotions), and their...

Bible passages: Luke 1:14-17 “He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the...

Bible passages: 1 Peter 5:2-3 “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” Reflections: In this Bible passage, Jesus is teaching us that one of the most important things a church shepherd can do is bring people home to the Chief Shepherd who is Jesus. We are called...