It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality. (1 Thess. 4:3)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

When children begin learning to use crayons, they will naturally scribble all over the page. As their fine motor skills develop and they have better control, the expectation is that they will start to color within the lines. As a Christian, the expectation is that the transformative process of salvation will be reflected in our daily habits. Nonetheless, like young children we may all require encouragement to color within the lines. For a believer, encouragement acts as a reminder that we should always be developing our holiness. There is a carefreeness that comes with scribbling all over the page. Learning to color within the lines will require more conscious effort.

Before we followed Christ we lived to please ourselves. We may have allowed our bodies to engage in acts that were sinful. Part of coming to Christ means willfully giving up on activities that displease him and surrendering our body to the Lord. Specifically, Paul pointed to the need to steer clear of fornication and adultery. While these are not the only sins that can be committed, sexual sin can rob a believer of enjoying a relationship with Christ because of the shame that it may cause. As we continually dedicate ourselves to God, we develop the strength to deny sexual impurity.

Clean out old habits and strive to be holy.

Olivia Isra’el is a wife, mother, and a CBT therapist who enjoys writing. She is grateful to convey the love of God through text.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you. (1 Thess. 4:11)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

The first London marathon took place in 1981. The 26.2-mile stretch is one that sees tens of thousands of people gather each year to run, jog, or walk this great feat. What is not seen on the day of the race is the effort, time, and discipline that occurred in the life of each participant. When training for a marathon the individual will engage in practice runs where they build up the ability to push their body further; this allows for stamina to be cultivated. Particularly, for the average person training to run a marathon, it may entail many lifestyle changes. Not everyone can endure the standard of living necessary to take part.

The apostle Paul spoke of the conduct of the believer. The aspects of Christian life that Paul described are the bits that are done behind the scenes. They are the things that require determination, and which do not often deliver recognition. Indeed, it is the discipline and training that we do privately that will prove useful when dealing with all that life might throw at us. The wisdom laid out in 1 Thessalonians 4 still holds today. The way a believer lives ought to set them apart from those without the knowledge of Christ. Those who prioritize the work needed to develop a deep relationship with Christ will run the race, and they won’t lose sight of the destination.

Continue your training with the destination in mind.

Olivia Isra’el is a wife, mother, and a CBT therapist who enjoys writing. She is grateful to convey the love of God through text.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

You do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more. (1 Thess. 4:10)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10

In high school science class, we were taught that a catalyst was any component that could speed up a chemical reaction without itself being altered. While the same chemical reaction cannot be reversed, the catalyst can be used many times over. In the same way love must be the catalyst for each action we take, whether that may be caring for someone who is unwell or supporting a mission trip to spread the gospel. The love we have received from God ought to cause us to take swift action to meet the needs of others. Demonstrating love to others will bring about a change in them and us.

As disciples of Christ, we have grown exponentially through the love that God offers us. That is, many of us were once engaging in things that did not please God, and through his love we underwent a change reaction. Additionally, the church of Christ has grown numerically because many people have come to accept God’s love for them. As believers in Christ, we must keep in mind that Christ’s return is closer than before, and therefore we should love harder than ever before. Allow that love to take us out of our comfort zone and into a place of service. When we operate from a heart of love for God our actions will be pleasing unto him.

Choose to operate from a heart of love.

Olivia Isra’el is a wife, mother, and a CBT therapist who enjoys writing. She is grateful to convey the love of God through text.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. (1 Thess. 4:7)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

In a weekly home-cell meeting, Linda shared that around the age of five she felt called to be a nurse. She recounted that as a child she would dress up as a nurse and put bandages on her teddy bears. As Linda grew, she started questioning that calling and decided that she no longer wanted to go down that path. At university Linda studied law, but she did not find fulfilment there. Nevertheless, she graduated and took up a job in the legal field. After several years of working in a legal career that did not align with her values, Linda found herself crying out to God asking him to show her what he wanted her to do with her life. After she prayed that prayer, while scrolling online she came across an ad for a fully funded nursing course. In that instant all the memories from her childhood came flooding back. She quickly applied.

