The man who keeps a certain day keeps it for the Lord. The man who eats anything does it for the Lord too, for he gives God thanks. The man who refuses to eat anything does it for the Lord too, and gives God thanks.

So if you eat or drink or do anything else, do everything to honor God.

In word

encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good thing you do or say.

Dear children, let us stop loving with words or lips alone, but let us love with actions and in truth.

Giving

and you will always be thanking the Father who has qualified you to share the lot of His people in the realm of light.

with your roots deeply planted in Him, being continuously built up in Him, and growing stronger in faith, just as you were taught to do, overflowing through it in your gratitude.

First, through Jesus Christ I thank my God for you all, because the report of your faith is spreading all over the world.

continue giving thanks for everything to God our Father;

Make it a habit to give thanks for everything, for this is God's will for you through Christ Jesus.

So then, through Christ, let us always offer God the sacrifice of praise; that is, the speech of lips that glorify the name of God.

and keep on building yourselves up, as living stones, into a spiritual house for a consecrated priesthood, to offer up, through Jesus Christ, spiritual sacrifices that will be acceptable to God.

If anyone is preaching, let him do it as one who utters the oracles of God; if anyone is rendering any service to others, let him do it with all the strength that God supplies, so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

God

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may grant you the Spirit to give wisdom and revelation which come through a growing knowledge of Him,

and everyone should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the praise of God the Father.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Thessalonian church in union with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: spiritual blessing and peace be to you.

For to what angel did God ever say, "You are my Son, today I have become your Father"?

No one who disowns the Son can have the Father. Whoever owns the Son has the Father too.

General references

Dearly beloved, you are acting faithfully in doing what you can for the brothers, especially as they are strangers.