We always thank God for you all and always mention you in our prayers.

For we remember before our God and Father how you put your faith into practice, how your love made you work so hard, and how your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ is firm.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because the whole world is hearing about your faith.

God is my witness that what I say is true---the God whom I serve with all my heart by preaching the Good News about his Son. God knows that I remember you

"We refuse to listen to what you have told us in the name of the LORD.

If the people in that house welcome you, let your greeting of peace remain; but if they do not welcome you, then take back your greeting.

And if some home or town will not welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet.

"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.

Many of them believed his message and were baptized, and about three thousand people were added to the group that day.

And so I sent for you at once, and you have been good enough to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God, waiting to hear anything that the Lord has instructed you to say."

When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; they disputed what Paul was saying and insulted him.

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the Lord's message; and those who had been chosen for eternal life became believers.

One of those who heard us was Lydia from Thyatira, who was a dealer in purple cloth. She was a woman who worshiped God, and the Lord opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying.

Then he led them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

Then they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in the house.

Then he took Paul and Silas up into his house and gave them some food to eat. He and his family were filled with joy, because they now believed in God.

The people there were more open-minded than the people in Thessalonica. They listened to the message with great eagerness, and every day they studied the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was really true.

Certain Epicurean and Stoic teachers also debated with him. Some of them asked, "What is this ignorant show-off trying to say?" Others answered, "He seems to be talking about foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection.

Some of the things we hear you say sound strange to us, and we would like to know what they mean."

But even though my physical condition was a great trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you received me as you would an angel from heaven; you received me as you would Christ Jesus.

I want you to remember the words that were spoken long ago by the holy prophets, and the command from the Lord and Savior which was given you by your apostles.

The prophet who has had a dream should say it is only a dream, but the prophet who has heard my message should proclaim that message faithfully. What good is straw compared with wheat?

My message is like a fire and like a hammer that breaks rocks in pieces.

One day Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret while the people pushed their way up to him to listen to the word of God.

"This is what the parable means: the seed is the word of God.

Jesus said to them all, "My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

But Jesus answered, "Rather, how happy are those who hear the word of God and obey it!"

The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the word of God, so they sent Peter and John to them.

The next Sabbath nearly everyone in the town came to hear the word of the Lord.

But Paul and Barnabas spoke out even more boldly: "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we will leave you and go to the Gentiles.

So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart.

but the word of the Lord remains forever." This word is the Good News that was proclaimed to you.

We have not depended on made-up stories in making known to you the mighty coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. With our own eyes we saw his greatness.

We ourselves heard this voice coming from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.

Above all else, however, remember that none of us can explain by ourselves a prophecy in the Scriptures.

For we brought the Good News to you, not with words only, but also with power and the Holy Spirit, and with complete conviction of its truth. You know how we lived when we were with you; it was for your own good.

So you became an example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

All those people speak about how you received us when we visited you, and how you turned away from idols to God, to serve the true and living God

You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you.

Dedicate them to yourself by means of the truth; your word is truth.

And for their sake I dedicate myself to you, in order that they, too, may be truly dedicated to you.

But thanks be to God! For though at one time you were slaves to sin, you have obeyed with all your heart the truths found in the teaching you received.

You were set free from sin and became the slaves of righteousness.

All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory.

The gospel keeps bringing blessings and is spreading throughout the world, just as it has among you ever since the day you first heard about the grace of God and came to know it as it really is.

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart.

By his own will he brought us into being through the word of truth, so that we should have first place among all his creatures.

For through the living and eternal word of God you have been born again as the children of a parent who is immortal, not mortal.

Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved.

Everyone who has this hope in Christ keeps himself pure, just as Christ is pure.

because every child of God is able to defeat the world. And we win the victory over the world by means of our faith.

Who can defeat the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.