It’s interesting how we can lose sight of something that we have been called to because we started chasing something else. There are many things that Christ may ask of us while we are on earth. It is important that we obey what Christ is asking of us. When we do not adhere to what Christ has placed within us to do, we may find ourselves discontented with life.

Pray for discernment, and that God would help you live your calling.

Olivia Isra’el is a wife, mother, and a CBT therapist who enjoys writing. She is grateful to convey the love of God through text.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

In this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. (1 Thess. 4:6)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6

When a young child discovers the word “mine” it is like a whole new world opens. They don’t just say “mine” when referring to things that belong to them. They also start to claim things they want which may not be theirs. They may take someone else’s toy and when asked to give it back say “mine!” Usually once they classify something as “mine” it then becomes difficult to get them to let go of it, with little notice of who they upset or inconvenience. Their excitement over claiming more and more as their own compels them to continue. The young child, convinced that what they are calling “mine” belongs to them, will usually cry or throw a tantrum if the object is taken.

Sin can have the same blinkered effect on a believer, causing that individual to think that they can have what they want without repercussions. The truth is that once someone becomes entangled in sin their desire for self-gratification increases. That individual then runs the risk of harming a brother or sister by taking what does not belong to them. Therefore, as followers of Christ, we should make every effort to abstain from sin and to be mindful of how our behavior may affect others.

Treat others in a way that testifies your love for God.

Olivia Isra’el is a wife, mother, and a CBT therapist who enjoys writing. She is grateful to convey the love of God through text.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. (1 Thess. 4:2)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2

A well-kept garden is a thing of beauty. Some gardens are filled with different types of flowers; other gardens have plants and vegetables. The process of growing and pruning a garden can take a lot of hard work. Growing up in South America my mother would grow okra and other produce that we could cook. She would tell my siblings and me when to water the vegetation and when to leave it alone. My mother knew exactly how to care for what she had planted. The joy of collecting fresh vegetables from the garden negated the period of sowing and waiting.

Anything with the potential to grow needs to be fed and watered accordingly. It will also require some level of patience. Following the instructions of Christ is the same. As we are seeking to live for Christ, we have the Bible to guide us, but we must practice the words of Scripture. We must also be patient with ourselves as we grow. Additionally, it is important for us to encourage other believers to do the same. Complacency can lead to the undoing of the effort that we have put in. Imagine the outcome of a garden being left for days without water. If we take the necessary steps to grow our spiritual life, we will reap the fruits of our labor.

Spend time tending your spiritual garden to make it fruitful.

Olivia Isra’el is a wife, mother, and a CBT therapist who enjoys writing. She is grateful to convey the love of God through text.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord . . . who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. (Ps. 119:1–2)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 119:1-8

Easter usually sets records for worship attendance. Some churchgoers find that discouraging, or even disgusting, that so many secular believers want to barge in on their most sacred celebration. But other churches even make space for these extra guests by having the usual attendees open up parking spaces and seats to make them more easily welcomed.

Easter is the church’s feast day of celebrating the life that comes from Jesus’ conquering of death. We don’t just join with a group of people who believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead—and then ascended to reign with God forever. We are claiming that pattern of life for ourselves. We are a people who share in that same hope for a resurrected life. We should invite everyone who wants to follow Jesus into life everlasting to join with us!

In Psalm 119, the law of God is described by many different words—with “law” and “statutes” in these the first two verses alone. But with all of this devotion to God’s law there is no mention of any of the laws themselves. It is enough to desire to live according to God’s commands. We don’t need to be religious observers of laws and rituals; we need to be the kind of people that seek the heart of God.

Seek God with all your heart, and bring someone else along too.

