Free Reading Plans and Devotionals related to 1 Thessalonians 1:2

(Part four of a four part journey through the Books of Acts.) Even in (and especially in?) hard times, God is present and is working to build His Church. We can find encouragement in this. When circumstances force us to pivot, we don’t have to lose heart - God is with us.

The apostle Paul tells his readers, “We must suffer many things on our way into God’s kingdom” (Acts 14:22). Reading the book of Acts or hearing testimonies from Christians all over the world, these words are proven true. Believers face opposition and persecution. Maybe you experience affliction yourself. In this reading plan, we want to encourage you and to teach you how to handle affliction.

God did not create us to live empty, discouraged, fearful, and defeated lives. He created us for joy. A joy greater than our most challenging and chaotic circumstances. Edited by Karen Greer, Rachel Vaughn, and LaShawn Montoya. Voice talent by Linda Goldfarb.

Gratitude is contagious and as you practice living thankfully, you give others permission to be thankful too. You will take the next 21 days to celebrate the good things in your life, shift your focus from what you think is missing in your life to the blessings that are right in front of you and share the faithfulness of God with those around you.

Oftentimes we struggle to share the gospel with our friends. Either we are overcome with fear or don't know what to share. We all need a burden to reach our lost friends for Christ. This is a 21-day Bible reading plan that helps us meditate specifically on passages related to evangelism and is accompanied by a short prayer for each day for our friends.

This plan deals with Thanks-giving. I was tempted to call the series "An Attitude of Gratitude" but there is something about the idea of Giving Thanks that appeals to me. Gratitude and Thankfulness are not limited to emotions that we experience from time to time, but are choices we make and gifts that we give.

At the end of each year, we have the chance to reflect on everything that's happened and all of the people around us. There’s so much we can be thankful for every year — even if things didn’t work exactly how we planned. God has given us so much, and the birth of Jesus is a great way to focus on all of the gifts we’ve received this year.

When you hear the word "leader," you might think about an influential celebrity, a famous politician, a coach, or your new class president. Great leaders don't have to have official positions, titles, or people who report to them. With God, being a great leader is something anyone can achieve because leadership is simply about becoming the kind of person who's worth following. But how?

This Advent Guide comes from students, faculty, and staff at Belmont University. Advent is that season of waiting that carefully and purposefully helps us to realign our priorities and to glimpse, anew, our place before God. Our humble hope is this guide helps people focus more fully on Jesus Christ through the Advent season.

The Apostle Paul was the greatest Christian missionary and theologian who ever lived. He was more responsible than any other individual for the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. If we accept the spread of Christianity and its enduring impact on civilization as a measure of his effectiveness, then Paul must be recognized as one of the most influential men in history. In this plan we will take a close look at the life and letters of the Apostle Paul. We will see how he was able to lead a legacy that continues to impact the world today - and we will see how each of us can also lead a life a legacy.