1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 On more than one occasion Rial has said that “Words Matter.” I think that what he means is that a word has a definition and we should pay attention to it. I agree, but words also have nuances, and context often determines meaning, especially in the English language. Now, I realize that you didn’t come to church today to get a lesson in English grammar, but I believe that Paul has something important to say about words in our text. It’s not an issue of grammar or definitions, but whether our lives match our words. Because Paul was a traveling preacher, he was something of a talker, but unlike many other contemporary preachers of his day and ours as well, Paul was a straight-talker. He said what he meant and meant what he said, and so people could have confidence in his message. Paul’s own confidence in God’s calling on his life gave him confidence in his message as well. Therefore, he had the courage to pr...
Sermons of a Disciples Preacher Ministering in Troy, Michigan