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:
- Why does it make sense to call the physical death of a Christian, “sleep”?
- 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?
- If constantly looking up is not the way to be ready for Jesus’ return, what does being ready actually look like?