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Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:14
Listen: 1 Thessalonians 5

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:14

Paul gives the Thessalonian believers three key actions for caring for each other: warn, encourage and help. These aren’t suggestions but urgent instructions for building a healthy church family. Each action requires intentional engagement—warning with gentleness, encouraging with sincerity and helping with practical support. Warning means helping others see the truth in love. Encouraging involves coming alongside those who are struggling or celebrating those who persevere. Helping means taking the initiative to support those who can’t carry their burdens alone.

We can’t practice these actions with everyone in our church family, but we can do so for someone. Whether it’s our small group or a few close friends, we’re called to build relationships where we can speak truth, offer encouragement and provide tangible help. These actions might include bringing a meal to someone going through a difficult season, celebrating a friend’s spiritual growth or gently pointing out areas where someone might be drifting from God’s path. When we commit to warning, encouraging and helping each other, our church looks more like the family God intends it to be.

TODAY: Choose one or two people within the church to build this kind of relationship with. Talk with them about committing to warn, encourage and help each other on your spiritual journeys. These people could be your small group or a ministry team you serve with. Send a text today to start the conversation.

JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:

Read Amos 7-9. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Note the imagery of a plumb line as a standard for judgment. Consider how Jesus is our perfect plumb line, offering us mercy and pardon through his life, death and resurrection.