Rich Eckley is professor emeritus of theology at Houghton University (NY). He is an ordained Wesleyan minister and enjoys—with his wife, Lynn—entertaining four active grandchildren.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. (Matt. 28:9)

Expanded Passage: Matthew 27:57—28:15

In my home church when I was growing up, early morning sunrise services meant trudging up the mountainside above our small mining town. We walked along a forest path with the predawn fog creating a mystic haze on nature’s awaiting worship clearing. A young boy played a trumpet solo into that crisp air, and we shouted, “He is risen!” into the valley below. A sermon, a song, rubbing our eyes, we went back down to the church to join our fellow revelers who were unable to awaken so early.

I suppose our experience wasn’t that much different than those coming to the Easter service at Jesus’ tomb. Most had their own idea of what was going to happen. No one was there to see the resurrection action. Only the onlookers and angels were left to report. But when the benediction was given and all were sent home, Jesus greeted them along the way. I suppose that’s where true worship happens—after we are on our way.

When Jesus greeted them, they “clasped his feet and worshiped him.” Perhaps it is always our tendency to want to hold on to the resurrected Lord and not allow him to continue his mission to its completion. The Easter message is that love always overcomes death. Easter is not stuck in one place or time; it goes on as we move on.

Keep your eyes open to see Jesus greeting you along the way.

Rich Eckley is professor emeritus of theology at Houghton University (NY). He is an ordained Wesleyan minister and enjoys—with his wife, Lynn—entertaining four active grandchildren.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. (Matt. 28:15)

Expanded Passage: Matthew 28:11-15

I was pastoring a church in an economically depressed region; jobs were scarce and budgets tight. The church had a large mortgage from when it was experiencing better times, which was now sucking up a large portion of its resources for ministry. A wealthy man met me at the church door. He offered to pay off the church’s debt with the writing of a check. I thought for a moment and then declined his offer saying that I didn’t think it would help the congregation learn how to trust God. They needed to pay off their debts together. He smiled and put his check book away. “I just wanted to see if you could be bought,” he said.

People are always trying to influence us to do something. The internet is full of people selling their wares, including those with the job title of “influencer”! These folks are paid to use their platform as an advertisement for various businesses. Some may say they can be bought.

The guards who were present when Jesus’ tomb was opened could be bought. At one moment they were scared stiff by what they experienced, in the next they were taking bribes to lie about it. Our time, our values—our pride—are all for sale it would seem. Your soul is worth more than money.

Consider whether your integrity or reputation can be bought.

Rich Eckley is professor emeritus of theology at Houghton University (NY). He is an ordained Wesleyan minister and enjoys—with his wife, Lynn—entertaining four active grandchildren.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples.” (Matt. 28:6–7)

Expanded Passage: Matthew 28:5-10

When we were sent on an errand, my mom would sometimes say, “. . . and no lollygagging!” We may have even been warned not to “dillydally.” I’m not sure of the precise meaning or history of these words, but we knew it meant not to get sidetracked with meaningless browsing or loitering and return home as quickly as possible. The angel on Easter morning could have used those words in his invitation to visit the empty tomb. “He is not here! Come and see! But no lollygagging!”

Many Holy Land tourists are taken to various possible locations for Jesus’ tomb. Not until Christians in the diaspora began making pilgrimages to see the Jerusalem of Jesus’ life was anyone even that interested in visiting a place that was known only for being vacant. Even the angel seems perplexed as to why people would look for someone who was alive in the place of the dead.

The moment of the resurrection was a powerful event in God’s salvation history. But it was not something to focus on as a curious oddity. Easter is an ongoing pattern for life. Belief in the resurrection was intended to propel believers into the world with a message of Christ’s offer of grace and love for all people—and not have us lollygagging at the tomb.

Stop lollygagging and get out to tell someone about Jesus!

Rich Eckley is professor emeritus of theology at Houghton University (NY). He is an ordained Wesleyan minister and enjoys—with his wife, Lynn—entertaining four active grandchildren.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.