Today's passage: 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28

Helpful thoughts:

• Sanctification can mean being set apart (By God unto holiness), and the process of becoming more righteous (More like Christ).
  • Both of these seem to be on display in verses 23-24.
  • Both of these are ultimately guaranteed because God is the agent responsible.  (Philippians 1:6)
• Christians don’t actually believe in the power of prayer—we believe in the power of God, and that is why we pray. – Dr. Burk Parsons
• Every brother and sister in Christ is worthy of our kindness and friendliness.  There are to be no class structures in the family of God.  Conflicts are to be resolved.

Questions to consider:

1. How does God's unwavering commitment to hold fast and complete the work He started in you give you hope, confidence, love and patience (For you and for others!)?
2. How can prayer shape your heart and desires?  How does it humble us in a good way? Why does it make sense to pray?
3. How does being under the teaching/preaching of the Word in the presence of others (“Read to all the brothers”) stimulate our walk with the Lord?   Why is it so important to be a part of the local church? (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Today's passage:  1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

Helpful thoughts:

• Some people are idle because they are undisciplined; they need to be admonished.  Some people are idle because they are fainthearted (Hurting); they need to be encouraged.
  • Questions prick the conscience, accusations harden the heart.
  • Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. – James 1:19
• Whether someone needs rebuke or encouragement, they all need patience.
• It is God's will for your life to rejoice, to pray, and to be thankful.
• To read through this list of commands and try to thoroughly consider every one in one sitting would be overwhelming.
  • Choose one that is particularly encouraging and convicting and consider that.
  • Perhaps, later in the day, come back to this passage and look for another one.

Questions to consider:

1. How do you know which pastors/leaders are over you?  How do pastors know who to shepherd (Acts 20:28, Hebrews 13:17)?  Are you an active member of your local church?  How would being an active member help you to grow and be involved in the disciplines and life of growth and encouragement in the body?
2. What is worthy of your rejoicing today?  What do you have that you can be praying for?  What do you have to be thankful for?
3. How might we be judgmental of people who don't seem to be doing as much as we think they should?  What should we learn before we make a statement or decision concerning them?  Even if they are being lazy, or if they are hurting, what should we do about it instead of making negative statements about them to others?

Today's passage: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Helpful thoughts:

• When the day of the Lord's judgment comes, the world will be shocked.  Christians will not have reason to be shocked.
• Sleeping=Being passive and indifferent.  Drunk=Actively in sin
• Since God has saved Christians from wrath, we ought not to live like one's headed for judgment.
• Christians who are alive (Physically) and who are dead (Physically) have eternal life in Christ.

Questions to consider:

1. How will the world respond to the coming of Christ if that day is compared to a thief coming in the night?  Will they be longing for His return or will they think everything is wonderful without Him?
2. Will anyone who has not put their faith in Christ escape the judgement?  Is there a neutral position on the Lordship of Jesus Christ?
3. How does all of this information on the coming of the Lord encourage us to pursue holiness?  If you were on the roster of the team bound for the championship, what uniform would you be wearing and how would you conduct yourself in the team huddles and on the playing field?

Today's passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Helpful thoughts:

• Physical death is not the end.  To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-9)
• People who die before Jesus returns are not going to miss a thing.  They may have the preferred view!
• Christians believe in resurrection!  Jesus was the first fruits of that resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).
• Acts 1:11 – Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.

Questions to consider:

1. Why does it make sense to call the physical death of a Christian, “sleep”?
2. What is the source of our hope?  Where does our hope find it's strength?  Are we hoping that we are good enough or is it something (Someone) else?
3. If constantly looking up is not the way to be ready for Jesus' return, what does being ready actually look like?

Today's passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

Helpful thoughts:

• The Christians at Thessalonica had become preoccupied with the timing of the return of Jesus Christ.  So much so that it had negatively affected their lives, relationships, and perhaps even their testimony (1 Thess. 1:10, 2 Thess. 2:1-2, 3:10-12).
• In order to set them back on the right track, Paul encouraged them to:
  • Love one another
  • Live quietly
  • Mind their own business (If we are staying busy with our own to-do lists, it's pretty hard to be an expert in everyone else's business)
  • Work (“Working with your hands” refers to menial tasks.  Christians waiting for King Jesus to return were not suddenly too good for their jobs) 
• Being ready for Jesus' return looks like humility and servitude, not like arrogance and entitlement.

