“Be careful when you proclaim my name to all people. Some will persecute you for your bravery and courage but do not hesitate to do good and speak well of my cause. Some will refuse to listen to you because wolves in sheep’s clothing have persuaded them that my people are inherently evil.

The reality is that all people have failed me and those they should love, and they, just like everyone else, deserve my love and forgiveness. To forgive such as these is to demonstrate my power to change hearts into obedient, loving, and kind human beings.

Many will hear you, but they will fail to respond to me in any meaningful, lasting way. Likewise, a small remnant will hear you and be changed forever. Rejoice when they do, for they will be a force for good in my kingdom.

A small group can change a thousand hearts, so it is important for this small remnant to learn how to successfully proclaim my name. Teach them how to do this. Do not worry about this; I will give you the words to help them mature as Christians.

Love one another, for I love you. It is an active process to love others, so seek my face in doing so.”

Today marks the last Children of the Day post, but have no fear–next week Wednesdays will feature a new feature: Fast 5 Reflections! What is “Fast 5”? It’s a study on the five shortest books of the Bible: Obadiah, Philemon, 2nd John, 3rd John, and Jude. Who’s the author of this study? Yours truly. Yes, I agree–we’re in trouble now! We will look at a new book each week and “weave” this study around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. And since Christians rarely give these books their due diligence, I hope it forces all of us to find what we should appreciate about some of the briefer “elements” of the modern Bible.

Before we can focus on that, let’s conclude our study by summarizing Beth‘s next to last video and on the beginning of the last week of homework for 2nd Thessalonians. Here’s what one might have missed if they were unable to hear her discussion of 2nd Thessalonians 2:

Warning: Maybe get a beverage first. 

Howdy, Bible Study Fans! Or are you a Beth-Moore Fan? Either way–I’m happy you’re here!

If you saw the video or heard the CDs, you probably know that Beth thinks churches should have three groups of people to be a healthy church: We, You, and They. That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, if you didn’t hear or see the lesson, so let me explain it my way:

1. We’s – The mentors. These folks have been actively working in their churches and as, Beth says, “are actively producing fruit in the body of Christ.” They are essential for teaching the other two groups about the faith and about how to contribute positively to this world. I also think these folks pretty much have figured out their role, particular gifts, and talents within the body of Christ. Let’s just say they aren’t spending time trying to figure out who they are anymore.