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4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10
What ripples do you make as you move through your day? When you speak to your spouse, your children, your co-workers, your online followers, what reverberations are you sending out? What effect do those ripples have? For good or ill, our individual impact spreads farther than we can immediately see.
The believers in the Thessalonian church sounded a clear note to all the churches in their part of the world, because the Gospel had come and completely changed their lives. Today's passage talks about the profound change that being chosen by God makes, and challenges us to really think about the message that rings out from our own lives.
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