Questions to consider:

1. How does the Gospel message received naturally result in a desire for Christians to love?  Why do we love people? (1 John 4:19)
2. What kind of witness and evangelism comes from the believer who is living peaceably/quietly as opposed to the way we might present the Gospel in a confrontational/loud manner?
3. Why would the presentation of the Gospel from the humble hard-working Christian be so much more powerful, accurately portraying the Savior? (Matthew 11:29)

Today's passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Helpful thoughts:

• Guess what God's will is for your life… Your sanctification!  God has called Christians to holiness.
• People who do not know God are expected to live one way.  People who do know God are expected to increasingly live another way.
  • Romans 6:15-18
• Being rudely and/or hypocritically judgmental is not good.  However, feeling like you have been “judged” by another person is not a right excuse to continue in your sin against God.

Questions to consider:

1. When we are asking to know God's will, what kinds of things are we usually asking about?  How would aligning our will with God's will make so many of those decisions easier?
2. Is it possible to sin without first disregarding God's will?  What are some different reasons or ways we might disregard God (e.g. ignorance, carelessness, rebellion, etc.)?  How great is His mercy and grace to us through Christ?!
3. How would a higher reverence for God and a greater appreciation for the gift of our salvation help us to grow in holiness?

Today's passage: 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul was greatly encouraged in the midst of his suffering by the faithfulness of these Christians.
• These men who were leaders and disciplers yearned to build into the Thessalonian Christians all the more, and prayed that God would allow them to see the church there again.
• Genuine love for others results in growth and sanctification.

Questions to consider:

1. What are some ways the faithfulness of other Christians has encouraged you?  How might others take encouragement from your faithfulness?
2. How did Paul (Along with Timothy and Silas) show an example of love to the Thessalonian believers?  How were they leading not just by word but also by deed?
3. Why does it make sense that loving people changes how we live and act?  How would seeing people as souls that you can benefit cause you to treat them differently?

Today's passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5

Helpful thoughts:

• Ephesians 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
• Paul's crowing achievement in life was not writing books of the Bible, it wasn't being “famous” among the churches, it was the growth of the people to whom he ministered.
• Paul's concern was that news of his (and other believers') persecution would be used by our enemy to discourage the church.  So, he sent Timothy to disciple and encourage them through the trial.

Questions to consider:

1. How could a life of relative ease and lack of persecution tempt us to let our guard down and not pursue our relationship with Christ with the fervency He is due?  How might our “quality of life” be an effective tool for our enemy, preventing us from serving the Lord and spreading the Gospel?
2. Is it possible to have ministry without being in contact with people?  How does this need for relationship help us to think about our hospitality and our time together?
3. Was Paul seeking to prevent persecution or discouragement that resulted from persecution?  Why is that such an important distinction?  Why isn't persecution “losing”?

Today's passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-16

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul, Silas and Timothy sacrificially loved the church as a mother, and encouraged their growth as a father.
• The words of men manipulate people into external actions.  The Word of God changes people from the inside out.
• Paul knew the change in these new believers in Thessalonica was real when they withstood persecution.

Questions to consider:

1. If Christ paid the penalty of our sin in full (1 John 2:2), and if Christ's righteousness has been put to our account (Romans 4), why should we “walk in a manner worthy of God”? (For some help: Romans 12:1-8, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, Philippians 1:3-11)
2. Why was Paul's ministry so effective?  Why was his speaking so dynamic? (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
3. What will come of those who reject God and persecute Christians?  Is the martyrdom of a Christian the end of the story?

Today's passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

Helpful thoughts:

• There is a bit of a theme developing: Steadfastness of hope, joy in the midst of affliction, boldness in the midst of conflict.
• Paul, Silas and Timothy's boldness was exercised in preaching the Gospel. It was not exercised in coercing, flattering, or pursuing personal gain.
  • Success was not achieved through tactics and rhetoric.  This would have made Paul the hero.
  • Success was achieved by the work of the Holy Spirit through the humble and bold preaching of the Gospel.  God is the hero!
• Life coaches want you to like and share them on social media.  Mothers care for their precious children even when everyone else is sleeping, with no expectation of fanfare or medals, because of love.

Questions to consider:

1. How does a healthy church grow?
2. Where do pastors/elders have to guard their hearts in this day and age of social media, podcasts, publishing contracts, etc.?  Utilizing these mediums isn't wrong, but what desires of the heart could make them become destructive?
3. Where do Christians need to guard their hearts in this day and age of social media, podcasts, publishing contracts, etc.?  Why do you need the local church? Your pastor(s)?  Your deacon(s)? Your fellowship?